Winds of War: Dateline show on Sudan

Dateline followed George Clooney (along with John Prendergast of the Enough Project) as they visited Sudan and talked to the people there about what is happening in their country and the fear that war will break out again soon in response to the January 9, 2011 vote for independence by the south. Excellent show to bring you up-to-date on the current situation in Sudan. You can watch it here:

Winds of War

Pledge to Protect Conference

SAIDC Advocacy Coordinator and 2009 Carl Wilkens Fellow Susan Smylie has been in Washington, DC this weekend attending the Pledge 2 Protect Anti-Genocide Conference.

She is shown here with Carl and Teresa Wilkens and other 2009 Carl Wilkens Fellows.

This is what the Anti-Genocide Generation looks like:










Layla Amjadi, STAND Student Director, inspiring us with her words "We are so blessed to be able to do this work."

Sam Bell, Genocide Intervention Network President, "It's about carrying the faith for a world without genocide with us wherever we go."

Relief Beads is a grassroots campaign raising awareness and support for Relief International’s humanitarian efforts in Darfur. Founded in 2007, Relief Beads has raised tens of thousands of dollars, which has provided life-saving relief for thousands of refugees. Each Relief Beads bracelet truly makes a difference!

Contributions raised by Relief Beads aided in the construction of the only Women’s Development Center in Darfur. The center is a place where women and children victimized by the crisis are able to get professional medical and psychological support. Relief Beads bracelets are assembled by the women at the center and this provides them with an invaluable opportunity to contribute to their own livelihoods.

Relief Beads is also currently raising funds to build a Children's Malnutrition Center at the second largest refugee camp in Darfur, Zam Zam.

Please vist the website at www.reliefbeads.org to learn more about this wonderful organization the work they’re doing to help IDP’s in Darfur, and to order bracelets for yourself and your friends!

(from Orange County for Darfur. Reused with permission)

Sudan Envoy Appointed

The New York Times, Reuters and the AP are reporting that President Obama will announce today that he is appointing retired Air Force General Maj. Gen. J. Scott Gration as his special envoy to Sudan. It seems like he is uniquely qualified for this position, great news for the people of Sudan. Listen to reactions from Darfuris below.


This does not mean we give up our activism. We need to make sure that Gration is given the resources and mandate to do the job that needs to be done. We also need to continue to press for the restoration of humanitarian aid within Sudan and for the overall peace process to continue, including full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Khartoum government and South Sudan. We cannot rest until the people of Sudan know peace.

Take Action Today!

Last week, the Sudanese government kicked 13 humanitarian organizations out of Darfur. The situation has not improved, and if the status quo remains, there will be a humanitarian catastrophe in the coming months.

The Chinese government, and the governments of Arab League and African Union members are key to resolving the current impass. We are requesting that they use their influence with the Sudanese government to secure a reversal of the decision to expel the aid groups, and to make clear that the United States will never support a trade-off of humanitarian access in exchange for concessions over the International Criminal Court. We are urging Members of Congress to sign "Dear Colleague letters" with this message to the heads of the Arab League, African Union, and China.

Please join us in this effort by calling your Representative (call 1-800-Genocide) and asking that he or she sign the three Darfur letters being circulated by Representative Michael Capuano and Representative Michael McCaul. The letters are addressed to China, the Arab League, and African Union and call on each to pressure the Sudanese Government to reverse its decision and allow the 13 expelled aid agencies back into the country.

If world leaders join together humanitarian aid can be restored to the people of Darfur. But, we need you to call your Representative today.

Urgent Action Needed

The situation in Darfur has become dire. Sudanese President al-Bashir reacted to the March 4 ICC arrest warrant against him (for war crimes and crimes against humanity) by kicking many major aid agencies out of Darfur. Since millions of Darfuris have been displaced from their homes over the last 6 years and rely upon these aid agencies to keep them alive, this move puts millions of people at immediate risk. Imagine being stuck in the middle of west Texas with no food, no water, no transportation--and with tens of thousands of other people in the same situation (and millions spread out over the whole of the region). How would you survive?

This situation requires that we respond even more strongly than we have in the past. Please take the time to complete at least one of these actions. If you would like to get even more involved, please go to: http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/statement-ngo-expulsions-sudan for more information.

