Darfur: Daily News May 27, 2005

[applegrove]

Here is a happening DU thread about American troops and where they should be rather than the Balkans - posted by razorman:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3722269




STOPPING THE DARFUR GENOCIDE: We need ANSWERS to these QUESTIONS - originally posted by Nothing Without Hope at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3724411

Thanks to SAVE DARFUR at:

http://www.savedarfur.org/go.php?q=latestNews.html


SAVE DARFUR: Latest News

May 27, 2005

Donors pledge nearly $300 million for Darfur force

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-05-27T124748Z_01_SCH742230_RTRUKOC_0_AFRICA-DARFUR-FORCE.xml

Reuters

Donors have pledged nearly $300 million to fund a bigger African Union (AU) force to help end fighting in Sudan's western Darfur region, AU officials said on Friday. They said Canada gave the biggest contribution of $133 million, followed by the United States with $50 million and Britain with $12 million. Smaller donations will come from other countries. The AU had requested $466 million to more than triple its force to about 7,900 troops.



Zoellick to visit Sudan

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EGUA-6CSQF7?OpenDocument

ReliefWeb

Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick will visit Sudan to work to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, advance effective implementation of the North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and promote a political reconciliation in Darfur. He will meet with one of the forward-deployed African Union units in Darfur and talk with tribal leaders at a camp of internally displaced persons. His visit will follow up on the U.S. pledge made at the May 26 donors’ conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to support expansion of the African Union force in Darfur, particularly through NATO.



Investor committee considers divestment

http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2005052701010

The Dartmouth

The Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility met Thursday to discuss Dartmouth's investments in companies that operate in Sudan, where genocide rampages in the Darfur region. Though ACIR took no finite action, committee members considered what recommendation they will make to the Board of Trustees, including the possibility of divestment.



Aid agencies sounds alarm over precarious food situation

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/a62f0fae0fedbaab0a8f9bf677082492.htm

Reuters AlertNet

During the last planting season in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, less than 30 percent of arable land was cultivated, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. Widespread violations of international humanitarian law had also led to a general state of insecurity in Darfur and resulted in restrictions on the movement of people and animals. If no further progress was achieved in terms of helping people to move about safely before the coming rainy season, the next harvest risked being lost, the ICRC noted. This would render millions of people completely reliant on humanitarian aid for their survival for at least another 18 months

Take 10 minutes for Darfur -- 10,000 a month are dying- originally posted by WesDem at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3730018


1) Donate to humanitarian organisations working in Sudan


2) Email your friends and family - Send them this link and read it yourself



Crisis in Darfur

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3060&l=1



3) Contact the media


4) Write to Elected Officials

Bill Number: S. 495 - 'A bill to impose sanctions against perpetrators of crimes against humanity in Darfur, Sudan, and for other purposes.


Bill Number: H.R. 1413 - 'To make the protection of vulnerable populations, especially women and children, who are affected by a humanitarian emergency a priority of the United States Government, and for other purposes. '


Bill Number: H.R. 1424 - 'To impose sanctions against perpetrators of crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and for other purposes.'

Women Take Brunt of Human Rights Abuse: Amnesty

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1377151.htm

abc.net - AFP


Women and girls faced "horrific" levels of abuse in 2004 worldwide, Amnesty International said in its annual human rights review, blaming widespread rape and violence on a mix of "indifference, apathy and impunity".

-- SNIP --

In Darfur, where a local rebellion sparked a brutal government backlash, Khartoum-backed militias have staged mass rapes, including of schoolgirls, and "frequently abducted" local women into sexual slavery, Amnesty said.

Tens of thousands of women and girls were also subject to rape and sexual slavery in the DRC, and as in Darfur, victims were often then abandoned by their husbands and families, "condemning them and their children to extreme poverty".

-- SNIP --

Past Darfur: Daily News


May 26, 2005

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3736412




May 25, 2005

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3729757




May 24, 2005

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3722708

Other Threads:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1502185

[Telly Savalas]

1. Well, at least we're seeing a bit of action

The Reuters article from today says the U.S. contributed $50 million, but Canada gave over $130 million. One might think the U.S. are being cheapskates here since the U.S. has 10 times the population. Bear in mind though that Canada isn't being run by a bunch of peckerheads that don't know how to balance the books. Unlike the U.S. which is running a $450 billion dollar budget defecit, Canada has a surplus and hence money to spare.

[applegrove]

2. US originally gave 95 Million. So you have to add that. But yes -

we are very lucky and tend to spend our surpluses on things other than military and war. We are very lucky indeed. And we owe it to send out the money we have to places like the AU for Darfur. I don't know if it is because we are in both the francophonie and the commonwealth (both have many African nations as participants). So our prime ministers tend to take Africa very seriously. And we meet with them all the time.


Did you see the article the other day on How much of foreign aid is not really aid? Eyeopening. Especially the part where nations double count canceled debt as aid twice.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. This is excellent! At last there is some action! Recommended and kicked!

[Nothing Without Hope]

4. Additional thread in GD-P on Annan's visit to Darfur and the donations:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1815187#1815210
Thread title: "UN chief to see Darfur situation"

[applegrove]

5. More Action Required.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3743899&mesg_id=3743899