Gaia: Learn, Share, Act for Darfur and Beyond

Re: Peacekeepers In Danger in Darfur

http://Morgenlicht.gaia.com — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:30:27 GMT

Thanks for posting this Samme. Everyone should spend the few seconds it takes to send the email to the UN Security Council.

Peacekeepers In Danger in Darfur

http://princesamwise.gaia.com — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:50:08 GMT



	The UN Security Council pledged that they would help protect the people of Darfur, but delays by UN member states continue to stand in the way of security. Tell the UN Security Council to fully deploy peacekeepers in Darfur.

Dear Samme

One year ago, the UN Security Council assured the world that they could have 80% of the UN-African Union peacekeeping force on the ground by the end of 2008. Today, less than 50% of the 26,000 troops are deployed in Darfur. The UN now says that only 60% of the authorized peacekeepers will be deployed by the end of the year.

One year ago, UN member states promised to provide helicopters and other essential equipment necessary for bringing peace to Darfur. Today, deployed troops still lack this critical equipment and are forced to make do with limited supplies.

One year ago, millions of Darfuris hoped that the UN would come through on their promise to protect Darfur. Today, many have lost their lives waiting. Delays are killing Darfur. Tell the UN Security Council to make good on their pledge to protect Darfur.

The people of Darfur are not much better off than they were one year ago. Despite pledges from the UN Security Council to improve the situation, little progress has been made in stopping the violence.

Such delays in support also put the peacekeepers at greater risk of danger and make them more vulnerable to attack. Just this month, a group of peacekeepers were ambushed in Darfur and their weapons seized by militants. Peacekeepers cannot keep the peace without the full support of the UN Security Council. Demand a fully-resourced and fully-deployed peacekeeping force in Darfur.

With each year of delay, the people of Darfur pay a terrible price. If the UN Security Council waits to follow through on its pledge to protect Darfur, who knows what tragedies the next year will bring?

Urge the UN Security Council to take action for the people of Darfur today.



			Delays are killing Darfur





			Sudanese refugee children at the Farchana refugee camp that has more than 20,000 Darfur and eastern Chadian refugees © ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images

Sincerely,
Meredith Larson
Director, Darfur Campaign
Amnesty International USA

Train for Humanity

http://Morgenlicht.gaia.com — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:50:18 GMT

I just found this site today and will look into it more and get back to you -

http://trainforhumanity.org/

May 15th '08: Bloggers Unite For Human Rights!

http://visionofspirit.gaia.com — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:04:06 GMT

http://unite.blogcatalog.com/

On May 15 join tens of thousands of bloggers worldwide in writing about human rights and drawing attention to issues often overlooked by mainstream media.

Human Rights are universally agreed upon ideas – that all people are born with basic rights and freedoms that include life, liberty and justice.

“Bloggers Unite for Human Rights” challenges bloggers to draw attention to urgent human rights issues facing our world today and encourage their readers to take simple actions through Amnesty International’s online action center.

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BLOGGERS TAKE PART!

CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC. Write about a topic close to your heart or focus on one of the three issues below. Remember to include a link to a relevant online action.

1. CENSORSHIP IN CHINA ► China currently has the largest recorded number of imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents in the world. Learn more at http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/china

► ► Blog about censorship in China and ask readers to sign the action asking Yahoo not to violate human rights in China: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=5433

2. ILLEGAL DETENTIONS AT GUANTANAMO BAY ► The U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo has become a global symbol of U.S. human rights violations, including illegal detention, denial of fundamental legal rights, and torture. Learn more at http://www.tearitdown.org.

► ► Blog about Guantanamo Bay and ask readers to sign the tearitdown.org pledge.

3. CRISIS IN DARFUR ► The conflict in Darfur, Sudan, has led to some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable, including murder, rape, abduction and displacement. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and over 2.5 million civilians have been displaced. Learn more about the crisis at http://www.amnestyusa.org/darfur

► ► Blog about the crisis in Darfur and ask readers to take action: http://www.amnestyusa.org/darfur/action/page.do?id=YCA0052148000E&n1=3&n2=52

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NON-BLOGGERS – Show your support by writing comments on participating blogs and taking online action at http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter.

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“Bloggers Unite for Human Rights” is spearheaded by BlogCatalog.com, the fastest-growing social network for bloggers, and Amnesty International USA, a worldwide movement that campaigns for internationally recognized human rights.

Learn more about Bloggers Unite: http://unite.blogcatalog.com

Learn more about Amnesty International USA: http://www.amnestyusa.org

Darfur Artwork to Print and Post in Community

http://visionofspirit.gaia.com — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:20:12 GMT

Do any of you guys know of any Darfur artwork that can be posted in the local community in order to spread the word but in perhaps an artistic or oblique way that makes a statement?

