|
Note: To cut and paste from this site, paste directly into your blank outgoing e-mail or word processing document. For e-mail, because of different formatting features of various e-mail services, you may need to make some adjustments to the "pasted" version. Contact us if you have problems. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current actions listed include: SAAF Action 04-08 Support Aid and Security Funding SAAF Action 03-08 Support the International Criminal Court SAAF Action 02-08 Sent letter to Chinese Ambassador to U.N. SAAF Action 02-07 Bring Genocide into the Presidential Race ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAAF Action 04-08 May 5, 2008 Support Humanitarian Aid and Security Funding for Sudan
Recently, the United Nations World Food Program announced that it will cut half its food supplies to the people of Darfur because of a lack of funds and relentless attacks on its convoys. Millions of Darfuris depend on this food supply. Without it, they will be pushed even closer to edge of starvation. Congress is preparing to vote on a bill that will significantly increase funding for humanitarian aid and peacekeeping in Darfur. Your representative needs to hear from you. Please write to your Representative and tell him or her to support funding for security and humanitarian aid in Darfur. Additional funding for Darfur can bring hope to the thousands who have weathered half a decade of genocide. It can provide peacekeepers with training and equipment to protect Darfuri civilians. It can deliver disaster and famine assistance to families desperately in need. Click HERE to tell your member of Congress that we must meet our obligation to the people of Darfur. Urge your representative to fully fund peacekeeping and humanitarian aid to Darfur. With the United Nations World Food Program cutting its food aid to Darfur, the clock is ticking faster and louder than ever – action must be taken quickly to try to fill this crucial gap. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAAF Action 03-08 February 28, 2008 Wanted for War Crimes A large coalition of organizations has joined to support the action of Aegis Trust in attempting to get the United Nations Security Council to increase its effort to bring two Sudanese men to court who have been indicted by the International Criminal Court for murder, rape and wanton destruction. While SAAF has not joined this coalition, we do support the action. Please take the action by clicking below. If you do not wish to receive future e-mail from that group, click "No thank you" just before the "Send" button ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAAF Action 02-08 February 14, 2008 Letter to Ambassador Wang Guangya
Below, you will find a letter to the Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations. Please cut, paste, adjust it to fit your situation, and mail it to Ambassador Wang Guangya. China took some very modest helpful steps last year,
but they have not improved conditions on the ground in Darfur. In fact,
the humanitarian and security situation has deteriorated dramatically in
recent months, and Sudan has obstructed the deployment of UNAMID to such
a degree that it is now entirely unclear whether it can ever be
successful. Beyond that, China has been silent while Khartoum has
resisted implementing key provisions of the North-South peace agreement,
provided support to the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army, and
contributed to the recent attempt to overthrow the Chadian government by
arming and supporting Chadian rebels. Perhaps alone among the world's nations, China has the political and economic leverage to change Khartoum's course in Darfur. Please encourage them to do so by sending the letter below. -----------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAAF Action 01-08 January 1, 2008 China and the Olympics
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAAF Action Request 02-07 Bring the genocide to the forefront of the Presidential race This request asks you to get involved politically on behalf of a peace for Sudan. An extensive background is provided followed by the specific action request. The background is provided so that you will feel comfortably prepared for the action. If you do not need the background, go directly to the ACTION item.
BACKGROUND After four years, the conflict in Darfur, an area about the size of Texas, has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 people and the forced removal of about 2.5 million from their homes into refugee camps in neighboring countries or squalid internal displacement camps inside Sudan, most near the larger towns and cities of Darfur. The victims are Sudanese. The perpetrators are Sudanese.
In 2003, rebels from indigenous African tribes in Darfur attacked government military installations hoping to correct the ills caused by many years of neglect by the central government. Rather than limit its response to the rebel combatants, the government of Sudan, in concert with the Janjaweed militia, adopted a scorched-earth policy against the civilian population. The actions of the government of Sudan and its Janjaweed allies appropriately have been labeled genocide by the United States.
A November 2006 report by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour of events in a refugee camp in West Darfur illustrates the situation: “7,000 people fled the area [of the attacks]. Several witnesses described seeing cold-blooded killings of children when the attackers ransacked villages, including a woman whose four-year-old was pulled from her grasp and shot dead. Another group of three children (five, seven and nine years-old) were running in line. The five-year old fell down and was shot dead. One of the attackers reportedly told a boy who pleaded with him: ‘If I let you go then you will grow up.’ The boy was then shot, the report said.”
The current phase of the genocide involves violence directed at the populations within camps for displaced persons. Men are being gunned down, children clubbed and burned to death, and women gang-raped. This is the latest chapter in a continuing history of genocide in Sudan. How can we understand such brutality, such disregard for human life, and such depravity? Who are those who use genocide as strategy?
