Save Darfur Coalition
Encyclopedia
The Save Darfur Coalition is an advocacy group calling for international intervention in the Darfur genocide in the Eastern African state of Sudan
. Based in the United States
, it is a coalition of more than 180 religious, political, and human rights
organizations designed to campaign for a response to the atrocities of the War in Darfur
, in the three Sudanese federal states that make up the region of Darfur. The result has become a global humanitarian crisis
, with official estimates averaging around 299,000, as of early 2010, as a result of ethnic cleansing, disease and starvation.
The war began when two Sudanese rebel groups took up arms against the Sudanese government for persecuting black Africans in favor of Afro-Arabs; the Sudanese government has financed militias to target ethnically black African civilians.
and American Jewish World Service
organized this event at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan featuring Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel.
The coalition has grown into an alliance of more than 180 religious, political and human rights organizations committed to ending the alleged genocide in Darfur. Save Darfur is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a staff of 30 professional organizers, policy advisors and communications specialists.
The coalition's members have signed on to the following unity statement:
In 2006, the Jerusalem Post reported that the Coalition was "begun exclusively as an initiative of the American Jewish community" although this fact was "consistently played down" by organizers. The report continued, "even now... [the] coalition is heavily weighted with ... local and national Jewish groups" with a "noted absence of major African-American groups like the NAACP or the larger Africa lobby groups like Africa Action."
The Coalition has grown considerably since then to include organizations representing several ages, races, religions and political affiliations. Coalition members now include not only the NAACP, but also the AFL-CIO
Solidarity Center, Africa Faith and Justice Network, the American Islamic Congress
, the Arab American Institute
, Buddhist Peace Fellowship
, Council on American-Islamic Relations
, the Islamic Society of North America
, the Rabbinical Assembly
, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
and the National Association of Evangelicals
.
(R-TN) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) signing the 1,000,000th and 1,000,001st postcards.
Save Darfur coordinated a widely-successful "Save Darfur: Rally to Stop Genocide" on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2006. The crowd of an estimated 100,000 supporters joined to call for the withdrawal of any objection to a UN peacekeeping force, better humanitarian access to refugees, adhesion to existing treaties and ceasefire agreements, and a commitment to a lasting peace agreement in the Abuja peace talks. Among the speakers were actor George Clooney
, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel
, President (senator at the time) Barack Obama
, Rwandan genocide survivor and humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina
, Olympic Gold medalist Joey Cheek
, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
, Former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle
, and Reverend Al Sharpton
. The headlining entertainment was provided by country duo Big & Rich
.
The rally concluded a 21,000-mile, 22-city photo exhibit and speaking "Tour for Darfur: Eyewitness to Genocide" hosted by Capt. Steidle.
The Coalition conducted a second rally in New York City's Central Park on September 17, 2006. "Save Darfur Now: Voices to End Genocide" urged the United States and the United Nations towards the timely deployment of a robust international peacekeeping force in Darfur.
U.S. officials in both the Democratic and Republican parties have also praised the coalition.
On June 1, 2007, the Washington Post quoted George W. Bush's special envoy to Sudan, Andrew S. Natsios, as saying, "The Save Darfur Coalition has kept this issue in the news media and before the public and has focused the issue in a way that hasn’t happened in foreign relations maybe since the South Africa anti-apartheid movement"
The same story quoted Democratic Senator Joseph R. Biden of Delaware: "Save Darfur’s efforts to pressure the administration and Congress and keep the issue alive have had a tremendous impact."
The Save Darfur Coalition has a powerful political organization. It organized rallies in support of Darfur around the world. It has helped organize more than 350 rallies in 41 countries on 6 continents for the Global Days for Darfur campaign. The coalition's network of one million online activists has submitted more than 15,000 letters to the editor, sent more than 215,000 e-mails to the U.S. Congress, and more than 1.1 million emails to the White House.
against defenseless villagers, without presenting details on the region's rebels, who have committed some abuses of their own. In Iranian media the campaign has been compared by some outlets to the British "liberal
imperialism
" of the late 18th and 19th centuries. http://www.iran-daily.com/1385/2763/html/dotcoms.htm
The "Save Darfur" movement has been criticized because none of the funds it raises go to help needy Africans on the ground in Darfur, but instead are used for lobbying the United States government to intervene. The movement has been accused of distorting the conflict in Darfur by depicting the conflict as between "Arabs" and "Blacks" even though the population in Darfur is predominantly African Muslim). There is criticism that the "Save Darfur" campaign avoids any path to a political settlement among Sudanese and leaves only the road of U.S. military aggression. The composition of the "Save Darfur" movement has been characterized as well-connected and well-funded portions of the U.S. foreign policy elite. Others characterize the Save Darfur Coalition as Jewish-organized. The Conservative political commentator Justin Raimondo characterizes the Save Darfur Coalition as a "motley collection of liberal do-gooders, Hollywood glamour-pusses, and Christian zealots"
Some groups on the left have accused the movement of anti-Arab bias
. Supporters claim the coalition includes the Arab American Institute
and several Muslim organizations such as the American Islamic Congress
, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the Islamic Circle of North America
.See http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/members for more information on Save Darfur members.
