Save Darfur At 2010 UNGA

Thank you for helping end the violence in Darfur.

Take a look at some of the recent work we’ve done together. See our slideshow, stories, and videos below.

On September 19th, Save Darfur joined the Global Day for Sudan with a series of events in New York City. Joined by Sudanese activists who drove in from as far away as Portland, ME and Richmond, VA, we started the day in Brooklyn, with a briefing from 24 Hours for Darfur on their report from the refugee camps in Chad.

Then, everyone piled into buses and vans to head into Manhattan, to demonstrate right outside the United Nations. The General Assembly session was set to begin the next day, and Save Darfur partnered with the Darfur People's Association of New York to send a message: this is THE moment for Sudan. Chants of \"justice, justice for Darfur!\" \"peace in Sudan now!\" and \"al-Bashir to the ICC\" rang throughout the park.

We then hopped back into the busses to head to the courtyard at Lincoln Center to participate in an event focused on the Millennium Development Goals. A representative from the World Food Program and a human rights defender from Sudan spoke about the crises in Sudan and the need for world attention at this important time. Sudanese drummers and dancers - part of the group from Portland, ME - also performed. Conveniently, it was intermission for the Lincoln Center performance, so the troupe had a slightly larger audience than initially anticipated! The beat from the musicians and dancers joined the Sudan365 global beat for peace in Sudan.

Five days later, on Friday the 24th, we gathered again in front of the United Nations. It was a slightly different group this time - many of the activists who came in came from Upstate New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. This time we demonstrated just hours before a high-level meeting on Sudan. Save Darfur staffer Niemat Ahmadi summed up our purpose:

We were proud to be demonstrating outside the United Nations as President Obama gave a major speech to world leaders on Sudan.  We were still in front of the United Nations when President Obama's motorcade pulled out of the United Nations and we were proud to be there to show that Americans and Sudanese were standing together demanding peace in Sudan.

After speaking at the the United Nations gathering President Obama went directly to the Waldorf Astoria, where he met with leaders of Sudan advocacy organizations, including Save Darfur acting president Mark Lotwis, and Save Darfur Board members Tony Kireopoulous, Ruth Messinger, Omer Ismail and John Prendergast. Here Mark gives his thoughts on the meeting:

In addition to meeting with President Obama, Save Darfur staff met with senior United Nations officials, National Security Council staff, representatives from missions from key nations involved with Sudan, and leaders of peacekeeping missions and peace negotiations.

Inside the United Nations and out, we worked to bring the message of the people of Sudan to the world leaders gathered there: now is the moment. Now is time for peace in Sudan.

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