Help and genocide

In many matters of foreign policy, students in the United States have little or no opportunity for input. Rarer still are the moments when IU students have the ability to change the course of world events. This is one of those few moments.\nA genocide has been raging in the Darfur region of western Sudan for two years now, as the Sudanese government and its murderous accomplices, the Janjaweed militiamen, raze villages of the Fur, Zagawa and Masalit tribes. More than 200,000 people have been killed. Countless women have been violently raped. More than 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes, and now subsist on inconsistent foreign aid. This past week, a sharp increase in violence in Darfur has forced the United Nations to withdraw nonessential staff. This means food aid will diminish, leaving nearly 3 million Darfuris at risk of starvation.\nThe Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, S. 1462, has bipartisan support and is the one piece of U.S. legislation related to Darfur that has a legitimate chance of passing before the New Year.\nThis act has the potential to both make significant improvements in the lives of real Darfuris and hold the perpetrators accountable for their role in the 21st century's first genocide. \nThe act pushes for increased support of the African Union, the only force protecting civilians in the region. The African Union has shown the potential to save lives in Darfur, but it is badly in need of international financial and logistical support.\nIn terms of accountability, the act urges bans on any international travel for those in the Sudanese government orchestrating the genocide and freezes their foreign assets. We must hold these killers accountable. \nIndiana students must act now because Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, might be the difference between the bill passing on the floor of the Senate and languishing indefinitely in committee. The senator is not politically opposed to this bill but rather has reservations about the redundancy of Sudan legislation. Proper encouragement from his constituents might dramatically sway his opinion about the importance of the new measures in the bill. Sen. Lugar's actions, this week and next, will have a lasting effect on millions in Sudan. He has proven in the past that he has the capacity for leadership on the issue of Darfur. We need that leadership now.\nIt isn't just Sen. Lugar who needs to prove his leadership this week, but also the students at IU. It is our responsibility to demonstrate the extent of constituent support for the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act and our concern for the suffering people of Darfur. Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) is sponsoring a national call-in today to Sen. Lugar. Call the senator in Washington at (202) 224-4814 and tell him his full support of this legislation is important to you as a voter and as a person. \nWe cannot forget the lessons of Armenia, Cambodia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda or the Holocaust. And we cannot wait for someone else somewhere else to take action. "Never again" means not now, not ever. Set your apathy aside for one week. Pick up the phone. Make your voice heard. This time, it counts. \nTo read about the legislation go to:\nhttp://hq.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/darfur/content.jsp?content_KEY=689