From the perspective of various left-wing groups, the movement is a U.S. government-supported propaganda
campaign targeting the Sudanese government for its opposition to the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq
, support for the Palestinian cause, and strengthened economic ties to China
. However, the Coalition has never advocated for or opposed any policies toward Iraq
or Palestine
. The Coalition has advocated for increased pressure on China to ensure that China - as Sudan's predominant diplomatic protector - does all it can to end the crisis in Darfur. http://socialismandliberation.org/mag/index.php?aid=628
Yoshie Furuhashi, a Monthly Review
editor, has criticized the "Save Darfur" campaign for U.S. intervention as 'imperialism' in humanitarian guise, combined with a strong tinge of anti-Arab prejudice
.
June 2, 2007, The New York Times ran Stephanie Strom and Lydia Polgreen's "Advocacy Group's Publicity Campaign on Darfur Angers Relief Organizations" http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/world/africa/02darfur.html which addressed that Save Darfur spent $15 million in 2006 and none of it went to aid groups on the ground in Darfur and that "some relief agencies said they were horrified when Save Darfur's ads in February reported that 'international relief organizations,' among others, had agreed that the time for negotiating with the Sudanese government had ended."
Millions of these dollars have paid for PR work undertaken by M+R Strategic Services, New Media Mill, Fenton Communications
and Weber Shandwick
– including work by their local and affiliate companies: Powell Tate, Golin Harris, ZK Public Relations and Strateji Communication. Weber Shandwick directed their work out of their London office. It was directed by Nick Stravs and Marcus Smith. Jim Meszaros, an Executive Vice President in Powell Tate's international group, coordinated work for Save Darfur in Washington. The corporate and public affairs group at Powell Tate is headed up by Howard Opinsky. Mr. Opinsky is the husband of Colleen Connors, currently the Chief Operating Officer (and the former Director of Communication) at the Save Darfur Coalition. Jill Hamilton coordinated Weber Shandwick’s work in Africa, Laure Gregoire coordinated work in Paris and Shiela Redzepi coordinated work in Brussels. Stewart Harris is the head of New Media Mill, a multi-discipline firm providing communications support for a variety of causes and issues.
Interviewed by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now,http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/04/1334230, Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani
stated that
Republican
presidential candidate and Congressman Ron Paul
has criticized the Save Darfur coalition, callings its aims "unconstitutional" and claiming that it would be counterproductive to intervene in the Civil War in the Sudan because it would prolong it. Congressman Paul also opposes the Iraq War on similar grounds.
Drima, a Sudanese blogger who blogs at The Sudanese Thinker, has also written a public letter criticizing them for supporting immediate intervention and not realizing the dangerous consequences that could create in Darfur.
A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor showed that Save Darfur's lobbying efforts have caused a number of problems in Darfur. The article suggests that the Save Darfur Coalition has been overly focused lobbying for violence prevention at the expense of providing humanitarian aid, even after the violence in Darfur had rapidly declined.
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. Based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it is a coalition of more than 180 religious, political, and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organizations designed to campaign for a response to the atrocities of the War in Darfur
War in Darfur
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
, in the three Sudanese federal states that make up the region of Darfur. The result has become a global humanitarian crisis
Humanitarian crisis
A humanitarian crisis is an event or series of events which represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area...
, with official estimates averaging around 299,000, as of early 2010, as a result of ethnic cleansing, disease and starvation.
The war began when two Sudanese rebel groups took up arms against the Sudanese government for persecuting black Africans in favor of Afro-Arabs; the Sudanese government has financed militias to target ethnically black African civilians.
Founding
The Save Darfur Coalition was founded at the "Darfur Emergency Summit in New York City" on July 14, 2004. The Coalition began when the United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history...
and American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service is a nonprofit international development organization, founded in 1985, which supports community-based organizations in 35 countries in the developing world and works to educate the American Jewish community about global justice...
organized this event at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan featuring Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel.