1) Send President Obama a "progress report" on how he has responded to the Darfur crisis during his first 50 days in office. It only takes a few seconds to send a free e-fax, just click here for instructions:
http://standnow.org/campaigns/dfd1/action/day50

2) Please send a text message to Secretary of State Clinton at 90822 (this is the phone number to use--it works! Does not need more digits) Ask her to act to restore humanitarian aid and appoint an envoy for Sudan.

3) This one is a bit more involved--it focuses on Congress--please take the time to call at least one office:
a. Call your Senator Cornyn's office at 202-224-2934 or Senator Hutchison at 202-224-5922 and ask to speak to the staffer for foreign affairs.

b. Tell that person that you are calling to advocate for firm action in response to the Sudan government's expulsion of humanitarian aid organizations and that you wo uld like the Senator to advocate the following:

1) FULL deployment and use of UNAMID to deliver humanitarian aid,

2) No-fly zone--(ban on offensive military flights),

3) Sanctions on senior Sudanese officials and an arms embargo

4) Appointment of a Special Envoy to Sudan

4. Then call your representative and follow the same steps. You can find your Representative and their phone number at: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

As always, your willingness to be engaged in action to keep alive hope for the Darfuri community is immensely appreciated.

LEADING DARFUR ADVOCACY GROUPS CALL ON SUDANESE AUTHORITIES

Take Action: Sign the petition at: http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/iccownerhp

Groups: 'The Government of Sudan will be held responsible for any preemptive or retaliatory actions against civilians, humanitarian aid workers, or peacekeeping forces'

WASHINGTON - The Save Darfur Coalition - in coordination with the Enough Project, Genocide Intervention Network, Refugees International, Physicians for Human Rights, Stop Genocide Now, Africa Action and American Jewish World Service - today released a statement on the reported decision by the International Criminal Court judges to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President al-Bashir. The organizations urged Sudanese authorities to comply with their obligation to cooperate with the court. The organizations also urged the U.S., the U.N., and the international community to take all necessary steps to ensure the protection of civilians, aid workers and peacekeepers in Darfur, and to focus renewed diplomatic efforts on building a lasting and inclusive peace for all of Sudan.

The full statement appears below.

"The judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will soon act on the prosecutor's request for an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

"Their decision will likely add international legal weight to a long obvious truth - primary responsibility for the atrocities in Darfur rests with the regime that Bashir heads. Individual nations and the international community as a whole cannot continue to do business as usual with Bashir once he is an indicted war criminal. At a minimum, countries should not allow him to travel to their territory and should limit diplomatic interaction with him in Khartoum to efforts to end the crisis in Darfur and bring peace to all of Sudan. He should not be allowed to attend summits, international conferences or similar functions. A regime led by an indicted war criminal cannot possibly be treated as a full member of the community of nations. The international community must press Sudanese authorities to comply with their obligations to cooperate with the ICC, including executing all outstanding warrants.

"The ICC decision will present both challenges and opportunities. The international community, led by the United States and other members of the United Nations Security Council, must first and foremost meet the challenges. It must make absolutely clear that the Government of Sudan will be held responsible for any preemptive or retaliatory action against civilians, humanitarian aid workers, or United Nations and Africa Union peacekeeping forces. The Security Council must explicitly identify severe consequences and employ them if necessary.

"Likewise, the Government of Sudan must know that the Security Council will categorically reject any attempt to abandon or suspend the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with the Government of South Sudan in retaliation for the ICC decision. The Security Council - led by its five permanent members and the seven non-permanent members who are parties to the ICC Statute - must resolve that it will not allow Khartoum to hold hostage the CPA, Sudanese civilians or the international operation to alleviate suffering caused by the Sudanese government.

"The various Darfur rebel movements must also understand from the Security Council that any attempt to use the ICC decision as an excuse for offensive military action is unacceptable, will only result in greater suffering for the Darfuri people and will incur punitive measures. Rebels should be encouraged to come to the negotiating table to take part in a peace process that is better structured and managed than previous efforts. The rebels must know that they stand to gain nothing, and risk losing everything, if they take matters into their own hands.

"While the Bashir arrest warrant will present challenges, it also will provide an opportunity for peace. The international community, led by the United States, must pursue a comprehensive, negotiated peace in Sudan that builds on the framework of the CPA and takes into account the needs and rights of all citizens. Ultimately, the problem of Darfur cannot be resolved unless the problem of Sudan is resolved.

