Protecting Civilians in Libya: How You Can Help

Submitted by ginetadmin on Thu, 03/31/2011 - 12:16pm

On March 19th, the United States—in coordination with the international community and with authorization from the United Nations Security Council—began enforcement of a no-fly zone to protect civilians in Libya. This action has been a major topic of conversation in Congress this week. Today, both the House and Senate will hold hearings on the matter.

Unfortunately, in the midst of the debate on Libya, Congress seems to be losing sight of two critical points: the dire threat to civilians in Libya that prompted urgent response and the international community’s responsibly to protect (R2P) civilians when a sovereign government is unwilling or unable to do so.

Take Action by Writing a Letter to the Editor

This failure to highlight the importance of R2P in light of the dire threat to civilians offers activists a critical opportunity to join the conversation. Newspapers across the country have been covering the Libya story. Now is a great chance to write a letter to the editor of your local paper to clarify the importance of civilian protection and the need for the United States to do everything it can to prevent mass atrocities.

Letter to the Editor Tips

  • Go to your newspaper’s website to check guidelines for letter to the editor (LTE) submissions, including word limit (150-200 is typical), requirements for including contact information, etc. If you need help finding  your local paper, this search tool is useful.
  • Use your own words--the LTE below is a sample that can guide you.
  • Link your letter to a story, column or editorial in the newspaper whenever possible, listing the title and date of the article in your LTE.
  • Send a copy of the LTE to the office of your members of Congress so they get your message even if it is not published. This tool can help.

Sample Letter to the Editor

Many people, including some members of Congress, are questioning President Obama’s decision to support the United Nations-authorized no-fly zone in Libya [List headline, date of publication.] The debate largely surrounds the costs of U.S. military involvement and the role of Congress in authorizing military action.  These are important questions, but miss critical points.  President Obama’s actions to support the civilian protection mission now underway in Libya marks the first time the international community has acted in a timely and effective manner to live up to its responsibility to protect civilians when a sovereign government is unwilling to do so. The United States failed to act in the face of large-scale mass atrocities in Bosnia and Rwanda, and past presidents must live with the knowledge that thousands of lives were lost because of our inaction at critical times. Thanks to the quick action of the United States and its allies, the systematic slaughter of civilians in Libya’s second largest city has been averted.