Keep the pressure on...

I received the following e-mail today. As it says, while this is a "positive step, victory will be achieved only when the people of Darfur are safe."

Over the last few weeks, Save Darfur Coalition activists have sent 151,507 emails and faxes to Fidelity Investments, calling on it to cut its ties to companies like PetroChina, that provide financial support to the genocidal Sudanese government.

The result? Fidelity listened!

Last week, Fidelity announced that it had greatly reduced its holdings of PetroChina, one of the "highest offending" companies helping fund the genocide.

This is a truly promising development in the effort to divest for Darfur.

We must keep the pressure on the Chinese government, which is not just the majority shareholder in PetroChina, but also Sudan's largest foreign investor, a major political supporter, and a key arms provider.

In fact, the Chinese government recently demonstrated its support of the Sudanese regime by providing a $13 million loan to build Omar al-Bashir a new presidential palace. Most disturbingly, China sells arms to Sudan, weapons which are used by government forces and the Janjaweed militia to maim and kill innocent Darfuris.

It's time for China to fully invest itself in ending the genocide by using its unmatched influence to convince Sudan to cooperate with international efforts to end the violence and build a lasting peace in Darfur.

While Fidelity's announcement is a positive step, victory will be achieved only when the people of Darfur are safe.

And China has the power and influence to help make that possible.

China must lead the world in pressuring Sudan to follow through on its commitments to cooperate with international efforts to end the violence.

Then please forward this message to your friends and family and ask them to join you in taking action.

Thanks for your continuing support in this movement to bring lasting peace and protection to the people of Darfur.

Best regards, David Rubenstein - Save Darfur Coalition

You can e-mail, snail mail, or fax PM Stephen Harper at:

Office of the Prime Minister

80 Wellington Street

Ottawa, ON

K1A 0A2

Fax: 613-941-6900

E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

You can also voice your concerns to your local MPs. Here is a rough template for what you can say.