Thanks!
Advait

Urge President Bush to sign SADA

http://Morgenlicht.gaia.com — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:13:02 GMT

Urge President Bush to sign SADA

Ask President Bush to sign the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act

Thanks to the persistence of UUSC's Darfur activists and our allies in the anti-genocide movement, two important Darfur-related bills in Congress are closing in on passage:

1) Funding for Darfur peacekeepers: On December 17, the House Committee on Rules approved an omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2008 that funds the United States' commitment to the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force through at least November 1, 2008. It won't be a done deal until Congress passes and the president signs the final version, but it's not too early to say that getting this level of support during this tough period is a real victory.

2) Darfur divestment: On December 12, the Senate passed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (SADA) by unanimous consent. On December 18, the House voted unanimously in favor of the bill and it will now head to the president's desk for his signature.

While these steps are important strides for the people of Darfur, we must take one more step to ensure victory. We must persuade President Bush to sign the SADA bill. Phone calls are more effective, so if you can, please call the White House at 202-456-1414. You can also e-mail the president by clicking below.

CLICK HERE TO URGE PRESIDENT BUSH TO SIGN THE SADA BILL.

Grassroots pressure was instrumental to passing the funding for the Darfur peacekeepers as well as the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act.

The White House and Congress have been embroiled in difficult budget negotiations. Funding for almost all the programs under State and Foreign Operations (which includes funding for the peacekeeping force) was reduced from previously approved levels, with the EXCEPTION of funding for the Darfur peacekeeping force. Funding for peacekeeping increased 250 percent - thanks in large part to concerted grassroots pressure!

Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, SADA had to overcome a last-minute hold on the bill. Again, thanks to targeted efforts by Darfur activists, the hold was lifted, freeing the bill for passage by overwhelming consent of the Senate and House.

Call the White House now at 202-456-1414 to ask President Bush to sign the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act.

Talking Points:

Ask President Bush to sign the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (SADA) and ensure that it is fully implemented.

Let the White House know that you are a UUSC human rights advocate concerned about the crisis in Darfur and you want the president to take action NOW. Keep up the Drumbeat for Darfur!

We're almost there - we can't stop now. Our efforts are making a difference! Please call the White House switchboard: 202-456-1414.

For more information please visit http://www.uusc.org/drumbeatfordarfur/index.html

Act now!

Stop Bashir's Defiance

http://teeniedakini.gaia.com — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:40:08 GMT

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is at it again. He is backtracking on his government's agreements and attempting to block peacekeepers for Darfur.

His obstruction must be stopped. And it is up to our world leaders to stop it.

President Bush must make it clear that Bashir's defiance of the international community will not be tolerated. Click here to send President Bush a message asking him to stand up to Sudanese President Bashir now.

President Bashir is rejecting key provisions of the U.N. peacekeeping resolution - the same resolution his government "unconditionally accepted" earlier this year. Bashir is now adding conditions to the peacekeeping mission that would ensure it will not be effective enough to actually protect civilians.

If we don't respond forcefully now, the Sudanese government will continue to try to finish what they've started in Darfur. Click here to urge President Bush to engage his fellow world leaders and pressure President Bashir to put the peacekeeping mission back on track.

More than 2.5 million lives are hanging in the balance. The people of Darfur need President Bush and other world leaders to stand up to the Sudanese government and put a stop to their deceitful attempts to continue waging violence against their own people.

Please take a few minutes to spread the word to your friends, family and co-workers. Click here to spread the word and ask them to contact President Bush today.

The way the world reacts to Sudan's latest round of game-playing will determine if and when peace and security will return to the people of Darfur.

Your dedication to the people of Darfur has never been more important.

Thank you again for your help.

Best regards,
Colleen Connors
Save Darfur Coalition

PS. Make your year-end gift today! Help us fight the genocide in Darfur in 2008. Make your tax-deductible, year-end gift before midnight on December 31.

Make Thursday's even more Celebration Meaningful

http://maryrives.gaia.com — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:15:53 GMT

Dear Reader,

Make Thursday's Celebration Meaningful

Will you include the people of Darfur in your Thanksgiving celebration?

Click here to get started.

Thanksgiving is a very special day for me and my family. We use the time to reflect on all our blessings, appreciate being together, and reach out to those who are less fortunate.

So it probably comes as no surprise that we will be including the people of Darfur in our Thanksgiving celebration this Thursday.

Will you join me in devoting a few minutes of your Thanksgiving celebration to help the people of Darfur?

Click here now to include the people of Darfur in your Thanksgiving this Thursday.

