Stand in Support of ICC Arrest Warrant

Stand Canada Action Alert

Attention Stand supporters!

Today, the ICC announced that it has issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. This is a remarkable development: the international community has just taken a bold stance against a murderous regime.

But this announcement also carries grave risk in the short-term. Bashir may respond with violent backlash against civilians or aid workers. We must be vigilant to ensure that this does not occur. It would be a travesty for an unprecedented step forward for justice to be followed by ten steps backward for those already suffering in Darfur.

Friends, this is a pivotal moment for Darfur. The world's attention will be focused on Sudan as the ICC announcement is publicized. This is an opportunity for Canada to assert its commitment to Darfur. And it is an opportunity for us to push our leaders to act!

Join us in calling on our government to:
1) Express support for an ICC process against Bashir that is robust, efficient, and sensitive to its short-term impacts on civilians.

2) Honour our commitments to UNAMID, and advocate for the Mission's full deployment. For the ICC's work to be effective, it must be supported by a robust peace process.

How can you do this? It's EASY:

1) Call 1-800-GENOCIDE and leave a message for Prime Minister Harper.

2) Email Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon at Cannon.L@parl.gc.ca. A few lines will suffice – the important thing will be to get as many emails as possible flooding his inbox over the next few days! Here's a template:

Dear Honorable Minister Lawrence Cannon,

Thank you for for your statement acknowledging Canada's commitment to Sudan and support for the ICC process. In light of this important development, I would request that the Government of Canada: 1) Commit to ongoing support for an ICC process against Bashir that is robust, efficient, and sensitive to its short-term impacts on civilians. 2) Honour its commitments to UNAMID, and advocate for the Mission's full deployment. For the ICC's work to be effective, it must be supported by a robust peace process. This is Canada's Forte.

Many thanks for your time.

Kind Regards,
xxx

3) Write a Letter to the Editor of a local or national newspaper. Let them know what you think about the ICC process, what Canada can do, why they should be covering the story more prominently … whatever you feel is important!

4) Spread the word! Forward this message to friends, or post a link to the Stand blog on your Facebook profile (http://standcanada.blogspot.com/).

Many, many thanks for your ongoing support. Our work is making a difference!

In solidarity,

Jackie Bonisteel

Stand Canada Advocacy Director
jbonisteel@standcanada.org