Keep Up the Pressure to Divest From the Sudan, It's Working

The other day I blogged about the efforts of some groups encouraging divestiture from the Sudan. Well, keep it the pressure, it's working.

According to the New York Sun, President Bush joined the bandwagon.

Mr. Bush said he would block Sudanese government transactions in the U.S. and add 29 companies owned or controlled by Sudan's government to a list banned from doing business with American companies and individuals. The U.S. also would cut off financial transactions involving individuals deemed responsible for the violence.

In addition to possible new steps by the American government, Mr. Bush said he has directed Secretary of State Rice to prepare a new UN Security Council resolution on Sudan.

In New York, British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry told reporters that Britain, America, and France have been working on a draft resolution that would tighten existing sanctions on the government in Khartoum.

Suburban Princess Apologizes to Reuters

I apologize to Reuters for my hasty rush to judgement regarding the company's announcement that it was going to start featuring stories on the "Changing Face of the Sudan." (See yesterday's blog for my thoughts on the topic).

Below please find the response to the e-mail I sent the features editor.

Many thanks for your note, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Just to reassure you that a features series in no way means we'll be taking our eye off the ball on any news: we aim with features to try when we can to also tell some of the other stories that are not making headlines.

Kind regards

Sara Ledwith
Features Editor, EMEA

Changing the Face of the Sudan???

Apparently, Reuters.com is "changing the face of the Sudan" by starting to cover more stories occurring in the more peaceful part of the Sudan. Reuters seems to feel the importance of a new motorcycle youth culture, cattle market, and confusing currency is more important than a genocide. Want to give the Sudanese government a little positive spin, Reuters? What's that about? Hmmm...could it be the oil boom in Khartoom? Hey, Reuters, are you being pressured to change your focus? Afraid of losing some big clients? I don't really know the answers to those questions, but if I was a reporter for reuters or elsewhere, I would sure ask!

By the way, I e-mailed the Features Editor at Reuters -- FeaturesEditors@reuters.com -- some comments, letting her know that I hope this new "change of face" didn't mean that Reuters was going to start neglecting coverage of Darfur. Please join me in doing the same.

From Reuters.com:

ADVISORY-The changing face of Sudan: Special Series
Tue 10 Apr 2007 5:44 AM ET

Sudan is most often in the news for the conflict in the far western region of Darfur. But in the meantime peace has returned to the south after more than 20 years of civil war, and an oil boom has started to change the face of the capital Khartoum.

Reuters has prepared a series of features on Sudan, and particularly on the changes in the south, which now has its own autonomous government and where the influence of the Arab Muslim north has started to diminish.

Look out for stories about the factors driving the market for cattle, which are central to the culture of the Nilotic peoples of the south, about the confusing variety of currencies the south has inherited and a new youth motorcycle culture which has come with peace. In Khartoum, we look at the expansion of the hotel industry and a travel postcard from Khartoum will be appearing on our Reuters Life! service on Friday.

The stories will be accompanied by pictures and the series will kick off at 2304 GMT on Tuesday April 10.

-- Reuters wants your feedback on its features file. Please e-mail comments and queries to FeaturesEditors@reuters.com.

Urge the President to Support Peacekeepers in Darfur

From: David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

Last week, Congress passed an emergency supplemental funding bill which includes $150 million to support the peacekeeping effort in Darfur through the end of September.

While we applaud this decision, we are very concerned that this funding will run out on October 1st, leaving peacekeeping forces in Darfur stranded without adequate resources.

The Administration has failed to request any funding for Darfur in the fiscal year 2008 budget, which starts at the beginning of October 2007.

Will you please join us in calling on the President and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to urge them to fix this upcoming shortfall now before it's too late? Click here to send your message now.

Congress has agreed that the President failed to address the full funding needs of Darfur peacekeeping in his recent budget request for fiscal year 2008.

To quote the official language of the recently passed funding bill, Congress "is concerned that the Administration has not adequately planned for future peacekeeping activities in Sudan/Darfur in FY 2008 and urges the Secretary of State to work with the Office of Management and Budget to submit a budget amendment for FY 2008 addressing these urgent needs."

Please join us and Congress in urging the President and his Office of Management and Budget to provide the funds to prevent this budget shortfall that would threaten the Darfur peacekeeping effort.

Click here to send your letter to President Bush and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget today.

With your help, we can work with our government to ensure adequate support for the essential peacekeeping effort in Darfur.

Thank you again for your commitment to ending the violence in the region.

Other things you can do to stop the Genocide in Darfur

Visit the darfur wall.


Tell Fidelity to divest!

George Clooney on Darfur

BBC interview from the 15th of December 2006 with George Clooney about the situation in Darfur

Make New York State Divest from the Sudan!

From: Ben Prochazka
Save Darfur Coalition

Senator Joe Robach and Assemblyman Darryl Towns have written targeted divestment legislation that will take back New York State's dollars from companies that fund the genocide in Darfur.

However, this bill has not been introduced because the New York State Comptroller has not released a "Fiscal Note" which is needed to allow the legislation to go to a vote.

You can help today by calling New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli:

1. Dial (518) 474-4044

2. Please use the talking points below:

* I'm a New York resident who cares about ending the genocide in Darfur. It is important that New York divest from foreign companies that contribute to the genocide in Darfur where over 400,000 have died and 2.5 million have been displaced since 2003.

*I urge you to release the "Fiscal Note" and allow the legislation to be introduced by Senator Robach and Assemblyman Towns. This action will be vital in helping us stop the genocide.

What is targeted divestment?

Targeted divestment calls for the accelerated engagement of companies that are directly or indirectly helping the Sudanese government perpetuate genocide. If a company refuses to change its behavior in response to pressure from shareholders, the targeted divestment model calls for the removal of invested money from that company.

Please forward this message to your friends and family who live in New York. Working together we can move this legislation forward and help the people of Darfur.

Global Days for Darfur

From: David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

Activists across the world have come together to plan "Global Days for Darfur" - a week of rallies, marches, vigils and other events designed to make it clear that "time has run out" for the people of Darfur.

Will you please join us and thousands of committed Darfur activists the week of April 23rd - 30th?

Click here to find an event taking place near you.

At the web page, locate the "Find an Event" section on the right-hand side of the page, enter your zip code and the distance you'd like to search within, then click "Find Events."

As you know all too well, time has run out for the people of Darfur.

We must call attention to the escalating violence and the continued failure of the international community to adequately respond to this crisis.

The Global Days for Darfur week of action offers a perfect forum to help raise awareness of the crisis and to call for the immediate deployment of an international peacekeeping force to Darfur.

Please support your fellow activists in speaking out for the people of Darfur by joining an event in your area. Or, if there are currently no activities planned in your community, we hope you will consider creating your own event during this important week.

Once again, I am grateful for the incredible commitment you and others have shown to stopping the violence in Darfur.

George Clooney Advocates for Darfur