The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Jewish World Service organized a Darfur Emergency Summit which took place on July 14, 2004 in New York City. Holocaust survivor, peace activist, and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel was one of the organizers of the summit. He inspired the group with his impassioned remarks about the suffering being inflicted on Darfurians: \"How can I hope to move people from indifference if I remain indifferent to the plight of others? I cannot stand idly by or all my endeavors will be unworthy.\"
From that Darfur Emergency Summit, the Save Darfur Coalition emerged. The Save Darfur Coalition, uniting over 100 diverse faith-based, humanitarian, and human rights organizations, was formed in response to the massive crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, in order to raise public awareness and to mobilize efforts to help end the atrocities that threaten the lives of two million people in the region and to reduce their suffering.
Save Darfur Coalition designated August 25, 2004 as SUDAN: DAY OF CONSCIENCE. Groups across North America held prayer vigils, informational meetings, interfaith prayer services, panel discussions …and over 3000 people engaged in a one day hunger strike in solidarity with the people of western Sudan.
On that day San Diegans began planning a vigorous course of action to address the horrific situation in the Darfur region of Sudan and to address the Sudanese refugee crisis in Chad.
A small but dedicated group of people gathered at the Alliance for African Assistance and on that day, the San Diego Coalition to Stop the Genocide in Sudan was born.
We strongly encourage individuals and groups to mobilize their energy toward helping reverse the horrendous situation in Sudan and other nearby African countries.
We encourage students, workers, people of faith, people of conscience, and members of service organizations to organize symposia, teach-ins, demonstrations, guerrilla theatre, and and other events in the San Diego area. Such demonstrations and events will be critical to raising awareness about the tragic situation in Darfur ....and will be an important expression of solidarity with the people in Sudan...People whose suffering CAN NOT be ignored...and MUST NOT go unattended.
Collective, coordinated action is always most effective.
This website was created to help build a vocal, visible, and effective movement in San Diego, to end the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. By raising awareness and catalyzing local action, we are determined to apply pressure to our government, the UN, the world community, and ultimately the government of Sudan to stop their policies and actions which have led to the raping, slaughter, and devastion in Darfur.
This site is designed to enable people to easily find channels through which they can educate themselves about the genocide in Sudan, find ways to help apply international pressure on the government of Sudan, and find relief agencies which are accepting donations for humanitarian relief efforts. Financial contributions are needed to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan and in neighboring Chad, where thousands upon thousands of people from Darfur have fled in fear of losing their lives in their homeland.
The layout of this website is organized to make it easier to find sources of news, analysis, and recommendations for action regarding the genocide in Sudan.