"For its part, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) must take this opportunity to abandon its disastrous policies in Darfur and elsewhere and rehabilitate its relationships with the international community. For that to happen, it must end its attacks against civilians and its support for the janjaweed militias; cooperate fully with the UN-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID); end impunity in Darfur; allow refugees and internally displaced persons to safely and voluntarily return home; negotiate in good faith with the rebel movements and Darfuri civil society to ensure equitable political rights and economic development; and fully implement the CPA. Any other course of action will lead only to greater isolation and further loss of legitimacy.

"The ICC judges' decision to issue a warrant for President Bashir's arrest will provide a choice to the NCP, twenty years after it seized power in a military coup. It can choose to move backwards into chaos, destruction and increasing isolation for Sudan, or forward to peace, prosperity and full reintegration of Sudan into the community of nations. We hope it will choose the latter. But if it does not, we will fully support strong and immediate action to protect civilians and humanitarian aid operations throughout Sudan. The Security Council must give U.N. forces throughout Sudan better resources and more capable military personnel to ensure that they can protect themselves from provocations from either the government or rebels and provide much needed protection to civilians and humanitarian agencies."

Emergency Alert--Take Action Today!

Sound the alarm on Darfur - Call the White House

TAKE ACTION: Call the White House today by dialing 202-456-1111 or 1-800-GENOCIDE. Urge President Obama to condemn the violence happening now in Darfur.

Reports are coming out of Darfur that the Sudanese government and its militia allies are attacking civilians even as you read this.

According to a first-hand account from Darfur, "People in Elfasher (my hometown where my mother, sisters, brothers and their children are still there) saw military jets and heard loud explosions outside the city. Situation is tense in the city. People stayed at home (no schools or ordinary business). Usually air strikes are signs that the ground troops and Janjaweed are not far."

President Obama, Secretary Clinton and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice must respond. This is the first time that there have been reports of aerial attacks under the new administration's watch. They must send a clear message to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and his regime that violence against civilians, peacekeepers and aid workers in Darfur will not be tolerated.

SAMPLE SCRIPT

Hello, my name is (YOUR NAME) and I'm from (YOUR CITY, YOUR STATE). I'm calling to ask President Obama to urgently address the escalating violence in Darfur. According to on-the-ground reports, Omar al-Bashir has launched air and ground attacks throughout Darfur and civilians have been caught in the middle.

President Obama, please demand that Bashir, his regime and the involved rebel groups must immediately cease attacks on civilians in Darfur. Additionally, you should designate a high-level official with the necessary stature, authority and mandate to lead your administration's efforts to reach a comprehensive solution in Sudan. Thank you.


You can also call the State Department's Public Comment Line at 202-647-6575 and leave a similar message for Secretary of State Clinton.

Genocide Prevention Task Force Report

SAVE DARFUR APPLAUDS GENOCIDE PREVENTION TASK FORCE REPORT

Fowler: The 'constituency of conscience' will demand White House,
congressional leadership to end Darfur genocide and prevent the next
Darfur from occurring.



WASHINGTON-Jerry Fowler, president of the Save Darfur Coalition, today
applauded the report issued by the Genocide Prevention Task Force
outlining critical steps to prevent future genocide and mass atrocities
around the world. The Task Force was a joint initiative of the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy and the
U.S. Institute of Peace.



Fowler, a human rights lawyer and former staff director of the
Holocaust Museum's Committee on Conscience, said a broader
"constituency of conscience" has been mobilized to ensure future
genocide and mass atrocities are averted. He said this constituency has
been the driving force behind the Darfur movement - but will also
demand presidential and congressional leadership to avoid the next
Darfur.



"As an organization committed to ending the first genocide of the 21st
century, the Save Darfur Coalition applauds the conclusions of the
Genocide Prevention Task Force and supports the imperative goal of
preventing genocide," Fowler said.



"To prevent and respond effectively to future genocide and mass
atrocities, two things are necessary: a government that is better
equipped to recognize and respond to these horrific situations as they
develop and a politically salient constituency of conscience that
demands action.



"The Task Force report outlines concrete steps that, if taken, will
move toward achieving the first goal of improving the U.S. government's
ability to recognize and respond to impending threats of mass murder.
And essential to taking those steps and making them real, as
Secretaries Cohen and Albright recently wrote, is leadership,
especially from the White House and Congress.



