Here’s a message from Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service:
Today is United Nations Day, and AJWS is joining a coalition of organizations for a national day of action.
Please take a few minutes during your lunch hour today to call the White House and urge the President to put Darfur at the top of his agenda. President Bush must use his influence to overcome Sudan’s objections to a U.N. peacekeeping force.
Placing the call is simple. Dial 202.456.1111 and simply follow the sample script:
“Hello, this is [name] calling from [city], [state]. I’m calling about the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. I urge President Bush to use all diplomatic channels to pressure the Sudanese government to immediately consent to a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur. If the U.N. does not replace the African Union troops by the end of the year, it will demonstrate a failure of political will and U.S. leadership.”
Our goal is to bombard all 1,000 phone lines at the White House – all day long. If you can’t get through, you’ll know that our action is having the desired effect. Hang up, and try again later.
So please, pick up the phone today and make your voice heard. And remember to click here after you complete your call, so we can track our progress.
Your call could not come at a more urgent time. Here’s an example of what’s happening on the ground right now:
There is a refugee camp in the western Darfur village of Kassab that shelters 25,000 displaced people. Humanitarian groups fled the camp last month, after a number of aid workers were killed. The camp’s medical clinic has been closed, forcing women and children to travel the dangerous open road for treatment, exposing them to the threats of rape and murder. Security is virtually non-existent and armed men are entering the camp to rape women and rob families at will.
The African Union troops charged with protecting this camp are outmatched and do not have a mandate to use force against rebels. And, in this region of Darfur, there are only 82 officers to patrol an area of 13,000 square miles.
We cannot allow genocide to continue. Your call today, along with the actions of thousands of others, will make a difference. Thank you for your ongoing support for the people of Darfur.
Sincerely,
Ruth Messinger
American Jewish World Service
P.S. Visit our Web site, www.ajws.org, for updated information on the genocide in Darfur or to read about our other efforts to alleviate poverty, hunger, and disease among the people of the developing world.