The coalition has grown into an alliance of more than 180 religious, political and human rights organizations committed to ending the alleged genocide in Darfur. Save Darfur is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a staff of 30 professional organizers, policy advisors and communications specialists.
The coalition's members have signed on to the following unity statement:
In 2006, the Jerusalem Post reported that the Coalition was "begun exclusively as an initiative of the American Jewish community" although this fact was "consistently played down" by organizers. The report continued, "even now... [the] coalition is heavily weighted with ... local and national Jewish groups" with a "noted absence of major African-American groups like the NAACP or the larger Africa lobby groups like Africa Action."
The Coalition has grown considerably since then to include organizations representing several ages, races, religions and political affiliations. Coalition members now include not only the NAACP, but also the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
Solidarity Center, Africa Faith and Justice Network, the American Islamic Congress
American Islamic Congress
The American Islamic Congress is a 501 non-profit organization based in the United States. According to the organization's website, it is "dedicated to building interfaith and interethnic understanding." It was founded in November 2001 by a diverse group of American Muslims to promote tolerance...
, the Arab American Institute
Arab American Institute
Founded in 1985, the Arab American Institute is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington D.C. that focuses on the issues and interests of Arab-Americans nationwide. James Zogby, brother of pollster John Zogby, is founder and president of the AAI....
, Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Buddhist Peace Fellowship
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship is a nonsectarian international network of engaged Buddhists participating in various forms of nonviolent social activism and environmentalism with chapters all over the world...
, Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
, the Islamic Society of North America
Islamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
, the Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America...
and the National Association of Evangelicals
National Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals is a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals. Its goal is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelicals in the United States. Today it works in four main areas: Church & Faith Partners, Government Relations,...
.
Initiatives
On January 12, 2006, the Coalition launched the "Million Voices for Darfur" campaign with the goal of collecting one million postcards from individuals across the country to send to President Bush urging the United States government to support a larger, stronger multinational force to protect the civilians of Darfur. The campaign concluded on June 29, 2006 with Senate Majority Leader Bill FristBill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
(R-TN) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) signing the 1,000,000th and 1,000,001st postcards.
Save Darfur coordinated a widely-successful "Save Darfur: Rally to Stop Genocide" on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2006. The crowd of an estimated 100,000 supporters joined to call for the withdrawal of any objection to a UN peacekeeping force, better humanitarian access to refugees, adhesion to existing treaties and ceasefire agreements, and a commitment to a lasting peace agreement in the Abuja peace talks. Among the speakers were actor George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel
Sir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
, President (senator at the time) Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Rwandan genocide survivor and humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina
Paul Rusesabagina
Paul Rusesabagina is a Rwandan humanitarian who has been internationally honored for saving 1,268 refugees during the Rwandan Genocide. He was the assistant manager of the Sabena Hôtel des Mille Collines before he became the manager of the Hôtel des Diplomates, both in Kigali, Rwanda...
, Olympic Gold medalist Joey Cheek
Joey Cheek
+William Joseph Cheek is an American speed skater and former inline speed skater...
, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
, Former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle
Brian Steidle
Brian Steidle is a former Marine Captain, military and security operations expert, and author who had worked on publicizing the Darfur conflict in Sudan...
, and Reverend Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
. The headlining entertainment was provided by country duo Big & Rich
Big & Rich
Big & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich. Both members alternate as lead vocalists and play rhythm guitar...
.
The rally concluded a 21,000-mile, 22-city photo exhibit and speaking "Tour for Darfur: Eyewitness to Genocide" hosted by Capt. Steidle.
The Coalition conducted a second rally in New York City's Central Park on September 17, 2006. "Save Darfur Now: Voices to End Genocide" urged the United States and the United Nations towards the timely deployment of a robust international peacekeeping force in Darfur.
Board Members
- Sam Bell, Genocide Intervention NetworkGenocide Intervention Networkthumb|right|300px|Genocide Intervention Network logoThe Genocide Intervention Network is a non-profit organization that "envisions a world in which the global community is willing and able to protect civilians from genocide and mass atrocities...
- Dr. Mahmoud Braima, Darfuri Leaders Network
- Rev. Richard CizikRichard CizikRichard Cizik was the Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals and one of the most prominent Evangelical lobbyists in the United States. In his position with the NAE, Cizik's primary responsibilities were setting the organization's policy on issues and...
