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November 28, 2005

WEEK 9 LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN

The Darfur Letter Writing Campaign will be used as the primary tool in putting positive pressure on the UC Regents to support UC divestment from Sudan.

This week we will be writing to two of the Regents that voted on the Investments Committee, as well as Lieutenant Governor of California, Cruz Bustamante. Lt. Governor Bustamante?s support is critical, because as an ex-officio Regent, he can actually vote on divestment in January.

As always, please handwrite the three attached letters and deliver them to one of the following drop box locations by noon on Friday, December 2nd.

1) The Social Justice Alliance Office: 160 Kerchoff Hall

2) Room 153-B Haines Hall (Inside the office on the bulletin board)

3) The James S. Coleman African Studies Center: 10th Floor Bunche

Across from the elevators

If you wish to mail the letters yourself, please use the following addresses:

Cruz Bustamante
300 South Spring Street,
Suite 12702
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Regent Norman Pattiz
Westwood One
8965 Lindglade Street
Culver City, CA 90232

Regent Peter Preuss
2223 Avenida del la Playa, #220
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 454-0200

SOME BUSINESS MATTERS:

-If you do want to stuff your own letters, please use the green envelopes that are available directly next to all the drop box locations. Just take three envelopes and put your return address on them. Otherwise just drop your letters by themselves in the drop box and we will be more than happy to stuff and address them.

-The DAC would be extremely grateful for any stamp donations. If you have any postage you?d like to donate, please drop them off, along with your letters in any of the three drop boxes listed previously.

-If you send the letters yourself, please let us know for record keeping purposes.

Please don?t hesitate to call or e-mail me with any concerns or questions. Thanks!

In Solidarity,

Darfur Action Committee of UCLA

darfur@ucla.edu

(310) 500-7776

November 13th, 2005

Hi all!

Please excuse the week lapse in letter writing. As you all probably know, the DAC held its medial panel discussion last week, which made it quite crazy and hectic. We will, however, resume letter writing later this week. For the time being, I would like to focus on the INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT meeting, regarding divestment of the UCs, that will be TOMORROW (MONDAY) AT 1:30 in THE JAMES WEST ALUMNI CENTER.

If the resolution passes: The Regents will be presented with, and potentially vote on a full proposal for divestment by UC President Dynes.

If the resolution fails: Divestment will be defeated.

STUDENT ACTION NEEDED:

It is critical to show the Regents that the UC community supports divestment. Other universities, such as Stanford and Harvard, have already divested. The UC must follow their precedent.

The Regents will notice your support. Come join your fellow faculty and students:

The James West Alumni Center, UCLA Monday, November 14th 1:30 P.M .

Also attend:

Divestment Press Conference Kerchoff Grand Salon, UCLA Monday, November 14th 10:30 A.M.

Divestment Rally Meyeroff Park (In Front of Kerchoff on Bruin Walk) Monday, November 14th 12:00 - 1:00 P.M.

Key Information about divestment: Divestment and Petition Website: http://www.ucdivestsudan.com

October 30, 2005

Dear Darfur Letter Writers,

This week we will persist in lobbying the ex-officio regents for their support on divestment. As stated last week, the DAC intends to write Fabian Nunez, Cruz Bustamante, and Speaker Leland Yee EVERY WEEK, until they address the issue of divestment with the current UC Regents board. Our doggedness and dedication will pay off! All three these people are prominent California State public officials, and also ex officio Regents of the University of California. They, therefore, have political influence over the current regents’ decisions and rulings and can potentially play a part in urging the Regents to pass the divestment proposal at the November Regent’s meeting.

ADDRESSES:
Assembly member Fabian Nunez
320 W. Fourth Street. Suite 1050
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante
State Capitol Rm. 1114
Sacramento, CA 95814

Speaker Leland Yee
State Capitol, 3173
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, California 94249-0001

Please handwrite the three attached letters and deliver them to one of the following drop box locations by 1:00 pm on Friday, November 4.

1) The Social Justice Alliance Office: 160 Kerkoff Hall
2) Room 153-B Haines Hall (Inside the office on the bulletin board)
3) The James S. Coleman African Studies Center: 10th Floor Bunche Across from the elevators

SOME BUSINESS MATTERS:

-If you do want to stuff your own letters, please use the green envelopes that are available directly next to all the drop box locations. Just take three envelopes and put your return address on them. Otherwise just drop your letters by themselves in the drop box and we will be more than happy to stuff and address them.

-The DAC would be extremely grateful for any stamp donations. If you have any postage you’d like to donate, please drop them off, along with your letters in any of the three drop boxes listed previously.

-If you send the letters yourself, please let us know for record keeping purposes.

Please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail me with any concerns or questions. Thanks!

Best,

Katie Tokushige Darfur Action Committee Steering Committee

P.S. Many people have been inquiring about where they can find updated information about the crisis in Sudan. Here are a few links that I find particularly helpful:

http://www.sudantribune.com/
http://www.passionofthepresent.org/
http://sudan.net/news/news.html
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=ACOS-635PJQ&rc=1

ALSOPlease make sure that you and everyone you know have signed the divestment petition at:

http://www.ucdivestsudan.com

October 22, 2005

Dear Darfur Letter Writers,

At the end of our first week of letter writing, it was truly wonderful to see all of the stuffed bright green envelopes once again. We had a very solid turnout for the first week?s letters and hope that the momentum only builds in the weeks to come. If anyone you know would like to be a member of the Darfur letter writing campaign, please direct their inquiry to KatieT@ucla.edu.

