Harry Potter Fans for Darfur

How to help stop genocide in the Sudan

July, 2007

This month - July, 2007 - the International Harry Potter Alliance will mobilize to help fans do their part to end the genocide in Darfur. HPA parties will consist of activities and activism geared around our love of Harry Potter and aimed toward helping fight the terrible injustice in the Sudan, the way Harry and the DA helped wake the world up to Voldemort's return.

Here you will find information and guidelines on how to hold a gathering or do these activities on your own!

1. Listen to the Podcast

A special podcast, released through PotterCast, will be available on July 14. It will feature some of the world's most prominent leaders and experts in the fight to end the genoicde in Darfur, as well as messages from prominent members of the Harry Potter community.

2. Help wake up the world's leaders!

Here are a number of places you can call and contact to help alert leaders, and let them know that ending the genocide in Darfur is mandatory, nonnegotiable, and urgent.

a. 1-800-GENOCIDE

We’d like everyone at each house party to call 1-800-GENOCIDE. After that, we ask that you call every day until you’ve called your governor, both your senators, and each of your representatives.

b. ASK THE CANDIDATES

Sign the petition urging all the candidates in the 2008 election to personally commit to ending the genocide in Darfur at AsktheCandidates.org.

c. DARFURSCORES.org

Go to DarfurScores.org, and find out how your elected leaders have been graded in how they’ve dealt with Darfur. Once you see their grade, click on the name of each of your elected officials to find the address to their office. If they’ve scored well, send them a thank you letter and remind them how important it is to continue to remain vigilant on this issue. If they have scored poorly, send them a polite letter urging them to vote for important Darfur legislation in the future and support the cause through co-sponsorships. Tell them that we need each person to do all they can to end the genocide — and that you expect more from your elected officials. Make it clear that you do not approve of this failure to stand up against genocide, and that you will be paying close attention in the coming months.

In addition to sending a letter you may want to send something creative, as well…perhaps a video that you burn on DVD letting your elected official know what you think, or a song that you’ve written and  put on a CD. Bake them a cake, paint a picture, write a poem - do anything to draw attention to this issue.

3. Create videos!

Make a video and submit it to 24 Hours for Darfur. You can wear Harry Potter garb, you can sing, you can rap, you can do any thing you want - including speaking plainly into the camera. Talk about how you care about the genocide in Darfur.

Or, take part in Youtube's request for people to upload videos for the Democratic debate on July 23, by asking the candidates what they plan on doing about Darfur. Submit it to www.youtube.com/debates; your question may be aired during the debates. Keep your eyes open in September for the same effort for the Republican debates.

4. Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts: Divestment

In Order of the Phoenix, Harry asks Mr. Weasley what private business Lucius Malfoy has to meet with the Minister of Magic about. Mr. Weasley explains that they are meeting about gold. Malfoy gives the Ministry money and in turn continues to hold too much influence on how things go. This is a reminder that in our world, money often does the talking. And in Darfur, if you cut off the flow of money, you cut off the flow of genocide.

If the US stops doing business with the companies - namely Chinese oil companies like PetroChina, in which Fidelity Investments has large holdings - the support the Sudan and its curreng regime, it may force the government to end the genocide. How do you pressure Fidelity?

Go to http://fidelityoutofsudan.googlepages.com/ and get involved with them. Also, your university or state most likey has investments in businesses that are putting money into Chinese companies that are funding the genocide. It’s time to pressure our states and universities to divest. Many have already. Check out: http://www.sudandivestment.org/home.asp.

5. Have Conversations in the Hog's Head

Remember when Harry held the meeting to form the Defense Against the Dark Arts study group? The ideas below will give you a jumping off point to discuss how to keep building Dumbledore’s Army in the real world by continuing to fight the Dark Arts.

a. Create a STAND chapter at your school. STAND is a Student Anti-Genocide Coalition that serves as an umbrella organization for student groups across the country who are dedicated to permanently ending all instances of genocide from occuring. They have a wealth of resources to aid you in your fight available at www.standnow.org.

b. Hold a Fundraiser: Fundraising for organizations such as the Genocide Intervention Network and for the peacekeeping forces in Darfur, can prove to the government that we’re serious about ending the violence. For more ideas, visit: www.genocideintervention.org/fundraise

c. Sign Up for Action Alerts: Sign up for actions alerts with the Genicide Intervention Network or STAND today and get up to date information about what’s happening in Darfur.

d. Sign Up & Post on the Darfur message boards at HP Alliance Forums for more ideas and to continue the discussion.

6. Light a Candle for Harry

If all you can do this summer is send your positive thoughts to those fighting darkness like Harry, you are still doing your part. Take a moment, either privately or at your house party, to ligth a candle for Harry and those like him, those working for the good forces. As a wise person once said, it is a far, far better thing to light even the smallest candle rather than to curse the darkness.

You may choose to together light one candle, all light your own candles or perhaps light seven candles, one for each of the books that have brought us together.

7. Celebrate Harry Potter!

Another aspect of the HP Alliance party is to celebrate Harry Potter by reading inspirational quotes, watching the movies, rocking out to Wizard Rock, and more! There will be more on this soon!

Quick History on Darfur

Darfur is a region in the Sudan (a country in northeast Africa) that has been facing genocide for over three years. A small groupof rebels fought against the Sudan's abuses, and the government responded by trying to exterminate every last one of them.

The government then mounted a campaign of fear and hired militia - known as the janjaweed - to go into Darfur and systematically burn down every home in every village, leaving nothing behind. The men are systematically killed. The women are systematically raped (and sometimes killed). The same fate awaits the children. These ordinary people who are just being systematically destroyed.

For three years, the world has watched as the Sudanese government and their janjaweed militia have killed over 400,000 innocent people and displaced over 2 million. They are kicked out of their homes in the middle of the desert - there is literally nowhere they can go. It is perhaps the most horrifying thing that is happening in the world right now.

And it's not like we're talking about something that happened. It's happening right now. It happened today. It happened yesterday. It will happen tomorrow.

Innocent children are being slaughtered by the hundreds and by the thousands. Women and men are being tortured, killed, raped. It's happening, and still the world is asleep at the wheel.

Some leaders get up and make a few speeches, but they have done virtually nothing to end what should have been ended over 3 years ago. There are practical things that could be done that are not being done. There are nonviolent ways of pressuring Sudan to stop this genocide. And yet, we have done so little.

Why? Because the leaders in the US and Europe and all over the world do not feel enough pressure to stop this genocide from their citizens. They don't realize that we care. That we will support them. We can show them our support.

We can do this today as Harry Potter fans!

For more information, visit the Harry Potter Alliance's web page, MySpace and house party info page. To get involved, host a house party, and help spread the word, email jenn@thehpalliance.org.

Thank you!