Barbara Lee to Address Rally to End Genocide in Darfur
(Oakland, CA) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), long a leader in the effort to end the genocide in Darfur, will address the rally in San Francisco on Sunday as part of the National Day of Conscience for Darfur.
“Nearly two years ago, on June 24th, 2004, I stood with the Congressional Black Caucus, Leader Pelosi and others and introduced H CON RES 467, declaring that genocide was occurring in Darfur, Sudan and that the Government of Sudan is responsible – the same government which harbored Osama bin Laden,” said Lee. “Tragically, and to our own shame, the genocide continues today – almost two years later – unabated. The crisis is overwhelming but we can take action in effort to stop it and we must. We simply cannot stand by while genocide occurs.”
“To end the genocide, we must use every tool possible to prevent the Khartoum government from acting with impunity - including hitting them where it counts: in the pocket book. That’s why I have been working over the past two years to get our public pension funds to divest from companies doing business in Sudan. Because I believe that no one should have to worry that their retirement funds are supporting genocide,” said Lee.
Lee, who is the most senior Democratic woman on the House International Relations Committee, where she serves on the Africa Subcommittee, has been a leader in the effort to end the genocide in Darfur. She was an original cosponsor of both the resolution to declare the situation in Darfur a genocide and the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, which the House just passed. She has also been a leading voice in the growing national movement to divest state pension funds and university endowments from companies whose business in Sudan is supporting the genocide.
The rally begins at 1:30 PM at Crissy Field, in the Presidio.
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