I am very happy to announce that Barbara Boxer co-signed the Darfur Peace and Security Act on Thursday! This is a small success for the letter writers, especially those who wrote consistently throughout the summer. Our dogged commitment towards advocacy and strength in unity has contributed to small, but sure progress. Go letter writers? WE ROCK!

It has become clear to the DAC that it is essential to be persistent in our advocacy for legislative action on the crisis in Darfur. One does not incite change by sporadically. The DAC therefore intends to write Fabian Nunez and Cruz Bustamante, EVERY WEEK, until they address the issue of divestment with the current UC Regents board. So, this week, we will write again to Fabian Nunez and Cruz Bustamante, along with Speaker pro Tempore Leland Yee. All of these people are prominent California State public officials, and also ex officio Regents of the University of California. They, therefore, have political influence over the current regents? decisions and rulings and can potentially play a part in urging the Regents to pass the divestment proposal at the November Regent?s meeting.

ADDRESSES:
Assembly member Fabian Nunez
320 W. Fourth Street. Suite 1050
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante
State Capitol Rm. 1114
Sacramento, CA 95814

Speaker Leland Yee
State Capitol, 3173
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, California 94249-0001

Please handwrite the three attached letters and deliver them to one of the following drop box locations by 1:00 pm on Friday, October 28.

1) The Social Justice Alliance Office: 160 Kerkoff Hall

2) Room 153-B Haines Hall (Inside the office on the bulletin board)

3) The James S. Coleman African Studies Center: 10th Floor Bunche Across from the elevators

SOME BUSINESS MATTERS:
-If you do want to stuff your own letters, please use the green envelopes that are available directly next to all the drop box locations. Just take three envelopes and put your return address on them. Otherwise just drop your letters by themselves in the drop box and we will be more than happy to stuff and address them.

-The DAC would be extremely grateful for any stamp donations. If you have any postage you?d like to donate, please drop them off, along with your letters in any of the three drop boxes listed previously.

-If you send the letters yourself, please let us know for record keeping purposes.

Please don?t hesitate to call or e-mail me with any concerns or questions. Thanks!

Best,
Katie Tokushige
Darfur Action Committee Executive Committee

P.S. Many people have been inquiring about where they can find updated information about the crisis in Sudan. Here are a few links that I find particularly helpful:

http://www.sudantribune.com/

http://www.passionofthepresent.org/

http://sudan.net/news/news.html

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=ACOS-635PJQ&rc=1

October 16, 2005

Dear Darfur Letter Writers,

This message begins Week One of our Fall 2005 letter writing campaign for Darfur! We are so excited to be working with everyone, and we know this is going to be a great year for the DAC Letter Writing Campaign. If you know anyone else who would be interested in joining the campaign, please have them email the DAC at ucladac@yahoo.com. Also please make sure that you and everyone you know have signed the divestment petition at http://www.ucdivestsudan.com

Please handwrite the three attached letters and deliver them to one of the following drop box locations by 1:00 pm on Friday, April 29th. If you are not on or near the UCLA campus, please contact me ASAP and I will be more than happy to personally pick up your letters.

1) The Social Justice Alliance Office: 160 Kerchoff Hall

2) Room 153-B Haines Hall (Inside the office on the bulletin board)

3) The James S. Coleman African Studies Center: 10th Floor Bunche Across from the elevators

--

Here are the three recipients for this weeks letters, as always you are encouraged to put any part of the sample letters in your own words, as well as add a brief statement as to why stopping the Darfur genocide is important to you.

Letter One: Liuetenant Governer Cruz Bustamante

UC Divestment from Sudan is the major strategic goal for the DAC this year. As an ex officio Regent, California Lieutenant Governer Bustamante's support for the divestment campaign is extremely important.

Letter Two: California Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez

UC Divestment from Sudan is the major strategic goal for the DAC this year. As an ex officio Regent, Speaker Nunez's Bustamante support for the divestment campaign is extremely important.

Letter Three: Congress

Recently new Darfur legislation, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act was introduced to Congress. The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005 would enact sanctions against Sudan and allocate US funds for humanitarian relief. The act was introduced into the House by Senator Hyde of New Jersey and in the Senate by Senator Brownback of Kansas.

You can read the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005 at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109:4:./temp/~c109BYTMXM:_??_

California Senator Feinstien has co-sponsored the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005 (S.1462). Senator Boxer, however, has not. We will thus write to Senator Boxer to ask her to sign on to this bill as soon as possible.

___

ATTN: If you do want to stuff your own letters, please use the green envelopes that are available directly next to all the drop box locations. Just take three envelopes and put your return address on them. Otherwise just drop your letters by themselves in the drop box and we will be more than happy to stuff and address them. Also, we have limited funding available for stamps, but would be extremely grateful for any stamp donations (just put them in the drop box).

Also, please provide your own stampage, or one dollar to cover the cost of postage. Our funding for postage has been drained. However, please do not let this be a detterent from writing letters. If you are unable to provide postage at any time, we will still be more than happy to provide it for you.

Finally, if you do send the letters yourself, please let us know for record keeping purposes. Thank you.

The following links are also attached for your convenience:

http://capwiz.com/africaaction/issues/bills/ This link provides an updated list of the co-sponsors in both the House and Senate for the Darfur Accountability legislation.

http://www.genocideinterventionfund.com This website provides excellent coverage of the Darfur genocide.