HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY PASSES SUDAN DIVESTMENT LEGISLATION
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Irit Tamir (339) 368-1445
itamir@jcrcboston.org
October 1, 2007
BOSTON — Last week, the Massachusetts House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed S.2255, a targeted divestment bill which will require the state's pension funds to divest from companies that support the government of Sudan, which has been carrying out a genocide in Darfur. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, a founding member of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, was a prominent supporter of the bill, which was sponsored by Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) in the house.
"I am heartened to see this legislation move forward, both personally and professionally. It is appalling that we are still faced with nation-states that practice genocide today and that many people still believe it is a thing of the past. I trust this will send a strong message that the Commonwealth will no longer invest in regimes like the Sudan" said lead House sponsor Representative Kaufman.
A silent genocide rages on in the Darfur region of Africa's largest country, Sudan, where the government has attempted to eliminate its non-Arab population. For the first time in history, the US government has declared what is transpiring in Darfur genocide while the massacres are still ongoing. To date, over 200,000 have been killed and over 2.5 million have been displaced.
Divestment will prove effective in ending the genocide because the government relies heavily on foreign investment to fund its military and because of Sudan's historic responsiveness to economic pressure. S.2255, which takes a targeted approach to divestment, seeks to maximize the impact of divestment on the Sudanese government, while minimizing potential harm to both innocent Sudanese civilians and investment returns.
"As a community scarred by the crime of genocide, Jews feel particularly strongly about the atrocities being perpetrated in Darfur. This bill will help end them," said Nancy Kaufman, executive director of JCRC.
Once enacted, the bill will move to the desk of Gov. Deval Patrick, who has pledged to sign the measure into law. With the governor's signature, Massachusetts would become the 21st state to divest from Sudan.
