Reaching out to Sen. Begich and Reps. Murkowski and Young

An email campaign directed at our legislative delegation in Washington D.C. is one of the methods that we will be using in 2010 to help put an end to the atrocities perpetrated by the government of Sudan. In order to email any one of our legislative delegation, a form available on each website must be completed. Fill out the form.

I have included links to their contact pages below.
Rep. Young
Rep. Murkowski
Sen. Begich

HOUSE RESOLUTION 3081: Making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes.

Purpose: This legislation provides the following funding to address the crisis in Darfur:$512 million for the UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur (UNAMID); $45 million for U.S. programs to train and equip African militaries to participate in UNAMID; $830 million in International Disaster Assistance to address global humanitarian crises, including in Darfur; and $251.35 million for the UN peacekeeping force in Sudan (UNMIS).

Status: Approved by the House 318-106 on July 9, 2009. Awaiting consideration by a House-Senate conference committee.

Action: Call or write your Representatives and urge them to reject any cuts to Darfur funding in the final House-Senate conference report for H.R. 3081.

SENATE BILL 1434: An original bill making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes.

Purpose: This legislation provides the following funds to address the crisis in Darfur:$2.125 billion for Contributions to International Peacekeeping, including funds for the UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur (UNAMID) and the UN peacekeeping force in Sudan (UNMIS); $855 million for International Disaster Assistance to address global humanitarian crises, including in Darfur; and $6.632 billion for Diplomatic and Consular programs, including funding for the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and other diplomatic initiatives for Sudan.

Status: Approved by the Senate Committee on Appropriations on July 9, 2009. Awaiting floor consideration.

Action: Call or write your U.S. Senator and request that funding for Darfur programs at current levels are protected when the bill is considered by the full Senate.

Fundraiser a Huge Success!

Parishoners and visitors to St. Mary's Episcopal Church enjoyed authentic Sudanese food, drumming, and singing on November 15th as part of a fundraiser that netted over $2,000 for Darfur refugee assitance. Most of the money will be used to help Darfuri refugees currently living in displaced persons camps in Africa purchase Berkeley-Darfur Stoves®. These super efficient stoves help decrease Darfuri women and girls' exposure to violence by reducing the amount of time they must spend away from the relative safety of the camps to gather firewood. The rest of the funds are being donated to Church World Service, a highly respected and effective non-profit organization that provides refugee assistance.

Legislation Update

HB 92, the Sudan Divestment bill, has moved out of the House State Affairs Committee and on to the House Finance Committee!! This is one BIG step farther than last year's bill got, but a long journey remains.

1. Bill to be heard in (and moved out of) the House Finance Committee.
2. It then goes to the House Rules Committee, which schedules it to go back to the whole House (House floor).
3. In the House, it's in second reading when more amendments may be made.
4. It is forwarded to third reading the same day, debated and voted on.
5. Now it starts all over again in the Senate in the new World Trade Committee. (The Senate can start this process without waiting for HB 92 to get through the House...hopefully, they will!)
6. On to Senate State Affairs.
7. On to Senate Finance.
8. On to Senate Rules.
9. On to Senate Floor second and third readings.
10. If the Senate bill is different than House bill it goes to joint committee then back to each body.
11. When passed it goes to Governor for signature (but can become law without it).

Let's keep the pressure on our representatives, senators, and our Governor. We don't want this bill to stall anywhere in the process.

How You Can Help the Sudanese Families Displaced by Recent Fire

A duplex fire in late February destroyed the homes of two Sudanese families. Sixteen of the family members are children. Tor Gach, the father of one of the families, says that as of today he and his family have found housing, but the other family has not. Nyaret Yoang and her 8 children are staying in a hotel until permanent housing can be found. If you know of a 4-bedroom home for rent, please call 907-980-1473. Nyaret does not speak English well, but her son, Delang, can translate for her.

Besides housing for Nyaret and her children, Tor says their greatest need is furniture. To help meet that need, the Moose's Tooth/Bear Tooth folks are collecting monetary donations at their home office. The money will go directly to the two families to buy replacement furnishings.

