Letter on Darfur and Sudan Protest Mark Obama's First 100 Days
The Enough Project, the Save Darfur Coalition, and the Genocide Intervention Network released their third open letter to President Barack Obama on Sudan to mark the President's first 100 days in office. Click here to read the letter, which acknowledges the appointment of Major General Scott Gration as Special Envoy for Sudan as a crucial milestone, while advocating for President Obama to be firm in responding to the impending humanitarian crisis, promoting protection of civilians and accountability, and working toward a viable long-term peace. To further press the need for action, five members of Congress and advocates, including Save Darfur President Jerry Fowler and Enough Co-founder John Prendergast, staged a non-violent protest and were arrested in front of the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C. on April 27. Click here to view video and photos of the protest, and here to read Rabbi David Saperstein's and John Prendergast's Huffington Post blog about their arrest.
A Comprehensive Approach to Congo's Conflict Minerals
 Electronics companies must ensure they are not using "conflict minerals" in the manufacture of their cell phones and other small electronics because these help finance war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says a new strategy paper by the Enough Project and the Grassroots Reconciliation Group. The paper outlines a four-part strategy to curb the illegal profiteering from the trade in conflict minerals that is a key driver of the world's deadliest conflict in over 50 years. Click here to read the paper and here to learn how you can call on electronics companies to take a pledge to ensure that conflict minerals from Congo are not used in their products. Click through this slideshow to learn more about the lives of Congolese miners.
Activists Raise the Profile of the Conflict in Congo in May
 Yesterday, Enough's RAISE Hope for Congo campaign kicked off the third and final month of its Congo Challenge. This month, activists are being asked to focus on raising the public profile of the Congo crisis. By writing letters to the editor of local newspapers, calling local news stations, blogging, Twittering, and using YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace, actvists can ensure that the crisis in Congo gets the attention it deserves on the national stage. Visit www.raisehopeforcongo.org/profile to learn more about how to raise the profile of the crisis in Congo.
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Chicago Students Raise $16,000 for Darfuri Sister Schools
 The Chicago Tribune recently profiled Ethan Barhydt (pictured at left), a Chicago high school student who last month organized a coalition of groups from 40 schools to hold a rally, concert, and art exhibit in downtown Chicago to advocate for an end to the crisis in Darfur. More than 500 attendees celebrated the groups' success in raising more than $16,000 for the Enough Project's Sister Schools Program, supporting the eduction of Darfuri refugee youth. Click here to read the Chicago Tribune's profile of Ethan Barhydt, and visit www.darfurdreamteam.org to learn more about Sister Schools.
Activities, Actions, Advocacy
- Sign the letter to the White House supporting the policy recommendations outlined in the third open letter from the Enough Project, Save Darfur, and the Genocide Intervention Network. Read the activist brief to learn about other ways you can take action.
- Visit a new exhibit, "From Memory to Action," at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. This interactive exhibit uses stories and taped testimonies from the modern day genocides in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan to inspire action among its viewers. Learn more about the installation here.
- Follow us on Twitter! Keep up to date with the Enough Project by following Enoughproject.
- Download The Catholic Companion and Discussion Guide to Not On Our Watch, featuring readings from Roman Catholic scriptures and teachings to engage Catholic activists in the Sudan crisis. The 47-page booklet is available free of charge at www.darfurchristianaction.org.
Upcoming Events
- May 8, 2009
Women's Empowerment Conference: African Women and the Changing Global Outlook, Washington, D.C.
- May 18, 2009
Halt the Blood Diamonds Trade in Congo Fundraiser, Washington, D.C.
- June 7-10, 2009
The New Face of Genocide in the 21st Century, conference, Arlington, VA
(Click here for details on the Enough Project's events page.)
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Watch Mia Farrow discuss her hunger strike in solidarity with the people of Darfur on CNN's Larry King Live.
Watch Executive Director John Norris and Rebecca Hamilton, a fellow at the Open Society Institute, discuss the role of activists in Darfur policy at a Center for American Progress forum.
Watch the Voice of America program, Obama and the World: 100 Days, where John Prendergast of Enough, Walter Isaacson of the Aspen Institute, and Michael Brown of George Washington University discussed the president's efforts at rebuilding relationships around the world.
In our blog, Enough Said:
Executive Director John Norris urges the Special Envoy for Sudan be given more resources:
Do we really think a team that would fit into a Mini-Cooper is sufficient to bring peace to Darfur, reinvigorate the North-South peace deal, and simultaneously engage with the African Union, the Arab League, the European Union, the International Criminal Court, numerous rebel factions, and an indicted war criminal in Khartoum?
Policy Assistant Maggie Fick writes about Congo:
Embracing a war criminal, even if it makes for short term gains, is not a bargain worth making.
Lance Bass, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and John Prendergast attended last week's event in Los Angeles, "Peace Please," to raise awareness about children at risk around the world. Photo Credit: Wire Images
Quotes of the Week
In fighting terrorism on land and piracy at sea, U.S. national security interests will be better secured if we aligned ourselves more with the interest of most Somalis in better security and effective governance.
- John Prendergast and David Smock, in a Huffington Post op-ed, Terrorists, Pirates and Anarchy, Somalia Style.
We do not want companies simply to turn their backs on eastern Congo. Electronics companies that profit from this trade owe it to the millions of Congolese whose livelihoods depend on mining to help transform the mineral trade into an engine of empowerment, rather than fuel for atrocities.
- Sheryl Crow and John Prendergast, in a Christian Science Monitor op-ed, Stop Your Gadget Greed From Fueling Tragedy in Congo.
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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, Enough focuses on the crises in Sudan, Chad, eastern Congo, northern Uganda, Somalia and Zimbabwe. Enough's strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a "3P" crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. To learn more about Enough and what you can do to help, go to www.enoughproject.org.
© Copyright 2009 Center for American Progress, All Rights Reserved.
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