Genocide in Sudan

[namqch]

http://www.preventgenocide.org/action/alerts/darfur/

Hey everybody,

I'm pleading with you to please do something and don't allow this to be another Rwanda. Please send this to as many people as you can and please write to the government officials listed on this link to ask them to stop the genocide in Sudan! Thanks everyone!

[shelley]

I wrote to Feinstein!

[namqch]

Hi Shelley!

Thanks for your response! You have to see this movie called "Sometimes in April." It's about the Rwanda genocide. Watching that movie compelled me to do something about what's happening in Sudan. I saw it on PBS, so you should check your local PBS show listings to see if it might be broadcast again. Anyhow, call me ignorant, but who is Feinstein? Also thanks for responding to my other question in the other forum. I'm really nervous about it. I'll be flying to San Diego from Hawaii. I know you're from California so do you recommend any quintessentially tourist spots i have to check out. And do you recommend any health foods stores in that area? Thanks for your time! Take care.

[shelley]

That movie played a lot on HBO but sometimes I just can't handle watching that kind of thing. I get too into it. Just too much of an empath when it comes to movies I guess!

Are you back from your San Diego trip? How did it go? Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I'm not an expert on San Diego by any means - when I go I just do the regular touristy stuff that anyone would do.

Here's the canned response I got back from my Senator, Dianne Feinstein:


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for writing to me with your thoughts on the
current conflict in Sudan. I appreciate the time you took to write.

As a steadfast supporter of human rights, I share your
concern about the situation in Darfur. According to United Nations
and U.S. officials, the situation in Darfur is considered the worst
current humanitarian and human rights crisis in the world. Out of a
population of 7 million people, 1.6 million are internally displaced,
an estimated 200,000 have been forced into exile, and an estimated
70,000 civilian have been killed.

On September 23, 2004, the Senate passed by unanimous
consent S. 2781, the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act, which:

* authorizes the President to assist Sudan to support the
implementation of a comprehensive peace agreement that
applies to all regions of Sudan, including the Darfur region
and address the humanitarian and human rights crisis in the
Darfur region and eastern Chad, provided that no assistance
be made available to the Government of Sudan,
* directs the President to implement specified sanctions in
support of peace in Darfur, including blocking the assets of
senior Sudanese officials,
* authorizes the President to provide non-military assistance
to areas that were outside the Government of Sudan's
control, and
* makes assistance for a comprehensive peace agreement
contingent upon a continuing certification to the appropriate
congressional committees that the Government of Sudan is
acting to ensure that the armed forces and militias are not
committing atrocities or blocking assistance and permitting
humanitarian assistance to all regions of Sudan, including
Darfur.

In addition, on 8 December 2004, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2005 was signed into law with my support
and provided $311 million in assistance to the Sudan crisis. A
significant portion of that money will be used for humanitarian
assistance, peacekeeping operations, and famine assistance.
However, no funds from this Act will be provided for the
Government of Sudan unless specific steps are taken to improve
security and humanitarian assistance in Darfur.

Let me say that, in closing, I believe we need to intensely
focus our diplomacy, U.S. economic assistance programs, and
international appeal to other countries to restore a semblance of
peace and calm in Darfur. The status quo of thousands of innocent
victims suffering and dying is unacceptable. We can - and must - do
better.

Again, thank you for writing. If you have any more
questions or comments, please feel free to contact my office in
Washington, D.C. at (202) 224-3841, or visit my website at
http://feinstein.senate.gov.

[namqch]

Wow I haven't gotten any response yet from my senator. It's nice to know that Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act has been implemented. I hope one day soon the "Comprehensive Peace in Burma Act" will be pass.

No worries, i haven't gone on my trip yet. It's in October, i'm just planning early.