December 10th, 2010 by Ariana Harner
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton announced earlier this week that Sarah Rial, Program Director of My Sister’s Keeper, is the recipient of the 2010 Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights. My Sister’s Keeper is a faith-inspired, multi-racial group of women who work together to lend sisterly assistance to communities of women in various locations throughout the world.
Watch live via a live stream at 2:30 p.m. (ET), Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton commemorate Human Rights Day by presenting the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award to Sarah, this Friday, December 10, at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the Department of State.
Sarah, a native of southern Sudan, heads up MSKeeper’s programs on girls’ education, adult literacy and currently is leading an unprecedented peacebuilding initiative among women representing diverse regions, races, religions and ethnicities throughout war torn Sudan and the Diaspora.
Sarah has a long history of dedication to organizations working to empower women and advocate for peace. Since her arrival as a refugee to the United States in 1999, Sarah has held leadership positions with the Sudanese Women Alliance and the Fertit Association. Prior to working with My Sister’s Keeper, Sarah was the Community Programs Case Manager for the Lynn Community Health Center of Lynn, Massachusetts, and Employment Services Manager for the Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston’s Refugee and Immigration Services. Sarah is the Co-Founder and President of the African Women’s Empowerment Group, a nonprofit organization helping immigrant and refugee women to achieve self-sufficiency.
The Eleanor Roosevelt award for Human Rights was established in 1998 by President Bill Clinton, to honor outstanding American promoters of rights in the United States. It was first awarded on the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, honoring Mrs. Roosevelt’s role as the “driving force” in the development of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We hope you’ll forward a word of congratulations to Sarah (sarah@mskeeper.org) and tune in to the live webcast at www.state.gov this Friday, December 12, at 2:30 p.m.
Tags: Activism, Darfur, Events, Human Rights, Violence Against Women
Posted in Activism, Faith, Human Rights | No Comments »
December 9th, 2010 by Martha Heinemann Bixby
Exactly one month from today the Southern Sudanese people are scheduled to vote in a referendum on their independence. At the same time, the situation in Darfur remains unstable. With so much at stake, it is important to do what we can to ensure a comprehensive peace plan for Sudan.
You can make a difference during this crucial time by learning more, acting for peace and interacting with refugees of the Darfur conflict currently living in Chad. Doing something great in your community? Let us know.
Learn:
Follow Amnesty USA’s Sudan Referendum Watch and the Enough Project’s Sudan Peace Watch.
Read our South Sudan Primer.
Act:
Send your plan for peace in Sudan to President Obama using some helpful talking points we’ve prepared.
Engage with other activists near you by attending an event in your community. Find one close by on our Week of Action page.
Participate in 12 Days of STAND, even if you aren’t a student.
Interact:
Join iAct’s live town hall meeting with Darfuri refugees at 10 a.m. EDT on Sunday, December 12. Watch it yourself or encourage your faith community to make it a part of your Sunday morning gathering. Participants in the webcast can ask questions through Twitter and iAct’s website.
Watch:
(Video by Tim Freccia)
And keep an eye out for ads like the one above, running in the New York Times, Politico and the Washington Post today.
This post was co-authored with Emily Roberts.
Tags: Referendum, South Sudan, Sudan Now
Posted in Activism, Referendum | No Comments »
December 9th, 2010 by Allyson Neville-Morgan
Mohamed Yahya speaking during Genocide Prevention Month 2009
Today marks the 62nd anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Unfortunately, the world still has work to do in order to fulfill the promise of “never again”. As we continue to support the victims of genocide in Darfur and work to prevent a return to all-out war in Sudan, it is imperative that we fight to ensure the United States has the tools necessary to effectively respond to and prevention genocide in the future. In fact, in his Annual Threat Assessment for 2010, the former Director of National Intelligence told Congress that Southern Sudan is the place in the world most likely to experience new mass killing or genocide.
What can you do? Right now, the Senate is considering a resolution in support of effective genocide prevention. The resolution (known as Senate Concurrent Resolution 71 or S.Con.Res.71) is scheduled to be considered before the Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, December 14th. The resolution was introduced by Senators Feingold and Collins and now has 15 co-sponsors. We’re hoping to add at least 4 more co-sponsors by Tuesday and we need your help to make this happen.
Urge your Senators to co-sponsor S.Con.Res.71. To send an email to your Senators, click here. You can also call 1-800-GENOCIDE to be connected to your Senator’s office by phone.
Tags: Convention, genocide convention, genocide prevention, S.Con.Res.71, United Nations
Posted in Activism, Congress, genocide prevention | No Comments »
December 9th, 2010 by Hannah Woit
On Sunday, December 12th, from 10 to 11 a.m. Eastern Time (7 to 8 a.m. Pacific Time), the i-ACT team will broadcast “Why Darfur: A Refugee Town Hall Meeting” a live online forum with Darfuris living in a refugee camp along the border between Chad and Darfur.
Please show the refugees your support by submitting your questions and hearing their stories. Let them know the world has not forgotten about the people of Darfur, even as the international community focuses on the referendum on southern independence. Just as you had the chance to submit Sudan questions for President Obama during his MTV town hall broadcast, the refugees will be take questions submitted to i-ACT via Twitter, Facebook, and the webcast comment box.
