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- New Women's Network Seeks to End Gun Violence in the Home, June 18, 2009
- 45 Peace Fellows to Support Community Advocates in 26 Countries, June 3, 2009
- Survivors Say "Never Again" to Genocide, Call for Darfur Resolution, April 24, 2009
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Survivors Say "Never Again" to Genocide, Call for Darfur Resolution, April 24, 2009
*****
AdvocacyNet
News Bulletin 180
April 24, 2008
*****
Washington, DC: Survivors of some of history's worst mass killings have united behind a powerful global campaign to prevent genocide and end the violence in Darfur.
Eight survivors from recent genocides -- the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda, Armenia, Cambodia, South Sudan and Darfur -- spoke in front of the White House last Sunday, six years to the day after the outbreak of the Darfur crisis.
"It is not time to talk. It is not time to stand by. It is time to act," said Joseph Sebarenzi, a survivor from Rwanda. "Each of us owes the people of Darfur help."
The survivors included Elmina Kulasic (speaking, at right), who was held with her family in the Trnoplje concentration camp in northwestern Bosnia in 1992. Hundreds of Bosnian Muslims were tortured and killed in Trnoplje and other camps, as part of the genocidal attacks by the Bosnian Serbs. Ms Kulasic is now the Executive Director of the Bosniak American Advisory Council on Bosnia & Herzegovina (BAACBH), a partner of The Advocacy Project (AP).
Sunday's ceremony was part of Genocide Prevention Month, a series of events to commemorate past genocides and prevent any recurrence. The month was chosen because the tragedies all have major anniversaries in April. AP joined more than 50 organizations in a statement calling on governments worldwide to take immediate action in Darfur.
The focus on Darfur follows controversy over the recent International Criminal Court (ICC) intervention in Sudan. After the ICC indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir last month, Sudan retaliated by expelling aid organizations. Still, many feel that international justice must be a cornerstone of any concerted move against genocide.
Amid the debate, civil society has focused on grassroots mobilization: more than 250 genocide prevention events have been organized in 10 countries this month, with at least one event being held every day.
"In organizing the month, we found a global, grassroots outpouring of support for the anti-genocide cause," said Jill Savitt, Director of the Genocide Prevention Project. "We also saw that survivors have common cause on a range of issues - especially on reconciliation and justice. This is a powerful movement of individuals who have suffered the worst and are taking a stand to prevent future atrocities."
Several AP partners have participated. Beba Hadzic, a survivor of the Srebrenica genocide and founder of Bosnian Family (BOSFAM), signed an open letter from genocide survivors to world leaders. On April 6, the Bosniak disapora group BAACBH issued a press release commemorating the start of the Siege of Sarajevo, which began April 6, 1992.
Another AP partner, Survivor Corps, will hold a panel discussion in Washington Monday, featuring six survivors from Rwanda, Bosnia, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
- Send a postcard to President Obama demanding an end to genocide in Darfur
- Contact your local government officials about genocide
- Sign the pledge to observe Genocide Prevention Month
- Attend an event in your area
- Learn more about Genocide Prevention Month
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