Canada's “1-800-GENOCIDE” Calls for End to Darfur Crisis
Oct 16, 2007
By dialling 1-800-GENOCIDE Canadians can make their voices heard on
the crisis in Darfur.
Marketwire
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- Yesterday STAND Canada launched Canada's first-ever
advocacy hotline, 1-800-GENOCIDE, with a series of TTC advertisements urging
people to take immediate action. The pilot of this toll free number connects
Canadians directly with their choice of several prominent Members of
Parliament, provides them with relevant talking points on the situation on
Darfur and enables every Canadian to make a difference in just minutes.
The targeted MP list includes Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign
Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier, who have both been slow to rally Canadian
efforts in support of Darfur. Our silence continues to enable their inaction.
We believe 1-800-GENOCIDE is a key component in ending this silence.
In addition, Canadians will also have the option of leaving a message of
encouragement for Liberal MP Glen Pearson and NDP MP Alexa McDonough, who
have both been strong advocates for Darfur and have been vocal in the house,
in committee meetings and with the media regarding the crisis.
"We
have been very successful at encouraging students across Canada to take
notice, and become educated on Darfur, but what has always been a challenge
is providing effective tools to Canadians with which they can directly
influence our country's policy on Darfur. After the Rwandan genocide
politicians abdicated responsibility, claiming that "the phones weren't
ringing". When we look back at Darfur, this hotline will ensure they don't
have that excuse." says STAND Canada's Executive Director, Yoni Levitan.
The TTC ad campaign features a green telephone in between a gun and a
machete, with the phrase "Weapon of Change" above it; reminding Canadians
that loud dissenting voices are as powerful a weapon to stop the crisis, as
the janjaweeds' rifles are to continue it. The ads begin running on subways
on October 17th.
About STAND Canada:
STAND Canada is a national
student-founded and driven non-profit, aimed at mobilizing a critical mass of
Canadian students, citizens and decision-makers to end the crisis in Darfur,
and respond to future threats of genocide. Since 2005, we have been a leader
in grassroots student activism - uniting the voices of thousands of students
across 26 university campuses and 40 high schools, from coast-to-coast.