Stay updated on i-ACT’s current trip to Chad through videos, pictures, and reports posted by the team and log in on Sunday to participate in this global webcast!
Photo by Stop Genocide Now. See more on their Flickr page.
Tags: Chad, Darfur, i-ACT, refugee camps, Refugees, webcast
Posted in Chad, Darfuri Stories, IDP Camps | No Comments »
December 9th, 2010 by Niemat Ahmadi
Women Weaving in Darfur - photo by Mark Lotwis for the Save Darfur Coalition
Beginning on November 25th with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women through Human Rights Day on December 10th, there is a great opportunity for all of us to make a difference. If we take a moment to stand in solidarity with the women survivors of genocide and violent conflict, we can help alleviate their suffering. During these 16 days, activists across the world work together to promote ending violence against women, and while activism against sexual and gender based violence is essential, 16 days a year is not nearly enough. We all need to take steps throughout this upcoming year to end violence against women by supporting the following initiatives.
Protection for women
Despite the international community’s best efforts, the situation for women in Darfur remains grave. Over the past seven years, U.N. agencies and international organizations have undertaken efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of the genocide in Darfur, the majority of whom are women and children.
The joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID), continues to face huge obstacles in its attempts to protect civilians. Darfuri women living in refugee and internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps are subject to rape and other forms of sexual assault and remain especially vulnerable to diseases and trauma. Even when the fighting is not as prevalent, rape continues to be a weapon consistently used to dehumanize women and their families.
The expulsion of key international aid organizations in March 2009 following the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir, along with severe restrictions and intimidation of aid workers, have made it increasingly difficult for humanitarian organizations to help women. Darfuri women are left with no choice but to endure the risk of rape as a part of their daily life. They tolerate unspeakable suffering, as they have no access to reporting or paths towards holding the perpetrators accountable.
Heartbreaking stories continue to come out every day from Darfur On November 23rd, a 40 year-old woman from Kassab camp near Kutum in North Darfur was gang raped by four men from the Janjaweed (Arab militias). Her family continues to struggle to find treatment for her physical and emotional wounds. Last weekend, three girls between thae ages of 10 and 15 years old from a camp in Eastern Chad were raped and remain in critical condition. Two cases of suicide of pregnant girls were reported by camp leaders to the Netherlands-based Radio Dabanga, in an appeal to the international community for protection of women. The international community must do more to ensure that women in conflicts such as Darfur receive protection. Secretary Clinton has already issued statements supporting women’s rights in Sudan; however, we must continue to make sure that the protection of women remains in the spotlight and that the Obama Administration takes steps to pressure the Government of Sudan to allow UNAMID access to provide security to women in Darfur.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 16 Days, gender-based violence, Violence Against Women, Women's Issues
Posted in Activism, Violence Against Women | No Comments »
December 8th, 2010 by Shannon Orcutt
Here is a roundup and summary of the major headlines coming out of Sudan.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, South Sudan leader Salva Kiir, and former South African President and head of the African Union panel on Sudan Thabo Mbeki met yesterday in Khartoum to discus the AU panel’s proposals for the disputed region of Abyei. While Mbeki said they achieved considerable progress Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP) stated they will not accept any packages or deals from the U.S. or other international actors on Abyei to keep the Misseriya from exercising their right to vote.
The Deputy Chairman of the NCP in Khartoum Dr. Mohamed Mandour Al-Mahdi said that the referendum process has not been free and fair and has threatened to not recognize the results. The NCP has accused the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) of voter intimidation.
On Monday, the National Intelligence Security Service (NISS) arrested at least 18 officials from the Sudanese Liberation Army -Minni Minawi (SLA-MM) in El Fasher working for the Transitional Authority and stormed the SLA-MM headquarters in Nyala.
A cable released by WikiLeaks included information that the State Department had satellite images that appeared to show Russian made tanks unloaded in Kenya being shipped to South Sudan. The Kenyan government denies this claim.
Liberty and Justice Movement (LJM) rebels announced they still hope to sign a peace agreement with the Government of Sudan (GoS) this month but emphasized that they will not accept a deal unless GoS establishes Darfur as a single province.
Ambassadors and representatives from UN Security Council member states went to El Fasher the capital of North Darfur yesterday for a one day field visit. They also visited Shaddad and new Shangil Tobaya IDP camps to learn more about UNAMID patrols as well as community policing and gender awareness training.
A group of lawyers and political leaders gathered to demand that the Sudanese government either release the activists and journalists arrested from October 30-November 3rd or give them fair trials. The Darfuri activists have been held without access to their lawyers in undisclosed locations for over a month.
Other headlines:
Tags: Abyei, Headlines from Sudan, LJM, NCP, Oil, Omar al-Bashir, Referendum, SPLM, UNAMID
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December 8th, 2010 by Hannah Woit
Archbishop Desmond Tutu & Jimmy Carter speak after a meeting with Omar al-Bashir in Sudan. Photo by flickr user aheavens
The Elders, a group comprised of widely respected world leaders convened by Nelson Mandela, has issued a statement reminding the Sudanese government and world leaders of the imperative of both making sure that the referendum on southern independence goes on as scheduled and that civilians in all of Sudan are protected should violence break out.