Your checks can be mailed to the address below. (Cash should be dropped off there.)
Brooke VanVeckhoven
Fresh Ale Pubs Office
1317 W. Northern Lights Suite 8
Anchorage, AK 99503

Please make the checks out to one of the family representatives:
Nyekan Bichiok
Nyaret Yoang

Thank you for your support, prayers, and well wishes!

Sudan Divestment Bill Scheduled for Hearing

On Tuesday, February 24, between 8 and 10 AM, the House State Affairs Committee will discuss House Bill 92 and determine whether or not it will continue its journey toward enactment or die in this Committee. Backed by Governor Palin and members of both parties, this year's Sudan Divestment legislation is more palatable to the state's investment advisers. Even Permanent Fund Executive Director Mike Burns, who testified against divestment legislation last year, told the Juneau Empire that "he'll recommend to the trustees that they no longer oppose the [Sudan Divestment] bills." This is great news and we offer our gratitude to Mr. Burns.

Click here to read more about this year's legislation and the change of heart its fostering in our investment advisers. Then, please call the State Affairs Committee members listed below (and your state representative) to voice your support of the legislation. And, if you're in Juneau on the 24th, attend the hearing and SHOW your support!

Committee Number: 465-4963
Bob Lynn, Chair: 465-4931
Paul Seaton, Vice-Chair: 465-2689
Carl Gatto: 465-3743
Craig Johnson: 465-4993
Peggy Wilson: 465-3824
Max Gruenberg: 465-4940
Pete Petersen: 465-4939

Sudan Awareness Week Kick-Off Full of Celebration

There was standing room only at Grassroots - A Fair Trade Store on February 15th for the Sudan Awareness Week Kick-Off Event. Debbie Bock, a dedicated and super hardworking member of Save Darfur Anchorage, started the 2-hour celebration by providing a great overview of the current situation in Sudan. Sudanese refugees then shared their experiences living in Sudan and their takes on the political situation. The event wrapped up with an hour of traditional Sudanese drumming, singing, and dancing. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Scheduled Feb 22nd Sudan Awareness Week Events

On February 22nd, Save Darfur Anchorage members, Debbie Bock and Nance Blake, will lead Sudan Awareness Week events at the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Palmer's Church of the Covenant, respectively. Both will show a power point presentation they developed about Sudan's history and current situation. Debbie's presentation will begin at 9 AM and Nance's will start at 9:30 AM. Sudanese refugees now living in Sudan will attend the Anchorage event to meet with the public and share their stories.

Letters for Justice will meet from 10:45 to 11:45 AM in the basement of Holy Family Cathedral to write letters to Governor Palin encouraging her continued support of divestment from Sudan. To learn more about the Divest for Darfur effort, visit the Sudan Divestment Task Force website.

Sudan Awareness Week

Sudan Awareness Week, February 16th through the 22nd, provides an opportunity for Alaskan communities -- faith-based or secular -- to honor the plight of the people of Sudan. Ravaged by war for decades, and the site of the ongoing 6-year-long genocide in its Darfur region, Sudan offers little but suffering for many of its people. During Sudan Awareness Week, Alaskans will recognize the people of Sudan and the incredible hardships they face because of the Government of Sudan's destructive and criminal reign.

To kick off Sudan Awareness Week, Grassroots - A Fair Trade Store, located at 1300 West Northern Lights Blvd (in the REI strip mall), is dedicating the whole month of February to Sudan. The store will display a sculpture by local artist, April Boles, that depicts the plight of women in Darfur. On February 15, a power point presentation summarizing the situation in Sudan followed by a question-and-answer session will begin at 2 p.m. Sudanese refugees will be on hand to field questions and to tell their stories. Beginning around 3 p.m., some of the refugees will showcase their culture through traditional drumming and singing -- a treat for all!

5 Bills Call for Alaska's Divestment from Sudan

We've come a long way, Baby!! There are now 5 bills in the Alaska Legislature that would require the Permanent Fund, the state's retirement systems, the State of Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan, and the deferred compensation program for state employees to divest holdings in companies that do business in Sudan. The bills would also prohibit future investments in those companies for as long as the Darfur Genocide continues.

