The STAND Advocate

SUDAN: THE EXECUTIVE LEGACY

STAND is launching an all-new, comprehensive and demanding campaign this semester, 2008. The campaign will be directed toward President Bush and the executive branch of government. The point of the campaign is to let Bush know that we are ANGRY, that even though STAND has made great accomplishments in taking steps to alleviate the genocide, the genocide is still raging on and our patience is gone. We must hold Bush accountable to the statements he has made against the genocide, to the laws he has signed in support of divestment, and to the funding for humanitarian aid for which our country is responsible. The campaign will have four major focuses:

1) Stick to his promises.
2) Enforce UNAMID.
3) Apply an all-Sudan strategy.
4) Lobby China.

1) STICK TO HIS PROMISES.

In December 2007 Bush signed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act into law. SADA authorizes state divestment and prohibits the US from entering into any contracts with companies that conduct business with the Sudanese government. Contracts that were signed previous to SADA are not affected, but when they are up for renewal, the companies will have to be re-evaluated. Although signing this bill, now law, was a huge step, we MUST ensure that Bush holds to his word. We must demand that Bush establish vehicles and mechanisms to enforce this bill so that we can be certain our government is not supporting companies that support a genocidal regime.

2) ENFORCE UNAMID.

UNAMID, the joint AU-UN hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur just recently began being deployed in December 2007. Although there are supposed to be 26,000 troops on the ground, there are currently only around 9,000 troops. These troops are underfunded and underresourced and have no access to any helicopters. We will pressure Bush to either supply American helicopters to UNAMID or to call for helicopters from our allies. Now that UNAMID has begun to make a presence in the region, we must continue to ensure the deployment is steady and that the troops are receiving adequate funding.

3) APPLY AN ALL-SUDAN STRATEGY.

The genocide in Darfur is inexplicably linked with the conflict between the North and South of Sudan. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed between the North and South in 2005 has been shaky for the past few months. STAND would like Bush to equip the new US ambassador to Sudan, Richard Williamson with full-time Darfur and CPA deputies and field times that have a 24/7 presence in Sudan. More so, we would like to see Williamson work on a more coordinated and forceful peace agreement as well as other notable US deputies make visits to Sudan. Finally, we would like to see and International Peace Summit on Sudan convened for global leaders to discuss the best way to create an effectual and lasting peace in the region.

4) LOBBY CHINA.

With the 2008 Olympics approaching in Beijing, it is crucial that the US continues to dangle China in the world spotlight and pressure them in regards to their support for the government of Sudan. We would like to ask President Bush to speak publicly or privately with Hu Jintao about the importance of sustainable conflict resolution in Sudan. We would also like to ask the president to make his visit to the Olympics contingent upon whether China has been cooperative with the advocacy asks from Dream for Darfur.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Bush: Boycott the Opening Ceremonies!

Please call on your Representative today to tell President Bush that he must not proceed with yet another blunder in U.S. policy on Darfur.

WHY: We learned yesterday that the Bush Administration is actually offering rewards to the Government of Sudan if it makes certain "concessions" regarding Darfur:

"The Bush administration could remove Sudan from an American list of state supporters of terrorism and normalize relations if the Sudanese government agreed, among other steps, to allow Thai and Nepalese peacekeepers in its Darfur region, says a document outlining the American negotiating position for talks with Sudan that began Wednesday."

In the words of Roger Winter, former negotiator with Sudan for the State Department:

"Given the fact that Khartoum has been involved in negotiations repeatedly over the years regarding Darfur and the comprehensive peace agreements and has signed documents and consistently failed to implement what they've signed, why are we discussing normalization with them?"

We must put a STOP to this!

WHAT: Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative's office.:

"Mr. President, the U.S. must not normalize relations with the Government of Sudan. If anything, the U.S. must do the opposite - please, lead the international community in imposing targeted multilateral sanctions against Sudan's senior government officials responsible for the Darfur genocide."

Sudan policy experts have been telling the Bush Administration for years that without imposing punitive measures on the individual leaders of the Sudan government, they will never live up to the numerous agreements they have made to end genocide in Darfur and implement the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended its war with Southern Sudan. Normalizing relations will let them know they may continue to ignore their own promises with impunity.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Your efforts have paid off!

Over the last two weeks, you have called your Senators and asked them to co-sponsor Senate Resolution 455, which calls on President Bush to implement an All-Sudan Solution. Last week, the Senate unanimously passed the resolution with a whopping 40 co-sponsors. Great work! Let's keep it up!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Bush: Stick to your Promises

This week, with the humanitarian crisis stemming from Darfur continuing to destabilize not only Sudan but the surrounding region, including Chad and the Central African Republic, it has become increasingly urgent that the international community develop, fund, and implement a "comprehensive regional strategy." House Resolution 1011 urges President Bush to Stick to His Promises by: urging the United Nations Security Council to implement sanctions against the Government of Sudan for its detrimental actions and the continued destabilization of the region and by continuing U.S. humanitarian assistance to the refugees and internally displaced peoples in Chad and the Central African Republic.

Contact your representative today and urge him/her to call on President Bush to Stick to His Promises by co-sponsoring House Resolution 1011.

President Bush's To-Do List

Enforce the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (DPAA)

Enforce the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (SADA)

Facilitate targeted UN and EU sanctions against Sudan

Support UNAMID through providing equipment, providing transportation, and helping with tabletop contingency planning

Equip ambassador Rich Williamson with full-time Darfur and CPA deputies and field teams with 24/7 presence in Sudan

Consistently deploy high-level diplomats (such as Condoleezza Rice and Jendayi Frazer) to Khartoum

Reconvene IGAD to push for CPA implementation

Fully fund the Abyei Borders Commission

Host an international Sudan Peace Summit with other global leaders

Establish routine, in-person reports to Congress on the activities of the US ambassador to Sudan

Make appearance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics contingent upon the Dream for Darfur asks

Speak with Hu Jintao about a sustainable conflict resolution in Sudan

Welcome to STAND"s legislative blog!

Want more information about STAND's current legislative asks?

Need up-to-the-minute information on Darfur legislation?

Have a question about a specific bill or resolution?

You've come to the right place!

Welcome to The STAND Advocate, our new, regularly-updated legislative blog. STAND's awesome Advocacy team will post new information about any and all Darfur-related legislation, respond to your questions, and give you tactics and ideas on how best to influence your representatives. Be sure to check back often!