Savedarfur.org wants to spend $50,000 on advert to push for UN force in Darfur?

Save Darfur.org (Washington, DC) is circulating an email asking for 1000 people to donate $50 each for their advert in a local U.S. newspaper.

Does this mean it costs $50,000 for a full-page ad? How many Sudanese children in refugee camps could benefit from school books costing $50,000? What becomes of a newspaper after it is read? Who will really benefit from the advert? Think about it.

Here is a copy of the advert and email from darfur@mail.democracyinaction.org

Dear Supporter,

Click here to make a contribution and see the ad.

Thanks to you and other Darfur activists like you, since Wednesday, over 74,000 messages have been sent to Members of Congress urging adequate funding to protect the people of Darfur.

That's impressive! But we must keep the pressure on all our elected leaders - including President Bush. That's why we're about to do something we've never done before.

President Bush is soon headed to his Texas ranch. To keep the Darfur genocide on his mind even while he's on vacation, we're going to run a full-page advertisement in the Waco, Texas, newspaper (the closest big newspaper to President Bush's Crawford ranch).

Now we are asking for your help to pay for the ad. For a contribution of at least $50, you can sign on and have your name printed in the advertisement in the Waco Tribune-Herald.

But we can only fit the names of 1,000 citizens calling on President Bush to take stronger action in Darfur, so please make your contribution soon.

Click here to make a $50 donation and see what the ad will look like.

The situation in Darfur is critical with hundreds of thousands of innocent people dead millions of men, women and children displaced from their homes and many more at risk.

That is why we are calling on President Bush to:

Push for the deployment of a strong UN peacekeeping force to protect Darfur civilians.

Appoint a Special Envoy to coordinate the U.S. government's Darfur policy and to see that the Darfur Peace Agreement is faithfully implemented.

President Bush must act soon. And we must show him how much Americans are committed to stopping the genocide in Darfur.

Click here to support our work and add your name to the advertisement with a $50 donation today.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

P.S. Don't forget! September 17 is the Global Day for Darfur with activities around the country and around the world. In New York City, the Save Darfur Coalition is hosting "Save Darfur Now: Voices to Stop Genocide," a rally/concert calling on the United Nations to deploy international peacekeepers to Darfur. Visit http://www.savedarfur.org/now for information and updates.

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Some other points of view

Jul 31 2006 anonymous comment at Coalition for Darfur's blog entry - Show President Bush You Want to Stop the Genocide:

"If the Waco Tribune insists on charging for this F*CK THEM. I wouldn't give them my $50 for anything. Get a f*cking GRIP! B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jul 31 2006 blog entry by Drima of The Sudanese Thinker - SaveDarfur.org Pushing For UN Troops:

Okay so previously I've talked about how I appreciate Save Darfur's great job in bringing Darfur to the attention of the American public and the world but NOW I don't really think I like THIS. They're organizing a concert with the aim of pushing for UN troops to be sent to Darfur. I've explained before in a simple and straight forward way why I believe the UN troops won't improve the situation. There is strong opposition to UN troops in Sudan and it's growing more by the day. Even Darfur tribal leaders are opposed to UN troops. I'll say it again only with some updates.

Darfur previously = Disaster
Darfur now = STILL a disaster but to a lesser extent
Darfur + UN troops = Bigger disaster
Darfur + AU troops reinforced by UN & NATO = HUGE improvements.
Darfur + UN troops + Al Qaeda = One big ass GIGANTIC Disaster !!!