Speaker: John Prendergast, Senior Advisor, International Crisis Group

Moderated by: Amb. Karl F. Inderfurth, Director of the MA International Affairs Program

Discussant: professor Paul Williams, Visiting Associate Professor of International Affairs

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Actress and activist Mia Farrow will be the keynote speaker at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum program "Genocide Emergency: Darfur, Sudan," on Thursday, February 1, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.   

Sponsored by the Museum's Washington, D.C. Next Generation Board, the program will benefit the Committee on Conscience (COC). Also speaking at the event will be John Heffernan, Director of the COC's Genocide Prevention Initiative, and area Holocaust survivor Margit Meissner.

"Young people have been at the forefront of the Darfur movement," says Heffernan who has traveled extensively throughout Darfur and neighboring  Chad.  "The work of the Next Generation Board is critical to building a 'community of conscience' – a community committed to fighting genocide worldwide. Fighting genocide today is the best way that we can honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust." The Next Generation Board seeks to build a new generation of leaders to support and advance the Museum's mission, particularly the activities of the COC.

In her role as  UNICEF  Ambassador and activist Mia Farrow has been an outspoken voice on the genocide in Darfur.  She first visited the region in 2004 and returned in June and November 2006.  Her op-eds on the crisis have appeared in major newspapers nationwide, and her photographs of the refugee camps have been widely published.  She has given close to 1,000 interviews on the subject— including one for the "Voices on Genocide Prevention" podcast series —and continues to speak at universities and Darfur-related events across the country.

"The immeasurable suffering of the Darfurian people will forever be with me," said Mia Farrow.  "The situation continues to deteriorate, and ending this human catastrophe will require the engagement of citizens from all walks of life.  Activism begins with education, and I am proud to be working with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in calling attention to genocide unfolding on our watch."

The program is open to the public.  RSVPs are required by January 26 by calling 202-488-2640 or registering online.  Cost is $50 per person.

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Next Tuesday President Bush will set out his top priorities for the year when he delivers his annual State of the Union address to Congress.

We need your help to make sure the President emphasizes the urgency of ending the crisis in Darfur in his speech.

Please click here to ask President Bush to highlight his plan for Darfur when he addresses the nation on Tuesday.

Tuesday's State of the Union address provides an opportunity to ensure that ending the genocide in Darfur is a central part of the President's agenda and a top priority for the new Congress.

But there is another, even more critical reason why we need your help to reach out to President Bush today.

Right now, infamous Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is making a bid to become the next president of the African Union (AU) -- the very same international organization of African nations whose peacekeepers are trying to stem the violence in Darfur.

President Bashir's own policies have already led to the death and displacement of millions of Darfuris. We must do everything we can to stop President Bashir from become President of the African Union or more innocent Darfuris will pay the price.

Please join us in contacting President Bush right now to urge him to make Darfur a priority in his speech and to do everything in his power to prevent President Bashir from taking control of the African Union.

Click here to send your letter to President Bush now.

Once you've sent your letter to the President, help us spread the word about this urgent effort by forwarding this message to your friends and family.

Thank you again for your support.

Best regards,

David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

P.S. Will you join us as we turn up the heat? Click here to join our Weekly Action Network and commit to taking one action each week to stop the genocide in Darfur.

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The 2006 – 2007 Darfur Op-Ed Writing Contest

If you know any high school or university level students, we encourage you to help us spread the word about our contest. This year's question is:

For nearly two years students have spoken out and played a key role in the movement to end genocide in Darfur, but the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. What more can students do to stop the genocide?

Students should publish their op-ed or essay in a school or local newspaper and enter it in the Committee on Conscience's Darfur Op-Ed Writing Contest.

Op-eds will be judged by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof; Illinois Senator Barack Obama; and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

The winners will come to Washington, D.C., where they will have the opportunity to tour the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and attend the Days of Remembrance Ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.

The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2007.

For more details and to submit your op-ed, please visit the
Contest Website.