, New Evangelical Partnership for the Common GoodNew Evangelical Partnership for the Common GoodThe New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good is a faith-based nonprofit group that offers a renewed Christian public witness for the sake of the Gospel and the common good.-Mission statement:... - Mike Edington, Wellspring Advisors
- Zeinab Eyega, Sauti Yetu Center for African Women
- Rev. David Emmanuel Goatley, Ph.D., Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention
- Rabbi Steve GutowSteve GutowRabbi Steve Gutow is a rabbi, lawyer, community activist, and Jewish leader. He currently serves as the President and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs .-Background:...
, Jewish Council for Public Affairs - Omer Ismail, Darfur Peace and Development
- Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos, National Council of ChurchesNational Council of ChurchesThe National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
- Ruth Messinger, American Jewish World Service
- John Prendergast, The ENOUGH Project
- Fr. Michael Perry, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Jill Savitt, Dream for Darfur
- Scott WarrenScott WarrenScott Warren was the latest keyboardist for heavy metal band Dio and Heaven & Hell.Scott is a self taught keysman, he begin playing at age 6...
, STAND, A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition - Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, M.D., My Sister’s Keeper
- Dr. James Zogby, Arab American InstituteArab American InstituteFounded in 1985, the Arab American Institute is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington D.C. that focuses on the issues and interests of Arab-Americans nationwide. James Zogby, brother of pollster John Zogby, is founder and president of the AAI....
Advocacy
The Save Darfur Coalition has built a worldwide movement that has brought the crisis in Darfur to the world's attention. According to Mark Malloch Brown, Britain's Minister for Africa, Asia, and the U.N., "The Save Darfur Coalition has done a fantastic job of keeping the pressure on the American public. Bush and Blair both had a great deal of personal passion about Darfur. But there’s a limit to what leaders can do if there isn’t a heavy level of concern from the public."U.S. officials in both the Democratic and Republican parties have also praised the coalition.
On June 1, 2007, the Washington Post quoted George W. Bush's special envoy to Sudan, Andrew S. Natsios, as saying, "The Save Darfur Coalition has kept this issue in the news media and before the public and has focused the issue in a way that hasn’t happened in foreign relations maybe since the South Africa anti-apartheid movement"
The same story quoted Democratic Senator Joseph R. Biden of Delaware: "Save Darfur’s efforts to pressure the administration and Congress and keep the issue alive have had a tremendous impact."
The Save Darfur Coalition has a powerful political organization. It organized rallies in support of Darfur around the world. It has helped organize more than 350 rallies in 41 countries on 6 continents for the Global Days for Darfur campaign. The coalition's network of one million online activists has submitted more than 15,000 letters to the editor, sent more than 215,000 e-mails to the U.S. Congress, and more than 1.1 million emails to the White House.
Criticism
In non-Western media the "Save Darfur" movement has received some criticism. In Iranian media the campaign is criticized for presenting a one-sided picture of a ceaseless campaign of ethnic cleansing by the JanjaweedJanjaweed
The Janjaweed is a blanket term used to describe mostly gunmen in Darfur, western Sudan, and now eastern Chad...
against defenseless villagers, without presenting details on the region's rebels, who have committed some abuses of their own. In Iranian media the campaign has been compared by some outlets to the British "liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
" of the late 18th and 19th centuries. http://www.iran-daily.com/1385/2763/html/dotcoms.htm
The "Save Darfur" movement has been criticized because none of the funds it raises go to help needy Africans on the ground in Darfur, but instead are used for lobbying the United States government to intervene. The movement has been accused of distorting the conflict in Darfur by depicting the conflict as between "Arabs" and "Blacks" even though the population in Darfur is predominantly African Muslim). There is criticism that the "Save Darfur" campaign avoids any path to a political settlement among Sudanese and leaves only the road of U.S. military aggression. The composition of the "Save Darfur" movement has been characterized as well-connected and well-funded portions of the U.S. foreign policy elite. Others characterize the Save Darfur Coalition as Jewish-organized. The Conservative political commentator Justin Raimondo characterizes the Save Darfur Coalition as a "motley collection of liberal do-gooders, Hollywood glamour-pusses, and Christian zealots"
Some groups on the left have accused the movement of anti-Arab bias
Bias
Bias is an inclination to present or hold a partial perspective at the expense of alternatives. Bias can come in many forms.-In judgement and decision making:...
. Supporters claim the coalition includes the Arab American Institute
Arab American Institute
Founded in 1985, the Arab American Institute is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington D.C. that focuses on the issues and interests of Arab-Americans nationwide. James Zogby, brother of pollster John Zogby, is founder and president of the AAI....
and several Muslim organizations such as the American Islamic Congress
American Islamic Congress
The American Islamic Congress is a 501 non-profit organization based in the United States. According to the organization's website, it is "dedicated to building interfaith and interethnic understanding." It was founded in November 2001 by a diverse group of American Muslims to promote tolerance...
, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the Islamic Circle of North America
Islamic Circle of North America
Islamic Circle of North America , formally chartered in 1971 but active since 1968, is an Islamic North American grassroots umbrella organization....
.See http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/members for more information on Save Darfur members.
From the perspective of various left-wing groups, the movement is a U.S. government-supported propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
campaign targeting the Sudanese government for its opposition to the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, support for the Palestinian cause, and strengthened economic ties to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. However, the Coalition has never advocated for or opposed any policies toward Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
or Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. The Coalition has advocated for increased pressure on China to ensure that China - as Sudan's predominant diplomatic protector - does all it can to end the crisis in Darfur. http://socialismandliberation.org/mag/index.php?aid=628
Yoshie Furuhashi, a Monthly Review
Monthly Review
Monthly Review is an independent Marxist journal published 11 times per year in New York City.-History:The publication was founded by Harvard University economics instructor Paul Sweezy, who became the first editor...
editor, has criticized the "Save Darfur" campaign for U.S. intervention as 'imperialism' in humanitarian guise, combined with a strong tinge of anti-Arab prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
.
June 2, 2007, The New York Times ran Stephanie Strom and Lydia Polgreen's "Advocacy Group's Publicity Campaign on Darfur Angers Relief Organizations" http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/world/africa/02darfur.html which addressed that Save Darfur spent $15 million in 2006 and none of it went to aid groups on the ground in Darfur and that "some relief agencies said they were horrified when Save Darfur's ads in February reported that 'international relief organizations,' among others, had agreed that the time for negotiating with the Sudanese government had ended."
Millions of these dollars have paid for PR work undertaken by M+R Strategic Services, New Media Mill, Fenton Communications
Fenton Communications
Fenton is a public interest communications firm based in the United States. Founded by David Fenton in 1982, the firm’s client list includes organizations associated with a diverse array of social issues. -Overview:...
and Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is a public relations firm.-History:Weber Shandwick is a formation of three previous companies:*The Weber Group - Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1987, leveraging emerging technologies such as the mobile phone and the internet into the world of communications, which made the company a...
– including work by their local and affiliate companies: Powell Tate, Golin Harris, ZK Public Relations and Strateji Communication. Weber Shandwick directed their work out of their London office. It was directed by Nick Stravs and Marcus Smith. Jim Meszaros, an Executive Vice President in Powell Tate's international group, coordinated work for Save Darfur in Washington. The corporate and public affairs group at Powell Tate is headed up by Howard Opinsky. Mr. Opinsky is the husband of Colleen Connors, currently the Chief Operating Officer (and the former Director of Communication) at the Save Darfur Coalition. Jill Hamilton coordinated Weber Shandwick’s work in Africa, Laure Gregoire coordinated work in Paris and Shiela Redzepi coordinated work in Brussels. Stewart Harris is the head of New Media Mill, a multi-discipline firm providing communications support for a variety of causes and issues.
Interviewed by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now,http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/04/1334230, Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani
Mahmood Mamdani
Mahmood Mamdani is an academic, author and political commentator. He is a Professor and Director of the at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, and the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University, New York. He grew up in Uganda and acquired his B.A from the University of...
stated that
"when I went to Sudan in Khartoum, I had interviews with the UN humanitarian officer, the political officer, etc., and I asked them, I said, 'What assistance does the Save Darfur Coalition give?' He said, 'Nothing.' I said, 'Nothing?' He said, 'No.' And I would like to know. The Save Darfur Coalition raises an enormous amount of money in this country. Where does that money go? Does it go to other organizations which are operative in Sudan, or does it go simply to fund the advertising campaign?"
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
presidential candidate and Congressman Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
has criticized the Save Darfur coalition, callings its aims "unconstitutional" and claiming that it would be counterproductive to intervene in the Civil War in the Sudan because it would prolong it. Congressman Paul also opposes the Iraq War on similar grounds.
Drima, a Sudanese blogger who blogs at The Sudanese Thinker, has also written a public letter criticizing them for supporting immediate intervention and not realizing the dangerous consequences that could create in Darfur.
A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor showed that Save Darfur's lobbying efforts have caused a number of problems in Darfur. The article suggests that the Save Darfur Coalition has been overly focused lobbying for violence prevention at the expense of providing humanitarian aid, even after the violence in Darfur had rapidly declined.