The New Jersey Coalition Responds to the Crisis in Darfur, Sudan will honor N.J. Assemblyman William D. Payne for his contribution to alleviating the situation in the troubled African nation with a “Certificate of Special Humanitarian Recognition” on Thursday, Jan. 17.

The New Jersey Coalition Responds to the Crisis in Darfur, Sudan is a diverse group dedicated to advocating for an end to genocide in Darfur, where the government of Sudan is responsible for persecuting civilians in the southwestern region of the country.

Assemblyman Payne has a distinguished record of advocacy, including initiating ground-breaking legislation calling for divesting state funds from Sudan. Other states followed New Jersey’s lead and have subsequently crafted similar legislation.

“We applaud Assemblyman Payne’s vision and determination in leading New Jersey, the first State to divest from companies that do business in Sudan. Representative Payne helped make our State a strong voice for those who are suffering,” said Melanie Roth Gorelick of the Community Relations Committee of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ.

“We are proud of the leadership role the State of New Jersey plays to put pressure on the national and international community to end violence and bring peace to Darfur,” added Janet Nelson of the Essex County Coalition for Darfur.

Assemblyman Payne recently stood with Coalition members, Darfurian refugees, Governor Jon Corzine, other elected officials, activists, and genocide survivors from around the world during the “New Jersey Lights the Torch for Darfur” event, where refugees and their supporters told their stories of flight from the world’s worst humanitarian crises and urged China, host of the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics, to use its unique influence to stop genocide in Sudan.

About the New Jersey Coalition Responds to the Crisis in Darfur
The Coalition is made of diverse organizations, interfaith and community based networks based in New Jersey who come together with the mission of alleviating persecution and ending genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan through education, advocacy and assistance. Our members include: New Jersey’s Commission on Holocaust Education; American Jewish Committee, NJ Area; Anti-Defamation League (NJ Region); Center for Cultures and Communication, Bloomfield College; Community Relations Committee of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest; Darfur Rehabilitation Project; Drew University Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study; Help Darfur Now; Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey; NAACP, Newark Branch; Newark-North Jersey Committee for Black Clergy; NJ Amistad Commission, and UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey. For more information on the Coalition, go to www.ujcnj.org/crc or contact crc@ujcnj.org or (973) 929-3087.