Sunday 10 December 2006 marks UN Human Rights Day and this year, thousands of people in every continent around the world will take part in a Day of Global Action for Darfur.

Trocaire is supporting Amnesty International's call to join a range of aid and development organisations - Amnesty, Christian Aid, Save the Children, Trócaire and War on Want NI - and others, at a public event on the Steps of St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast Sunday 10 December, 12:15pm - to draw attention to the human rights crisis unfolding in the western region of Sudan, Darfur and to call for an effective peacekeeping force to end the killing.

The event will feature a number of short speeches and prayers for Darfur, followed by a minute silence, led by Dean Houston McKelvey of St Anne’s Cathedral.

We hope you will be able to join us, bring your friends and family and encourage your colleagues and supporters to do likewise. Please use the attached poster to further advertise the event and please forward this email to your contacts.

Since the conflict began in 2003, more than 300,000 people are believed to have lost their lives and more than two million forced to leave their homes because of the threat of insecurity. Rape and sexual violence against women and girls is being committed on a daily basis.

The international community must seek to stop these terrible human rights violations and seek to deploy a UN-led peacekeeping force into the region immediately. The current African Union peacekeeping force is very limited in Darfur and not able to effectively protect the men, women and children living in the region, the size of France.

Despite recent negotiations that have taken place in Addis Ababa, no agreement has been made by the Sudanese government to send in a stronger peacekeeping force. We need effective peacekeeping troops there urgently before further human rights violations are committed.

Meanwhile, we would encourage you to write to the Prime Minister, asking the UK Government to maintain pressure on the Government of Sudan to protect the people of Darfur, through deploying a UN-led peacekeeping force or take action online at http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=10592

Best wishes,

Lawrence McBride Campaigns Officer Trócaire T: 02890 808030 E: lmcbride@trocaire.ie W: www.trocaire.org/takeaction