For those in the US: TODAY Darfur National Call-In
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1 Call, 30 Seconds, US$ 50 Million for AU Troops
URGENT: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005
After the success of our last National Call-In Day for Darfur
(which helped pass the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act
through the Senate 2 weeks ago), we hope that you will join us
in picking up the phone once again this Tuesday, December 6.
Experts from the State Department, NATO, and leading think-tanks
have repeatedly said that funding the African Union is abso-
lutely critical to stopping what both the President and Congress
have declared to be genocide. Unfortunately, US$ 50 million in-
tended for African Union troops in Darfur was cut out of the re-
cent Foreign Operations spending bill. There is, however, one
last chance to get that funding back before the end of the year.
An effort is underway to include those funds in the Defense Ap-
propriations Conference Report when Congress comes back into
session next week. It is vital that we do everything we can to
make sure that Congress knows that their constituents are paying
attention to this bill, and that we expect them to include these
funds. Please call your Representative and your two Senators and
make your voice heard on this incredibly important issue.
Sample call script:
Hi, this is ___ calling from ___. I'm calling to urge Congress-
man/woman/Senator ___ to do everything he/she can to make sure
that US$ 50 million for African Union peacekeeping troops in
Darfur is included in the Defense Appropriations conference re-
port. Experts from the State Department, NATO, and leading
think-tanks have repeatedly said that funding the African Union
is critical to stopping what both the President and Congress
have declared to be genocide.
Please tell the Congressman/woman/Senator know that his/her con-
stituents care about Darfur and expect Congress to fund the
peacekeepers. Thank you.
You can find contact information for your elected leaders' Wash-
ington, DC office by calling the Capitol operator at + 1-202-
224-3121 and simply asking to be connected to your Representa-
tive and Senators. For those living in the Berkeley area, I have
provided the information below for our senators and our rep. For
those from other areas, you can use the two websites below to
get your 9 digit zip code and then figure out your reps and
their contact #
1. Senator Diane Feinstein number: +1-202-224-3841
2. Senator Barbara Boxer number: +1-202-224-3553
3. Representative Barbara Lee number: +1-202-225-2661
If you don't know who your representative is or your don't know
your Zip + 4 code:
1. Go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp and write down
your zip + 4 code.
2. Go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/officials/congress/
and enter in this zip + 4 code.
Please forward this along to any friends, family, or co-workers
who you think may be interested, and again, thank you for taking
the time to pick up the phone and help the people of Darfur.
Best,
Rohan Radhakrishna
UC-Berkeley/UCSF Joint Medical Program
UC-Berkeley STAND/UC Sudan Divestment Taskforce
--
"We are not expendable. We are not flowers offered at the altar
of profit and power. We are dancing flames committed to conquer-
ing darkness and to challenging those who threaten the planet
and the magic and mystery of life."
- Rashida Bee, Bhopal chemical disaster survivor, receiving the
prestigious 2004 Goldman Environmental Prize