BPF Joins Save Darfur Coalition 

In May of this year BPF joined the Save Darfur Coalition.  In our many efforts to align with Buddhists in Tibet and Burma in bringing peace, we did not want to be silent on the atrocities in Sudan, Darfur simply because there is little to no Buddhist/dharma efforts in that country.

As a result BPF has signed onto three coalition letters to the California legislators banning contracts with companies doing business with the Sudanese government.

What can you do?  See the film Darfur NOW to begin educating yourself on the issue.  Next write to California legislators encouraging them to vote in favor of the Darfur Accountability Act (AB 498) to eliminate business between California and Sudan.  In your own state find out about legislation on the Darfur crisis.

At the close of 2007, the federal government unanimously passed and signed into law the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (S.2271 ).  This Act authorizes states to prohibit state government contracts with companies that provide revenue primarily for the Sudanese government at the expense of marginalized populations, and prohibits these companies from receiving federal contracts. AB 498 has been written in accordance with the federal law in a way that streamlines effective and efficient, no-cost implementation.
 

The human cost of foregoing such legislation is evident. The United Nations former undersecretary-general has placed the number of casualties at as many as 400,000; there have been reports of bombing in Darfur as recently as late July.
 

The United Nations has called Darfur the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Today millions of people are dependent on foreign food aid and many Darfuri children have never known life outside of refugee camps. In the past few weeks, humanitarian groups and peacekeeping troops have come under attack; renewed attacks on villages in 2008 mirrored the worst days of the conflict in 2004. Given these circumstances, we all must take every action we can to combat the violence. We demand that our tax dollars be kept from funding the Government of Sudan and its campaign of murder, destruction, torture, and systematic rape.

As part of the coalition of organizations, BPF strongly supports the Darfur Accountability Act and we encourage its urgent passage. California was a national leader in adopting a policy of divestment from Sudan. The policy that California adopted has been emulated in sixteen other states. A policy of contract prohibition would confirm California's bold leadership on this issue and would place much-needed economic pressure on the Sudanese government to stop the genocide.