By MacKenzie J. Hamilton, STAND
 |
| Alexandra Johnson, STAND Outreach Coordinator, holds vigil in GA |
Last week, President Obama met with U.S. special envoy to Sudan Gen. Scott Gration and other high level officials to discuss Sudan policy. In short, it did not go as well as activists hoped, and the proposed policy sidelined Darfur and lacked necessary diplomatic and economic pressures on the government in Khartoum. U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice offered a dissenting opinion, urging the President to focus on all of Sudan and include both incentives and pressures on the Khartoum government.
The student movement to end genocide agreed with Ambassador Rice’s proposal and set about urging President Obama to make good on his campaign promises and focus on an all-inclusive Sudan policy, complete with pressures for the genocidal regime. To show their support for Ambassador Rice and their solidarity with the people of Sudan, they held vigils all across the country, including outside of Vice President Biden’s residence in Washington, DC, Boston, New York City, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, California, and Georgia to name only a few.
Hundreds of students mobilized to urge our government to action in only two days, including students on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I took the initiative along with upSTANDer Andie Ramirez, former president of Harwich High School STAND and a first year at Providence College, to coordinate a vigil and peaceful protest. Candidate for MA State Senate, Dan Wolf, and candidate for MA State House of Representatives attended to show their support, as well as three men from Southern Sudan, Gabriel Bol Deng, Garang Mayoul and Koor Garang.
 |
| Andie Ramirez, Providence College, coordinates Cape Cod Vigil & sends a message to the US government |
At the end of the night, after candles were lit and the urgency of the situation was discussed, participants took action by calling Vice President Biden and urging him to weigh in on Sudan policy, make good on his campaign promises, and urge President Obama to take a firmer stance on US Sudan policy. If edits to the policy are not made before Obama signs it in, it could cause huge problems for the country of Sudan in the future. Already we are seeing an upsurge of violence in the Darfur region of Sudan, and with the Southern Referendum coming to a vote in January, the public has reason to worry.
 |
| What you should do right now! |
It’s not too late! Call 1-800-GENOCIDE today to connect to Vice President Biden’s office and urge the US government to focus on all of Sudan and implement a strategy with both incentives and pressures on the Khartoum government in Sudan.
MacKenzie J. Hamilton
Outreach Coordinator
STAND: Student-led Division of Genocide Intervention Network
(774) 722-2861
http://www.standnow.org
mhamilton@standnow.org
No comments:
Post a Comment