Joey Cheek, American speed skater, gold-medalist and president of Team Darfur, a group of Olympic athletes working to end the genocide, had his visa revoked by Chinese authorities today and won’t be able to attend the upcoming Beijing games.

The Chinese authorities have made no comment and don’t intend to. The news came the night before Cheek was expected to fly to China to support his country and his politics.

One of Cheek’s main Olympic goals during the Beijing Games was to urge the international community to persuade Sudan abide by the tradition of the Olympic truce.

So many athletes “are drawn to this issue,” Martha Bixby (Team Darfur spokesperson) says, referring to Darfur. “To me, this fits in with the Olympics, which are about the world coming together for the betterment of mankind.” [NPR]

While this is of course frustrating, awful and in direct conflict with the spirit of the Olympics, it is getting Joey and Team Darfur a lot more press than they normally would have. I can’t help but wonder if this will help the cause more than if he had quietly made his way to China?

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U.S. swimmer Amanda Beard defied a Chinese ban and unveiled her nude PETA ad in Beijing. Former Olympian Joey Cheek, meanwhile, got his Via revoked in advance of a trip to urge China to bring peace to Darfur.

U.S. Olympian swimmer Amanda Bear just became the latest in a long line of celebrities to pose nude for a PETA (animal rights) ad.

Chinese officials had earlier prohibited her from unveiling the photo indoors (”for security reasons”), so Beard merely moved the procession outside. Security officials didn’t press the issue.

I guess China didn’t want to risk another international incidient — not when it’s trying so hard to make sure no Olympian mentions the word “Darfur.” (Just today it revoked the Visa of Ex-Olympic speedskater Joey Cheek, who intended to travel to China to urge Beijing to promote peace efforts in Darfur)

takepart visiting AmandaBeard.net for ways to take action on animal rights (yes, there are more photos, too.)

takepart by visiting the takepart wiki to take action on Darfur

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Sudan Leader Charged with Genocide: What Are the Reactions? by Wendy Cohen

Inconvenient Truth of the Day: Al Gore Speaks on Climate Change by Joshua Tremblay

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Nicole Hughes:

“Farms in the Sky” a Solution to Global Food Crisis?

Wal-Mart Launches Eco-Bling Project

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Andy Kondrat:

NYC To Bring in 300 Hybrid Taxis Per Month

Coolio To Educate Students On Climate Change

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Jon Popham:

Pickens’ Plan for Energy Independence

On “Rent” Closing, the East Village, and Gentrification

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Gina Telaroli:

Batman Morals: Top 5 Lessons from the Capped Crusader’s Films

Emmy Nominations Kick “The Wire” to the Curb

 The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court filed genocide charges yesterday against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, accusing him of masterminding attempts to wipe out African tribes in Darfur.

The AP reports that the this is the first time prosecutors of the ICC have issued charges against a sitting head of state. The changes that al-Bashir will be sent to the The Hague anytime soon are very slim.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked a three-judge panel at the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for al-Bashir accusing him of killing 35,000 people and displacing 2.5 million people forced from their homes in Darfur and still under attack from government-backed janjaweed militia.

“Genocide is a crime of intention — we don’t need to wait until these 2.5 million die,” he told The Associated Press.

Here is an update since yesterday’s announcement:

• Iran says the news of the charge is “unpleasant” and they want have always supported the “legitimate” government of Sudan led by Bashir.
• The USA offered an ambivalent response to the charges against Sudan’s President
• Genocide charges don’t appear to be a threat to Omar al-Bashir. with support from the Arab and African world, Sudan’s president showed no signs of giving in to pressure.
• China expressed “concern” over the charges of Genocide as China now faces difficult choices over its relationship with Bashir and this in addition to the internation pressure China is feeling over the Beijing Olympics.
• China also urges the ICC to rethink the Sudan arrest warrent
• Some UN officias worry that the warrent will complicate the delicate peace process 
• Sudan is urging the UN Securty Council to block the prosecution of al-Bahir
• The Director of Human Rights Watch’s International Justice program says:

