Samantha Power

The White House is expected to release a statement on genocide prevention later this morning. Please join us today at noon for an off-the-record discussion with Samantha Power (confirmed) and David Pressman (likely) from the National Security Council to learn more about the President’s initiative on this important matter. GI-NET/SDC will host the call and our new President Tom Andrews will moderate.

Call Details
Date: Thursday, August 4, 2011
Time: 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Speakers: Samantha Power (confirmed) and David Pressman (likely)
Moderator: Tom Andrews, President of Save Darfur and GI-Net
Call in number: 712-432-0900
Access code: 154845#

Please note: Today’s call is off-the-record and not for attribution.

Activist in front of White House. Copyright: Martha Bixby

On July 23, 2011, Darfuri Diaspora and American activists participated in a Peace in Sudan Rally at Lafayette Square in Washington, DC.  The rally, which was co-sponsored by Fur Cultural Revival, GI-Net/SDC, and Sudan Now, was held in front of the White House in order to draw the attention of the U.S. government and the international community to the dire situation in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, Abyei and other parts of Sudan.  The rally was held on July 23 to mark the 7th anniversary of the recognition of the crisis in Darfur as genocide by the United States Congress.

Youth activism. Copyright: Martha Bixby

Demonstrations began at 1:00 p.m. following the conclusion of the hunger strike and lasted until 3:00 p.m. Speakers included policy makers, genocide survivors, leaders of advocacy movements, musicians, and media correspondents.

Speaker. Copyright Martha Bixby

The speakers called upon the U.S. government for immediate protection of civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access, the arrest of al-Bashir and other suspects for crimes committed in Darfur, accountability for the Sudanese government, and justice for victims of genocide and other atrocities committed in Darfur and Sudan at large.

Tom Andrews, president of Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition. Copyright: Martha Bixby

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over 150 people participated in the DC rally, despite the unbearable heat. Activists and Diaspora traveled to the rally from across the country including from Eastern states such as Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Connecticut, and from as far away as Texas, South Dakota, and California.  In addition to the DC rally, hunger strikes and rallies were held in other U.S. states including: South Dakota, Indiana, Arizona, and Nebraska and internationally in the UK, France, Egypt, Uganda, and South Sudan.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The united action of the advocates this weekend shows that there is a strong commitment from people from all walks of life to end the genocide in Darfur.  They have made it clear that impunity is not an option and that there is a consensus that protection of civilians in the Nuba Mountains and Darfur should be a priority for both the U.S. government and the international community.

Protestors. Copyright: Martha Bixby

Click here to view the embedded video.

On July 22, 2011, Darfuris Against Genocide initiated a global hunger strike to stand in solidarity with the victims of the Darfur genocide, who have endured unimaginable suffering over the past 8 years.  Darfuris Against Genocide is a group of activists who stand for protection, peace, and justice in the face of the deteriorating situation in Darfur.  Most of its activists have fled from genocidal attacks in their homeland and are currently residing in the United States.  They have experienced first hand the atrocities of the crisis and demand that the United States end President al-Bashir’s campaign to slaughter their people.

The 24 hour hunger strike began at 12:00 p.m. on July 22 and lasted until July 23 at 12:00 p.m.   Over 4000 people signed up on Facebook, where they wrote comments and uploaded videos on an hourly basis.  Videos were also uploaded on YouTube by a variety of individuals including human rights activists, Darfur Diaspora, GI-NET/Save Darfur Coalition and Enough employees, and government officials.  All videos from the 24 hour campaign can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Hunger+Strike+for+Darfur+Hour&aq=f

Click here to view the embedded video.

The global hunger strike demonstrates once again that there is a united movement to end the targeted bombing of civilians, blockades of humanitarian access, arrests, and the torture and rape of women that have become commonplace in the lives of the people of Darfur.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lafayette Square
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

July 23rd marks the 7th anniversary of the declaration of the Darfur genocide by the United States Congress. The Fur Cultural Revival, Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur and Sudan Now invite you to rally at the White House. Please join us in demanding action from the United States to protect civilians in Sudan, hold the Bashir regime accountable, and support peace in all of Sudan.