"We can also be optimistic that the American people will do their
part. The mass movement that has responded to genocide in Darfur shows
that there is a constituency of conscience of people from all walks of
life, all ages, and all political, religious and ethnic backgrounds
that will raise its voice in response to mass atrocities.



"While Darfur has been this constituency's primary focus during the
past five years - it hasn't been its only focus. And moving forward,
this movement will demand presidential and congressional leadership to
end the Darfur genocide and prevent the next Darfur from occurring."


- Read the Full Report
- Read the Executive Summary -

One Person's Vision

Dear Friends,

In June 2007, I began a 40-day train trip around the country to speak about Darfur and ask activists, students and people of faith about an idea for a new one-year campaign called Tents of Hope. The response was overwhelming. People wanted to order tents even before the campaign was launched. When I returned to California in August, a small group of us from the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) created a plan for Tents of Hope. We launched the campaign in September 2007.

Would the campaign take off? I wasn’t sure. The idea for Tents of Hope germinated in the spring after I had many discussions with Darfur activists about low morale in the Darfur Movement. We had been working to end the genocide for over three years and the situation in Darfur was getting more hopeless by the day. I spoke about my concerns with Elly Simmons, a brilliant Marin artist with a long history of social activism. We thought the idea of painting tents would work because it could bring communities together in a creative and fun way. But the task of organizing Tents of Hope was daunting. We had no office, no staff and no money. We only had an idea.

After the campaign was launched, we began reaching out to Darfur advocacy organizations, religious denominations and interfaith organizations, Sudanese groups and human rights organizations. We asked them to help us spread the word about Tents of Hope. The UCC and Disciples provided seed money that allowed us to hire a few staff workers. In the fall and winter of 2007, the campaign grew very slowly. After four months, less than 50 cities had joined the campaign. People who were involved agreed that it was a good idea, but not enough people were learning about the campaign. We were running out of money quickly. One day my phone and Internet service were turned off because I couldn’t pay the bill. I was very discouraged and wondered if we should give up.

Then something remarkable happened. In January 2008, we began to receive calls from dozens of small towns across the country. Youth directors at churches and synagogues and teachers at K-12 schools wanted to use the tents as a way to teach young people about the world and social responsibility. Artists saw it as a way to join creativity and compassion together. Painting a tent is fun. But it also connects us to the people of Darfur as we reflect on their suffering and hopes while painting the tents. Over the next few months, the number of cities participating in Tents of Hope doubled and tripled. By May 2008, over 300 cities had joined the campaign. (The final number is close to 400 cities in 48 states and 8 countries.) In most cities, an assortment of schools, congregations and civic groups participated in painting the tents while learning about and advocating for Darfur and raising funds for humanitarian relief.

Intense planning for the “Gathering of the Tents” began in May. New people, some volunteers and some paid, came aboard to perform critical jobs. Our budget expanded thanks to help from campaign partners and generous donors. We all worked very hard. Our core team slowly took shape, and as we learned to work together, lifelong friendships began to form. Many of us were raising children at the same time that we were working on the campaign. On numerous conference calls, babies could be heard crying in the background and children could be heard asking for help with their homework (including my 9-year-old son, Jonathan). I guess that’s the difference between a campaign and an organization. In a campaign, every day is take-your-children-to-work day!

The “Gathering of the Tents” at the National Mall in Washington DC and the “Interfaith Weekend of Prayer and Action for Sudan” on November 7-9 were incredibly successful. You can see from the photos on the website that local communities are an endless source of creativity, compassion and hope. Almost 400 tents were on the National Mall! The tents are beautiful works of art and a powerful message of our solidarity with the people of Darfur.

It’s very sad for me to see the Tents of Hope campaign come to an end. For the last 16 months, I have been blessed to be part of the most inspiring work of my life. The stories and photographs that poured into our email boxes kept us continually amazed and encouraged to work even harder. But the end of the campaign allows us time to reflect on our experiences and accomplishments. We did it! In the coming weeks, we will post your stories, photos and media coverage on the website. I encourage everyone to continue this creative dialogue of hope and compassion as we work together for an end to the genocide in Darfur.

