Day 100: By All Means Possible

To mark the 100th day of the Obama administration, April 29th, use all means possible to reach Obama.

Use all means possible to get our message to the President. Tell him what you and your chapter have done for Darfur this semester – how many letters you’ve written, how many calls you’ve made, how many events you’ve held – and tell him that you expect him to show real leadership on Sudan in the coming months.

Write letters, send pictures, make videos, and do everything else you can to reach Obama for his 100th day. Contact your Outreach Coordinator for info on what other chapters are doing in your region and to let them know what you are planning for Day 100. If you have additional questions, you can also email advocacy@standnow.org.

In your message to Obama, include what he has done and what he still has left to do for Sudan. Also, include an update on the situation in Darfur.

Click here for a list of ways to contact the White House.

Click here to see what the US Government has done for Sudan in the first 100 Days

Click here to see what the Obama administration still needs to do for Sudan.

Click here to see an updated summary of the situation in Darfur.

Click here to see a sample letter to President Obama.

Check out how Stanford STAND got their message to President Obama!

Ways to Contact the White House

1. Sign Up now to pledge to take action on Day 100 and encourage others to participate as well.
2. Call. On Day 100 encourage friends, family and chapter members to call in to 1-800-Genocide, the free anti-genocide hotline, for a quick and easy way to contact the White House. Talking points will be provided for you on the call before you are connected to the White House.
3. Write. Tell President Obama what you and your chapter have done for Sudan this semester, and urge the Obama administration to do more. Do your best to make your letters as compelling and creative as possible.  Click here for a sample letter. Send letters to: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.
4. Email. Get your message to Obama electronically, too. Click here for the White House e-mail contact form.
5. Make a Video. Obama has a youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/barackobama. Get together with your chapter or your friends and make a compelling video to get our message to Obama. The page is checked regularly, so sign up as a friend or subscriber, and you can send messages (see the “connect to BarackObamadotcom” section).
6. Facebook. You can use Barack Obama’s page here. Become a supporter, and then post on his wall. You can also use the White House Facebook page here.
7. Twitter. There is a Barack Obama twitter account: http://twitter.com/BarackObama. You must have a twitter account to be able to contact it. There is also Obama News: https://twitter.com/ObamaNews. If you have an account, you can “follow” him. Once you are following him, go to “direct messages” on the right hand side and send a message to the President.

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What the US Government has done for Sudan in the first 100 Days

The Obama administration has been slow to act on Sudan policy. Granted, the administration was confronted with a host of problems with which it needed to contend from Day 1. However, President Obama, Vice-President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton, and UN Ambassador Susan Rice have all talked a tough game on Sudan policy in the past--during the campaign, and in their previous jobs. So where's the dice?

Thanks to your efforts, President Obama's administration and the 111th Congress have taken several important steps:

• President Obama appointed a special envoy for Sudan ahead of schedule, signaling the high importance of Sudan in the Obama White House.
• General Scott Gration has made his first trip to Sudan, and we wish him the best of luck in his new appointment.
• President Obama took the time to meet with key Darfur advocates to discuss moving forward on Sudan policy.
• Senator John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has made a trip to Sudan, his first in a few years.
• The US government did not interfere with the indictment of President Omar al Bashir.

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What the Obama administration still needs to do for Sudan.

President Obama and his administration need to show us more. They need to:

• Make a concerted effort to get the needed amount of aid back into Darfur for the displaced civilians.
• Complete the Sudan policy review in order to move forward with a comprehensive and coherent policy on Darfur.
• Ensure that Gration has the support he needs from the State Department.
• Bolster UNAMID in all ways possible.
• Bring other key players in the international community--especially, Europe (including Russia)--into the foreground, in order to further discussions about a no-fly zone, increased sanctions, and enforcing the arms embargo.

On Day 100 of Obama's administration, we can tell him all of the things we expect him to do for Darfur, and contrast it to all of the activism that we have done--and ask him to meet us in the middle. Read above to find out how to get in touch with President Obama on Day 100.

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Situation in Darfur

Since the government of Sudan expelled 16 aid organizations from the country in early March, the humanitarian situation in Darfur has been rapidly deteriorating. Over one million people risk losing food, water, and health care. Outbreaks of meningitis in several internally displaced persons (IDP) camps have been exacerbated by the lack of access to health services.

On a recent trip to Sudan, Senator John Kerry expressed optimism that the government of Sudan would allow the restoration of “some aid” into Darfur. But it is unclear whether Khartoum’s promises will translate into any substantial progress.

Please check the STAND blog for regular updates about the current situation in Sudan and the US Government's response.

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