Jerry Fowler, Dr. Mohammed Abdallah, Bec Hamilton, Michelle Gavin

This weekend the Save Darfur Coalition joined the Pledge2Protect conference here in Washington, DC.  Hosted by STAND: The Sudent Anti-Genocide Coalition, the Save Darfur Coalition and the Enough Project, the conference sought to create an experience for participants that will empower them to become stronger leaders on their campuses and in their communities while demonstrating the strength of the movement to end genocide to policymakers on Capitol Hill.

The coalition hosted the Sudan Plenary, which featured NSC Senior Director for African Affairs Michelle Gavin, author Bec Hamilton, physician and professor at al-Fasher University and former Director at Amel Center for torture victims in Darfur Dr. Mohammed Abdallah, Representative Mike Capuano (MA-08) and Save Darfur Coalition President Jerry Fowler.

During the plenary, Representative McGovern told the conference attendees,  “Everyone in this hall is essential to peace… To ending genocide. You are the engine, the energy” and instructed them: “you need to make sure your representative knows this matters to you!”

Michelle Gavin said she was “energized by this gathering” and told the audience:  “you have one of the most important roles in this important time period we’re in now” for Sudan.  Gavin also noted that “history shows us when activists come together on key issues we become closer to the America we want to be” and asked that activists “help [the government] keep focused on the fact that what needs to change is the situation on the ground in Sudan.” (more…)