The campaign still faces some challenging financial hurdles. We will be sending hundreds of tents to Darfur through the Darfur Peace and Development Organization. We need your financial help to ship the tents to Darfur. We also have many expenses that still need to be paid. Please consider making a donation online at www.tentsofhope.org. Small donations are welcomed just as much as large ones because Tents of Hope has always been about people everywhere pitching in to help.

We met our goal for Tents of Hope, and all of us can feel a sense of accomplishment. As a writer, I appreciate a story that has a beginning, middle and end. When I finish a book I try to understand the way that I have been changed by reading the book. How have I been changed by Tents of Hope? How have you?

My understanding of the Darfur Movement has been radically transformed. I used to think that hope would arise from a change of policy toward Sudan by the international community. In other words, I thought that hope for ending the genocide in Darfur rested in the hands of governments. It doesn’t. You are the hope. It may take many years for peace and justice to come to Sudan. At times, we may get discouraged and want to give up. The only thing that will keep us going in this movement to end genocide in Darfur is the strength that we get from one another. We are a community of compassion. Compassion is a powerful force for change. It allows us to see that we all belong to one human family and that we have a responsibility to one another. When you look at the images and messages on the tents, you will see this consciousness of global solidarity in every color and every language.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your decision to act on your compassion and desire for peace and justice in Sudan by participating in the Tents of Hope campaign. This campaign was only one expression of the Darfur Movement. But if the creativity and beauty that we see on the surfaces of the tents is any indication of the creativity and beauty in all of your hearts, I am more than confident that our struggle against genocide in Darfur will succeed. Remember, you are the hope.

With gratitude and joy,

Tim Nonn
National Coordinator
Tents of Hope

The Candidates Will Be a Voice

The following blog by Jerry Fowler, president of the Save Darfur Coalition, was posted Tuesday on The Huffington Post.

Throughout this election, both John McCain and Barack Obama promised action in Darfur. On January 20, Barack Obama must be prepared to deliver on that promise.

Over the last few months -- in debates, stump speeches and interviews -- the presidential and vice-presidential candidates have spoken about America's responsibility to help end the genocide in Darfur. Their words were forceful. Sen. Obama said that genocide "diminishes us," and Sen. Biden said he does not "have the stomach for genocide when it comes to Darfur." Sen. McCain said "we have to say never again to a Holocaust and never again to Rwanda" and Gov. Palin said that "America is in a position to help."



It's no accident that the plight of 2.5 million displaced people in a place no one had heard of six years ago is now a top issue on the American campaign trail. Americans have done the unexpected: They started a mass movement to end the suffering of civilians half way around the world. When the people of Darfur were targeted in 2003 by the Sudanese government for elimination, the people of America spoke out.

Obama and McCain responded to this outcry back in May when they signed a rare joint presidential candidate statement. It promised "unstinting resolve" from the next president to end the genocide, no matter who is elected.

When thousands of citizens of conscience spoke with one voice, our leaders listened. Today, with the campaign over and President- elect Obama set to take over in less than three months, Americans who believe we can not stand idly by during genocide have a reminder for the future president: it's not enough to say that genocide is terrible. You have promised action in Darfur. Be ready to deliver.

In 2006, the Save Darfur Coalition launched the "Million Voices for Darfur" postcard campaign. In the dawn of our movement, a full one million people quickly signed and sent postcards to the White House demanding peace in Darfur. Since then, we've seen activists organize mass rallies, states adopt divestment policies at the behest of concerned citizens, and Olympic athletes call on China to use their leverage with the Sudanese government to end the violence in Darfur.

People in Darfur are alive today who otherwise would not be, because this growing constituency of conscience cried out. But still the suffering remains. Six-year-old children in Darfur have known nothing but conflict their whole lives.

The inauguration of Obama presents a new opportunity to push for a lasting peace. He should invest heavily in diplomacy and work with allies to apply leverage on the parties, including further targeted sanctions for uncooperative key players. The U.S. must engage closely with the new U.N.-A.U. joint chief mediator Djibril Bassolé and other key nations, such as China, from the start of this fragile, vital process.

