Last November 2^nd was the presidential election. This November 2^nd will be a benefit concert featuring Milk Machine and The Ordinary Way to raise money for the genocide victims in Darfur, Sudan. Approximately 400,000 Africans have needlessly died and 2.5 million have been displaced after the Janjaweed burned the African villages and raped the women (200,000 Africans migrated to the safer environment in Chad where they risk their lives to get water from the river). Despite this administration's noticeable lack of effort during the past year, we each have the power and responsibility to make a difference. In her recent book, Samantha Power explains our government's ambivalence towards genocides, "A slaughter unfolded in a distant part of the world, but we had other priorities and it was always simplest for the American government to look away."  Please donate and do something, don't look away!  Join local bands Milk Machine and The Ordinary Way for a free concert at Staccato's in Adams Morgan, where all your donations go towards helping the victims in Darfur.

What: Darfur Benefit concert featuring Milk Machine ( http://www.milkmachine.org/) & The Ordinary Way ( http://www.theordinaryway.com/)

When: November 2^nd 2005 from 7:30pm-11:30pm

Where: Staccato's in Adams Morgan - 2006 18th Street NW Washington DC. 20009 ( http://www.staccatodc.com/)

Even if you cannot attend the event, please consider donating and I'll personally make the necessary arrangements. Every dollar counts, so please give what you can afford. 100% of donations will go towards Darfur aid. Please make checks payable to Oxfam America and write "Sudan Crisis Relief Fund" in the memo line.

To make a donation, RSVP, and/or help organize, please contact Steven Krieger at: stevenakrieger@... or 202.659.1108. You are more than welcome to circulate this invitation to anyone and everyone—and please, please, please do. The more the merrier.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at the concert.

Steven Krieger

Darfur Background Information

Darfur (pronounced "Dar-four") is a region in western Sudan made up of Arab and African people. The Arab dominated Sudanese government is "hiring" Arab militiamen known as Janjaweed to initiate an ethnic cleansing—the widespread killing of three African tribes (Fur, Massaliet, and Zaghawa). Approximately 400,000 Africans have been killed and 2.5 million have been displaced after the Janjaweed burned the African villages and raped the women (200,000 Africans migrated to Chad where they risk their lives just to get water from the river). These refugee camps lack sufficient medical aid, food, and clean water. The World Health Organization estimates that 10,000 people are dying in Darfur each month and 300,000 have already been murdered. This easily qualifies at genocide under Article 2 in the 1948 Convention and the participatory governments are required to take action, but truthfully, the efforts have been pathetic. 

History of U.S. Genocide Involvement

Our United States government has a terrible history of ignoring genocides: 

• Beginning in 1915, the Wilson administration ignored our own ambassador's pleas as Turkey murdered 1.5 million Armenians.
• In 1933, the FDR administration endorsed Joseph Stalin's Communist government that was starving 7 million people to death by formally recognizing his Communist party and agreeing to broad trade agreements. 
• In 1943, the FDR administration claimed that aircraft wasn't available to bomb Auschwitz during WWII and the Holocaust eventually killed over 6 million.
• In 1954, the Eisenhower administration removed the democratically elected Guatemalan president, which led to the death or disappearance of over 200,000 people.
• In the late 1970's the Ford and Carter administrations sat quietly while the Khmer Rouge regime wiped out at least 1.7 million Cambodians because the U.S. was afraid of upsetting relationship talks with China (who was backing Khmer Rouge). 
• In 1994, President Clinton explained the lack of U.S humanitarian aid to Rwanda by saying, "I think that is about all we can do at this time when we have [other military priorities]…" and waited until 500,000 Rwandan Tutsi and moderate Hutu were murdered before sending in aid to help displaced people.
• In 1995, despite the Clinton administrations diplomatic efforts, 200,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed by Bosnian Serbs before peace was negotiated.

Organizations Working on this Issue:

Amnesty International Local 536 – www.amnesty536.org/darfur/

Be A Witness – www.beawitness.org

Genocide Intervention Fund – www.genocideinterventionfund.org

Oxfam - www.oxfam.org/eng/programs_emer_sudan.htm

Save Darfur Coalition – www.savedarfur.org

Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) – www.standnow.org