The bills in the House include HB 5, HB 45, and HB 92. HB 5 is sponsored by Representatives Bob Lynn and Les Gara. HB 45 is sponsored by Representatives Gara, Gardner, Petersen, Kerttula, Guttenberg, and Gruenberg. HB 92 is being put forth by Governor Palin. The Senate bills are SB 37, sponsored by Senators Hollis French and Johnny Ellis, and SB 81, which is the Governor's companion bill to HB 92.

Each bill offers a cost-effective and efficient protocol for divesting the targeted foreign funds. The additional burden to the investment managers would be nominal -- just as divestment would have a nominal effect on our Permanent Fund dividends.

Please continue to let the Governor and your state senator and representative know that you want him/her to vote in favor of divestment. Go to the Alaska State Legislature home page to get contact information for your legislators. Governor Palin's contact information in Juneau is P.O. Box 110001, Juneau, AK 99811-0001; Phone 907-465-3500; Fax 907-465-3532.

Darfur Genocide Legislation Filed January 9

Many thanks to state representatives Les Gara, Berta Gardner, Beth Kertulla, and Pete Petersen for reigniting the state divestment effort by filing legislation on January 9th to stop the State from investing in foreign companies that are complicit in the 5-year-old Darfur genocide. Although the 2008 divestment bill never made it out of committee, we are hopeful that the 2009 legislation will be better received. The legislation has Governor Palin's support and more Alaskans, including legislators, are aware of the Darfur genocide and understand how easy and cheaply the divestment process can be. Please contact your legislators and the Governor and let them know that you back their support of this legislation and that you hope it will move smoothly through both the State House and the State Senate.

January 1 Celebration

Some Alaskans probably "celebrated" the first day of the New Year with a soft pillow, drawn curtains, and saltine crackers. Many of our Darfuri friends, however, celebrated with music, balloons, and birthday cake. Yep, birthday cake.

It seemed the fitting way to ring in the new year seeing how several of the Darfur refugees now living in Anchorage have January 1 as their birthdays. No, they weren't actually born on January 1. Birthdays aren't traditionally celebrated in Darfur, as is the case for much of Africa, nor are they recorded in any consistent fashion, so the Darfur refugees don't actually know what day of the year they were born.

This is a problem, however, when you're trying to leave your country. You can't exactly get a passport or immigration papers without a birth date. Some of the Darfur refugees were given the option to choose one, but most were simply assigned January 1. A recent article by The Boston Globe states, "It is unclear when the practice began, but more than 31,000 of the 203,566 refugees admitted to the United States over the past four years have been assigned the Jan. 1 birthday."

Fake birthdays or not, the party that occurred on January 1 in a small Mountain View apartment was most definitely real. Laughter, drumming, traditional Sudanese songs, and of course cake and balloons, filed the place. Jokes were told, wishes were made, tears were shed, and all felt gratitude for life.

KTUU Covers Darfur Refugee Transition to Anchorage

Attahir Karief, his wife, and children fled Darfur on foot when the older child was only 6 and his wife was 9 months pregnant with their third child. They ran through the desert for 10 days before reaching Chad. They then persevered through years in a refugee camp in Ghana, cut off from contact with other family members and often with not enough food or medical care before arriving in Anchorage and beginning over.

Click here to see the news story and an interview with Attahir.

Save Darfur Anchorage Gmail Account

We now have a gmail account! Write to us at savedarfurak@gmail.com if you need some information that you can't find on our blog, if you're interested in helping with the state divestment campaign, if you want to share what you're doing to raise awareness about the Darfur genocide in your community, or if you just want to show some support. We'd love to hear from you!

The Facts about Governor Palin's Support of Divestment

There is a lot of discussion in the media about Governor Palin's support of Sudan divestment. All of the questions revolve around when she supported the divestment legislation and her role in championing the cause. We began Alaska's divestment campaign, so we feel we are the most equipped to provide reliable information about the Governor's involvement. That information is offered here, in (very) brief, to set the speculation to rest -- not to discredit Governor Palin but to bring back into focus the real priority: ending the genocide in Darfur.

