J.K. Rowlings and Judy Blume Speak Up For Darfur, As Students Are Arrested In Protest

April 15th, 2008

    J.K. Rowling joins children’s writers calling for end to Darfur conflict
    CBC News

    J.K. Rowlings

    Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is among a group of 14 children’s writers who have published a letter calling for an end to the conflict in Darfur.

    The open letter, signed by the writers, appeared in newspapers in Britain on Saturday — the day before the fifth anniversary of the conflict in the Sudanese region. More than 200,000 people have died while two million have fled to refugee camps.

    Author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, seen here last July, has signed a letter with 13 other authors calling for intervention to the conflict in Darfur.
    (Ian West/Associated Press) “It is time to change the narrative,” says the letter.

    “The world needs to wake up. For too long it has let these children suffer. Our politicians need to act on Darfur.”

    The other authors include American teen novel writer Judy Blume, Germany’s Cornelia Funke, R.L. Stine, the American author of the Goosebumps series, as well as Michael Morpugo, a former U.K. Children’s Laureate — a bi-annual honour handed out by British booksellers to honour achievement in the area of children’s literature.

    More than 1 million children affected

    Their plea calls for an immediate ceasefire and the full deployment of a UN peacekeeping force.

read the rest of the story here…

Sierra Briant at Darfur protest, courtesy of the Associated Press

    18 students arrested in Darfur protest at White House
    From Megan Zingarelli - CNN

    WASHINGTON (CNN) — A group of student protesters were arrested Sunday after they called on President Bush to end the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan, and refused to leave the front gates of the White House.

    The protesters shouted, “Hey Bush, you can’t hide! Help us end this genocide!” and “President Bush! No more excuses!” Federal police arrested 18 of them after they marched to the White House.

    Sunday’s protest was one of many scheduled around the world for “Global Day for Darfur” to mark five years of ethnic cleansing in Sudan. The conflict has killed more than 200,000 people, and it has made refugees of more than 2 million others.

    In London 3,000 protesters gathered at the Sudanese Embassy. Also, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for Darfur peace talks. Watch a report from the protest in London »

    In the U.S., Scott Warren, national student director of the Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, said the students were bringing specific demands to the president, including bolstering the United Nations peacekeeping force in Sudan and stepping up pressure on China, Sudan’s trading partner.

    “In your last seven months, you can make peace in Sudan, and this is how you can do it,” he said.

    Warren said the students knew the president wasn’t home, but still hoped their message was heard. Bush was on his way back to Washington from his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

    “It’s not something we take lightly, and we do understand the implications of it. But we also understand that genocide is not just a casual issue,” said student activist Ashley Kroetsch, who was among the 18 arrested. “It is one of the worst crimes against humanity, and it requires a very severe response to end it.”

www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/13/darfur.protest/index.html?section=cnn_latest

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