All you have to do is take a moment to share the story of the people of Darfur and hand out a simple petition for your guests to sign.

You'll start by spending a few moments explaining the crisis to your guests (you can download a short overview of the situation to read from if you'd like) and then pass around a printed petition to President Bush and U.N. Secretary-General Ban for your guests to sign.

I hope you'll join me and my family in taking advantage of this opportunity for reflection, thankfulness, and togetherness to help raise awareness about the urgency of the situation in Darfur.

Click here to get started now by downloading the materials you'll need to include the people of Darfur in your celebration.

I'd be remiss if I didn't take this chance to thank you for your commitment to the cause. And I'm not alone. The House of Representatives voted unanimously a few weeks ago to commend the work that Darfur activists worldwide have done to raise awareness of the genocide.

Thank you again for all of your hard work.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Save Darfur Coalition.

Best regards,

Colleen Connors
Save Darfur Coalition

P.S. Looking for a meaningful holiday gift? If so, click here to visit the Save Darfur Coalition's online store to browse our selection of t-shirts, wristbands, and much more. Our merchandise is the perfect way to give a gift to someone you love and help people in need at the same time.

Donate to Help Save Darfur
Help build the political pressure needed to end the crisis in Darfur by supporting the Save Darfur Coalition's crucial awareness and advocacy programs. Click here now to make a secure, tax-deductible online donation.

silence=complicity

http://maryrives.gaia.com — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:44:31 GMT

i have not been podding here and it feels eerily quiet. i am responsible for my role in not keeping up the continuity. while not an excuse, my reason being i have had a series of family crisis, life and/or deaths type stuff.

but, i am happy to report that i have recently gotten updated again on darfur after going to a film series at umass. i also managed to go to a rally and sign petitions, etc.

mike, what s the latest with your activism on darfur? how is it going?

love,
mary

Crucial time for peace in Darfur- Email message (October Action)

http://teeniedakini.gaia.com — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:38:54 GMT

Darfur peace talks are scheduled to begin this weekend in Libya, but the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.

Violence has escalated in recent weeks, engulfing civilians and peacekeeping forces alike. Meanwhile, political upheavals throughout Sudan threaten to eclipse the faint glimmer of hope of the peace talks.

We MUST remind our leaders that the people of Darfur need their high-level engagement now more than ever. International pressure is essential to ensure progress in peace talks and the timely deployment of the U.N.-A.U. peacekeeping force for Darfur.

This is not a time for complacency. Please remind President Bush and UN Secretary-General Ban to do all they can to ensure progress towards security and political reconciliation in Darfur. Click here to send your message now.

The people of Darfur need both increased security and a political solution in order to end this crisis. A lack of progress on either front will dash hopes for a lasting peace in Darfur.

It is crucial that our world leaders redouble their efforts to secure long-term political solutions and to deploy additional peacekeepers to protect civilians as soon as possible.

Click here now to send President Bush and Secretary-General Ban a timely reminder that failure is not an option.

Recent attacks on the under-resourced A.U. peacekeeping force and on civilian targets show how urgently additional security is needed. President Bush and Secretary-General Ban must move swiftly to shore up international commitments to the hybrid A.U.-U.N. peacekeeping mission, make progress on peace talks, and secure an immediate ceasefire so civilians are protected today and can go home tomorrow.

There's no time for delay.

Make sure that the President and Secretary-General get our message by helping to spread the word about this petition - just click here once you've sent your message.

The coming weeks will be crucial for the effort to return peace to Darfur. Thank you again for your steadfast dedication.

Best regards,

Colleen Connors
Save Darfur Coalition

P.S. The Devil Came on Horseback, the acclaimed documentary about the genocide in Darfur, is now available. Rent it through Netflix or purchase the DVD at www.docurama.com. More than $3 from each sale will go to the Save Darfur Coalition

Donate to Help Save Darfur
Help build the political pressure needed to end the crisis in Darfur by supporting the Save Darfur Coalition's crucial awareness and advocacy programs. Click here now to make a secure, tax-deductible online donation.

Berkeley Darfur Stove for Refugees $20: impact beyond measure!

http://teeniedakini.gaia.com — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:21:54 GMT

The Berkeley Darfur Stove is only five small pieces of bent metal, but its impact is too great to measure.

Since 2003, hundreds of thousands of African Sudanese have been killed in Darfur and another 2.2 million people — mostly women and children — are crowded into camps surrounded by a barren landscape.

Venturing outside these boundaries in search of fuel to cook their meals often ends in violence. But what if these women didn't have to leave the safety of the camp as often? What if they had a stove that required up to 75% less firewood? They do: It is the Berkeley Darfur Stove, and it is changing lives.

