Save Darfur Coalition News Summary

New News Item:

From Save Darfur Coalition:

Announcements

100 Hours Campaign

Please join the Save Darfur Coalition in calling for 100 Hours of Conscience - Voices to End the Violence in Darfur. Beginning with a minute of silence on college campuses across North America, and continuing over four days (March 17, 18, 19, and 20), we will be encouraging and supporting events to educate people about Darfur and give them the tools to take action. We will support a wide range of activities, from individual letter writing to community-wide interfaith events. Please find details this weekend at www.savedarfur.org.

“Hotel Darfur” Campaign

Volunteers will greet patrons leaving showings of Hotel Rwanda to educate them on the atrocities in Darfur, and to provide tools for taking action. Moviegoers will be asked to write to President Bush, and enclose their movie ticket stubs with the notation, "Not On My Watch." If you would like to help, please write to HotelDarfur@savedarfur.org.

Student Correspondent Sought for Sudan Trip

mtvU is seeking an energetic, adventurous and adaptable student correspondent to travel to Africa in March to report on what is happening on the ground in the Darfur region of Sudan. Over one week, you’ll meet with aid workers, refugees, and college-age Darfurians who are immersed in what has been called “the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis.” And you can help tell their stories. In April, mtvU will air footage from your trip, and your experiences will help raise awareness and inspire students to take action for the people of Darfur. Applications, due by February 18, can be found at www.mtvU.com.

For the latest news on this critical situation please click here.

Urgent Action to Defend Nepalese Activist

New Action:

From Amnesty USA:

We need your help right now.

Krishna Pahadi, the founding chairman of the Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES), was arrested at the organization's office in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, on February 9. Krishna Pahadi, the former president of Amnesty International's Nepal section, is well known as one of the country's leading human rights defenders. His whereabouts are unknown and there are serious concerns for his safety.

Please use the link below to contact Nepalese officials immediately.

ACT NOW:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=11529

You can help us spread the word by telling your friends about Krishna Pahadi's case and urging them to take action on his behalf:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/tellafriend/index.asp?pid=124

Thank you for your efforts to protect human rights.

Rosa Del Angel
Amnesty International USA
Online Action Center

Don't Tarnish Your Love With Dirty Gold

New Action:

From Oxfam America:

What do we mean by dirty gold?

Gold mining is one of the dirtiest industries in the world today. It is responsible for contaminating drinking water supplies, displacing local communities, and destroying traditional livelihoods in many parts of the world. The production of a single gold ring generates 20 metric tons of mine waste. Mining has the potential to benefit communities, but only when human rights and environmental standards are respected, and communities have the ability to determine the conditions under which mining takes place.

More than 80 percent of gold is used to make jewelry. And most jewelry retailers do not track the sources of their gold, or the conditions under which it is produced. During this time of year, when sales of gold jewelry skyrocket, these facts become particularly troubling. In the two week period leading up to Valentine's Day, gold sales in the US will leave 34 million metric tons of waste in their wake.

What can you do? Please take a moment to contact major jewelry retailers and tell them that consumers care about the human rights, labor, and environmental conditions under which gold is mined and produced. Send an email to Wal-Mart, Target, Rolex, and other major retailers of gold jewelry. Tell them to commit to sourcing gold that was not produced at the expense of communities, workers, and the environment.

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

David Moore
Internet Campaign Organizer
Oxfam America

Don't let Big Tobacco off the hook

New Action:

From Tobacco Free Kids:

The American people are finally getting their day in court against Big Tobacco because of the U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against the tobacco industry. The trial is going on right now in Washington, DC, and every day we hear new evidence of how Big Tobacco has targeted our children and deceived us about their deadly and addictive products.

If we win this case, we can finally stop Big Tobacco from targeting our kids and deceiving us. The tobacco industry knows this, and they're doing everything they can to get off scot-free or with a weak settlement.

Unfortunately, the industry recently won a court ruling that it can't be forced to forfeit illegal profits it has earned in the past even if it loses the case. Some industry analysts think that Big Tobacco will take advantage of this ruling to bully the Justice Department into a weak settlement favorable to the industry.

That's why it's so important that President Bush and Attorney General Gonzales hear now from concerned citizens who want them to aggressively pursue the case and refuse to accept a weak settlement. Click here to take action.

Despite the recent ruling, this case can still hold the tobacco industry accountable, protect our children and save lives. If the government wins, the trial judge can still order the industry to stop its harmful practices and pay billions of dollars to fund programs to prevent kids from starting to smoke and help smokers quit.

Big Tobacco tried to get off with a sweetheart deal once before, back in 2001 after the election of President Bush. They thought their millions of dollars in campaign contributions would buy a weak settlement, but thousands of concerned citizens wrote the President and stopped that sweetheart deal. We can stop Big Tobacco again.

Send a letter to President Bush and Attorney General Gonzales today. We'll also send a copy to your Members of Congress so they'll know that now is not the time to give Big Tobacco a sweetheart deal.

www.DontPardonBigTobacco.org

Sincerely,
Carter Headrick
Manager, Grassroots and Field Operations
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids