Below is the official LIDAG letter; we will use in our Letter Writing Campaign. Please copy this letter, adding your name and address, sign it and send it to your local government officials. You may use this letter to send to the President, cabinet members, congress and senate members. Email it, snail mail it, post it on your blog, facebook or myspace it, let's get this letter circulating!

Here is a good website to get your representatives contact info; http://www.votesmart.org/

Dear

As important as the troubled economy and other foreign policy issues may be at this time, it is also a crucial time for the people of Darfur who have waited and watched their women systematically raped and killed, children starve each day of delay and an impotent West has been paralyzed in any attempts to save them from this Genocide. During the presidential campaign, president-elect Obama pledged to "make ending the genocide in Darfur a priority from Day One," of his new administration.

Here we outline the steps that the Obama administration and YOU should take to fulfill that commitment. Most generally, it is time for the United States and the international community to stop attempting to "manage" this conflict through half-measures and instead undertake bold initiatives to push for peace for Darfur. Genocide in slow motion remains genocide. Bold steps will require a "peace surge" by the new administration: strong American leadership and full-scale use of diplomatic resources can create a peace process that would finally achieve a breakthrough which ends the conflict. Any successful effort will also require a comprehensive approach to address the multitude of other challenges which face Darfuri civilians and act as impediments to peace.

We therefore, call on YOU and President Obama to fulfill his pledges by acting swiftly and decisively on Darfur upon assuming office. The president-elect and his administration should use the full powers and influence of the United States government to:
Energize efforts, through a peace surge, to create an inclusive peace process to
Resolve the conflict in Darfur and create a sustainable peace for all Sudan;

Immediate appointment of a high-level envoy to Sudan in the new administration to press for diplomatic progress;

A ban on offensive military flights and enforcement of that ban;

Strong multilateral sanctions;

Ensure the full and effective deployment of a peace keeping force that actively protects Darfuri;

Provide necessary humanitarian aid and push for unfettered humanitarian access to ensure the survival of Darfuri civilians;

Actively seek justice for the people of Darfur and hold the perpetrators of the genocide to account;

A press conference in the first hundred days of the administration to address the genocide in Darfur;

Support increasing the international affairs account (also known as the 150 account) by 10% by 2010.


Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.

Sincerely yours,




Long Island Darfur Action Group

LONG ISLAND DARFUR ACTION GROUP
MONTHLY MEETING
JANUARY 8, 2009

AGENDA


1. REVIEW OF 2008
A1. Joined forces with Darfur Metro (Darfur Metro is a coalition of Darfur advocacy groups in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Westchester, Queens and Brooklyn, and exists to share information, news, and promote events for any group working to end the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan).
A2.First event with Darfur Metro was the press conference at the Chinese Mission to the UN on Feb. 12th. The featured guest speaker was Mia Farrow.
B. Help support Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock's Worship Service and Program for Darfur, Soulful Sundown Service, and their Uncle Brothers concert to fundraise and to raise awareness.
C. Our own individual efforts, signing petitions, calling 1-800-genocide, responding to Save Darfur Coalition emails to take some action especially during the Olympics.
D. Meeting with Congressman, Gary Ackerman.
E. Participated in conference call with Mira Patel, Senator Clinton's assistant on foreign affairs (list of "asks"):
-A high-level administration official in charge of Darfur/Sudan policy, committed to work full-time on the peace process
-Effective peace-keeping which includes a robust ground force with a competent lead nation and clear command structure and not allowing Khartoum to dictate terms of deployment
-Moving forward with the indictment of President Bashir, refusal to invoke Article 16, further indictments
-A practical and escalating menu of multilateral sanctions
-A ban on offensive military flights and enforcement of that ban
-Monitoring and enforcement of the ban on sale of ALL military weapons to Khartoum
-A press conference in the first hundred days of the administration to address Darfur
-Continuing to refer to Darfur as a genocide
F. Helped various other Darfur groups contact speakers from DPANY.
G. UU Fellowship of Huntington organized a postcard writing campaign.






2. LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009
A. Meetings with all members of Congress on LI
B1. 1 or 2 fundraising, awareness events
B2. Attend rallies, events, press conferences whenever possible
C. Keep the pressure on new President and team
D. Support Darfur Metro and other Darfur groups

3. CURRENT SITUATION IN DARFUR
A. On March 31, 2005 the United Nations Security Council made its first ever referral of a situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation-the situation in Darfur. The court issued its first two warrants in April 2007, for government minister Ahmad Harun and Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb, for their leading roles in a series of attacks against civilians in West Darfur in 2003 and 2004. However, Sudanese authorities have from the start refused to cooperate with the ICC, and have refused to arrest and hand over the two suspects. Instead Ahmad Harun has been promoted to State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs.
On July 14, 2008 the ICC prosecutor announced he was seeking a third warrant, this time for Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, on 10 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. This time, rather than simply dismissing the ICC, the Sudanese government launched a major diplomatic campaign to convince the Security Council to defer the investigation. Under article 16 of the Rome Statute of the ICC, the United Nations Security Council is empowered, by way of a resolution, to grant such a suspension for up to a year at a time.
This report focuses on four dimensions of the crisis in Darfur: continuing insecurity for civilians, the humanitarian situation, justice and accountability and deployment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The report highlights the distance between the government of Sudan's rhetoric and the reality in each of these areas.
For more details see: http://www.savedarfur.org/newsroom/policypapers/rhetoric_vs_reality_the_situation_in_darfur/
B. Kristof article- Airlift (sent in previous email).

4. LETTER WRITING
A. Write personal letter to elected officials
Copy of letter will be posted on blog to copy and send to elected officials.