The Elders’ statement also calls for:
- A decision on the citizenship status of southerners living in the north in the event of southern secession;
- An arrangement providing for the postponed referendum on Abeyi’s self-determination to take place; and
- The international community to establish mechanisms for keeping track of the situation on the ground as well as for protecting civilians during and after the referendum.
Since The Elders came together in 2007, the group has consistently monitored and called attention to Sudan’s twin crises of the genocide in Darfur and the troubled relations between the North and South. The Elders’ first initiative was focused on Sudan and included a publicized trip to Darfur in October 2007.
From the beginning of their Sudan initiative, the Elders have emphasized the importance of both crises and their interconnectedness. When explaining The Elders’ Sudan trip itinerary, Elders Chair Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “We understand that peace in Darfur depends in part on the success of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South, and so we are visiting Juba first to learn about the state of the CPA and what might be done to accelerate its implementation.”
Elders member Jimmy Carter, who accompanied Archbishop Tutu, left Sudan and issued a warning about the precariousness of North-South relations, stating that if the CPA failed and war broke out, there would be “devastating consequences.” In a later piece in the Washington Post, he added that the destruction of another armed conflict in Sudan would be “almost impossible to imagine,” not only for the Sudanese people, but for civilians in the nine states that border Sudan.
Interested in The Elders’ take on the ongoing events in Sudan and other humanitarian situations worldwide? They may be “Elders,” but these humanitarian leaders tweet, are on Facebook, and post photographs of their work on Flickr.
Tags: Referendum, The Elders
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December 3rd, 2010 by Allen Combs
Photographer and multimedia reporter Pete Muller recently put together an excellent video report, Drawing New Lines: Border Issues in South Sudan, exploring “the social and political dynamics in southern Sudan’s emerging border region.” It’s definitely worth a quick watch:
You can read more about the border issues in this Al Jazeera story from by Muller and reporter Maggie Fick.
Tags: Al Jazeera, Maggie Fick, North-South Border, Pete Muller, Referendum, South Sudan, Video
Posted in Referendum | No Comments »
December 3rd, 2010 by Shannon Orcutt
Here is a roundup and summary of the major headlines coming out of Sudan.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir granted state governors permission to kick out international organizations or individuals who disrespect the sovereignty of the government.
Al-Bashir announced that any rebel group who wants a political settlement in Darfur must join the Liberty and Justice Movement in signing a peace agreement before the end of the month.
Chairman of Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC), Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil, told members of the SSRC that he is writing Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to ask for a postponement of the referendum until the end of January.
The Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) accused Khartoum of supporting a militia which ambushed a convoy in Unity state 25km north of its capital Bentiu that killed ten soldiers and two civilians. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) denied these claims.
According to a SAF spokesman, the rebel Sudanese Liberation Movement- Minni Minawi faction is once again a hostile force and has begun to move into South Sudan. Minawi denied this claim stating they are not hostile and are free to move in and out of Darfur. In response, the Government of Sudan (GoS) froze the accounts of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority which was set up by the Abuja Agreement between Minawi and GoS.
Tags: Headlines from Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, Referendum, SLM-MM, SPLA, SSRC
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December 3rd, 2010 by Hannah Woit
Video courtesy of iAbolish.
This past November, Simon Deng hand-delivered letters to all five hundred thirty five members of the U.S. Congress to remind each of them of the need to keep an eye on Sudan in the lead up to the referendum on South Sudan’s independence scheduled for January 2011 and keep working to end the genocide in Darfur.
That’s five hundred thirty five doors opened in the six buildings that house this country’s representatives. Five hundred thirty five conversations with congressional staffers. Five hundred thirty five reminders that the United States government must keep Sudan on its radar as the country enters a time in which there is a possibility of outbreaks of mass violence.
And he did it all barefoot in order to convey the urgency of the situation. (His lack of footwear stunned and impressed many of the staffers we spoke with – I am sure they will not soon forget his visit!)
Save Darfur/Genocide Intervention Network’s Niemat Ahmadi and I joined him during his second day of delivering letters, while he was finishing up his deliveries the offices on the top floors of the Longworth House Office Building. He kindly told me that I could keep my shoes on, so I tried to help out by offering to lug the large green tote bag full of letters (which I am sure was significantly lighter after his first day of deliveries!). Extremely impressed and excited, I couldn’t resist spreading the word about his mission and snapped picture of him delivering letters to tweet.
Simon Deng is no stranger to hitting the pavement to raise awareness about the plight of the Southern Sudanese people. In September, he walked 255 miles from New York City to the U.S. Capitol for the Sudan Freedom Walk. An escaped slave from South Sudan, he works tirelessly on behalf of his people and hopes to do what he can to prevent the occurrence of another civil war in Sudan.
Tags: Activism, Congress, iAbolish, simon deng, US Congress, Washington DC
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