City Council calls for immediate action in Darfur

The City of Bloomington Common Council passed a resolution Wednesday calling for immediate action to end the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, but some members felt the council should focus more on local issues.\nPart of the resolution instructed that copies of it be sent to the U.S. President, Indiana's Congressional Delegation, other members of the U.S. Congress involved in foreign policy, Gov. Mitch Daniels and members of Bloomington's delegation to the Indiana legislature.\nTwo local groups, Students Taking Action Now: Darfur and Save Darfur Bloomington, collaborated to bring the resolution before the council.\nSTAND member and IU sophomore Rebecca Burns said the resolution's aim is to express concern from Bloomington citizens about the Darfur genocide to the right officials. Another goal of the resolution is to encourage the state of Indiana to join other states such as Illinois, California, Maine, Oregon, Connecticut and New Jersey in not allowing state pension funds to be invested in companies that do business with the Republic of Sudan.\nCurrently, U.S. companies cannot operate in Sudan. However, state pension and University funds are used to invest in foreign companies that operate in Sudan right now, Burns said.\nCutting those funds will send a message to those carrying out the genocide that the world is watching and willing to take action, and the divestment would put serious economic pressure on Sudan to try to end the genocide, said IU student Chris Hanks of Save Darfur Bloomington. \n"This is perpetrating genocide," Burns said, of continuing to allow funds to flow into Sudan. \nCouncil President Chris Sturbaum said Americans need to be aware of how their economic decisions influence the rest of the world.\n"We need to understand our economic interconnectedness and express morality through it," Sturbaum said.\nThe resolution passed with an 8-0-1 vote from the nine-member council. Councilman Brad Wisler said he abstained from the vote because he believes the council should address more local issues.\n"It's dangerous for the council to become a clearing house for every issue before it gets to the state level," Wisler said.\nCouncil member at-large Chris Gaal, who was elected Monroe County prosecutor Tuesday, said he understood Wisler's concern, but when people come forward to ask for a resolution, the council must consider it because local government is the most accessible of all the levels of government.\n"People will see this and learn about Darfur," Gaal said, referring to the television broadcasts of the city council meetings.\nGaal feels the council is part of a larger movement, he said.\n"This is democracy in action from the ground up," Gaal said.\nCouncilman David Sabbagh said he would support the resolution but added that the council needs to focus on local issues.\nSturbaum said the council helps to amplify the voices of citizens.\n"This is how governments talk to governments," Sturbaum said.