Speakers

Debi Kellerer: The acting Community Outreach manager for Humanity United, she works to establish a global network of grassroots organizations, policy makers, analysts, and other funding organizations.

El Fadel Arbab: (Portland, ME) He is a speaker, educator, activist, and secretary of the Fur Cultural Revival, who as a genocide survivor feels strongly about spreading awareness.

Emira Woods: In addition to being the Co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus, she is the chair of the Board of Africa Action and serves on the advisory committee of the Zimbabwe alliance, as well as the Humanity United/TrustAfrica Liberia program.

Hashim Hassan: (Washington, D.C.) A human rights advocate and policy expert on sub-Saharan and North Africa, he originally hails from the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan.

John Prendergast: A human rights activist, best-selling author, and Co-founder of the Enough Project, he has worked for peace in Africa for 25 years.

Khalid Grase: Advocate of justice and peace in Sudan, currently working on the Nubia Project.

Myra: (Washington, D.C.) A Burmese human rights advocate for the United Nations and a member of the Karen Women’s Organization, Myra speaks around the U.S. to empower activists and bring an end to the military dictatorship in Burma.

Nasr Haggam: He is the Media and Outreach Director of Iowa Forum for Democratic Transformation, a Sudanese American Organization that promotes peace and democracy all over the world, focusing on Sudan.

Nusaiba Abbas: Women representative from Darfur.

Omékongo Dibinga: (Boston, MA) A motivational speaker, trilingual poet, and positive rapper whose mission is to inspire all to take a stand when witnessing injustice.

Omer Ismail: (Washington, D.C.) Born in the Darfur region of Sudan, he now works to publicize the conditions of the area. He helped found the Sudan Democratic Forum and co-founded Darfur Peace and Development Organization.

Sally Smith: (Washington, D.C.) A skilled individual with seven years experience at bringing together various organizations, constituencies, and individuals to actively support causes and candidates, she now works as the Sudan Now campaign coordinator with the Enough project.

Tom Andrews: (Washington, D.C.) As a former member of congress, activist for peace, and new CEO and president of the Save Darfur coalition/ Genocide Intervention, he seeks to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur and calls people to action to achieve this goal.

Tom Oslovich

Diaspora Representatives: New York, Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina

The intricate relationship between the internet and activism was discussed by a series of experts on July 13, when the New America Foundation held a conference entitled “How to Ignite, or Quash, a Revolution in 140 Characters of Less: The Promise and Limitations of New Technologies in Spreading Democracy.” Although the conference focused on revolutionary activism, the conclusions reached by the panels apply to anyone who uses the internet as a way to generate social change.

Jubilant protestors thank the Facebook Youth of Egypt in this picture, tweeted by NBC’s chief news correspondent Richard Engle

The Distinction Between Facebook and Facebook Youth

After the fall of Hosni Mubarak, N.B.C.’s chief news correspondent Richard Engel tweeted a photo of joyous Egyptian activists holding up a sign written entirely in Arabic except for the word “Facebook.”  Rebecca MacKinnon, Senior Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation and the co-founder of Global Voices Online, pointed out that the media’s translation of the sign as “Thank you Facebook” left out a crucial part of the message.  “Thank you Facebook youth of Egypt” is the complete translation of the sign. The distinction between Facebook and Facebook youth, MacKinnon explained, is central to understanding the role that social media has played in revolutions across the Arab world. Although the youth were able to organize themselves via Facebook and other websites, the ultimate action of taking to the streets was what generated the change that they sought.

