New Hampshire

Dec 17

Hundreds of New Hampshire Voters Ask Presidential Candidates, 'How Will You Save Darfur?' In Ad

Washington — In a full-page Manchester Union Leader advertisement, five hundred New Hampshire primary voters pressed both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to outline a clear policy to end the suffering in Darfur and to make preventing future atrocities a priority in campaigns. The advertisement is the latest phase of a multi-faceted campaign by Darfur advocates — including the Save Darfur Coalition, the Genocide Intervention Network, American Jewish World Service, the ENOUGH Project, and STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition — that includes on-the-ground advocacy, billboard advertisements and grassroots outreach.

Nov 13

Darfur movie inspires sold-out NH crowd

People want to help. They want to do something to stop the genocide in Darfur. Nowhere was this more apparent than at a screening of The Devil Came on Horseback at the University of New Hampshire last week. After the sold-out crowd of 200 screened the film, the audience asked questions of a panel consisting of GI-Net's Colin Christensen and Jessica Anderson and Global Grassroots' Victoria Smith. Representatives from the campaigns of presidential candidates Joe Biden, Tom Tancredo, Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, and Dennis Kucinich were also on hand to answer questions and take comments.

Comments like the one from student Tobi Afolayan:

Afolayan said he won't vote for a candidate without specific information about the candidate's stance on Darfur.

"I'm tired of vague sentiments," he said. "It needs to be really detailed."

The panel also took questions on issues such as targeted divestment, New Hampshire's unique position in the Ask the Candidates campaign, and the individual ways people can get involved and make a difference.

Oct 04

An Update from the Ground

We've been busy lately, with a successful Ask the Candidates training in Des Moines and appearances by supporters at candidate events across the country.

The Iowa training brought together over 50 state activists, including members of the local Sudanese community, to learn how they can make Darfur a priority in the 2008 presidential primaries.

The day-long conference included sessions on the current violence in Darfur, the most relevant questions to ask presidential candidates, advice on using the media, and an introduction to the Iowa political system. The day ended with an inspirational call to action by Reverend Gloria White-Hammond and a reception with local campaign representatives, where training participants were able to put into practice their new skills.