Civilian protection will help create an atmosphere that fosters a push for peace, but the hybrid U.N.-A.U. peacekeeping force is floundering. Earlier this month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon broke the bad news that by December - almost eighteen months after the force was authorized - perhaps only two thirds of the total force is expected to be deployed in Darfur. As is, the force lacks basic logistical support such as helicopters, aerial reconnaissance, transport trucks, engineers to build military installations, and logistical support units. And what's more, the Sudanese government has been given an unconscionable veto over the force's composition and operations. An American president with commitment and leadership can provide the necessary support and pressure, making the peacekeeping force in Darfur operational and saving lives.

President-elect Obama will have to contend with many vital issues, not the least of which is the health of our economy. But let us not forget that one of these issues must also be stopping genocide in Sudan. The people of Darfur have waited six long years for protection and a chance at peace. The next president must be resolved to place this African region on top of his must-do list; he must be prepared to act for Darfur from day one.

Our movement has staying power. We ask for protection of civilians from violence, starvation and disease; sustainable peace for all Sudan; and justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators. Barack Obama must end this genocide instead of continuing to manage it. It's not too much to ask.

Jerry Fowler is president of the Save Darfur Coalition and is leading the "Be a Voice for Darfur" campaign to collect one million postcards for delivery to the next president urging him to make Darfur a top priority.

Tents of Hope National Event

I am in Washington, DC attending the National Tents of Hope gathering. There is also a Save Darfur Coalition Conference going on, which started with a salon discussion with Jerry Fowler, President of Save Darfur and Gary Bass, author of Freedom's Battle: the Origins of Humanitarian Intervention and a professor at Princeton University. There were a number of Darfurians in attendance. It was clear from the discussion that what we are doing truly matters, but it is also not nearly enough. I hope to learn more about what we can hope to accomplish over the next two days and to bring that information back to all of you.

In addition to the salon, we attended a student march and vigil at the Sudanese Embassy (I have two high-school students with me). It was exciting to see so much energy and enthusiasm at work. We also helped put up tents. Below are pictures of some of today's events, including many pictures of the San Antonio/New Braunfels/Seguin area tents.

Go viral with your voice—send the message below to your friends:

For more than five and a half years the people of Darfur have lived under a brutal reign of terror. The government-sponsored genocide has taken hundreds of thousands of civilian lives and driven more than 2.5 million from their homes. In 2008 alone, violence forced more than 230,000 civilians to flee—sometimes as many as 1,000 per day!

Strong action from the next president can bring peace and protection to the people of Darfur. That's why the Save Darfur Coalition is bringing together people from all faiths and political beliefs to raise their voices and call for Darfur to be a Day One priority for the next president.

Be a Voice for Darfur. Go to www.AddYourVoice.org to send your postcard to the new president, demanding that this humanitarian crisis be a Day One priority in the White House. Add your voice today!

Tents of Hope San Antonio Gathering

The Tents of Hope San Antonio Gathering will take place Sunday, October 19, 2008 from 3:00-5:00 PM. Come join us on Main Plaza in the heart of San Antonio to create awareness about Darfur and to raise funds for humanitarian relief. We will have music along with the beautiful tents that have been decorated by various groups in the San Antonio region over the last year. After this event, the tents will move on to the national "Gathering of the Tents" in Washington, DC. Free weekend parking for Main Plaza visitors is available at the FROST BANK surface lots located at FLORES @ TRAVIS and FLORES @ HOUSTON

Switch Over to Darfur

NEW YORK, NY, July 8, 2008 – Dream for Darfur today released “Gengen Genocide,” an animated video that shows China's cynical use of the Olympics to burnish its own image while underwriting a genocide in Darfur. The video, created and produced for Dream for Darfur by award-winning cartoonist and journalist Mark Fiore, was launched exactly one month before the start of the Olympics.

To watch the video, visit www.switchovertodarfur.org

To learn more about Dream for Darfur, go to www.dreamfordarfur.org

Tents of Hope-Culture Day

The first Tents of Hope-San Antonio event was held May 30, 2008 at the Colonies North Elementary School Culture Day, where students from the fifth grade classes painted pictures of peace and hope for the people of Darfur. Students from the third through fifth grade classes were also given a brief talk about the displacement of the people of Darfur, then visited three centers to learn about the READ campaign, Bracelets of Life, and life in a refugee camp. Finally, the children were given a typical Darfurian snack. If you are interested in participating in Tents of Hope, please email Susan at saidc@earthlink.net