Similarly, panelist Ahmed Al Omran, a blogger from Saudi Arabia who runs Saudijeans.org, recounted the story of Saudi women who used Facebook to organize an effort to begin driving. Approximately one hundred women corresponded online for two months, after which they all broke social norms and drove. The women did not only use the internet for organizational purposes, but also uploaded pictures, videos, and messages showing them driving to encourage other women to do the same.   Connecting via Facebook when they could not meet in person gave the women a forum to plan coordinated action.  Like the Facebook youth in Egypt, however, the women ultimately took their plans from the cyber world to the real world, and that was the true action of change.

Protestors confront government forces in Syria

Social Media Doesn’t Create Voices, It Amplifies Them

Oula Alrifai, a Syrian youth activist, spoke about the importance of social media in informing the international community about what takes place under oppressive regimes. Because the sparse internet and phone connections in Syria are largely monitored by the state, activists risk their lives to cross Syrian borders into Jordan and Lebanon to upload videos of government soldiers firing on protestors. Oula explained that without Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook, the world would know much less about the Syrian government’s actions against its own people.

In the repressive state of Cuba, blogger Yoani Sanchez uses the internet as a way to tell her story to the outside world. Translated into a multitude of languages and read around the world, her blog at desdecuba.com provides a window into the realities of life in Cuba. Although she has been forbidden to travel by the Cuban government, Yoani says that her voice can travel the globe through her blog.

What Does That Mean for Me?

Activists fortunate enough not to live under repressive regimes can still learn valuable lessons from the experiences of Aula, Omar, Yoani, and the Facebook youth of Egypt. Their stories show that internet is a tool unrivaled in its ability to bring like-minded people together, spread information, and provide an open forum to debate controversial opinions. Just as women in Saudi Arabia used social media to organize an effort to gain the right to drive, activists can use the internet as a way to connect and circulate petitions or organize events. By updating a Facebook status or retweeting breaking news, any citizen can help spread awareness of atrocities around the globe. But despite the power of bringing people together online, taking action from the cyber world into the real world is still the surest way of generating social change.

South Sudanese celebrate their new country's independence in the streets of Juba

At midnight on July 9, the Republic of South Sudan became a sovereign state. Celebrations in Juba, the capital of the new nation, continued through the night and into Saturday as official recognitions, statements, and congratulations on South Sudan’s newfound independence poured in from countries and elected officials around the globe. Click here for a collection of photos and videos documenting celebrations in Juba.

Foreign dignitaries and delegations, along with thousands of South Sudanese citizens, packed into John Garang Mausoleum in Juba for the formal independence day ceremonies. Despite the palpable excitement, the remarks delivered by the speakers reminded the crowd of the immense challenges facing the fledgling nation: South Sudanese leaders must confront extreme poverty, tensions with Khartoum, and a lack of infrastructure as they work to build a stable government and society.

Celebrations of South Sudanese independence were not confined to Juba. Events took place across America on July 9^th; highlights, summaries, photos, and videos from selected events can be found below.

The South Sudanese Flag is raised outside the embassy in Washington, DC. Photo credit: Martha Heinemann Bixby

Flag Raising at the South Sudanese Embassy (Washington, D.C.)

Members of the South Sudanese Diaspora community and grassroots activists from around the country gathered in front of the South Sudanese embassy in Washington, DC to celebrate South Sudan’s independence and witness the raising of the new nation’s flag. Dancing, singing, and tears of joy carried throughout the crowd as attendees watched a live feed of events taking place in Juba. At 11:00 a.m., soldiers raised South Sudan’s flag outside the embassy, symbolically announcing the country’s entry into the international community. A series of photos of the event can be found here.

Live Twitter Q & A From Juba, South Sudan

Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition President Tom Andrews and Senior Policy Analyst Dan Sullivan hosted a live question and answer session from the ground on July 9 in Juba, South Sudan. The topics covered ranged from the infectiously joyous atmosphere in Juba to the steep road ahead for South Sudan, including key aspects of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that still need to be addressed and the overwhelming lack of infrastructure in the young nation.  The Q&A also contained information about what American activists and the U.S. government can do to help the citizens of South Sudan and the victims of atrocities in South Kordofan, Abyei, and other regions in Sudan.

