|
The Darfur Centre for Human Rights and Development has been
instrumental in campaigning to end this crisis since 2002. We
are active in the following areas:
-
Issuing press releases and
articles, both in English and Arabic with up-to date
information about what is happening on the ground in Darfur.
Reporting of human rights violations to UK and USA based
NGOs.
-
Organising grassroots
campaigns with Sudanese groups to highlight the crisis in
Darfur; Organising numerous vigils outside the UN, London,
including a hunger strike in August 2003. We also organised
a successful Darfur Vigil for 24 Hours in front of UNHCR in
London on 17 & 18 of June/2004. Here we collected a petition
which was sent UN Secretary General requesting a fast
intervention for a resolution of the situation in Darfur
-
Working in tandem with the U.K
and other governments to draw attention to the crisis. In
September 2003, the group wrote an appeal to the British
Government and met with Foreign Office officials.
-
Trying to prevent the
Arab/African dichotomy being used as a rationale for
slaughter. We wrote an appeal in August/2003 to the Arab
tribes of Darfur imploring them not to be used by the
Government of Sudan against other indigenous tribes such as
the Fur, Massalit and Zaghawa.
-
Organising petitions. A
Darfur Crisis petition on 14 Feb/2004, was sent to UN,
IGAD, Human Rights Organizations, USA Government, UK
Government, EU. It requested the following from the
international community:
Call for
International protection of civilians in Darfur.
Urgent call for unrestricted
humanitarian access to Darfur.
Release of all political detainees from Darfur.
Call for formation of impartial International
Fact-Finding Mission into
human rights abuses in Darfur
-
Lobbying at the UN, Geneva at
the Human Rights Commission, April 2004, 2005. One of the
Directors (Anne Bartlett) chaired a session on Darfur
at the UN in April 2004. She also addressed a session of the
61st Human Rights Commission in 2005 entitled
“the Human Rights and Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur:
Challenges to the International Community.
-
.With collaboration with
African groups in London we have organised and participated
in demonstration in London to Sudanese Embassy and 10
Downing Street in June and July 2004.
-
The instigation of a
documentary project regarding the situation in Darfur since
25/July/2003. The BBC Panorama Programme responded to our
appeal on 11/August/2004, and, following the supply of
information and contacts, the
BBC Documentary was shown on BBC 1 on 14/11/2004. Darfur
Centre for Human Rights (Ahmed Elzobier and Abdellatife
Ismail) were responsible for the translation services for
the BBC
-
Abdellatife
Ismail spoke in 2004 on the World Service about the crisis
and has been involved in the negotiations for peace in
Abuja, Nigeria
-
We also organised a “Time
to Protect Darfur Weekend” at the Friends House Euston.
This was a large two day program to include speakers from
the region and NGOs. We were also able to showcase the art
and cultural products of Darfur.
|