Tents of Hope--San Antonio

Tents of Hope is a one-year campaign in which people respond as communities to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan by creating tents that are both unique works of art and focal points for learning about, assisting and establishing relationships with the people of Sudan. Congregations, schools, and civic groups are painting tents to create awareness about Darfur and to raise funds for humanitarian relief. The project will cumulate in October 2008 with the “Gathering of the Tents” in Washington D.C. www.tentsofhope.org

Tents of Hope—San Antonio

Our goal in San Antonio is to have schools, organizations, businesses, families, and groups decorate refugee tents with images of hope, loss, freedom, and humanity. Once completed, these tents will be used as fundraising points and places of education. Before the “San Antonio” tents go to Washington, D.C., we hope to have local exhibits featuring them.

How can you help? Tents of Hope has been offered an amazing deal: an 8 x 10 tent normally costs $800 to $900, but the manufacturer is selling them to project participants for $500, with a percentage of sales going back to the project.

Help Tents of Hope—San Antonio become one of the participating communities by sending $5, $10, $18, $100, $1,000 etc. This money will fund the purchase of tents, painting supplies, and educational materials, as well as paying the cost of sending the tents and a few community members to attend the final event in Washington, DC in October, 2008.

Make out your tax-deductible donations to: University Presbyterian Church-SAIDC. On the memo line, please write Tents of Hope. (Mail to UPC, 300 Bushnell, San Antonio, TX 78212.)

Please contact me if you are a member of an organization that would like to participate in Tents of Hope.

Sincerely,
Susan Smylie
Tents of Hope—San Antonio, Coordinator
saidc@earthlink.net

TAKE ACTION!

1. Join a group working to stop genocide.
The San Antonio Interfaith Darfur Coalition (SAIDC) holds regular meetings and events to raise awareness and action to end the genocide. Join our email list from this page. Visit www.savedarfur.org for information about the national Save Darfur movement.

2. Contact your elected representatives.
Call 1-800 GENOCIDE to get legislative action alerts and contact your congress people to express your support for Darfur-related legislation. Go to www.genocideintervention.net or www.enoughproject.org for fact sheets and reports that help you understand the legislative issues.

3. Donate to humanitarian agencies operating in Darfur and Chad camps.
Please visit the International Medical Corps www.imcworldwide.org to learn more about their humanitarian work in Darfur and Chad.

4. Pressure China to end the violence in Darfur.
Dream for Darfur is organizing an Olympic Torch Relay from Darfur to Beijing and across the United States to galvanize public support around the world to exert pressure on China to stop the genocide in Darfur. Visit www.dreamfordarfur.org for more information. San Antonio event: December 3, 2007

5. Support the Sudan Divestment Movement.
Sudan relies heavily on foreign investment to fund its genocidal activity. Join the international movement to put economic pressure on the Sudanese government by divesting from companies that fund the Sudanese government’s military activities. Visit www.sudandivestment.org for more information.

6. Raise Awareness.
Small actions can make a big difference. Talk to people about what is happening in Darfur, have a dinner for Darfur (ask for donations for humanitarian aid), show the movie Hotel Rwanda, download resources from the internet and hand them out. Read the book Not on Our Watch by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast for more ideas. Be a voice for the people of Darfur.

San Antonio Darfur Events

There are numerous Darfur related events coming up in the next two weeks in San Antonio. Please be sure to attend some to learn more about what is happening and what you can do. Most events will provide an opportunity for you to take action. Look in the Upcoming Events section of this page to see details. Don't be a bystander to genocide. Let the people of Darfur know they are remembered.

Fotoseptiembre Talk & Slide Show

In connection with Fotoseptiembre – two peace activists will deliver testimonies and show a photo display of Darfurian's living in refugee camps in Chad. Talk by Caesar Ricci, medical student and San Antonio SaveDarfur coordinator along with Victoria Smith, Film Outreach Coordinator for the now nationally released Darfur documentary “The Devil Came on Horseback.” Ricci and Smith have just returned from visiting refugee camps in Chad, across the border from war decimated Darfur. See www.greatestgood.net for clips of Ricci's and Smith's trip to Chad. Louis J. Blume Academic Library and Art Gallery, St. Mary’s University – parking at Camino Santa Maria and Cincinnati. Sept. 6, 4-5 PM, reception following.

Smith and Ricci will also speak August 29 at 7:00 PM at University United Methodist Church.