The Berkeley Darfur ultra high-efficiency cook stove:

Can be built in Sudan by locals, enabling them to earn extra income and become part of the solution
Is suited to local high-temperature and high-wind outdoor cooking methods
Emits less smoke than other stoves, minimizing smoke inhalation
Uses up to 75% less fuel, enabling women to minimize the dangerous 7-hour treks outside the camps to gather wood
Helps the denuded environment recover from severe overharvesting

$20.00 will purchase a Berkeley Darfur Stove for a family living in the Darfur refugee camps.

Upon purchase, you will receive an automated e-mail with a link to a full-color certificate of acknowledgment that you may print and frame for display or gift-giving. Adobe Acrobat Reader, or equivalent .pdf viewing program, is required to open the file. The certificate makes a great "instant" gift for an honored colleague, family member or friend.

Please note: Your purchase is 100% tax-deductible in the U.S.A., and you will receive a receipt from GreaterGood.org for your taxes. GreaterGood.org is an independent charitable organization devoted to addressing the health and well-being of people, animals, and the planet.

Free Shipping! Place this or any other Gift That Gives More™ in your cart, and your entire order will ship free within the U.S.! See Customer Service page for details.

"You are no longer monks," Myanmar prisoners told

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:14:46 GMT

Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:54am EDT

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Hundreds of Buddhist monks rounded up by Myanmar's junta were beaten and kept in animal-like conditions without toilets or drinking water during days of interrogation, one of those freed said on Thursday.

"At the beginning it was very, very bad," one recently released monk told Reuters, requesting anonymity because of the threat of repercussions against those who speak out against the regime, the latest face of 45 years of unbroken military rule.

Caged for more than a week at a former Government Technical Institute compound in north Yangon, the monks -- revered figures in the devoutly Buddhist nation -- were stripped of their maroon monastic robes and treated like common criminals.

"When one of us used a pronoun referring to himself as a monk, he was slapped," the monk said. "Then an interrogator said: 'You are no longer a monk. You are just an ordinary man with a shaven head.'"

The monks, mostly young men whom the army sees as the biggest threat to its iron grip on power because of their moral authority, were packed into rooms so tightly they could not lie down, let alone sleep, in the sweltering monsoon season heat.

For days, they had no toilet, nowhere to wash their hands, and were forced to scoop up slops of barely cooked rice with their bare hands.

"We had no spoons or forks so we had to eat with our fingers," said the monk, who spent 10 days in the makeshift detention centre. "The food was horrible."

At times during the relentless barrage of questioning to identify ringleaders of the biggest anti-junta protests in 20 years, the monks were forced to put their hands on their heads and squat while their inquisitors remained seated on chairs.

Those who gave wrong or inadequate answers were hit about the head or kicked, the monk said.

There was no medical treatment, he added, for those hurt during interrogation or during the nocturnal raids on Yangon monasteries in the final week of September, the first wave of a ruthless and clinical response to the demonstrations.

Through its rigidly controlled state media, the junta admits 10 people were killed in the crackdown, although Western governments say the toll is likely to be much higher.

The monk's testimony tallies with other accounts of abuse of detainees, including the reported death in custody of a member of the opposition near the former Burma's second city of Mandalay.

The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPPB), a group of former detainees with extensive contacts, said on Wednesday 42-year-old Win Shwe had died "as a result of torture during interrogation".

As the junta continued to arrest dissidents, official papers accused foreign governments -- essentially the United States and Britain -- and media of stirring up the protests, which started in mid-August against shock increases in fuel prices.

"Stooges of foreign countries, neglecting the national prestige and integrity, put on a play written by their foreign masters," the official New Light of Myanmar said.

© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USBKK10119720071011

Oct 16 & 17 Stand Up and Speak Out Against Poverty & Inequality

http://shelivesintheforest.gaia.com — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 23:06:05 GMT

"What is Stand Up and Speak Out?

STAND UP and SPEAK OUT is a worldwide call to take action against poverty and inequality and for the Millennium Development Goals*. On October 16th and 17th, be a part of this growing movement of people who refuse to stay silent or seated in the face of poverty. Help us break the world record so we can break the record of broken promises."

There are a number of events going on around the world, one of which you might want to participate in. You can also set up an event. The website is:

http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/ If you want to go straight to where you can find events happening near you, go to:

http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/en/events and pick the country where you live. You should be able to see all the events happening where you are.

*If you want to know more about the United Nation's Millenium Development Goals, see:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

I hope you will consider getting involved.

Burma Shuts Down Last Communication Links

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:45:38 GMT

· Satellite phones seized in information blackout
· Crackdown reflects worry over world opinion

Ian MacKinnon, south-east Asia correspondent
Tuesday October 9, 2007
The Guardian

Burma's regime is targeting the last remaining communications links that brought images of the bloody crackdown on the recent pro-democracy protests to the outside world.

