Just wanted to follow up with a bit of info on the aid groups being kicked out of Sudan.

Following its issuance of the arrest warrant for al-Bashir this morning, international aid agency Oxfam GB confirmed that the Sudanese government revoked its license to operate in northern Sudan. Also revoked were licenses for Mercy Corps, Save the Children, IRC, CHF, MSF. Worldvision and Catholic Relief Services get to stay.

Penny Lawrence, Oxfam’s International Director, said:

"If Oxfam’s registration is revoked, it will affect more than 600,000 Sudanese people whom we provide with vital humanitarian and development aid, including clean water and sanitation on a daily basis. 400,000 of them are affected by the ongoing conflict in Darfur – where people continue to flee from violence and the humanitarian needs remain enormous. It will also affect another 200,000 poor people in the east of the country and Khartoum state."

Cleary, this is a serious development that we need to continue monitoring.  We’ll do our best to keep you posted.

For 6 years, United States policy on the Darfur genocide has been all talk and little action. While some progress has been made, the genocide continues in Sudan.

I just got back from watching Barack Obama officially become the 44th President of the United States. With his inauguration comes a new opportunity for change in Darfur; we’ve been screaming for years and at long last, an opportunity has finally come.  But better yet, we’re ready.

It’s time for change.

Check out this video, made by students at STAND’s National Student Conference. Join our newest campaign, Darfur From Day One, by taking action to make Darfur a priority for the Obama administration. You can start by forwarding this video to everyone you know.

Over the next 100 days, Obama’s first days in office, we’re going to do everything we can to make Darfur a priority starting today, on Day One. We’ll be sending out urgent actions that you can take to influence Congress and President Obama’s administration.

Find out more about the campaign by clicking here.

We’re getting started right now. Take our Day One Action by faxing a checklist for Darfur action to the White House. It’s easy to fax the checklist in, but if enough of us do it we can make a real impact on the Obama administration during his first days in office.

1. Go to http://faxzero.com/
2. Fill out the information in the "Sender" and "Receiver" information fields.
   • Sender Name: your name
   • Sender Company: STAND: a Student Anti-Genocide Coalition
   • Sender Fax #: 202-682-9258
   • Sender Email: your email
   • Receiver Name: President Obama
   • Receiver Company: The White House
   • Receiver Fax #: 202-456-2461
3. Download the page that we’re faxing in, save it, and then attach it in the "Fax Information" box
4. You will be prompted for a confirmation code in the "Fax Information" box
5. Click on "Send Free Fax Now" on the bottom left
6. You will be sent an email form FaxZero.com with a link. You need to click on this link in order to send the fax.

It’s time for change. Let’s make it happen.

Happy New Year!  2008 was a great year for student anti-genocide activists.  In the past calendar year, we came closer together as a movement, students standing united against genocide.  This spring, we reaffirmed our resolve at conferences across the country and again in Washington DC when we urged President Bush to SEAL the Deal for Sudan.  In the last few months, we’ve made genocide in Darfur a campaign issue, raised funds for the Genocide Intervention Network’s civilian protection program and together mapped the future of anti-genocide activism at the 2008 STAND National Student Conference.

A few numbers for the books…

• 1,000 Darfuris were displaced in 2008
• 250,000 Congolese were displaced in 2008
• 500 students gathered in Washington D.C. for the National Stand Student Conference
• Hundreds of STAND chapters participated in STANDFast

2008 was not the beginning and 2009 will not be the end.  Ours is a movement dedicated to permanency.  For all of the work you’ve put in during the past year, we have a more powerful network of students better equipped to fight the long fight against genocide.

For all of the work that you’ve put in, I thank you.

Despite China’s desire to hide its connection to genocide, Friday’s Olympic Opening Ceremonies will serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing violence in Sudan and one man’s long road to safety in the United States.

Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese lost boy and a member of Team Darfur, will bear the flag for the United States this Friday at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.  Lomong, who received US citizenship in 2007, was nominated for the honor by Olympic team captains.

His story is an amazing one, taking him from South Sudan to a refugee camp in Kenya before Lomong made a long journey to the United States.  “Running saved my life,” he said, and now Lomong is using running to save the lives of others and to bring the Olympic Dream to Darfur.

You can read more of Lomong’s story here.