Myspace/darfurpledge
YouTube/ourpledge
Facebook/ourpledge
Flickr/ourpledge
Twitter/ourpledge
Del.icio.us/ourpledge
ACTION: Tell President Bush - Don’t Normalize Ties with Khartoum
[Apr. 23, 2008 Update: This is a key action alert, so please keep calling! Thank you. -Nikki]
How: Call the White House comments line (202-456-1111), and leave this message with the operator on the other end:
“The U.S. must NOT normalize ties with the Government of Sudan. If anything, our administration should do the opposite in order to pressure the perpetrators of the Darfur genocide. Namely, the U.S. should lead the international community in imposing targeted multilateral sanctions against Khartoum’s senior leaders.”
Why: Now’s not the time to let up. Last week, The New York Times reported that the U.S. is considering normalizing ties with the Sudanese government and lifting the unilateral sanctions that are currently in place against it. This would be in exchange for Khartoum’s acceptance of Thai and Nepalese peacekeepers into Darfur, among other things.
Here’s the problem, though: Sudan has already formally agreed to let these UN peacekeepers in.
The U.S. cannot take this conciliatory approach to stopping genocide. If anything, the current administration needs to do the exact opposite — it needs to ramp up the pressure by helping to impose targeted multilateral sanctions against Khartoum’s senior leaders.
[End of Post]
Continue Reading: ACTION: Tell President Bush - Don’t Normalize Ties with Khartoum
ACTION: Stay home, Mr. President
[From the Save Darfur Coalition:]
If you were invited to a party hosted by the enablers of the genocide of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, would you go?
Join me in urging President Bush not to attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Tell President Bush to take a stand for human rights and skip the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
China has the power to convince the Sudanese government to accept deployment of the United Nations-African Union (UNAMID) peacekeeping forces for Darfur. But instead China remains Sudan’s major weapons provider, largest foreign investor and trade partner, and diplomatic apologist.
Continue Reading: ACTION: Stay home, Mr. President
ACTION: Darfur can’t wait. U.S. aid needed now
[From American Jewish World Service:]
In response to the ongoing suffering of the Darfuri people, the very least our Congress can do is provide the funding needed for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid.
The upcoming emergency supplemental bill is the only opportunity for Congress to provide critical financial assistance to the Darfuri people this year. Please click here to send an email to your legislators — demand that the U.S. plays its part by fully funding these urgent needs.
[End of Post]
Continue Reading: ACTION: Darfur can’t wait. U.S. aid needed now
ACTION: Stop China’s Sale of Arms to Sudan
[If you’ve already followed up on this action alert, please send it to your friends and family! We’ll keep this posting up above-the-fold until Mar. 20 or 21. Thank you!]
Help us stop China’s sale of arms to Sudan.
Today, we’re launching a new campaign to halt the deadly transfer of arms from China to Sudan, and I’m asking you to join us.
“Made in China: Stop Arms Sales to Sudan” comes at a critical moment. The continuing violence in Darfur, combined with China’s latest “charm offensive,” gives us a unique moment to get China-the largest provider of small arms by far-to promote peace by halting its arm sales to Sudan.
Help us stop China’s sale of arms to Sudan. Sign the petition today.
Continue Reading: ACTION: Stop China’s Sale of Arms to Sudan
ACTION: Tell your mutual fund to become genocide-free!
[An important action alert from Investors Against Genocide:]
Investors Against Genocide is running a campaign to make sure mutual funds do not make investments that contribute to genocide. They have submitted resolutions to more than 50 mutual funds.
As early as March 19, large and small shareholders of the following Fidelity funds will have a chance to vote on our resolution: Blue Chip Growth, Blue Chip Value, Capital & Income, Contrafund, Dividend Growth, Equity Income, Growth & Income Fund, Low Priced Stock, Puritan, Real Estate Investment, Select Health Care Portfolio, and Utilities.
Votes at more Fidelity funds plus other major fund companies, including Vanguard, Franklin Templeton and Barclays, will follow. To see the list of mutual funds with a pending vote on genocide-free investing, please visit: www.investorsagainstgenocide.org/shareholderhelp.
Continue Reading: ACTION: Tell your mutual fund to become genocide-free!
ACTION: Tell your Representative to sponsor House Resolution 1011
[From the Genocide Intervention Network:]
With the humanitarian crisis stemming from Darfur continuing to destabilize not only Sudan, but the surrounding region, including Chad and the Central African Republic, it has become increasingly urgent that the international community develop, fund, and implement a “comprehensive regional strategy.”
The United States and President Bush have the ability and responsibility to protect by using their influential position on the United Nations Security Council and financial ability to provide humanitarian assistance to the region.
