'DARFUR NOW'

Executive Producer of Darfur Now, AJC Los Angeles Board Member and Darfur Taskforce member Dean Schramm, AJC LA Chairman Sherry A. Weinman, former Darfur Taskforce Chair and current Chapter President Fredrick Levin, and LA Director of Public Relations Eli LIpmen

American Jewish Committee, as part of its ongoing efforts to end the genocide in Darfur, created a Darfur Taskforce in 2004. Out this Taskforce came the idea to do a documentary film on the subject. Executive board member and literary agent, Dean Schramm, then AJC Executive Director Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, and Taskforce Chair Fredrick Levin worked toward launching this film project. This group also worked on the city-wide Los Angeles Darfur Observance Day in May 2007.

The result was the film 'Darfur Now' which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released by Warner Independent Pictures on November 2nd in Los Angeles and New York and then around the country. Schramm and Rabbi Greenebaum are Executive Producers on this project. Variety raves about the film here. The Jewish Journal, Jewish Forward, and JTA wrote about AJC's role in the project.

Darfur Now Trailer To link to the trailer and for more images, go to: www.myspace.com/darfurnow

'Darfur Now' Resources

Click on the links below to download:

Darfur Now Movie Flyer

NY Times Review Flyer

Got a website? Download a Long Banner or Short Banner for your website

Darfur Now Press Release for AJC or  download here - describes AJC's role in the film for the media

Darfur Now Film Production Notes - for the media

'AJC's 'Protect Darfur Now' Action Flyer

AJC's 'Protect Darfur Now' Campaign flyer for solar cookers

'Protect Darfur Now' postcard to Ban Ki Moon 

Participant Film's Action Flyer 

Tips for outreaching to schools

Other useful resources

Spread the word on Darfur Now: www.participate.net/darfurnow

For the trailer and links to other materials, go to: www.myspace.com/darfurnow

To contact Congress, go to: www.darfurscores.org

AJC/LA aims to bear witness and build awareness of the ongoing genocide in Darfur. The Task Force also works to raise funds for victims and refugees in Darfur and Chad. The work of the Task Force is accomplished through partnerships with other organizations and communities, and interacting with elected and appointed officials at all levels of government.

Los Angeles Darfur Observance Day - May 20th 2007

AJC LA led a coalition of community leaders of ethnic and religious organizations of all faiths and backgrounds to raised awareness and called for an end to the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. 

Outreach prior to the event included a kick-off meeting in the end of March, which energized leaders representing more than 30 various groups to educate their constituents about Darfur and to bring them to the May 20th event. The event was widely publicized on the internet, in local press (LA Times, Jewish Journal, local radio) and on street banners in 5 crucial locations in the City. There was also a vast campaign to reach Angelinos through posters and brochures located in churches, synagogues and other places, including all Time Warner Cable locations in the City. Subsequently, there were about 1000 people in attendance.

Upon entry to the sanctuary each person of the event received a packet with cards to sign, a brochure highlighting a cause in Darfur for which money would be raised that day, an in-depth material about the crisis in Darfur and a card with a name of a Darfuri victim. The program included the following components: cello performance, a few words from Don Cheadle on video, performance of the First AME Choir, invocation by FAME head Pastor John J. Hunter, keynote speech by Mayor Villaraigosa, video presentation, interfaith prayer led by Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith, as well as presentations by AJC Executive Director Seth Brysk, Jewish World Watch Founding President Janice Kamenir-Reznik, Rabbi Harold Schulweis and native Darfurian Mohammed Yahya. The event culminated with an offering to support a project an International Rescue Committee project to help children in a refugee camp in Chad. About $50,000 was raised. After the event, organizations devoted to saving Darfur had tables outside with their materials.

Past Darfur Task Force Programs

Raising Funds for Solar Cookers to Help Families in Darfur
At the AJC's 61st Annual Meeting on May 31st three hundred guests including AJC members, Consuls General and Deputy Consuls from 18 countries, members of the clergy, elected officials, and urban partners raised $8,000 to help refugee families affected by the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Click here for the News Release.

Attendees listened to the impassioned plea of Darfur Task Force Chair Fredrick Levin (at left) who asked the members to partner with Jewish World Watch to combat genocide.  The campaign was to outfit every family with 2 solar cookers at the Iridimi Refugee Camp in Chad, which borders the Darfur region of Sudan. The funds raised by the AJC will buy solar cookers for 320 families, reducing the need for firewood and the risk associated with its collection.  The majority of refugees are women and girls who are objects of gender-based violence when they are outside the camp's perimeter.

Congressman Adam Schiff Darfur Advocacy Forum
On July 23rd 2006, members of "Camp Darfur" and First Presbyterian Church, Congressman Schiff, and others wrote letters to elected officials asking them to make the Genocide in Darfur a priority and to raise awareness regarding this crisis. They urged Congress and the President to appoint a Special Envoy to Sudan to resolve the issue. The AJC is supporting this policy recommendation and Sherry A. Weinman, AJC/LA President spoke about this in her speech to the attendees of this event.

Darfur Task Force Kickoff Event with Ruth Messinger
AJC/LA created the Darfur Task Force to bridge all program departments and coordinate the AJC's response to the genocide in Darfur. Members of the Board of Directors were invited to hear Ruth Messinger, President and Executive Director of the American Jewish World Service, speak about the Jewish response to this genocide. The Task Force then coordinated ten members of the Chapter who attended the Darfur Rally in Washington, DC on April 30th.