WHERE ARE THE PEACEKEEPERS?
NEXT STEPS TOWARD PEACE IN SUDAN
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ACTION ALERT: 8/06/07
On July 31 the United Nations Security Council authorized a peacekeeping mission for Darfur, Sudan. This approved hybrid force of United Nations and African Union (UN/AU) troops will be the second attempt to place peacekeepers in the region.
Last August the UN Security Council first authorized a peacekeeping mission to the region only to be stalled by Sudanese objections. This was the first UN authorized mission that failed to be deployed in UN history.
Since 2003, more than 200,000 people have been killed, 2.5 million displaced and over 4 million affected by the conflict in Darfur. Currently, an African Union force of 7,000 troops is deployed in Sudan’s western province of Darfur. However, this poorly equipped force has been unable to stop the bloodshed. This approval of 26,000 UN/AU peacekeeping troops will help to alleviate the suffering and death which has plagued the people of Darfur for so long, but only if the peacekeepers are actually deployed.
TAKE ACTION
Your voice matters. While this UN resolution is a step toward peace in Darfur, it is now up to the global community to push for the implementation of the hybrid force. Through funding, troops and diplomatic pressure every nation can contribute to ending the conflict in Darfur. Contact UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and ask him call on international leaders to push for the fulfillment of this important UN resolution.
SAMPLE MESSAGE
Please feel free to add personal comments to this or otherwise adapt it.
Dear Secretary General,
The Security Council's passage on July 31 of a resolution authorizing a United Nations - African Union hybrid peacekeeping mission for Darfur (UNAMID) has created a real possibility for progress toward ending the conflict. However, it will take a strong effort by the UN and international community to ensure that the mission becomes a reality.
Following the approval of Security Council Resolution 1706 last August, authorizing UN troops for Darfur, a step toward peace and security was in sight. But in the past eleven months, the world has watched as the UN and international community it represents has failed - for the first time in history - to deploy a peacekeeping mission once authorized.
I call upon you to ensure that this UN-authorized peacekeeping force is fully and swiftly recruited and deployed to Darfur. I further urge you to make the fulfillment of this peacekeeping mission your highest priority as the UN General Assembly draws near.
For the UN and international community to succeed in this endeavor, every country must contribute to peace in Darfur - through troops, police, funding, equipment, logistical support and diplomatic pressure.
As a leading voice in the world, you must make sure that resources necessary for the successful deployment of UNAMID are quickly assembled. The people of Darfur have waited too long, and paid too high a price, for peace and justice. This time, the UN and international community must succeed in this peacekeeping mission.
Sincerely,
[Your Name
Your Church, Local Organizations You're Part Of, Etc.]
EMAIL Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at sg@un.org
THANK YOU for your tireless work. By raising your voice the people of Darfur will one day live in peace.
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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.
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