Powerful New Way to Help Darfur

Many Americans may not be aware that their investment accounts may be helping to fund the genocide in Darfur. In fact, Fidelity and other institutional investors are among the biggest shareholders of oil companies operating in Sudan and providing revenues that fund the genocidal regime.

A new campaign aims to change that and asks all citizens to call Fidelity and object to money being invested in companies that help fund the genocide in Darfur. To sign the petition and learn more about how you can become involved in this campaign, please visit www.FidelityOutOfSudan.com

Wellesley For Darfur: An Interfaith Afternoon of Music, Advocacy and Action

Save the Date! On Sunday, March 11 from 3 - 5 PM at Wellesley High School, the Wellesley Coalition to Save Darfur together with an interfaith group of Wellesley houses of worship will host an informative and action-inspiring afternoon to help end the genocide in Darfur. Speakers include Sifa Nsengimana, Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur and Panther Alier, one of the "Lost Boys" and a Sudanese genocide survivor. There will also be musical performances by featured artists on the new CD, "We Are All Connected: Berklee College of Music Reaches out to the Women of Darfur." An action fair will follow the presentation from 4:30 to 5:00 PM. Tickets are $5 for Children, Students and Seniors, $10 for Adults, and $25 for families. For more information, please contact michael.gilman@comcast.net.

Candlelight Vigil for Darfur in Copley Square on Dec. 10

The situation in Darfur grows more dire each day with the safety of millions of people at stake in this first genocide of the 21st century. Please join us and communities around the world who are also marking Human Rights Day by calling for immediate action on Darfur.

Join us for a candlelight ceremony at Copley Square, Sunday, 12/10, 5:00 - 6:00 PM. Light a candle. Say a prayer. Learn how you can take action. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Every one of us can make a difference.

Speakers will include Gloria White-Hammond and Panther Alier, genocide survivor. Music will be provided Berklee College of Music vocalist Farah Siraj, performing her original song "To The Sudanese Women."

Prayers will be led by Reverend Pamela Foster from Trinity Church and Rabbi Carey Brown from Temple Isaiah.

The vigil will be located in Copley Square, in the red brick area in the center of the square, on the Boylston side.

On December 10th, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It declared that the "recognition of the inherent dignity and of the inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."

On December 10th, 2006, we will remember this declaration and stand up for the inalienable rights of the members of our human family in Darfur. Our hope is that we can help bring them freedom, justice and most importantly, peace.

Great Darfur Events on Dec 1st and Dec 3rd

Show your support for the Darfur cause and learn more about this humanitarian crisis at two upcoming fundraising avents:

Friday - Dec. 1, 6:30 - 9:30 PM at UMASS Boston - "Taste of Africa," is a fundraising dinner with great African cuisine and Rwandan dancers. Gloria White-Hammond will be the keynote speaker. Tickets are $30 and are selling out fast so contact savedarfur@shupee to reserve a seat today.

Sunday - Dec. 3, 3:00 - 5:30 PM at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland - Afternoon of music and advocacy. Concert fundraiser featuring Jean Paul Samputu, world renown Rwandan dancer and musician. Tickets are $10 and benefit CARE International's Darfur relief efforts.

For more information on both events, please visit www.savedarfurma.org

Give Darfur 15 Minutes this Week

As a recent article on BBC.com highlights, the situation in Darfur is growing worse and time is running out (www.bbc.com.)

This week there are two important things you can do to help innocent people from being slaughtered in Darfur:

1) Call the White House hotline (202-456-1111) between 9AM - 5 PM EST. Say that you’re calling to ask the President to use all diplomatic means possible to ensure that UN forces are deployed ASAP to protect the citizens of Darfur. We can no longer wait for Sudan's "permission." If you get a busy signal, try again. Repeated calls each day are best.
2) Fax a letter to Kofi Annan at 212-963-7055. If you don't have a fax, use email at inquiries@un.org. The message should stress that he do all he can to protect civilians by ensuring that the transition from AU to UN peacekeepers in Darfur happens as soon as possible as approved by UN Security Council Resolution 1706. We can wait no longer to act.

Thanks for helping keep on the pressure until the UN has been deployed.

Wellsley Residents Attend NYC Rally for Darfur

On Sunday, September 17, 38 Wellesley residents travelled to New York City to participate in a national rally to urge UN intervention in Darfur. The situation in Darfur is rapidly deteriorating and immediate action by the UN is necessary to avoid massive loss of life.

Wellesley High Students to start STAND chapter

Several Wellesley High juniors, Caroline Morgan, Molly Stark and Maria Garpestad, are starting up a chapter of STAND (Students Taking Action Now for Darfur). If you are interested in joining, contact caroline_eliz_morgan@yahoo.com. For more information on STAND, visit www.standnow.org

Wellesley Residents Attend Rally at State House

A group of concerned citizens in Wellesley attended an important rally Tuesday, July 25, at 10:30 AM at the State House in Boston. The rally was in support of Senate 2166 bill, an important piece of state legislation which would enable the state of Massachusets to prevent its public pension funds from investing in foreign companies whose revenues support the genocidal government of Sudan.

Hopefully, and especially if enough constituents raise their voices, this bill will come before the State Senate for quick passage before its session ends at the end of July. If you wish to be heard by your legislator on this important issue, please write or call your elected officials. Their contact information can be found at http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php. For sample letters and/or phone scripts, please contact Susan at susanm@clarksna.com