Genocide Hits Home: Meet with Legislators in Your Community

Congress is finished with Darfur work until the beginning of January. Your senators and representative are home in their districts. Now is the perfect time to meet with your elected officials, and tell them that ending the genocide in Darfur is important to you.

Steps to Schedule Your Visit

1. Find your legislators on the Darfur scorecard.

2. Read about their record on Darfur. Even if you have a newly-elected legislator, you will still want to read the next steps for Congress at DarfurScores.org — it’s important to let new representatives and senators know that their constituents care about ending the genocide in Darfur.

3. Call to make an appointment:

• Type in the name of your elected official on Congress.org's directory. You will find contact information for their district offices listed on the page.
• If your member of Congress was newly elected, contact us for the information.
• Tell them your name and that you are a concerned constituent interested in speaking with your senator or representative about the situation in Darfur.

4. Visit your elected official. Use the talking points as a guide for your conversation.

Recently, the violence in Sudan has spread to neighboring countries of Chad and the Central African Republic. The genocide that began in 2003 continues in Darfur today. Four hundred thousand people have already died, and over 2.5 million more have been displaced from their homes. It is clear that the situation is escalating and the entire region is at risk of collapsing into violence.

As we approach a new year, it is imperative that your elected officials know that you care about ending the genocide. The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act was an important step, but further action is needed end genocide in 2007.

Please visit your elected officials. Your voice has the potential to help protect civilians in Darfur and bring peace to the region.

Talking Points

Tell your elected official that ending the genocide in Darfur is important to you. Speak to them about their record on Darfur. Ask them to:

1. Support implementation of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act

The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act was signed by the president in October 2006. One important provision of this legislation urges the president to deny port entry to oil tankers that have transported oil from Port Sudan. The oil sector represents the largest source of revenue for the government of Sudan. It is estimated that 70% of oil revenue goes toward arms expenditures.

An additional provision urges the president to freeze the assets of those individuals deemed complicit in the violence. This is an important step toward ensuring that those who commit genocide cannot profit from it.

2. Support the state divestment movement

The Sudan divestment movement has been sweeping the country. California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey and Oregon have already divested. Targeted divestment is an important step to take back U.S. dollars from companies helping to fund the genocide. Federal support is required to protect the rights of states to pass divestment legislation.

3. Support additional legislation in the coming year, including appropriations bills which fund peacekeeping in Darfur

It will be necessary for Congress to continue to do all that they can to end the genocide in 2007. Concrete legislative steps and funding appropriations are needed. Please ask your elected officials to co-sponsor and vote in favor of legislation to end the genocide.

Please contact us if you need help reaching the offices of your elected officials, or if you have any questions.