PEACE AGREEMENT IN SUDAN
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DARFUR PEACE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Dear Friends,
During the last year, Lutheran World Relief has asked you to take action on the genocidal conflict in Sudan, including the Darfur crisis. You took action on the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, asking that the House of Representatives join the Senate in passing the bill. We are delighted to tell you that the House passed H.R. 3127 on April 5 2006.
Please call your Members of Congress and thank them for passing The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (H.R. 3127 in the House, S. 1462 in the Senate) and ask them to move quickly to reconcile the minor differences between the versions in conference, so that, with exemplary bipartisan support, Congress can pass this legislation quickly, in order to stop genocide in Sudan.
Call, email, or fax your members of Congress: information on how to do so can be found at: www.house.gov/writerep
INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING ACTIVITIES
The Bush administration has been a supporter of UN Peacekeeping missions, helping to increase peacekeeping forces to over 70,000 worldwide.
In 2006, US contributions to the International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account had a shortfall of $521 million.Currently, the administration has requested only $69.8 million for additional money for CIPA in the “emergency supplemental bill”.
LWR supports a greater level of funding for international peacekeeping worldwide; US contributions are key to stabilizing life for terrorized communities, slowing or ending forced displacement, and assisting in the return of refugees. If approved at this level, the U.S. will continue to have a $ 452 million shortfall from FY06 and earlier, which will have a dramatic impact families living in conflict zones like Darfur.
LWR urges support of the amendment offered by Senators Menendez, Durbin, Leahy and Sarbanes to increase CIPA funding in the supplemental by $60 million, to $129.8 million, the same amount agreed to by the House. Additionally, LWR asks that the proposed $173 million for Darfur peacekeeping continue to be included in the overall bill. LWR urges Congress to retain this figure in conference and in passage of the bill.
Call, email, or fax your Senator and ask that they support the Menedez amendment to the International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account.
You may find contact information for your Senator at www.senate.gov
CONTACT CONGRESS:
INCREASE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING ACCOUNT
Below are two concrete requests you can make to your member of Congress or a Congressional staffer. Remember, introduce yourself; state where you are from, and whether you represent a group. The following talking points are to assist you, but speak from your heart. Your member of Congress wants to hear what you care about.
- I ask the Senator to support a fully funded International Peacekeeping Account. I urge (him – her) to support of the amendment offered by Senators Menendez, Durbin, Leahy and Sarbanes to increase CIPA funding in the supplemental by $60 million, to $129.8 million, the same amount agreed to by the House.
- Additionally, I ask that the proposed $173 million for Darfur peacekeeping continue to be included in the overall bill. LWR urges Congress to retain this figure in conference and in passage of the bill.
Thank you for your prayers and actions on behalf of the people of Darfur.
For more about the conflict in Sudan, visit the following links:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The ELCA calls persons to advocate justice with and for those without power and voice in places where important political and economic decisions are being made that affect the lives of those who are marginalized. Currently, Sudan advocacy efforts are focused on urging U.S. leadership to bring the international community to consensus and action to stop the genocide.
Lutheran World Relief
Already providing humanitarian assistance in Darfur are two global alliances of church aid agencies: Action by Churches Together, which includes LWR and represents Protestant and Orthodox churches around the world, and the global Roman Catholic aid alliance, Caritas Internationalis. Member agencies from both networks have cooperated for years in South Sudan. LWR’s website allows you to read more and contribute to our efforts in Sudan.
The Washington Office on Africa
The Washington Office on Africa (WOA) is a church-sponsored not-for-profit advocacy organization seeking to articulate and promote a just American policy toward Africa. Although the material on this page is outdated, it provides helpful background information about the conflict in Sudan.
AllAfrica.com
AllAfrica is the largest electronic distributor of African news and information worldwide, with offices in Johannesburg, Dakar, Lagos and Washington, DC. The site provides constantly updated information from a wide variety of media on the crisis in Sudan.
IRIN News
IRIN is part of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Its reporting focuses on enhancing the capacity of the humanitarian community to understand, respond to, and avert emergencies. IRIN provides background information and daily updates on the situation in the Sudan.
Africa Action
Africa Action works to change U.S. Africa relations, to promote political, economic and social justice in Africa. The site provides information on the crisis in Sudan and reactions to Secretary Powell’s recent visit.
