Ask the Candidates About Darfur:

It was only a few months ago that the Ask The Candidates was out in Iowa, demanding to know what the presidential candidates would do to end genocide and caucusing for Darfur.  Though the Iowa caucus was back in January, the process in Iowa is actually not over yet.  This weekend, the final Iowa delegates will be chosen at the state conventions. In addition to choosing delegates, part of the caucus process also includes choosing a state platform for each party.  The platforms are a means for parties to state their positions and philosophies on various issues.  As a swing state, Senators McCain and Obama will spend a great deal of time campaigning in Iowa and will be very interested in the content of the parties' state platforms. 

This weekend, at the state convention, the five districts in Iowa will present their decided platforms and a coherent state platform will be determined.  Darfur has been made a priority by all five Democratic districts (we are hoping to hear from the Republican districts very soon).

Statements from the five district platforms include the following:

• "Strong action in concert with the international community to end the genocide in Darfur and work for a fair and lasting peace."
• "We support...robust world efforts to prevent and end genocide [and] rapid international peacekeeping intervention in armed conflicts."
• "We support...ending genocide in Darfur and elsewhere, including the use of targeted sanctions and a full-time diplomatic team in the region and quick response to future genocide."
• "We believe the US in cooperation with the international community should take decisive action to end genocide and human rights violations in Darfur and throughout the world."
• "Support U.S. cooperation with the international community to impose targeted sanctions on any government official or faction leader who commits atrocities, impedes the peace process, or obstructs the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Darfur."

Thanks to everyone who has worked relentlessly to bring Darfur and genocide to the forefront of the campaign in Iowa and throughout the country!  Let's continue to make this an issue in the national campaign and ensure that the next president will end the atrocities being committed in Darfur!

We have just two weeks until the Iowa Caucuses, and only a month until the South Carolina primaries. For the next few weeks, election fever will be focused in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

If you're in one of these states, this is your last chance to get involved! Go to an event and ask the candidates one of our Darfur policy questions. Don't forget to record it so that others can read the candidate's views on the issue.Â

For Iowans — Caucus for Darfur!

Click here to find sample Darfur planks and tips on caucusing.

For South Carolinians — Vote for Darfur!

Click here to find out how you can show the candidates that Darfur is a crucial issue to citizens of South Carolina.

What About Me?

Not in an early primary state? You can still press the candidates on Darfur. Email your favorite candidate or call his or her office and ask about their Darfur policy. And stay tuned for ways to make your voice heard for the national campaign.

Des Moines, Iowa — Late last night, in a bipartisan show of force, the United States Senate unanimously passed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act which would authorize state and local governments to divest from companies that support the Khartoum government and prohibit federal contracts with those companies.

Washington — In a full-page Des Moines Register advertisement, more than seven hundred Iowa caucus-goers pressed both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to outline a clear policy to end the suffering in Darfur and to make the preventing future atrocities a priority in their campaigns. The advertisement, signed by hundreds of Iowans including Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, is the latest phase of a multi-faceted voter education campaign by Darfur advocates - including the Save Darfur Coalition, the Genocide Intervention Network, American Jewish World Service, the ENOUGH Project, and STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition - that includes on-the-ground advocacy, billboard advertisements and grassroots outreach.

Washington — “Ask the Candidates,” an interactive nationwide campaign to make ending the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, a priority for all of the 2008 presidential candidates, is making headway in Iowa. Currently the focus is on early primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette ran a story about the new kind of activist taking shape this campaign seasaon - the bird-dogger who asks pointed questions of candidates at public forums. As a model, the paper picks Ask the Candidate activists who show up to events in their bright orange "I Caucus for Darfur" t-shirts and pose questions about Darfur to the candidates.

Today's young activists are a different breed. The article highlights smart techniques they learn for getting their questions heard, such as sitting up front, wearing bright t-shirts, and asking pointed questions that demand a solid response. Ask the Candidates activists aren't hesitating to take the lead and demand action.

Everything we do has a purpose," said Lauren Balog, 21, the Midwest outreach coordinator for STAND, a student anti-genocide coalition. "We're not our parents' activists. We're at a point where we're not just standing outside, yelling at the Capitol. We're walking into there in our suits and handing them legislation that they're passing."

Darfur activists in Iowa got creative this Halloween. Now, will the candidates answer our questions about Darfur with a trick or a treat?

Benefit dinners are great places to spread the "I Caucus for Darfur" message. Candidates and campaign representatives are often in attendance, as well as political activists of both parties, providing a perfect forum to discuss the significance of Darfur in the 2008 primaries.

Donate a ticket or table to Ask the Candidates for a benefit dinner. Upcoming Iowa events include the Ronald Reagan Dinner, the Jefferson Jackson Dinner or the Brown & Black forum. For more details contact Lisa Rogoff at lrogoff@enoughproject.org.

We've been busy lately, with a successful Ask the Candidates training in Des Moines and appearances by supporters at candidate events across the country.

The Iowa training brought together over 50 state activists, including members of the local Sudanese community, to learn how they can make Darfur a priority in the 2008 presidential primaries.

The day-long conference included sessions on the current violence in Darfur, the most relevant questions to ask presidential candidates, advice on using the media, and an introduction to the Iowa political system. The day ended with an inspirational call to action by Reverend Gloria White-Hammond and a reception with local campaign representatives, where training participants were able to put into practice their new skills.