darfur

Originally, this started as the myspace profile for the UC divestment from Sudan. Thankfully, the divestment proposal passed on March 16th, 2006, at a meeting of the UC Regents, which was held at UCLA. To read more about the details, Click here to go to the UC divestment homepage. Below are links to some activism sites. Under the link is a short description of what you will find at the site. I'm still working on this, so if you have any suggestions, just send me a message!

So what exactly is going on in Sudan? After the Holocaust, many of the worlds nations uttered the phrase "never again." Never again would the world turn its back on a group of people while they were being slaughtered. Yet ironically, genocide has happened many times since. Some of the biggest atrocities have occured in Africa. In 1994, Rwanda experienced genocide. And now Sudan faces the horror. Sudan is a country of 38 million people. 52% of the population is black African, and 39% of the population is Arab. The conflict in Sudan is between Arabs and non-Arabs. The two groups are fighting over scarce land and water resources. The government of Sudan is made up mostly of Arabs, or Africans that identify themselves as Arab. Historically, the government has focused on pleasing the Arabs.

The current conflict started in 2003 when the JEM (Justice and Equality Movement) and the SLF (Sudan Liberation Front) attacked and captured the capital in central Darfur. The Sudanese government responded by enlisting the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed has since been attacking non-Arab camps, regardless of any affiliation with rebel groups. The government uses funds from oil and foreign commerce to fund the genocide.

How you can help:

standnow.org STAND "students taking action now, Darfur. This is the home page for action commitees across the US, with chapters at many universities and highschools. There is a newsletter, you can sponsor an elementary school in Sudan, there is a page explaining the situation in Sudan, updates, and bulletins on events. You can find your regional STAND group. I know that UCSD has one, you can email [email protected]. UCLA also has a Darfur Action Commiteeestopgenocidenow.org Here they sponsor a project called "i-act." It is a video documentary of individual refugee families, and interviews with various agencies involved in humanitraian aid. There is a blog that you can read, and you can donate to the project. studentsagainstgenocide.org This is a really awesome group. Started by students at Claremont McKenna College in CA. This site offers nifty "stop genocide" shirts at cost. They come in 10 different colors! You can also download informational flyers. There are research essays, and links to other websites. The about section also has info on other groups at Claremont colleges that are involved in Sudan activism. web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-index-eng Direct link to amnesty's Sudan page. Here you can read a summary of the crisis, read the latest news, watch videos, etc. Go to the "activist toolkit" and you will be able to find an amnesty chapter near you, download posters and stickers, and make a donation. sudanactivism.com This is another really cool site, with lots of suggestions on how you can help. There is information about sending a message to members of the UN security council, educationl posters, how to host a speaker or hold a candlelight vigil, set up a divestment campaign and organize a fundraiser. human rights watch doctorswithoutborders world food program international medical corps UN high commission for refugees Afican Union

More Information:

Wikipedia: Darfur Conflict Sleepless in Sudan Blog Amnesty International - Too many people killed for no reason