Governor Palin was aware of the divestment legislation as early as December 2007. We know. We met with her staff at the Governor's Anchorage Office to discuss Sinopec's role in the Alaska Gas Pipeline and to request her support for targeted divestment from Sudan. As late as mid-March 2008, the governor was not on board with the divestment legislation. Again, we know. A group member who wrote the Governor asking her to support divestment received a letter dated March 11, 2008, wherein the Governor again declined on the opportunity to support divestment. Most importantly, however, in April 2008, Governor Palin publicly announced her support of targeted divestment legislation.

You see, in the end, she publicly supported it, and, based on her statements during the debate, she still does! Many people do not believe in or understand the value of targeted divestment immediately. Targeted divestment is a totally different beast than the divestment most people know about (like divestment from South Africa), so it can take some time to fully understand. That's no crime.

We at Save Darfur Anchorage are excited about Governor Palin's support, the national attention she has brought to the divestment campaign, and, most importantly, the national attention she and Senator Biden have brought to the Darfur genocide. In this time of partisan activity, we must work hard to remember what matters most, and in this case, it is that the Darfur Genocide must be stopped. We are encouraged that both presidential (and vice-presidential) candidates support taking the necessary actions to end the Goverment of Sudan's brutal campaign against its own people.

Wow! What a Summer!

Blogging fell by the wayside this summer as providing assistance to newly arrived Darfur refugees took top priority for Save Darfur Anchorage. Approximately 25 Darfur refugees have arrived in Anchorage between May and today, and more are expected later this month. Refugees are allowed to travel to the United States with 1 bag of belongings per person and are provided only roughly $450 dollars per person each month to cover their needs while getting settled in. Needless to say, their needs are great.

The Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services (RAIS) branch of Catholic Social Services Alaska leads the charge in welcoming refugees to Alaska, and they do an AMAZING job. Among other things, they find the refugees housing, furnish the residences, greet the refugees at the airport when they arrive, enroll refugee children in school, arrange mandated medical appointments, and teach refugees how to use the bus system. The RAIS program employs only a few staff members and has access to very limited funds, so we have been doing our best to pitch in where we can to make the refugees' transition to the United States easier.

We hosted a welcoming party in May and have continued to host gatherings since then. We have collected and donated clothing and household goods. We have provided transportation when needed. We have answered countless questions about the English language, Anchorage, and our American culture. We have listened to their survival stories and have cheered their incredible resilience. We have helped them try to locate family members that they lost touch with when fleeing Darfur by working with the Red Cross' Restoring Family Links program.

We have also taken some of the refugees to the movies. The size of the refreshments seemed to be more amazing to them than the actual movie! We went to the Arctic Thunder Air Show at Elmendorf AFB. One refugee found it hard to believe that we could actually go on a military base -- and take pictures! He said he would certainly be harmed if he attempted the same in Sudan. Per his request, we took dozens of pictures of him in front of the military aircraft. He hopes to send them to friends in his old refugee camp.

Earlier this month, we went berry picking when the blueberries ripened on the hillside. The children were covered in blueberry juice by the end of the day. And, of course, they had no berries to show for their efforts because they couldn't stop eating them as they picked them. Kids will be kids. The kids also had a blast when we took them to the State Fair. They rode rides fearlessly! Some of the adults even hopped on the Ferris wheel.

Summer was definitely a whirlwind for our new friends, as well as ourselves, and I'm sure none of us would have wanted it any other way.

ADN Prints Tales of Anchorage's Darfur Refugees

Click here to be directed to Julia O'Malley's piece "From Darfur to a Strange New Home." Thank you, Ms. O'Malley, for interviewing Safi, Abu, and Halima and letting Anchorage know their stories. They told us at Save Darfur Anchorage that being able to tell their stories meant a lot. They want people to know what's going on in Darfur. And, now, thanks to your article, more people do.

Permanent Fund Board Asked to Divest

Save Darfur Anchorage volunteers and Darfur refugees asked the Permanent Fund Board during the Board's Anchorage meeting on May 28th to adopt a targeted Sudan divestment policy. Save Darfur Anchorage members Debbie Bock and Kelley Nixon gave testimony encouraging the divestment, while Safi Mohammed Ali, a Darfur refugee who recently arrived in Anchorage, pleaded that the Board "do all that is in your power to bring peace to my homeland."

