Call Congress to Help Protect Civilians in Darfur!

The week of lobbying on Darfur officially begins tomorrow (Monday, September 25, 2006). Amnesty activists will be visiting close to two hundred congressional offices across the country to urge their Members of Congress to sign a letter urging the Arab League to persuade the Sudanese government to stop the killing and accept the deployment of UN Peacekeepers.

You can help by calling your congressman, as well as both of New Jersey’s senators. If you don’t know who represents your congressional district, please visit the House website. You can also check the map of congressional districts in our state. Here are the numbers to call for each New Jersey Congressman:

Andrews (District 1) 202-225-6501
LoBiondo (District 2) 202-225-6572
Saxton (District 3) 202-225-4765
Smith (District 4) 202-225-3765 (Thank Smith for circulating this letter!)
Garrett (District 5) 202-225-4465
Pallone (District 6) 202-225-4671
Ferguson (District 7) 202-225-5361
Pascrell (District 8) 202-225-5751
Rothman (District 9) 202-225-5061
Payne (District 10) 202-225-2436
Frelinghuysen (District 11) 202-225-5034
Holt (District 12) 202-225-5801

Please note that District 13 is still vacant. Hudson County residents should still call the senate offices, though!

Everyone in New Jersey should call Senator Lautenberg (202-224-3224) and Senator Menendez (202-224-4744).

Talking points:
· I am concerned about the recent escalation of violence in Darfur. Over 200,000 civilians have already been killed. Millions more have been displaced, and rape has been widely used as a weapon.
· The African Union peacekeepers have been overburdened and underfunded. Their mandate is now set to expire at the end of 2006. It is crucial that UN forces be allowed into the region to take over their role protecting the civilian population from all sides of the conflict. This could literally save hundreds of thousands of lives.
· The Sudanese government has refused to accept UN peacekeepers. Diplomatic pressure from the Arab League could help convince President Omar Hassan El-Bashir to allow them to take over for the African Union troops.
· Members of Congress have written sign-on letters urging the Arab League to take action. This is a truly bipartisan effort. Please add your signature!
· Members of the House of Representatives should contact the offices of Congressman Chris Smith (Republican, New Jersey, 202-225-3765) or Congressman Tom Lantos (Democrat, California, 202-225-3531).
· Senators should contact the office of Senator Dianne Feinstein (Democratic, California, 202-224-3841) or Senator Bill Frist (Republican, Tennessee, 202-2243344).

If you get a chance, please send me a message at LLadutke@yahoo.com after you make your calls. Let me know which offices you called and how they responded.

Thank you,
Larry Ladutke
NJ Legislative Coordinator