Student Union Presents: How To Help Stop Genocide In About 5 Minutes

This is easy, and it means a lot.

The genocide in Darfur has been happening since 2003, and it’s been in the media all that time. Have you always wanted to do something about it but not known how, or not had the time? If so, this site is a gift from Bryn Mawr’s Student Union to you.

Below are links to 5 organizations or web sites that are taking action in different ways to stop the genocide. For each, we list 2 steps:

• One Minute: In about one minute, do something easy online, like signing a petition.
• The Next Step: Can you do more? Here we describe another action the organization offers to you.

Very easy, very big deal.

(If you want to read up on what’s been happening lately before you take these actions, click here.)

(And check back periodically because we UPDATE the site!  There are currently updates under Action 5 and “Want to do more?”)

Ready? GO!

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1) OLYMPIC DREAM FOR DARFUR

The Olympic Dream for Darfur says: China holds unrivaled influence with the genocidal regime in Sudan. As Beijing prepares to host the 2008 Olympics, join us in urging China to use its leverage to persuade the Sudanese government to consent immediately to a civilan protection force in Darfur.

One Minute: Sign a petition to the International Olympic Committee, Steven Spielburg, Olympic Corporate Sponsors, and/or the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The Next Step: Add the Olympic Dream for Darfur banner to your email signature or web page. Click here.

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2) SUPPORT PENNSYLVANIA DIVESTMENT: House Bill 1140 in the State Senate

Some industries in the U.S. are still doing business with the Sudanese government. The PA State Senate introduced House Bill 1140 based on the Sudan Divestment Task Force model of targeted Sudan divestment. We want the government of Sudan and its allied militias to be unable to finance their genocide.

One Minute: Send the following text to Pennsylvania Senator Patrick M. Browne, Chair of the Finance Committee, at pbrowne at pasen.gov :

Dear Senator Browne, I’m contacting you because I am concerned about the continuing genocide in the Sudan, and I want something done about it. I do not want any PA Pension Funds invested in companies that do business with the Sudanese government. I know that House Bill 1140 passed this summer and is now in the Finance Committee. I support this bill, and I want it to come to a vote as soon as possible. Please make this bill a top priority this session!

Remember to sign your name!

The Next Step: Email a similar message to a couple of other PA senators. Find their email addresses and phone numbers here. You can also write Governor Rendell a message letting him know you think this is important. Here’s the form to do so.

Are your mutual funds indirectly aiding a genocidal government? Find out at SudanDivestment.org and urge your family and friends to do the same.

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3) ASK THE CANDIDATES

Ask the Candidates says: Stopping genocide in Darfur must be an important political priority for the next president. Concerned Americans from across the country want to know that the next president is willing and able to meet this moral challenge.

One Minute: Sign the petition to all the 2008 Presidential Candidates, asking them to personally divest from companies supporting the Sudanese government, making a strong statement against genocide.

The Next Step: Using the questions provided by this organization, email, call, or personally ask the candidates, if you have the opportunity, about what action they will take concerning Darfur.

And, make a personal commitment only to vote for a candidate who has a strong stance on ending the genocide. Find out what their stances are on this page.

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4) DARFUR SCORES: Check Up on Your Representative

One Minute: At DarfurScores.org, look up your congressional representative from your home state or here in PA, and find out how they score based on their support for legislation aimed at ending the genocide. Then, call or email to tell them you think the issue is still important. Phone numbers and what to say to each representative are available on the site. (We admit this might take a little bit more than one minute.)

The Next Step: Read about the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act (H.R. 180), which bans the renewal of federal contracts with companies that support the Sudanese government. Then, call the Genocide Interventional Network Hotline at 1-800-GENOCIDE to be connected to your senator for free, and tell him or her that you support this bill.

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5) AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

One Minute: Sign the petition to the Sudanese government.

The Next Step: Buy the tracks from Make Some Noise, an album of John Lennon covers by famous artists. This is a fundraiser to support Amnesty’s Darfur campaign.

UPDATE: Speaking of great music that supports Darfur aid organizations, a new one is Causes 1: Darfur, supporting Save Darfur, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and Doctors Without Borders. It features Spoon, The Shins, The Cure, Death Cab For Cutie, Thievery Corporation, Animal Collective, Bright Eyes, and more, and costs $9.99 on iTunes.

UPDATE: Through the month of December, you can send this letter to Italy, who is leading the U.N. Security Council right now, and request that the U.N. carry out the arrest issued by the ICC for two top human rights offenders in Sudan. One is the current Sudanese State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, who has not been doing his job in Darfur to say the least.

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WANT TO DO MORE?

• Join Student Union! We are an activist group at Bryn Mawr and are currently planning events for this year. Usually we meet at 10PM on Tuesdays in the Lusty Cup. Email Hannah (hmueller at brynmawr.edu) to be added to the listserve.
• UPDATE: At Bryn Mawr, we are organizing a Darfur Day during International Justice Week. Any and all ideas/time/support you can give are much appreciated! Email above.
• UPDATE: Darfur NOW is a NEW movie in theaters about the crisis and what’s being done to stop it. It was produced by and stars Don Cheadle! If you are lucky enough to be near a theater playing this movie, check it out–and if you’re not, tell your local theater you wish they were running it.
• UPDATE:  Join the Facebook group ONE MINUTE DARFUR and invite your friends!
• Buy a solar cooker: These simple stoves allow women in refugee camps to cook food for their families without having to venture outside the camps to collect firewood. Outside the camps they are vulnerable to rape by rebel militia. $30 for two stoves, or any donation. Email above.
• Make a donation to your favorite campaign mentioned above.
• Learn about the history of the genocide, keep updated on new developments, and tell other people about this site!

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Thanks for stopping by. Please leave your comments and questions. If any of the links don’t work for you, we would love to know so we can fix them.