Over 70 Team Darfur athletes are headed to Beijing to compete in the 2008 Olympic & Paralympic Games. Over 300 other elite athletes have signed on to Team Darfur's mission to raise awareness about and bring an end to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
And you can help!
Take the steps below to show your support for this amazing group of talented and compassionate athletes.
A number of leaders of the US government have made statements about the situation of Team Darfur athletes' whose visas to China have been revoked. A sampling of those statements is below:
President Bush, in an interview on NBC on August 10th with NBC’s Bob Costas:
COSTAS: China is a nation that warmly received Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who has since been indicted by the International Court on charges of genocide... Then this past week they revoked the visa of Joey Cheek, an exemplary Olympian who had planned to come here not to directly protest China's government, but to call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur... What's your reaction?
THE PRESIDENT: My reaction is I'm sorry Joey Cheek didn't come, he's a good man. Joey Cheek has just got to know that I took the Sudanese message for him. My attitude is, is if you got relations with Mr.Bashir, think about helping to solve the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. That was my message to the Chinese government.
In a statement, Senator Feingold of Wisconsin, who introduced the Senate Resolution calling for an Olympic Truce for Darfur, said:
“China’s decision to revoke Joey Cheek’s visa undermines the spirit of the Olympic Games and China’s role as host. As a world leader deeply engaged in Africa, and as host of the Olympic Games, China has a responsibility and an opportunity to help bring peace to Darfur. I call on the Chinese government to use the Olympic Games to push for an end to the conflicts in Sudan and I call on President Bush to raise this issue specifically with the Chinese government during his visit.”
As we've noted in past blog posts, Team Darfur athletes have been leading the call for an Olympic Truce for Darfur. As outlined in their open letter, an Olympic Truce for Darfur would be a period of time when the international community would work to secure lasting peace for Darfur by demanding increased access for humanitarian aid workers, deployment of UNAMID peacekeepers, and support for the peace process.
A quick recap of Team Darfur athletes' efforts for an Olympic Truce for Darfur:
July 1: Team Darfur releases an open letter signed by over 130 elite athletes calling for an Olympic Truce for Darfur. Read the letter here[11]. Read the press release here[12] .
Dream for Darfur releases a report outlining the history of the Olympic Truce and the ways it can be used to secure lasting peace in Darfur. Read the report here[13].
Team Darfur President Joey Cheek in Sunday's Washington Post[16]:
I'm not competing this summer, but I am urging others to think about Darfur and about China's relationship with Sudan. China buys much of Sudan's annual oil output and sells arms to Sudan, helping prop up the government in Khartoum. China is also the genocidal regime's key defender at the United Nations[17], helping weaken Security Council resolutions that might stem the violence.
I sincerely hope that the newest Olympic champions not only show graciousness toward their Chinese hosts, but also issue a stern call for action in Darfur. With its significant ties to Sudan, China is one of the countries in the world best positioned to do more to stop the killing in Darfur, and it is the responsibility of athletes competing there this summer to say that -- respectfully yet forcefully -- even as they focus on their own athletic accomplishments.
Team Darfur cyclist Jimena Florit's piece on the importance of speaking out about Darfur was published this week in online magazine www.VoicesOfTomorrow.org[20]. We want to thank Jimena for writing this thoughtful piece, and encourage everyone to follow www.VoicesOfTomorrow.org[21] as more articles by Team Darfur athletes will be published there in the coming weeks and months.
Coming from Argentina, I have a pretty good understanding of what it is like to live in fear. Our history is full of long periods of military dictatorships during which acts of terrorism against perceived opponents of the government caused tens of thousands of people to become political prisoners, many thousands to be executed and over 20,000 to just disappear - never to be heard from again.
Even today, many people seeking closure are fighting for justice. Time has not healed their pain. Random violence, lack of freedom, and physical and mental abuse has been carved into our cultural soul - families have been broken, dreams of a bright future have been dashed and too many lives have been ruined.
Sudanese government bombs have hit a primary school and a busy market place in Darfur, killing at least 13 people, including seven children, two aid organisations said on Monday.
A government Antonov plane bombed the village of Shegeg Karo in North Darfur on Sunday. If confirmed, it would be the deadliest bombing raid in Darfur in years.
"According to information gathered by the villagers of Shegeg Karo, the Antonov hovered for a long time and then bombed repeatedly," a joint statement from Darfur Diaries and the Darfur Peace and Development Organisation said.
"The Shegeg Karo school was hit and one classroom was destroyed. It was in session," it added. The youngest child to die was 5-year-old Yusuf Adam Hamid. It said two other children were seriously wounded and 30 more lightly wounded.
Read more about children just like the ones killed at Shegeg Karo school here[25].
Team Darfur has compiled a resource for our athletes and fans on what various countries can do for Darfur. We've started with Australia, Canada, Italy, UK, and USA. We're actively soliciting recommendations from our partners to include more countries, so keep watching this page!
TEAM DARFUR ASKS IOC TO CLARIFY RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION AT OLYMPICS:
International coalition of athletes asks International Olympic Committee President to clarify boundaries of athletes' freedom of speech and expression at Beijing Olympics.
Lawyers representing Team Darfur, have today written to the President of the IOC, Jacques Rogge, on behalf of their client, seeking confirmation that the IOC will ensure that athletes at the 2008 Olympics will have the right to express their concerns about grave human rights abuses in line with the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter and the international right to Freedom of Expression.
Watch the powerful documentary The [36]Devil Came on Horseback[37] this Friday evening on the National Geographic Channel.
On April 18, 2008, The Devil Came on Horseback will broadcast on television for the first time in the United States. Invite your friends, family, co-workers, anyone and everyone to learn more about Darfur with a house screening. Don't have the National Geographic Channel? You can still the rent the film on Netflix and watch along with the rest of the country on Friday or plan your own screening time during the week.
Ditchfield, who has been to Darfur to see the destruction and violence, is quick with a response: "When you're dealing with sport and the Olympics, you've got your talent, you have your arms and legs; those are your weapons. But when you're dealing with restoring peace in the world and you've got a platform because you're an athlete, your voice becomes your weapon, and that can go so far! Far beyond the final whistle or even an Olympic medal -- that resounding voice of peace from a platform that people hear."
Reuters
Que votre pays peut-il faire pour Darfour ? 
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