Exiled dissident groups in neighbouring Thailand say up to 10 satellite telephones and countless computers earlier smuggled into Burma have been seized, the last lines of contact after the government shut down the internet and blocked mobile and fixed-line telephones.

Officials from Burma's foreign affairs ministry and home department security officers also visited a UN office in the Traders Hotel in downtown Rangoon late last week and demanded to see the organisation's permits for its satellite phones.

NYTimes editorial on Darfur today

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:04:18 GMT

October 9, 2007, 9:08 am

History Repeating Itself

By Josh Ruxin

Josh Ruxin is a Columbia University expert on public health who has spent the last couple of years living in Rwanda. He's an unusual mix of academic expert and mud-between-the-toes aid worker.

The news is once again flowing out of Darfur, triggered by the killing of at least 10 African Union peacekeepers last weekend - the first direct assault on a peacekeeping compound in the four-year history of the crisis and genocide. Unfortunately, with this broadening of violence, the rising stench of history repeating itself is in the air.

More than a dozen years ago, United States and other international forces were reluctant to respond to the gathering genocide in Rwanda, in part because of the deaths of American troops in Somalia in 1993. In 1994, United Nations forces pulled out of Rwanda after 10 Belgian peacekeepers were murdered (pursuant to a plan carefully choreographed by the genocide's organizers). Today, the attacks on peacekeepers and aid workers come just as 26,000 United Nations and African Union troops prepare for deployment later this year.

Part of the reason Darfur remains abstract to Americans is that no American lives are at stake there - not yet, anyway. In Rwanda, by contrast, Darfur is viewed as anything but an abstraction, given its experience with genocide and the fact that Rwandan lives are on the line there. There was a sigh of relief around the country to learn that none of those recently killed were among the Rwandese forces that have played an important (and obviously symbolic) role in the efforts from the start.

As the disaster in Darfur deepens, it may seem like a presumptuous fantasy to worry about how the region can rebuild once the killing ends. At a time when the violence there is spiraling out of control (again) and aid workers trying to alleviate suffering are now being attacked (again), peace and stability are difficult to envision, let alone achieve.

Nevertheless, the new Darfur headlines have gotten me thinking about what, if anything, can be learned from Rwanda's post-genocide experience. Regionally and globally, Rwanda gives some basis for optimism, even for Darfur. Several weeks ago, a small group of American college students visited the community of Mayange, Rwanda, where I have focused much of my work since moving to Rwanda. At the end of the tour, the entire community gathered for what is called "ubusabane" - a traditional community party with dancing, stories and song. Two men rose from the community to share their stories with the students. The first man told them in gruesome terms about the loss of nearly his entire family during the 1994 genocide. The second man, recently released from prison, spoke of his responsibility for the death of six of the other man's family. Today, they live next door to each other. Justice - in some clean, pure, abstract sense - is impossible here, but the nation and its people are struggling to move forward, under a standard of rough, pragmatic, close-enough justice.

For Darfur, however, even that level of healing is a long way off. Just a few weeks ago, it was possible to imagine that the worst was over. As the fighting escalates (again), we see all the hallmarks of a civil war that will generate more killing, more refugees, and even greater suffering among the survivors. In Darfur, which seems doomed to suffer repeated surges of genocidal madness, Rwanda-style testimony may never be possible. Yet in spite of this reality, the activist crowd - the latest celebrity additions to which are former President Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu - appears to have successfully encouraged China and the Sudanese Government to commit $300 million to rebuilding Darfur.

President Carter last week called using the term "genocide" to be "unproductive," to much controversy. Productive or not, the term has helped pull together formidable allies throughout the world into a largely coherent campaign. American Jewish World Service has been a serious force in the effort, as have other major aid organizations and faith-based groups. They have focused on ratcheting up pressure for action on the Sudanese Government, the United Nations and China.

Why China? Increasingly desperate for fuel, China is licking its lips over the oil fields of Sudan, but even that thirst may be mitigated by the potential for a public relations disaster. Imagine the 2008 Beijing Olympics being called - as many already are doing - the "Genocide Olympics." That's got China's attention - as well it should - given their willful blindness to, and complicity in, the horror in Sudan. For now, the international advocates are holding the line at the following moniker: "Olympic Dream for Darfur" while encouraging divestment in mutual funds with ties to Chinese oil companies operating in Sudan.