House Resolution 1011 urges President Bush to stick to his promises by:
“Urging the UN Security Council to implement sanctions against the government of Sudan for its detrimental actions and the continued destabilization of the region, and continue US humanitarian assistance to the refugees and internally displaced people in Chad and the Central African Republic.”
This week, ask your Representative to call on President Bush to stick to his promises and implement a comprehensive regional strategy by co-sponsoring House Resolution 1011. CLICK HERE to send an email to your Representative.
[End of Post]
Continue Reading: ACTION: Tell your Representative to sponsor House Resolution 1011
ACTION: Concerning S.RES.455 - Please call and leave a message TODAY
[Please call! Adapted from a Friends Committee on National Legislation action alert:]
S. Res. 455, a resolution “Calling for peace in Darfur” is rapidly gaining momentum but needs more cosponsors.
Currently, S. Res. 455 has 25 co-sponsors; Congressional staffers and activists are aiming for 50 co-sponsors to show broad support for this resolution. There is only a short window of time to plug in with Senators and urge them to cosponsor this important legislation as the Senate Congressional Leadership would like to ‘hotline’ S. Res. 455 on Monday. (Hotlining is a procedure to quickly move legislation to the Senate floor for a vote.)
Advocacy groups and activists could best help by urging Senators to co-sponsor S. Res. 455. Senator’s can be contacted via the Capitol switchboard: 202–224–3121.
In brief, S. Res. 455 urges:
- support from all parties for a ceasefire;
- cooperation from Khartoum regarding the full deployment of UNAMID;
- broad representation from Darfur’s civil society at a future round of peace talks;
- unity among rebel groups to help end the conflict; and
- support for the CPA.
The full text of the legislation is available here.
The original sponsor of S. Res. 455 is Senator Durbin (IL). Current co-sponsors include: Senators Allard (CO), Biden (DE), Boxer (CA), Brownback (KS), Burr (SC), Chambliss (GA), Coleman (MN), Feingold (WI), Feinstein (CA), Hagel (NE), Klobuchar (MN), Lautenberg (NJ), Leahy (VT), Lieberman (CT), Menendez (NJ), Mikulski (MD), Obama (IL), Schumer (NY), Snowe (ME), Specter (PA), Sununu (NH), Voinovich (OH) and Whitehouse (RI).
[End of Post]
Continue Reading: ACTION: Concerning S.RES.455 - Please call and leave a message TODAY
ACTION: Please Act to End Chinese Arms Transfers to Sudan
[From the San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition:]
China’s special envoy on Darfur, Liu Guijin, recently criticized Sudan for not allowing UNAMID (the United Nations-African Union hybrid peacekeeping mission for Darfur) to fully deploy. Such criticism by China — a powerful friend of Sudan — is a sign of the effect of continuing pressure on China. Now: Click here to add your voice to the pressure for action in addition to words at HumanRightsFirst.org.
Continue Reading: ACTION: Please Act to End Chinese Arms Transfers to Sudan
ACTION: Dollars making sense in Darfur
[From Amnesty International:]
Maybe some stockholders prefer not to know that their investments support a government responsible for massive human rights abuses. But in today’s globalized world, stockholders must make it their business to know the human rights impact of their investments. Increase the pressure on investment firms to support human rights by taking a stand for Darfur.
Thousands of you have already joined with Amnesty International to call on firms investing in Sudan’s oil sector to make socially responsible investments. By using their influence, these firms have the power to help put an end to the Sudanese government’s stalling tactics against the full deployment of peacekeepers in Darfur. Thanks in part to your actions, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, T. Rowe Price and Citigroup have begun taking positive steps to address our concerns. However, we need your help to get the same commitment from two other firms – Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo.
Continue Reading: ACTION: Dollars making sense in Darfur
ACTION: Urge the European Union to Impose Sanctions
Dear Darfur Advocate:
The United States has imposed sanctions against the genocidal regime in Sudan, including placing restrictions on companies that do business there in U.S. dollars. The Government of Sudan is in the process of converting its reserves from U.S. dollars to euros. It is essential for the European Union to impose banking and other economic sanctions on Sudan and its government leaders responsible for the Darfur genocide.
Please send your message to the EU at http://noeurosforgenocide.org.
Please scroll down to Option 2 and send your email.
This is really important! The U.S. cannot end this genocide alone.
And, this week, please forward this email to your acquaintances in Europe and ask them to go to http://noeurosforgenocide.org and take action.
[End of Post]
Continue Reading: ACTION: Urge the European Union to Impose Sanctions