Celebration in New York City

In Dag Hammarskjold Park, activists and leaders of the diaspora community gathered to celebrate the culmination of the South Sudanese struggle for independence. The event also drew attention to the urgent need for peace and stability in the regions of Abyei, South Kordofan, Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan where people are still facing violence and marginalization.  Featured guests included the hip-hop artist and social entrepreneur Genesis Be, Gafar Kangam of the Nuba Advocacy Group, Jimma Mulla of Voices for Sudan, and Peter Keny of the Sudan Development Foundation.

An activist cheers South Sudanese independence in Dar Hammarskjold Park, NYC

Events Across the Country

Local grassroots events celebrating South Sudan’s independence occurred in over 10 states across the United States, including Virginia, Maine, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Utah, New York, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado. At churches, temples, community centers, and parks, activists and members of the Sudanese diaspora community gathered to sing, dance, and cheer the official introduction of South Sudan into the international community.

Hunger Strike for Darfur

At noon on July 22, Sudanese Diaspora members and activists around the globe will begin a 24-hour long fast for Darfur. During the global hunger strike, participants will be contacting their government officials, asking for:

- Immediate protection of civilians

- Unimpeded humanitarian access

- Accountability for the crimes against humanity committed by Khartoum’s regime

- Justice for the genocide victims and atrocities committed in Darfur and throughout Sudan.

To find out more and sign up to participate visit  www.fastdarfur.org or “Hunger Strike for Darfur” on facebook

Rally at the White House

Date: Saturday, July 23, 2011
Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20006

On July 23^rd, the 7^th anniversary of the United States Congress declaring the conflict in Darfur to be Genocide, Sudanese from all regions, including Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, Abyei, Nubia, Eastern Sudan and Central Sudan, will join together with American activists outside the White House, to protest the ongoing violence of Omar al-Bashir’s regime. They will call for action from the United States to protect civilians, hold al-Bashir accountable, and bring peace to all of Sudan.

Confirmed speakers at the White House Rally include:

Hon. Thomas Andrews

President of Genocide Intervention Network/ Save Darfur Coalition

John Prendergast

Co-Founder of the Enough Project

Other speakers will include prominent human rights activists, policy experts, and genocide survivors will speak.

Separate events will also be held throughout the US (including Nebraska, Arizona and Texas) and Internationally in Canada, France, the UK, Egypt and Uganda.

For more information visit: Save Darfur Coalition – Events

In-district lobby days in August

The Senate will be on recess from August 8-September 2, giving you a great opportunity to meet with them at their local offices. With so much going on, we anticipate that August will be a crucial month to lobby on both Sudan and genocide prevention. You can sign up online and we’ll provide talking points and materials for your meeting. We will also be holding several training calls to help you prepare and can connect you with others in your area who might be interested in lobbying.

Sign up to lobby your Senators today. Meetings will need to be scheduled soon.

Make the Call: 1-800-GENOCIDE

As always, we’ll be making 1-800-GENOCIDE available to connect you directly with the White House and with talking points, so you can call TODAY.

“Don’t you just want to bring them home?” I’m often asked that when people see pictures and videos of me with children in the Darfuri refugee camps.  I do bring them home with me, in so many ways.  They are what keep me going every day in this often-depressing work.  As any father would say, I love them all, but Guisma has a special place in my heart, and now you have a chance to Bring Guisma Home.

Bring Guisma Home

Bring Guisma Home is a campaign to have people learn, teach, and act — for peace, protection, and justice for Guisma and all the people of Darfur.  You simply provide your home and a home-cooked meal to your friends and family for a night.  We send you a DVD and action pack.  By hosting a viewing and action party, you will be a part of a large network — a community — that will reach across the oceans, from continent to continent, and connect with people that feel abandoned.

