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NARR 1: Growing up in Darfur, Adeeb Yousif watched his friends attacked and their villages burned. They couldn't fight for themselves so Yousif began to fight for them as a human rights activist. He traveled to New York this winter to continue that fight by speaking out about the genocide. Yousif says the most effective way to stop the killing is to curb the flow of money to Sudanese officials.
ACT 1: THOSE GUYS THEY LOVE MONEY, THEY LOVE MONEY AND IF THEY MAKE THIS KIND OF PRESSURE, WE CAN START THE PEACE PROCESS IN DARFUR.
NARR 2: The money comes to those officials via corporations that buy up Sudan's oil and natural resources. A taskforce in Washington aims to cut off that money by asking state governments and university's to sell off their shares such corporations. Adam Sterling was a student when he founded the Sudan Divestment Task Force. He says the group is trying to spare Sudanese civilians and target only the offending companies -- like a doctor extracting tumors.
ACT 2: THE SURGICAL APPROACH ALLOWS US TO FOCUS ON THOSE RESPONSIBLE, NAMELY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE OIL INDUSTRY THAT SUPPORTS THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS ABILITY TO SUPPORT AND COMMIT GENOCIDE IN DARFUR.
NARR3: Six states and about 30 universities have joined the boycott. In New York city this month, a group of councilmen introduced a resolution calling for the city to join the boycott. But the city comptroller doesn't support the measure -- saying he has more influence in those companies if he remains a shareholder. In the 1990s, a similar movement was credited with bringing an end the apartheid government in South Africa. Ivo Welch an economist at Brown University studied that effort.
ACT 4: I CANNOT REMEMBER ANY BOYCOTT THAT HAD ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE PROMINENCE OF THAT BOYCOTT -- EVER. SO IN THE HISTORY OF BOYCOTTS, THIS IS THE MOTHER OF ALL BOYCOTTS.
NARR 4: But Welch says the mother of all boycotts had little discernible impact on the economy of South Africa. And he expects the same to be true in Sudan. Because every time one investor pulls out,
ACT 5: THERE IS GOING TO BE 100 OTHER INVESTORS WHO ARE WILLING TO JUMP IN AND ABSORB THIS. SO FOR ONE PARTICULAR FUND TO PULL OUT, IT IS UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANY PARTICULAR ECONOMIC EFFECT HERE.
NARR 5: Still, Welch says that the negative publicity and social pressure surrounding the boycott may have contributed to the end of apartheid. For that reason, human rights activist Adeeb Youssif supports divestment. He says people in Darfur are desperate for any help they can get.
ACT 6: I THINK WE NEED THE SUPPORT FROM EVERYONE. WE NEED THE SUPPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY INCLUDING THE PEOPLE IN THE STATE AND EVERYONE. WHOEVER HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, WE NEED THIS. WE NEED TO HAVE A CHANCE TO END THE CONFLICT IN DARFUR.
Narr 6: The conflict in Darfur is getting worse. As Youssif returns home next week, New York City's divestment efforts await a committee hearing. Still, it's because of these efforts, Youssif says he brings some good news to his countrymen: The people of the U.S. are behind you. Jennifer Collins, Columbia Radio News.