So now that the advocates have moved to recapture the world's attention, what needs to happen? If you've been following Jeffrey Gettleman's superb and insightful reporting, you've seen that the Government of Sudan's involvement in the crisis and control over the region (and thus its power to quell the killing) has greatly diminished in recent days. Factional fighting, splintering of rebel groups, and general chaos have made Darfur look increasingly like 1992 Somalia. Hope is in short supply. It seems that the continuing push for a major peacekeeping contingent, Chinese pro-active involvement and Sudanese Government support for a peace agreement can only improve the situation.

The real question is whether these are adequate tools for sealing the crisis and setting Darfur and the region in the direction of reconciliation. If the world allows Darfur to slide back into a living hell of death, starvation and systematic rape, I fear that the lessons of Rwanda - moving and troubling as they are - will fall only on deaf, because dead, ears.

Darfur: Attack Imminent

http://Morgenlicht.gaia.com — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:26:34 GMT

From Amnesty International

Amnesty International today warned that the northern areas of Darfur are currently in the crosshairs of the Sudanese armed forces and that further deadly attacks are imminent.

Amnesty International has received reports that Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) are gathering in large numbers in at least six towns in northern Darfur, including Tine, Kornoy, Um Baru, Kutum.

Local people fear further attacks by government or armed opposition forces before peace talks in Tripoli, due to start on 27 October.

"The northern area of North Darfur is under the control of armed opposition groups and it looks as though the Sudan Armed Forces want to attack this area before peace talks scheduled to take place in Libya before the end of the month," said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme. "We fear that civilians will once more suffer killing and displacement, with no force able to protect them."

Yesterday more than 40 civilians were killed and scores injured when the SAF and Janjawid attacked Muhajeria, a town some 130 kilometres west of Haskanita. The attack was supported by a SAF Antonov, painted white, in the colours of the United Nations. According to reports, bombing from the Antonov preceded the attack. Such Antonovs have been supplied to the SAF from Russia, the last known transfer in September 2006.

Locals attempted to flee the attack, which left a large number of casualties from gunshot and shrapnel at the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) base in the town. The western part of the town has reportedly been looted.

Sudan is prohibited since 2005 from flying offensive flights over Darfur, and has often been criticised for painting aircraft white, in the colours of the UN.

"The gathering of forces in the north, the burning of Haskanita last week, and yesterday's attack on Muhajeriya show the vital importance of ensuring that UNAMID is deployed as soon as possible and has the resources available to protect civilians," said Tawanda Hondora, Amnesty International's Africa Deputy Programme Director.

"There is no time for delays. All signs are there that the people living in the northern area are at great risk and extra personnel and helicopters under military command must be urgently deployed to the area as soon as possible."

AMIS lacks personnel and material to protect civilians in Darfur. Although there are supposed to be some 7000 peacekeepers, there are actually less than 6,000 military personnel spread dangerously thinly over a region the size of France.

The Sudanese government frequently prevents AMIS movement, insisting that the situation is insecure. AMIS forces only have access to chartered helicopters, whose pilots often refuse to fly troops into areas they consider insecure.

"It will be a betrayal of the people of Darfur if, after so much struggle to get a UN force deployed, the international community allows the UN forces to suffer from the same defects that the AU forces have -- Sudan government obstruction combined with a lack of international will to give the right resources," said Hondora.

Re: Disappointing statement by Jimmy Carter

http://Morgenlicht.gaia.com — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:36:19 GMT

“Carterwauling”:
Jimmy Carter's Shamefully Ignorant Statement on Darfur

The New Republic (on-line), October 8, 2007
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w071008&s=reeves100807

By Eric Reeves

Last week, Jimmy Carter toured Sudan as part of a group of international celebrities who are calling themselves "the Elders." Founded by Nelson Mandela, the Elders aim--in the modest words of one member, British billionaire Richard Branson--to address "problems in the world that need a group of people who are maybe...beyond politics, beyond ego, and who have got great wisdom."

Great wisdom? Let's just say the group is off to a rocky start. That's because Carter took the opportunity of his visit to Sudan to criticize the United States for labeling the killing and destruction in Darfur genocide. "There is a legal definition of genocide and Darfur does not meet that legal standard," Carter lectured. "The atrocities were horrible but I don't think it qualifies to be called genocide." He also said, "If you read the law textbooks...you'll see very clearly that it's not genocide and to call it genocide falsely just to exaggerate a horrible situation--I don't think it helps."

Carter got one thing right--that there is a legal definition of genocide, embodied in the 1948 U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide--but that's it. The "atrocities" Carter refers to have included, over the past four and a half years, the deliberate, ethnically targeted destruction of not only African tribal populations, but their villages, homes, food- and seed-stocks, agricultural implements, and water sources. People die now in Darfur primarily because of this antecedent violence, directed against not only lives but livelihoods. Here, the Genocide Convention is explicit: You can commit genocide not only by "[k]illing members of [a] group" but also by "[d]eliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part." The destruction in Darfur clearly meets that test.