Charging President al-Bashir for the hideous crimes in Darfur shows that no one is above the law. It is the prosecutor’s job to follow the evidence wherever it leads, regardless of official position.

takepart with Darfur Now

Social Action and Cinema YouTube Videos of the Day:

1) Candidates United on Darfur

For the Cinema YouTube Video of the Day, Click here >>>

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Matt Damon, Thandie Newton and other celebrities all got together recently to break some toys and then have people take pictures of it.

They weren’t participating in some kind of new therapy but were in fact hoping to illustrate the destruction of children in Darfur. April 13th was “Global Day for Darfur.” It also marks the 5 year anniversary of the genocide. This means that for some children, all they have ever known is a life filled with war.

Damon, 37, destroyed a dollhouse with a baseball bat in his shots. “After the genocide in Rwanda we all shook our heads and said never again,” said the actor. “Today, as killings mount in Darfur we need to make never again a priority and demand protection for the most vulnerable.” [People]

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Not On Our Watch, a charity co-founded by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle has donated $500,000 to the United Nations World Food Program.

The World Food Program (WFP) uses helicopters to send support people and food to northern Sudan and, more specifically, into the Darfur region that has been seen a huge influx of refugees in recent years as war ravaged the area.

“Without immediate additional funding, humanitarian aid in the region will be crippled,” Clooney said in a statement, noting that it is a critical time in Darfur. [Reuters]

Clooney has become a leading celebrity advocate for action against the genocide in the Sudan after filming a documentary about the crisis last year.

Join the cause visit notonourwatchproject.org

Combining literature, theatre and music, a group of passionate folks are trying to promote a non-violent and healthy world.

Circle of Health International (COHI) is an international non-governmental organization that seeks to empower women’s health care professionals in crisis settings. Founded in 2004, COHI currently works in Louisiana, Israel/Palestine, Tanzania, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Sudan.COHI operates on the tenets of consensus-based decision-making, non-violence, and the grassroots model of social change.

On March 26th a group of New York based artists and activists will produce a performance of A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant, and a Prayer to support COHI’s efforts. Edited by V-day founder Eve Ensler, A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant, and a Prayer features pieces from “Until the Violence Stops,” the international tour that brings the issue of violence against women and girls to the forefront of our consciousness. The collection includes pieces by Maya Angelou, Kathy Najimy,Edward Albee, Alice Walker and many more.

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Actor George Clooney is speaking out on behalf of China’s foreign policy in Sudan. Omega Watches is one of the worldwide Olympic partners for the Beijing games and Clooney is a promoter of Omega.

“I have talked with Omega (about China) for over a year and will continue to talk to Omega,” Clooney was quoted as saying on the BBC Web site on Tuesday. “I have and will go to the places I and China do business and ask for help.”

Clooney has publicly spoken several times about the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and about 2.5 million people displaced in three years of fighting between African rebels and government troops allied with Arab militia known as janjaweed.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Don’t miss these excellent posts on some very engaging and thoughtful topics - from going green at the office to Julian Beever to dystopian film telling us to take action now. Check out our most popular articles of the week on a variety of subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Katoucha’s Body Found: Model Helped African Women Escape Mutiliation

Julian Beever Brings Art to New Orleans Sidewalks

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Nicole:

Heath Ledger Nick Drake Video for “Black Eyed Dog” Hits Web

Top 10 Ways to Go Green in the Office

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Giulia:

Crate & Barrel Goes Green

The Black Comedy Project

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Gina:

Top 10 Dystopian Future Films Telling Us to Take Action Now

Going to “The Edge of Heaven” with Fatih Akin

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Kerry:

Sustainable Songstrees Sue West’s Rural Revival

No Impact Home A Hit At Ecobuild Exhibition