September 16, 2009 President Barack H. Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Obama: Your leadership today is critical to resolving the crisis in Darfur and building a better tomorrow for civilians throughout Sudan. We, a broad coalition of faith-based, human rights and advocacy organizations, have greatly anticipated the release of your Administration's comprehensive policy plan for Sudan. The plan itself, however, is ultimately just a starting point. What truly matters most is whether or not those words on paper are effectively translated into action on the ground, and whether that action ultimately yields peace for those who live there. This is a significant undertaking, and it is clear that bringing peace to Sudan is not something the U.S. can accomplish alone. It is just as clear however that U.S. leadership must play a central role in galvanizing the international community to finally solve Sudan's recurrent crises. The upcoming session of the UN General Assembly in New York and meeting of the G-20 nations in Pittsburgh offer you two ideal opportunities to lend the weight of your personal engagement to your policy plan for Sudan. During the UN General Assembly, we therefore call on you to include a section on Darfur and Sudan in your speech to the General Assembly and raise Darfur and Sudan during any head of state session of the Security Council and in any bilateral meetings with key heads of state. With these different audiences of the world's leaders, you have the unique ability to urge the international community to support a credible and inclusive Darfur peace process, the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and the International Criminal Court's proceedings on Darfur. To accomplish these objectives, you can also use these occasions to build international consensus on the necessary set of carrots and sticks required to change the behavior of the Sudanese government. During the G-20 meeting, we likewise call on you to raise Darfur and Sudan in your meetings with this select group of the world's leaders. In addition to continuing your push for the above policies and measures, we ask that you focus on the important role the world's largest economies have the potential to play in influencing Sudan's actions. G-20 nations are responsible for a majority of Sudan's foreign trade, and hold a majority of Sudan's foreign debt. We therefore urge you to push these nations to adopt a common
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platform that uses the strength of those economic relationships to compel significant and demonstrable progress by the Sudanese regime related to peace in Darfur and implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with South Sudan. There are no easy fixes for Sudan, and progress will likely take time. That wait for peace will be shorter and the lives lost will be fewer with your robust personal engagement. Thank you for your commitment to bringing peace to Sudan, we look forward to your leadership at this critical time. Sincerely, Jerry Fowler President Save Darfur Coalition John Norris Executive Director The Enough Project Sam Bell Executive Director Genocide Intervention Network Larry Cox Executive Director Amnesty International USA Jim Wallis President & Executive Director Sojourners Leith Anderson President National Association of Evangelicals Ruth Messinger President American Jewish World Service Steve Gutow President and CEO Jewish Council for Public Affairs Tony Kireopoulos Senior Program Director for Faith and Order and Interfaith Relations National Council of Churches John Arthur Nunes President and CEO Lutheran World Relief
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Galen Carey Director of Government Affairs National Association of Evangelicals Helen Fein Executive Director Institute for the Study of Genocide Rev. Michael Kinnamon General Secretary National Council of Churches Eric Fusfield Director of Legislative Affairs B'nai B'rith International Rev. David Emmanuel Goatley, Ph.D Executive Secretary-Treasurer Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention Bruce Knotts Executive Director Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office Carolyn Kunin Director, Department on Programming and Advocacy Women of Reform Judaism Rabbi Richard Hirsh Executive Director Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association Eric Cohen Chairperson Investors Against Genocide Susan Morgan Director of Communications Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur Bryan Ardouny President Armenian Assembly of America David Rosenberg Coordinator Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition
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James E. Winkler General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society United Methodist Church Marv Steinberg Coordinator Genocide No More-Save Darfur Ross Vartian Executive Director US-Armenia Public Affairs Committee (USAPAC) Gedlu Metaferia Executive Director African Mutual Assistance Association Michael Neuroth Policy Advocate on International Issues The United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries Joe Carson President Affiliation of Christian Engineers Ann Buwalda, Esq. Executive Director Jubilee Campaign USA Barbara Thomas Clerk, Annapolis Friends Meeting Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Nikki Serapio Director Americans Against the Darfur Genocide Rabbi Shawn Zevit Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam Congregational Consultant Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Bill Andress Moderator Sudan Advocacy Action Forum Eileen B. Weiss Co-Founder New York City Coalition for Darfur
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Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF Leader Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Office Wheaton Franciscans Martina Knee Member, Executive Committee San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition Gerri Miller Founder and Coordinator Dear Sudan, Love Marin Sara Caine Kornfeld Founder/Educator "Change the world. It just takes cents" TM