Then there is the use of rape as a weapon of war by Arab militias in Darfur. The racial component of rape in Darfur has been well-documented at this point. In a typical example, here is what three Fur women--the Fur are the largest African tribal group in Darfur--told Doctors Without Borders: "We saw five Arab men who came to us and asked where our husbands were. Then they told us that we should have sex with them. We said no. So they beat and raped us. After they abused us, they told us that now we would have Arab babies; and if they would find any Fur, they would rape them again to change the color of their children." Racist epithets are typically hurled at women and girls, who are often gang-raped and then scarred to mark them as rape victims--a terrible burden in Darfur's conservative Muslim ethos. Can there be any denying that such ethnically targeted rapes fall under the Genocide Convention's admonition that "[c]ausing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group" constitutes genocide? Moreover, because of the stigma that attaches to raped women, marriage and thus child-bearing becomes impossible for many. And, for some victims, especially younger girls, ensuing medical complications make child-bearing physically impossible. Which means that these rapes clearly meet yet another definition of genocide contained in the U.N. convention: "[i]mposing measures intended to prevent births within the group."

In addition, children, as well as women, are continually abducted by the Janjaweed. This, too, is a genocidal act under the convention, which prohibits "[f]orcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

None of this should be controversial at this late date. Numerous human rights organizations have, over the past four years, collected unambiguous evidence of genocide. The examples could fill books. A young African man who had lost many family members in an attack heard the gunmen say, "You blacks, we're going to exterminate you." Speaking of Khartoum's relentless aggression, an African tribal leader told a U.N. news service, "I believe this is an elimination of the black race." A refugee reported these words as coming from his attackers: "You are opponents to the regime, we must crush you. As you are black, you are like slaves. Then the entire Darfur region will be in the hands of the Arabs." Another African tribal chief declared, "The Arabs and the government forces...said they wanted to conquer the whole territory and that the blacks did not have a right to remain in the region." And Musa Hilal, the most powerful Janjaweed leader, declared his objective in simple terms back in 2004: "Change the demography of Darfur and empty it of African tribes."

As for the complicity of the Sudanese government officials whom Carter clearly imagines he can charm with his criticism of the genocide label: The air attacks mounted by Khartoum, often in conjunction with Arab Janjaweed ground forces, have been directed exclusively at African villages, primarily those of the Fur, Massalit, and Zaghawa--the perceived civilian base of support for Darfur's rebels. The hand-in-glove operations of Khartoum's regular military forces and the Janjaweed have been authoritatively documented by Human Rights Watch.

In short, it seems doubtful that Carter has read the textbooks he claims to have read, or the vast body of human rights literature on Darfur--or even the Genocide Convention itself. If he had done any of these things, he would not speak so ignorantly.

But Carter isn't just wrong on the facts. His prescriptive point--that it is unhelpful to label Darfur a genocide--is foolish as well. No doubt Carter's statement was the quid in some ghastly quid pro quo he hopes to arrange with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. But Sudan's leaders are realists, and our only hope of changing their behavior is to credibly threaten them. The calculus is simple: If they believe the west--the United States, Europe, human-rights activists--now see the Darfur conflict as a chaotic civil war, not a genocide, they will feel less threatened. Which means they are more likely to dig in their heels on the diplomatic front--refusing to negotiate a political solution to the crisis--while waiting for the final cleansing of Darfur to run its course. The upshot is that Carter, a man who is so fond of lecturing others about the need for diplomacy, has managed to make a diplomatic solution to Darfur's bloodletting less likely. Great wisdom, indeed.

Eric Reeves is a professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College and has written extensively on Sudan.

http://www.sudanreeves.org/

Re: Disappointing statement by Jimmy Carter

http://Morgenlicht.gaia.com — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:30:37 GMT

Basically it must encompass a mental element and a physical element and any of the five acts listed, of which there has been much documentation on all the acts.

I really would like to hear his arguments as to why he is saying it does not constitute genocide instead of just a blanket statement and then saying go read the law. Well, former President Carter, please explain it to us uneducated people.

He really has distorted my previous view of him.

Re: Disappointing statement by Jimmy Carter

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:27:02 GMT

I thought it would be helpful to find the international legal definition. Now I am more confused than ever.

The international legal definition of the crime of genocide is found in Articles II and III of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.

Article II describes two elements of the crime of genocide:

1) the mental element, meaning the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such", and
2) the physical element which includes five acts described in sections a, b, c, d and e. A crime must include both elements to be called "genocide."

Article III described five punishable forms of the crime of genocide: genocide; conspiracy, incitement, attempt and complicity.

