GREAT NEWS!!

Last week, it appeared certain that the 2007 chairmanship of African Union would be awarded to Sudan — perpetrators of the ongoing genocide in Darfur. Yesterday, it was announced that Ghana — key contributors to the AU peacekeeping force in Darfur — will head the African Union instead.
Because of your dedication, the United States took a stand against a Sudanese presidency.

Keep on e-mailing and making phone calls!! We are making a difference!

Zieva Konvisser forwarded the following quote:

"The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who remain neutral in times of moral crisis."
- Dante Aleghieri

God Grew Tired of Us

Click below to view the trailer for a newly released film in the spirit of The Lost Boys of Sudan. Might your or your organization be interested in planning a Detroit screening?

http://godgrewtiredofus.com/

Raise Your Glass to Freedom!

Please click on the link below to view an invitation to the "High Tea for Darfur Relief." This event was spearheaded by Laura Walker and is slated for February 25, 2007, at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. YOU are invited.

http://jewishcommunitycouncil.org/downloads/DarfurHighTeaInvite.pdf

Great Article in the Tuesday, Jan. 16th New York Times by Nicholas Kristof!! Last week the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, went to Khartoum to negotiate a cease-fire with the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir. The Sudanese president did agree to a 60-day cease-fire to allow peace talks to resume!! Why did this happen? According to Kristof, "it's clear that the cease-fire was a consequence of all those armbands and lawn signs. Mr. Bashir was motivated by concern at the way the killings have been spolighted by Darfur activitists. . . . One thing that was very clear was that the Save Darfur movement has gotten under Bashir's skin." Kristof also writes "Let's have no illusions about how much more pressure will be necessary to stop the slaughter, but let's also celebrate this moment. Mr. Bashir has blinked, showing that it just may be possible to fight genocide with moral courage and lawn signs." KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!! CONTINUE TO WEAR WRIST BANDS, WRITE POST CARDS, PUT UP LAWN SIGNS, AND SPEAK OUT!! WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!

Solar Cookers!

Read about Solar Cookers, which help to protect women and girls by reducing the need to leave the camps to find firewood. The cookers are also used to pasteurize water.

A number of local activists have been looking for tangible ways of directing thier fund development efforts to real people in Darfur -- this may be a project of interest.

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070105/NEWS02/701050343/1024/NEWS08

Writing Contest

LINK: The 2006 – 2007 Darfur Op-Ed Writing Contest

For nearly two years students have spoken out and played a key role in the movement to end genocide in Darfur, but the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. What can students do to stop the genocide?

The Committee on Conscience is asking high school and university students to write an op-ed article responding to the question above. Publish your piece in your school or local newspaper and enter it in the contest.

Have your op-ed judged by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof; Illinois Senator, Barack Obama; and former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.

Win a trip to Washington, D.C., where you will have the opportunity to tour the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and attend the Days of Remembrance Ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.

To learn more, visit www.committeeonconscience.org/darfur-contest.

From Memory to Action

http://memorytoaction.blogspot.com/

Click on the link above to view another Darfur-related blog. It's a conversation on contemporary genocide and crimes against humanity by the Student Board on Genocide Prevention of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

I've added a link to the Detroit2Darfur Mission Statement, alongside other fixed links listed in the righthand column of the blog.

Knollenberg Replies

Detroit2Darfur Coalition activist Jeanne Servis wrote a letter to Congressman Joe Knollenberg and received a reply. See the correspondence at the link below.

http://jewishcommunitycouncil.org/downloads/CoalitionKnollenbergLetters.pdf

Check out this website, called DarfurScores.org, which grades Members of Congress on their support of Darfur: http://www.darfurscores.org/grades/michigan?page=1

Congressman Knollenberg graciously received a delegation of clergy on behalf of the Detroit2Darfur Coalition last summer (see related post) but his D grade leaves room for improvement. The Congressman assured us of his concern and we know that there are no easy answers. But unless we speak up and let our Members of Congress know that we expect them to be actively engaged in saving lives, they will treat it like business as usual.

What do you think of Congressman Knollenberg's letter to Jeanne Servis? Would you be willing to write your own letter?

Kudos to Jeanne for picking up a pen and just writing down the questions that concern her! That's activism.

Response from the United Nations

Detroit2Darfur Coalition activist, Jeanne Servis, wrote a letter to the United Nations and recieved a reply. Click below to read the correspondence.

http://jewishcommunitycouncil.org/downloads/CoalitionUNLetters.pdf

High Tea for Darfur

Laura Walker came to the Rally Against Genocide with the Detroit2Darfur Coalition bus caravan last spring. She left determined to DO SOMETHING upon returning. And she is ... Please click below to view Laura's save-the-date card for her "High Tea for Darfur," a fund- and awareness-raiser.

http://jewishcommunitycouncil.org/downloads/CoalitionHighTea.pdf