Dayton Rallies for Darfur
Dayton citizens gather with Nick Clooney and Ibrahim Adam to call for an end to the genocide.

Dayton, Ohio – Local nonprofit Dayton for Darfur will hold a rally and march Saturday, April 19, beginning at 1 p.m. at Courthouse Square on East First Street in downtown Dayton. A march will lead the rally from Courthouse Square to the Dayton Convention Center on East Fifth Street. The purpose of the rally is to educate the public about the genocide in Darfur, and to increase lobbying efforts. Any funds raised will go to the Save Darfur Coalition to support efforts to end the genocide and to Doctors Without Borders to provide ongoing assistance to victims of the genocide.

Local reggae artist Seefari will kick off the gathering at 12:45 as people assemble. Speakers will then present at both locations. Speakers include:
• Journalist, actor, and politician Nick Clooney, who has visited Darfur and been active in international efforts to raise awareness about the genocide
• Darfuri refugee Ibrahim Musa Adam, who has been traveling with and presenting on behalf of the Save Darfur Coalition’s “Voices from Darfur” project
• Local pastor Jonathan Slaughter, from Ginghamsburg Church, who has observed the violence in Darfur
• Dayton City Commissioner Dean Lovelace

Local radio host Rev Cool, of Yellow Springs’ WYSO, will emcee the event. Petitions and preprinted letters and postcards for lobbying policy-makers will be circulated. Darfur-related merchandise will be on sale. Proceeds will go to pay for the cost of the rally and to the Save Darfur Coalition and Doctors Without Borders. In the event of inclement weather, the rally will be moved inside to the Dayton Convention Center, and the march will start from and return to the convention center.

Cosponsors of the Dayton Rally for Darfur include: Amnesty International, The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), The Dayton Circus, The Dayton International Peace Museum, Genocide Intervention Network, Ginghamsburg Church, The Jewish Community Relations Council, the Save Darfur Coalition, Save the Children, STAND (University of Dayton chapter), and Wright State University Physicians for Human Rights.

Sudan, the largest country in Africa, has been embroiled in conflict for decades. A tentative peace treaty ended the most recent civil war in 2005; however, that treaty did not extend to all Sudanese. By the time the agreement was reached, fighting had already begun in Darfur, the western region of Sudan, which covers a territory nearly the size of Texas. For the past several years, the government-sponsored Janjaweed militia fighters have been waging war against Darfuri rebels and attacking villages across the region. As many as 400,000 people—mainly noncombatant villagers—have been killed, and as many as 2.5 million have been displaced. More than 3 million people now depend on international aid in order to survive.

For more information on Dayton for Darfur and the Dayton Rally for Darfur or to set up an interview, please contact daytonfordarfur@sbcglobal.net.

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About Dayton for Darfur – Local citizens formed Dayton for Darfur in 2006 to raise awareness and lobby policymakers about the genocide and resulting refugee and medical crises in Darfur. The stated mission of Dayton for Darfur is “to compel policy-makers and other decision-makers in the United States and abroad to 1) act to end the genocide in Darfur and 2) aid in the establishment of treaties needed for a lasting peace. To accomplish this, we are committed to increasing public awareness of the situation in Darfur, reaching out to the media, and facilitating lobbying by Americans.” More information can be found at http://www.daytonfordarfur.org. The mailing address for Dayton for Darfur is Dayton for Darfur, P.O. Box 121, Fairborn, Ohio, 45324.

About the Save Darfur Coalition – The Save Darfur Coalition raises public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of people throughout the Darfur region. It is an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations. The coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur. For more information on the coalition, please visit www.SaveDarfur.org. To obtain footage from the Darfur border region, coalition events, various interviews, and more, please visit the Save Darfur Coalition media gallery at http://media.savedarfur.org. All footage may be previewed in non-broadcast quality and may be purchased in broadcast quality by filling out the purchase request form provided on the site. Videos of survivors and other resources can also be found at http://www.voicesfromdarfur.org.

About Doctors Without Borders – Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that delivers emergency medical aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, and other events in more than 60 countries. Doctors Without Borders operates independently of any nation or government and comprises a coalition of international teams of doctors and medical and other staff. Doctors Without Borders has been working in Sudan since 1979. Currently, the organization has more than 100 international staff and more than a 1,000 Sudanese staff working throughout Darfur to help tens of thousands of refugees and other affected by the genocide. Among its many services, Doctors Without Borders runs health centers that provide basic medical care and consultation and specialized care for women, and operates mobile clinics that travel throughout villages and camps providing medical and nutritional consultation and vaccinations. Doctors Without Borders also distributes mosquito nets and clean drinking water and provides technical support to local hospitals and programs.

About Nick Clooney – Born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1934, Nick Clooney went on to be a successful actor, game show host, television journalist, anchorman, and politician. Clooney started his career as a news anchor in Lexington, and soon gained his own television show, the “Nick Clooney Show” in Columbus, Ohio, and then Cincinnati, Ohio. For several years in the 1970s, he worked as a game show host before returning to journalism as an evening news anchor. In 1989, Clooney branched out into print journalism as a columnist for The Cincinnati Post before returning to television as a host for American Movie Classics. In 2004, Clooney ran as a Kentucky Democrat for a seat in the House of Representatives. Although he lost, he made a strong showing and gained much recognition. In recent years, he has traveled with his son, actor George Clooney, to the Sudan and observed the violence there firsthand. As a result of his visits, Clooney has become a strong activist on behalf of the people of the Darfur region, calling for an end to the genocide.

About Ibrahim Musa Adam – Ibrahim Musa Adam grew up in a the village of Jadara in northern Darfur. There, he worked as a farmer and volunteered as a teacher. In 2003, the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed militia attacked and destroyed his village. Eighty people were killed, including 20 members of Adam’s family. Today, Adam lives and works in Rockford, Illinois, and travels with the Save Darfur Coalition’s “Voices From Darfur” project in hopes of helping to end the genocide. One day, he would like to return to Darfur and help rebuild his homeland.