Excerpt from the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of Genocide (For full text click here)

"Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Article III: The following acts shall be punishable:

(a) Genocide;

(b) Conspiracy to commit genocide;

(c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;

(d) Attempt to commit genocide;

(e) Complicity in genocide. "

It is a crime to plan or incite genocide, even before killing starts, and to aid or abet genocide: Criminal acts include conspiracy, direct and public incitement, attempts to commit genocide, and complicity in genocide.

Punishable Acts The following are genocidal acts when committed as part of a policy to destroy a group's existence:

Killing members of the group includes direct killing and actions causing death.

Causing serious bodily or mental harm includes inflicting trauma on members of the group through widespread torture, rape, sexual violence, forced or coerced use of drugs, and mutilation.

Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to destroy a group includes the deliberate deprivation of resources needed for the group's physical survival, such as clean water, food, clothing, shelter or medical services. Deprivation of the means to sustain life can be imposed through confiscation of harvests, blockade of foodstuffs, detention in camps, forcible relocation or expulsion into deserts.

Prevention of births includes involuntary sterilization, forced abortion, prohibition of marriage, and long-term separation of men and women intended to prevent procreation.

Forcible transfer of children may be imposed by direct force or by fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression or other methods of coercion. The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines children as persons under the age of 18 years.

Genocidal acts need not kill or cause the death of members of a group. Causing serious bodily or mental harm, prevention of births and transfer of children are acts of genocide when committed as part of a policy to destroy a group's existence.

The law protects four groups - national, ethnical, racial or religious groups.

A national group means a set of individuals whose identity is defined by a common country of nationality or national origin.

An ethnical group is a set of individuals whose identity is defined by common cultural traditions, language or heritage.

A racial group means a set of individuals whose identity is defined by physical characteristics.

A religious group is a set of individuals whose identity is defined by common religious creeds, beliefs, doctrines, practices, or rituals.

Key Terms

The crime of genocide has two elements: intent and action. "Intentional" means purposeful. Intent can be proven directly from statements or orders. But more often, it must be inferred from a systematic pattern of coordinated acts.

Intent is different from motive. Whatever may be the motive for the crime (land expropriation, national security, territorrial integrity, etc.), if the perpetrators commit acts intended to destroy a group, even part of a group, it is genocide.

The phrase "in whole or in part" is important. Perpetrators need not intend to destroy the entire group. Destruction of only part of a group (such as its educated members, or members living in one region) is also genocide. Most authorities require intent to destroy a substantial number of group members - mass murder. But an individual criminal may be guilty of genocide even if he kills only one person, so long as he knew he was participating in a larger plan to destroy the group.

Other Information:

Kofi Annan's April 7, 2004 Action Plan to Prevent Genocide On the 10th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide In Rwanda, Annn announced his Action Plan and announced the future appointment of a Special Advisor on Genocide Prevention.

Kofi Annan's Stockholm Genocide Prevention Proposals, January 26, 2004 In Stockholm, Sweden on January 26, 2004 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls for parties to the Genocide Convention to establish a Genocide Prevention Committee

Ratification Status: 135 Nations are parties to the Genocide Convention, but 52 Nations are NOT, including Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria.

Article II was included without change in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as Article 6 and also in the the Statutes of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia.

For a more detailed description of the crimes described in Article II (Rome Statute Article 6) see the Elements of the Crime of Genocide agreed upon by the International Criminal Court Preparatory Commission in June 2000.

Over 70 nations have made provisions for the punishment of genocide in domestic criminal law, sometimes modifying the legal definition. Prosecution of genocide in domestic courts is becoming more frequent.

The legal definition of genocide can be compared to five alternative definitions of genocide proposed by researchers and scholars Frank Chalk & Kurt Jonassohn, Israel Charny, Helen Fein, Barbara Harff & Ted Gurr and Steven Katz.

Prevent Genocide International

info@preventgenocide.org

Please send us your comments on our website.

Re: Disappointing statement by Jimmy Carter

http://Morgenlicht.gaia.com — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:12:25 GMT

Thanks for adding these links. It is frustrating to see that a public figure, like Jimmy Carter, who can have such an impact on an issue like this, makes a comment like that. Unfortunately, this could setback efforts depending on how it is received in the US.

What if people believe this to be true and say, "Well, it looks like they will be getting 100, 200, or 300 million dollars which should help them out. Now we can move on to other things."

That is my worry. There is so much that has to be done and I think Bashir uses people like him to string things along even further.

The pressure on Sudan needs to continue and there needs to be peacekeepers there on the ground that have all the resources and authority they need to help turn things around.

What they need is to execute the plans, not continue politicking about them.