Frequently Asked Questions
A few frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) about the Darfur Scorecard.
- Who created the Darfur scorecard?
- The scorecard and DarfurScores.org were created by the Genocide Intervention Network.
- What does your organization do?
- The Genocide Intervention Network envisions a world in which the global community is willing and able to protect civilians from genocide and mass atrocities. Our mission is to empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide.
- We work with our members in three primary ways: education, advocacy and fundraising. We educate our members with weekly news from Darfur as well as supporting local events hosted by our members. We advocate through campaigns like DarfurScores.org and our Time to Protect campaign. Finally, we and our members fundraise to directly support civilian protection in Darfur. GI-Net's long-term goal is to build an educated political constituency to stand against genocide.
- Why are you grading Congress members on this issue? What is the purpose of the scorecards?
- The Darfur scorecards educate concerned Americans about the opportunities Congress has to help stop genocide in Darfur. This information enables our members to be more effective advocates for Darfur. Detailing the performance of each member of Congress will empower constituents to reward champions for their work and hold accountable members of Congress who fail to take significant action against genocide.
- Why does your grading system include co-sponsorships as well as votes?
- Over the past year, few Darfur-related votes have come before Congress for a vote. As a result, co-sponsorships take on extra importance because they are an essential vehicle for expressing support. Co-sponsorship is a clear indicator that a member of Congress supports a piece of legislation. In addition, co-sponsorships facilitate the passage of important legislation. Our scoring system allows constituents to see which members of Congress actively support Darfur legislation, both through votes and co-sponsorships.
- Why aren’t all actions taken by members of Congress taken into account when calculating grades?
- Members of Congress are powerful because they make laws and appropriate funds. In order to stop genocide in Darfur, Congress must make use of these considerable powers. Members of Congress can also use their position to influence US policy, but this action is only effective as a complement to legislative opportunities available to all members of Congress, like votes and co-sponsorships.
- In addition to the grades listed on the Darfur scorecards, each legislator has a profile on which they may describe additional actions they have taken to end the genocide in Darfur.
- There were certain exceptional actions taken by members for which they received extra credit points. See Earning Extra Credit for a full description.
- Why isn’t membership in the Sudan Caucus a criterion for the member’s grade?
- A congressional caucus is a group of members who convene to pursue common legislative activities. Membership in the Sudan Caucus is important because it facilitates unified congressional action to protect lives. Counting membership in the Sudan Caucus when calculating the grades, however, would be unfair to those members who do not belong to the Caucus but have seized all the legislative opportunities available to them.
- What can my member of Congress do to improve his or her grade?
- In the coming months, there will be more opportunities for members of Congress to improve their grades.
- Congress will be voting on key appropriations bills early this year. Votes on increased funding for African Union peacekeepers will be counted.
- In the near future Congress will help decide the fate of the divestment movement. Members of Congress will be graded on their support and votes for federal protection of divestment.
- When will the Darfur scores be updated?
- The legislative lansdcape is always changing. However, the scorecard will not change immediately after every vote or congressional action. The “additional information” sections will always be updated when new information is received. We will update the grades as necessary during Congressional recesses.
Credits
Original Scorecards: Sam Bell, Scott Warren, Adosh Unni
Scorecard Updates: Allyson Neville, James Heaney, Joanna Naples-Mitchell, Danny Kadishson
Editing: Anna Sexton, Matthew Fontaine, Alexa Malishchak, Sebi Devlin-Foltz, Allyson Neville, Nishma Doshi, Sarah Terherst, Shruthi Rereddy, Christine Ryan
Design: Ivan Boothe
Coding: Ivan Boothe, Jason Senich
