With LWR,
support peace in Darfur

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ACTION ALERT: 2/21/08

War in Darfur has displaced nearly 2.5 million individuals from their homes and caused the death of over 200,000 people. While refugees and other victims of conflict in Darfur have long awaited peace, they still desperately need support from the international community and United Nations to achieve that peace.

In the next few weeks, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will negotiate the final legislation for supplemental foreign appropriations funding—including a proposed $334 million in emergency funding for UN peacekeepers in Darfur. This amount will provide the full $724 million that the UN requested last year. A full peacekeeping deployment is contingent upon this final $334 million.

Please contact your Members of Congress and ask them to support funding the additional $334 million needed to provide support in the deployment of the UN/AU peacekeeping force.

Take Action

Call your representative and senators.

Tell them:

• To support providing $334 million in emergency funding for peacekeeping in Darfur.
  
  
• To support higher, Senate level funding, for UN peacekeeping in any final appropriations deal.
  
  
• The UN-led peacekeeping mission in Darfur needs money now to pay for housing compounds and helicopters, to dig wells, to build roads and to prepare for the deployment of peacekeepers.

Get connected to your representatives’ offices immediately by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
 
When you call, ask to speak with the foreign policy aide. Here is a sample script for your call:

“Hello,       

Thank you for taking my call.
I am ________ from (give your town and state)

I am calling to let you know that peace in Darfur is important to me, and that I support U.S. legislation prioritizing this issue. In particular, I support a peacekeeping mission in Darfur and hope your office will as well. I ask that your office promote legislation that includes the $334 million in financing for such a mission. Overall, I encourage you to support an increase in funding for UN peacekeeping in any deals made on the final foreign appropriations legislation.
                                                                                                    
Thank you.”

Prayer

Lord, we pray for those displaced by the ongoing conflicts in Sudan.
Just as your Son, Jesus Christ, brought healing and reconciliation,
Make us agents of your peace.
Shelter the victims of violence,
Comfort all who are weary and afraid,
Bring relief to those who hunger and thirst,
Turn the hearts of those who inflict cruelty
And move us to recall our shared humanity.
Unite us in Your will for the world,
And set our minds upon Your love for justice.
In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

THANK YOU for considering this action. By raising your voice you are making inroads to peace in Sudan.

For more information, or to join the LWR advocacy network individually, please contact advocacy@lwr.org or Gretchen King at gking@lwr.org.

WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.

Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.

YOU CAN HELP

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Ask Others to Advocate with LWR - Sign-Up Sheet
Initiate your advocacy efforts is in your home community. Ask your congregation, neighbors, family and friends to join with you in working for peace, justice and dignity for our brothers and sisters around the world by signing up to receive occasional LWR advocacy updates. Copy this resource and send filled in copies to LWR.

Join LWR's Colombia Advocacy email network.

For more information, please contact advocacy@lwr.org.