Sudan gained independence in 1956. Control of the country has been in the hands of a small group of members of Arabic tribes living along the Nile River near Khartoum. Under their reign, Sudan has been at war with itself for all but 10 years. The last period of peace ended in 1982. Since then about 2.75 million Sudanese citizens have been killed directly or through engineered starvation, dehydration and disease. Almost a quarter of the population have been driven from their homes and denied a means of survival. On average about 10,000 Sudanese per month die from the government’s genocidal strategy.
Power and wealth always have been concentrated in these few Arabic tribes who control the nation. Sudan is controlled by a few well-educated, intellectually capable, radically committed men who are members of the National Congress Party. They rule through military dictatorship. Regardless of their ethnic, religious, or cultural identity, population groups on the periphery of power remain marginalized, largely destitute, and lacking development.
Sudan’s President Omar al Bashir has been in power since 1989. Because of his ongoing deadly human-rights abuses in Darfur, he has for two years running been acknowledged the World’s Worst Dictator by “Parade Magazine.” Lust for power, greed, racism, culture, and religious zealotry all are part of the motivation for Bashir and his genocidaires in Khartoum.
What can the nations of the world do? Responses fall into three categories: Diplomatic (political negotiations), Economic (sanctions and other pressure), and Military. Roger Winter, Former Special Representative on Sudan to the Secretary of State, testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa that in the seventeen years since they came to power by an illegal coup, these Sudanese leaders have consistently defied the international community and won. Mr. Winter identified the key to moving the leaders of Sudan as posing a credible threat to their power and wealth.
What are the nations doing? The African Union has a military force operating in Darfur with the task of performing peacekeeping operatieons related to the conflict. About 7,000 strong, the force is too small, inadequately equipped, and does not have a strong mandate to protect the civilian population—nor is there a peace to monitor. The force is largely ineffective. Not a credible threat to their power and wealth.
What are we doing? The United Nations has passed 8 resolutions condeming the violence in Darfur, none of which has stopped the genocide. The U.N. is limited by the self interest of its component nations. For example, China is the dominant trading partner with Sudan and buys the great bulk of the oil extracted in Sudan; Russia is a primary supplier of weapons to the Government of Sudan. As permanent members of the Security Council, both Russia and China have “veto power.” Although the Security Council approved sending a force of about 22,000 troops into Darfur, the United Nations seems unwilling to dispatch such a force without the approval of the Government of Sudan! Not a credible threat to their power and wealth.
What are we doing? European nations seem willing to be observers. Professor Eric Reeves stated it well,
“Rhetorical performance is robust in some quarters, but, despite Europe’s diplomatic, economic, and military power—and its own experience with genocide over the last century—there is no indication that Europe is considering any commensurate action…we are learning, yet again, that some genocides matter more than others. And, from the perspective of Europe, Darfur just doesn’t measure up.” (The New Republic (on-line), October 27, 2006) Not a credible threat to their power and wealth.
What are we doing? The United States has done more than any other nation or entity. We have given humanitarian aid to save the people of Sudan, sponsored forceful resolutions in the United Nations, and prohibited U.S. companies from doing business with Sudan. Sudan is listed on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and other churches have joined in the efforts to provide humanitarian aid. Citizens are urging university, church and state retirement programs to divest from foreign companies doing business with Sudan that supports the violence. All are important steps. But just as important is what we have not done. We have not denied companies doing business with the government of Sudan access to our capital markets and not prevented Sudanese leaders who are complicit in genocide from coming to this country. We are not willing to commit U.S. military forces to Darfur to stop the genocide. We, along with the rest of the world, have not posed a credible threat to the power and wealth of the leaders Sudan.
What then can WE do? “Nothing” is not an answer for Christians. Jesus tells us quite clearly that what we do for our brothers and sisters is what we do for Him. With equal clarity, He tells us that neglecting our brothers and sisters is the same as neglecting Him. It will not do for us to say, “I knew about the genocide in Sudan, but I decided not to get involved.”
And so we pray and give. We participate in groups such as the Sudan Advocacy Action Forum. We consider our own investments. ACTION REQUEST
Remembering that the idea is to provide a credible threat to the wealth and power of the Sudanese leadership, another step is before us. We must bring the genocide to the forefront of the Presidential race.
When Presidential candidates of any party visit your area, go to the meetings and ask questions—not about policy but about action! If the candidates do not visit your area, write to them. Write letters to the editor, encouraging others to pose such questions.
Ask questions like:
Persist. Don’t accept “policy” answers. Demand “action” answers. The media will report these events and the candidate’s response. The genocidairres in Sudan will listen. If we become involved and push for action, we can help create a credible threat to their power and wealth that may lead to peace for the people of Darfur. With your help, we CAN!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|||||||||||||||||||
