Today is historic for Sudan -- but it's just the beginning from THE SAVE DARFUR COALITION 9JAN11

FROM SAVE DARFUR AND SPOTLIGHT ON SUDAN, an update on the first day of voting in South Sudan and links to keep informed on the progress for peace in Darfur and South Sudan.

Shine a Spotlight on Sudan Share this important Sudan update with your friends & family. Click here Referendum voting starts today, but we can’t turn our backs now. Help us to be vigilant and cast a spotlight on South Sudan, Darfur and the rest of the country over the coming months. Share this update today. Today is the first day of voting in the referendum which will determine the destiny of millions of Southern Sudanese. Voters will cast ballots from today through January 15. And it will take weeks to gather all the ballots from remote areas – only then will the results be announced. The period between voting and the announcement of results could be a volatile and potentially explosive period. Expectations of independence are so high that any delays or complications could spark widespread violence. We can't turn our backs after the vote. We need your help to shine a spotlight on Sudan. Get the important facts on the situation, and then spread the word today. Official observers expect an overwhelming vote for independence, but we may not know the final outcome until early February. You and I know the media doesn’t have the best attention span for these important moments around the world. Will the world stay tuned for several weeks while the votes of Southern Sudanese are counted? When innocent families are most vulnerable to sudden violence, will we have our backs turned? We can't let that happen – we need your help to keep the world's attention focused on Sudan. Click here to spread the word about what is happening in South Sudan and Darfur. The danger for the Sudanese people is a prolonged period in which the international media and world leaders are no longer paying attention. Look no further than Darfur, where last month 32,000 Darfuri civilians were displaced by violence. While the world focused on the referendum in Southern Sudan, the Darfur peace process fell apart – with the government of Sudan pulling out, and all three of the major Darfur rebel groups refusing to participate. This is exactly why we need your help. Keep the spotlight on Sudan. Together, we can make sure the world continues to pay attention, and the United States government continues its high level engagement on Sudan. As we welcome a peaceful start to the referendum in Sudan, we have to make sure Darfur is not forgotten. We have worked too hard to let up now. Thank you for all you do. Sincerely, Martha Bixby Save Darfur Coalition

The Save Darfur Coalition — an alliance of more than 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations — raises public awareness about the ongoing crisis in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to promote peace throughout the Darfur region and all of Sudan. The coalition's member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Sudan. Please join the movement at http://www.savedarfur.org.