Houston Democrats

Four other Democratic Congress members — James McGovern and John Olver of Massachusetts, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas and Jim Moran of Virginia — were among 11 protesters arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly, a misdemeanor subject to a fine.

"We must hold the Sudanese government accountable for the attacks they have supported on their own citizens in Darfur," Olver said.

Dozens of demonstrators carried signs, some reading "Stop the slaughter" and "Women of Darfur suffer multiple gang rapes," in front of the embassy Friday morning.

The protesters cheered as the Congress members and others were cuffed, hands behind their backs, with plastic ties and quietly led to a white police van by U.S. Secret Service uniformed officers.

The arrests were expected. Lantos' office issued a news release about them in advance.

The protesters called on the Sudanese government to accept a U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur and allow humanitarian relief organizations full access to victims.

The three-year-old conflict between rebels and government-backed militias has left at least 180,000 people dead, mostly from war-related hunger and disease, and some 2 million homeless.

President Bush has voiced support for a stronger international presence in Darfur, and the United States has authorized more than $300 million for victims of the violence and to support peace talks.

Rallies against the violence in Darfur are planned in more than a dozen U.S. cities this weekend, including on Washington's National Mall on Sunday.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Invisible Children, Inc. is dedicated to providing financial resources to invisible children by documenting their true, untold stories in a creative and relevant way, resulting in positive change. On April 29th in more than 130 cities across the country, thousands will participate in The Global Night Commute to put an end to child abduction, the need for night commuting, and war in northern Uganda. APRIL 29 EVENT DETAILS: Download the PDF for event details and instructions. EVENT LOCATION: Rice University Intramural fields 6 & 7, 6100 Main St. 77005.

For more information, please visit www.invisiblechildren.com.

Creative Visions' The Name Campaign seeks to end the conflict in Northern Uganda through awareness. They have collected the names of thousands of children abducted by Kony and have imprinted each one on a distinctive silver dogtag with a green band. All profits from the sale of the tags go to programs that support the children of Northern Uganda.

For more information, please visit www.creativevisions.org.

The International Rescue Committee is a global leader in emergency relief and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by conflict and oppression. The IRC is providing help to thousands of uprooted people fleeing ongoing violence in Darfur, Sudan. The conflict has driven more than 2 million people from their homes and into overcrowded camps, and as many as 400,000 people are now dead or have disappeared from Darfur.

In addition, the IRC works in all four conflict-affected regions of Uganda aiding victims of violence and providing assistance to the most needy. A total of 5 million people are estimated to benefit from the IRC's programs in Uganda.

For more information on the IRC, please visit www.theirc.org.

800-224-2084

The Save Darfur Coalition's mission is to raise public awareness and to mobilize an effective unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of 2 million people in the Darfur region. The Rally to Stop Genocide will take place in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2006. It will feature leading voices in the effort to stop genocide in Darfur.

Darfur Rally in Austin, TX
Date: April 30, 2006
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: South steps of the Capitol building
112 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78701

For more information on the Rally to Stop Genocide and more, please visit www.savedarfur.org.

The Genocide Intervention Network envisions a world in which the global community is willing and able to protect civilians from genocide and mass atrocities. Its current mission is to empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide.

For more information, please visit www.genocideintervention.net.

World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty.

For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org.

For two decades, the Acholi people of Northern Uganda have been caught in a civil war between a rebel group whose main objective is inhumane terror and a government whose military response has often increased misery and suffering. Over one and a half million people have been displaced into camps and over 25,000 children have been abducted to be used as soldiers and sex slaves. And yet through it all, every day across Acholi-land something remarkable happens. Against a backdrop of dismal statistics, miniscule opportunity and unpredictable terror, in a part of Uganda forgotten by the world, children who have never known peace, face the day as if to live this way is normal, as if they still believe in the future. These children are the embodiment of resilience and hope. This film is the story of Uganda, her stolen children, and the fight to be free.

Uganda Rising is a Mindset Media Production. It will world premiere at HotDocs International Film Festival, May 4th, in Toronto, Canada. For more information, visit www.ugandarising.com.

800-4-UNICEF

Contributions to UNICEF's emergency relief efforts can help provide education, health care, nutrition, protection, clean water and sanitation to the children and women affected by the Pakistani earthquake disaster.

Get connected to a woman in need through Zainab Salbi's organization. The goal of Women for Women International is to take women from victim to survivor to active citizen. With the Emergency Response Fund, Women for Women International can move quickly to help women in post-conflict societies.

For more information, please visit www.womenforwomen.org.