As of March 31, 2008, the Permanent Fund had $17.5 million of direct holdings in 3 companies that are considered by the Sudan Divestment Task Force (SDTF) as being among about 25 companies that provide the greatest financial and/or political support to the Government of Sudan, while providing very little to no support to the people of Darfur or other marginalized Sudanese populations. These 3 companies are Alstom, Wartsila, and Lundin Petroleum AB. To learn more about these companies' operations in Sudan, go to The SDTF Reports Page and download the Sudan Company Report.

In 2007, the Permanent Fund had approximately $22 million invested in 6 Highest Offender companies. Save Darfur Anchorage commended the Permanent Fund Corporation for having divested from 2 of those companies earlier this year and encouraged continued divestment. The third company, Petrofac, was removed by the SDTF from the Highest Offenders list after the company completed a SDTF-approved Substantial Action Plan. In this plan, Petrofac has committed to funding the first 2 years of a 4-year pilot education program in southern Sudan, with the option to extend the funding. The pilot will involve funding 60 one-room primary schools, whose students will be from marginalized areas of south Sudan. The project hopes to provide education to girls and other children who do not have the opportunity to attend school.

Please continue to voice your support for targeted divestment to the Permanent Fund Corporation:
Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation
P.O.Box 115500
Juneau, Ak 99811-5500
(907) 796-1500, TTY (907) 796-1523
www.apfc.org/alaska/contact.cfm

Darfur Refugee to Share His Story

Save Darfur Anchorage is meeting May 24th from 11AM to 1PM. The public is invited to attend. One of the newly arrived Darfur refugees will share his story and answer questions. Abu's English is very good and he is eager to raise Alaskans' awareness about the Darfur Genocide.

Come welcome Abu (and hopefully other Darfur refugees) to Anchorage and learn about his journey here. The setting will be very informal. Some Save Darfur Anchorage business will be conducted during the meeting.

Darfur Refugees Arrive in Anchorage

Save Darfur Anchorage hosted a picnic on May 10th to welcome Darfur refugees to Anchorage. All have been in Anchorage for less than 2 months and one man and his mother arrived only four days before the picnic. This same man and mother lived in a refugee camp in Ghana before being moved to Anchorage. In the refugee camp they befriended the Karief family, who were moved to Anchorage just over a month ago and who also attended the picnic!

Like any picnic there was a lot of eating and laughter, some games, and a lot of chatting to get to know each other. We located on a map where our guests lived before leaving Sudan. We learned about their lives prior to the Genocide. One man operated heavy machinery, another was a shopkeeper. And, we learned some about the refugee placement process.

The placement process is a long one. One man had left Darfur in 1999, others left Sudan in 2003, and still others in 2005. Some lived in refugee camps for years while awaiting placement. All moved to Anchorage because that's where there were placement openings. No one "picked" Anchorage.

Many of the refugees are enrolled in English as a Second Language classes and they are doing great, although some are more shy than others to try out their English. The children are picking up the English very quickly.

We are looking forward to getting to know more about our new friends and to providing opportunities for Anchorage to learn more about them, too.

Permanent Fund Board to Meet in Anchorage May 28th & 29th

When the Permanent Fund Board meets at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Anchorage May 28-29, representatives from Save Darfur Anchorage will ask board members to divest the roughly $22 million the Fund has invested in companies bankrolling the Darfur Genocide. Although legislation that would require the Permanent Fund Corporation to divest the Permanent Fund did not pass the Alaska Legislature, the Permanent Fund Corporation can divest the Fund voluntarily, and that's exactly want we will ask them to do.

Please stop by the Marriott and voice your support for divestment. The Board will hear all public comments beginning at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, May 28th. They need to hear that Alaskans want our Permanent Fund divested. They need to hear it and we need to say it!

If you can't make it to the Marriott, please call, write, or email the Permanent Fund Corporation. Let them know that you think it is unacceptable to have $22 million dollars invested in Worst Offender companies (as identified by the Sudan Divestment Task Force). Remind them that there are many other equally profitable investment options--ones that don't support genocide.

Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation
P.O.Box 115500
Juneau, Ak 99811-5500
(907) 796-1500, TTY (907) 796-1523