Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese refugee, made the 2008 U.S. Olympic team by finishing third Sunday in the 1,500. Lomong came to the US after spending 10 years in a refugee camp in Kenya and has since become a US citizen and a star athlete.

Read more about Lomong and his success.

After transferring from Temple to University of California, Sean Bryan became a force to be reckoned with. He helped the Bears win rings over No. 3 ranked Ohio State. He was also selected as an Academic All-MPSF scholar athlete. His team placed 5th in the NCAA Championship. When asked why he joined Team Darfur, he responded:

"I joined team Darfur because we are all called to love each other in every way possible. and even though I feel like my one membership doesn't mean much in the long run, it would be hypocritical of me not to extend myself in every way possible to the people of Darfur. Prayer is my main offering, and it's more powerful than people generally acknowledge. I would like to extend the invitation to everyone to pray with this matter close to their hearts."

To our great excitement, the press conference announcing the Olympic Truce received a great deal of media attention! Newspapers spanning from The Washington Post to Taiwan News published articles. Andrew Astleford of The Post set it up: "Cheek, co-founder and president of Team Darfur and a three-time Olympic medalist, led a five-member panel at the National Press Club yesterday that released a letter calling upon international leaders to pressure the Sudanese government to observe a 55-day Olympic truce period for the Darfur region, starting Aug. 1." Most reports discussed the ancient Greek history of the Olympic Truce allowing athletes to safely travel to and from the Games.

Michael Bowman of Voice of America commented that, "Today the idea has global implications, and has been affirmed through numerous UN General Assembly resolutions, the latest of which was introduced in 2007 by China, host of this year's summer games."

New York Times writer, Stephanie Clifford, commented on Dream for Darfur's proposal for the Olympic Truce period: "It wants the Sudanese government to cease air and ground attacks; to allow aid workers and United Nations peacekeeping forces into the region; and to cooperate with a high-profile mediator backed by the U.N. and the African Union." Even Taiwan News reporter Joseph White covered this important press conference, focusing on China's lack of commitment to helping the people in Darfur. "China supported the resolution, but speakers at Tuesday's news conference said the Olympic host has continued to support the Sudanese regime as a major trade partner." China has continued to make economic agreements with Sudan and supply them with weapons. Team Darfur is pleased that word is getting out about the Olympic Truce and what China and the international community can do to help end the genocide in Western Sudan.

This morning co-founder and president of Team Darfur, Joey Cheek, was joined via telephone by Olympic Gold medalist Jessica Mendoza at the National Press Club announcing the call for an Olympic Truce for Darfur. Dream for Darfur Director, Jill Savitt, and Research Director, Ellen Freudenheim, were also in attendance to announce their report on the Olympic Truce. Suliman Giddo, president of Darfur Peace and Development Organization represented the Darfurian support for this call. In conjunction with fellow athletes, activists, and Darfurians, Team Darfur drafted an open letter describing the conception and requirements for an operable Olympic Truce which can be read in full here. In total to date the letter has accumulated 130 signatures. The formal press release is also available by clicking here.

Athletes please send an email to info@teamdarfur.org to sign your name to the Olympic Truce Unity Letter, fans please sign on to support the truce by clicking here.

The letter begins:

 Kelly Vanderbeek is a World Class Downhill Skier from Ontario, Canada who competed in her first Olympics at the 2006 games in Torino. She finished fourth (only split seconds away from a medal) and is working on winning World Cup Championships until the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Kelly's other interests include sports (including soccer, volleyball, and waterskiing) and hobbies such as drawing, photography, and music.

When asked why she joined Team Darfur, she had this to say:

Team Darfur athlete Rosanna Tomiuk’s piece on the importance of speaking out about Darfur was published this week in online magazine www.VoicesOfTomorrow.org. We want to thank Rosanna for writing this thoughtful piece, and encourage everyone to follow www.VoicesOfTomorrow.org as more articles by Team Darfur athletes will be published there in the coming weeks and months.

When I imagine the chasm that separates me from another girl my same age who struggles every day to survive what many are calling genocide, I am left wondering how I lucked out.

And when I think about the pressing decisions in my life - like whether to pursue a professional water polo career in Europe or finish up my last year of eligibility as an NCAA athlete - and her life, my concerns suddenly gain a different perspective.

I was born into Canadian freedom that provides endless opportunity, and she was born and raised in the Darfur region of Sudan with a freedom that exists only as a hopeful idea. Her worries? Where is my family? Will I make it to safety? I'm hungry, and I don't want to be alone.

Team Darfur publishes a weekly newsletter featuring national and international news relating to the Olympics and Darfur and showcases member athletes and other advocates.
If you are interested in receiving our weekly newsletter, please email info@teamdarfur.org with Newsletter in the Subject.

IN THE NEWS
 

A Weekly Newsletter by Team Darfur

Top Headlines

June 20, 2008- World Refugee Day, as stated by the UNHCR
What you can do to help
World Refugee Day in the news:Read article.

On June 24, 2008, our very own Joey Cheek testified at a Hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. The hearing was titled “From Nuremberg to Darfur: Accountability for Crimes Against Humanity.” Senator Dick Durbin opened the hearing with some remarks about the U.S.’s longstanding role as leader in the struggle for human rights worldwide. He noted that deplorable atrocities are occurring in Darfur. “There is much that must be done to end the carnage in Darfur. Part of the solution is arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators. Otherwise they will continue to act with impunity and victims will feel they have no recourse but to resort to violence themselves.”

Daoud Hari, author of “The Translator: A Tribesman’s memoir of Darfur,” testified about his personal experiences as a Darfurian. Gayle Smith, co-chair of the ENOUGH Project, and Diane Orentlicher, Professor at Washington College of Law, both emphasized the need to make crimes against humanity against the law in the U.S. As surprising as it may seem, the U.S. cannot currently prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity who have sought asylum in our country. Both women encouraged the Senate to pass an act similar to the Genocide Accountability Act of 2007 that would officially make crimes against humanity against U.S.law.

In Joey’s testimony, he emphasized the deliberate decisions made by those in Darfur who are committing these crimes: “Over the last five years in the desert of Darfur, almost every day men make the decision to aim a gun at the head of an unarmed person and pull the trigger.” He went on to say that, “For that decision, there must be accountability. There must be the knowledge throughout the world that if you willfully destroy the lives and homes of innocents that you will be held responsible.”

We applaud Senators Durbin and Leahy for seeing the importance of doing something to help stop the genocide in Darfur and for taking the initiative to serve on the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. For more information about this hearing, please check out the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary. To read Joey's full testimony, visit our Testimony page.

Gymnast Kyson Bunthuwong joined Team Darfur! He is a student at University of California, Berkeley. Kyson won the California Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week Award after winning the all-around competition at the Golden Bear's final regular season meet of the year.

Here's what he had to say when asked why he joined Team Darfur: "I joined Team Darfur in order to take part in the working solution towards peace. Activism is something that anyone can do and to see that so many athletes believe in the same thing I do is quite amazing. I truly believe in the path that Team Darfur is taking in order to stop the genocide and want to believe that my government and the world's governments truly care about this dire situation. With my small effort combined with the efforts of the all the other athletes, I KNOW we can improve the situation in Darfur. When others are suffering, it becomes everyone's duty to help make change."

"Be the change you want to see in the world." -Mahatma Ghandi