Call on Investors to Stand up for Human Rights in Darfur

Targeting: Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments), James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
Sponsored by: Amnesty International USA

Call on the most powerful companies in the world to use their influence to help end the human rights catastrophe in Darfur.

Despite international diplomatic pressure, the Government of Sudan continues to impede the deployment of UN-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, leaving countless civilians vulnerable to armed attack, rape, and displacement.

To ensure the speedy and full deployment of this peacekeeping force, the Government of Sudan must receive pressure from key economic interests, including the oil companies they depend on for 90% of their export revenue.

To convince these oil companies to act, we must enlist their investors as our allies.  In the past year several top U.S. investment firms have committed to raising concerns about Darfur with oil companies in which they are invested.  But the large majority of investors are still ignoring the issue and hoping it will just go away.  In the meantime, more lives are being lost.

Please call on these investment companies to take a stand for the people of Darfur today.

Petition Text

Shareholder pressure can help bring peace and human rights to Darfur

Dear investors

I am writing today to ask you to use your considerable influence with companies operating in Sudan to help alleviate the human rights crisis in Darfur. Much of the revenue fueling this devastating conflict is generated by Sudan's oil industry. Through your substantial investments in oil companies operating in Sudan (and/or their various spin-offs and majority-owned subsidiaries) you are in a unique and powerful position to help bring security and human rights to the people of Darfur. I am writing today to urge you to join other economic and political actors to press the Government of Sudan to allow the UN-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID) to fully deploy in Darfur without delay, according to UN Security Council Resolution 1769. This is a step you can take without selling your shares.

Ultimately, the Government of Sudan is responsible for ending human rights abuses in Darfur. But companies operating in Sudan cannot ignore the Darfur crisis or pretend they have no influence. As one of the largest investors in these companies, neither can you.  I urge your firm to leverage its substantial power as a major investor to ask oil companies in Sudan to press the Government of Sudan to quickly and fully admit UNAMID without impediment.

Over 20 U.S. states, nine cities, 50 colleges and universities, numerous private institutional investors, and countless individuals have adopted Sudan investment policies regarding these companies. Recently, financial industry leaders like Morgan Stanley and T. Rowe Price have joined their ranks. These investors, with hundreds of billions of assets under management, have recognized their unique shareholder risk and responsibility associated with the Darfur crisis. I hope that you will seriously consider doing the same.

Thank you very much for considering this important request. I look forward to hearing from you.

[Your name]

  • Kailee Brohman Kailee Brohman   North Tonawanda, NY
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    about 6 hours ago
  • Keirsten Eva Keirsten Eva   Regina, SK, Canada
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    about 21 hours ago
  • Lisa York Cox Lisa York Cox   Huntsville, AL
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    Feb 08
  • Darcy Dodson Darcy Dodson   Roanoke,
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    Feb 08
  • Katherine Sasser Katherine Sasser   Norman, OK, OK
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    Feb 08
  • Adriana Chavez Adriana Chavez   San Diego, CA
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    Feb 08
  • Tony Ennenga Tony Ennenga   Kalispell, MT
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    Feb 07
  • Gail Koza Gail Koza   San Francisco, CA
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    Feb 07
  • G P G P   Cliffside Park, NJ
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    Feb 07
  • Michael Hemp Michael Hemp   Carmel Valley, CA
    Sent letter to James Dimon (CEO, JP Morgan Chase) , Edward Johnson (Chairman, Fidelity Investments) and Charles Johnson (Chairman of the Board, Franklin Resources)
    Feb 07

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