When I first met Guisma a few years ago, she immediately caught my attention, with her beautiful eyes, her squeezable cheeks, and her unending giggles.  I really did want to bring her home with me!  Visiting Adef and Achta, Guisma’s parents, is always a joy, but is also sad.  I vividly remember when, a year after I met the family, I visited them and gave them some pictures we took from the visit before. Their smiles turned serious.  Adef pointed to one of the pictures and showed it to Achta, and he kept staring at that image.  It was a photo of the family, with Achta holding their little baby, Marymouda, who was about a year old.  Our translator told me that the little girl had passed.  I felt like I was punched in the gut and didn’t know exactly what to say.  They had told me of how one of their sons had died during their escape from Darfur, and now beautiful Marymouda had died from illness.

You can see Guisma’s entire story during your home gathering.  I promise you that it will be sad, but I also promise that you will be energized and inspired by the strength and resilience of Guisma, her family, and all of her people.  One more promise: I will tell Guisma and her family personally about your participation in their community.  Thank you for being a part of it.

Click here to Bring Guisma Home by hosting your own viewing and action party.

Gabriel Stauring

Gabriel Stauring is the Co-founder and Director of StopGenocideNow.org. Some of the campaigns initiated and/or led by Gabriel include the 100-Day Fast for Darfur, 100,000 postcards to legislators, Darfur Freedom Summer Vigils, Camp Darfur, Darfur Fast for Life, and i-ACT, Sudan Sham Elections, and This is Darfur among many other grassroots actions and presentations.

Introductory remarks were by made by Peter Rundlet of Humanity United. Panelists included Richard Williamson of The Brookings Institution, Sarah Sewall of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Manal Omar of the United States Institute of Peace.  The event was moderated by Mike Abramowitz, director of the Committee on Conscience at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The recent crisis in Libya has brought increasing attention to the issue of the “responsibility to protect” civilians from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. The Responsibility to Protect Doctrine – often shortened to R2P – was adopted by all of the world’s governments in 2005 and appeared explicitly in the 2010 U.S. National Security Strategy. Proponents of R2P have lauded the fact that U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1973 and 1975 invoked the responsibility to protect as part of its argument for action in Libya.

Main themes of the afternoon included:

A woman looks at pictures of people killed by Qaddafi's forces REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

• Panelists agreed that the world is still in the learning process about how to best execute such interventions. R2P is an emerging norm in which the menu of options for policy makers is still being built.

• It is difficult to draw a line between civilian protection and regime change. There is wide belief that the longer Qaddafi is in power the greater the chance is for a humanitarian disaster.

• Manal Omar, who recently returned from Libya, said that there is excitement in Benghazi that the city is free thanks to N.A.T.O. intervention but an appreciation for the fact that rebels are leading the fight on the ground.

• Intervention can be unpredictable and difficult to plan for. One reason intervention in Libya is a step forward for R2P  was that it was cited by the U.N. Security Council and had it had international and regional consensus. Panelists agreed that Libya was part of a broader regional political change that was internationally supported.

A transcript and recording are available online.

Amin Ismail cited the lives lost in Sudan under President Bashir – 2 million in South Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile, and over 300,000 in Darfur – and asked for justice for the people of Sudan by sending members of the Sudanese government, including Bashir and Ahmed Haroun, to the International Criminal Court. Ismail called for military intervention to provide security for civilians throughout Sudan in order for the country to have democracy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In addition to asking for justice and security for the people of Sudan, participants at the rally called on the U.S. to hold the Sudanese government accountable for its actions.  Ibrahim Tahir said that the United States must stop lifting sanctions and giving rewards to the Sudanese government.  He called for more sticks and less carrots from the U.S. and the international community as well as protection for civilians in Abyei, the Nuba Mountains, and Darfur.

Rally attendees marched to chants to stop the genocide in Sudan and calls to send Bashir and Haroun to the I.C.C. Please join them by asking Ambassador Susan Rice to demand a United Nations investigation of the recent attacks in Abyei and strengthen sanctions against the Sudanese government in order to prevent further violence.