 
News Release
Masses Scream for Action at Toronto Global
Day for Darfur Rally Headlined by Senator Roméo Dallaire,
Bedouin Soundclash, and Justin Trudeau
September 17, 2006
For Immediate Release
(Toronto) – Masses attended a rally and concert in Toronto
on September 17, 2006 as part of a worldwide movement calling on
governments to do more to end ongoing ethnic cleansing in Darfur,
western Sudan. Toronto’s was one of nearly 60 events held
in more than 40 countries that drew tens of thousands to mark the
Global Day for Darfur.
Senator Roméo Dallaire joined with a coalition of nongovernmental
organizations to organize the Toronto rally, hosted by Justin Trudeau,
which featured a free concert by Juno winners Bedouin Soundclash
and performances by the Muhtadi Drummers.
Tragi Mustafa, a refugee from Darfur and founder of Save Women
– Sudan, Ben Fine, Executive Director of Students Taking Action
Now Darfur (STAND), and Mohamed Haroun, President of the Darfur
Association of Canada, also spoke at the rally and news conference
that preceded it.
The speakers called for a United Nations Peace Keeping Force to
be deployed to the war-ravaged region where hundreds of thousands
of people have been killed and millions more forced to flee their
homes.
“Our responsibility is clear,” said Senator Dallaire.
“We have the capacity. What is lacking is the political will.
It now falls to Canada, as a leader of the world’s middle
powers, to take charge of the mission, prepare for deployment of
Canadian Forces and rally other middle powers—such as Japan,
Germany, India, Brazil and Scandinavian countries—to commit
the resources and troops needed to stop the slaughter.”
Tragi Mustafa, of Save Women – Sudan, spoke powerfully about
the impact of the conflict on women and girls.
“So many Sudanese women and girls have been traumatized
by rape and violence. There are women from Darfur who are in prison
because they tried to defend themselves from the men who came to
rape them. These women must be released.” she said. “They
need counseling to cope with this violence if Darfur, and Sudan
as a whole, is to ever have a truly peaceful future”.
Darfur is widely acknowledged to be the world’s worst ongoing
humanitarian crisis, yet there has been little movement on the part
of the international community to address the tragedy.
“Once again, leaders in the West ignore Africans in need,”
said John Lewis, Human Rights Program Coordinator for KAIROS: Canadian
Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, one of the organizers of the event.
“The Sudanese tragedy has gone on for so long, with so little
attention from our politicians. Canadians need to stand up and urge
them to act.”
The crowds attending the Toronto event not only stood for action,
following Bedouin Soundclash’s performance, they also ended
the rally by joining in a mass scream for action. Across Canada
events also took place in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa,
and Halifax. Worldwide events were held from Abuja to London, Hungary
to New York, and Phnom Penh to Paris.
Organizers of the Toronto event include: The Office of Senator
Roméo Dallaire, Canadians Against Slavery and Torture in
Sudan (CASTS), Canadian Jewish Congress, Canadian Young Judaea,
The Darfur Association of Canada, Hillel Toronto, KAIROS: Canadian
Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, STAND Canada, Muslim Canadian Congress,
Project Equity, Project Ploughshares, War Child Canada, and World
Federalist Movement Canada.
-30-
Adiat Junaid
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
(416) 463 5312 ext. 223
ajunaid
www.kairoscanada.org
Stacia Rubinovich
Save Darfur Canada
(905) 629 9158
(416) 333 5194
staciarub
Jon Laski
STAND Canada
647 588 3551
jlaski
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