Act now for Darfur
I’ve commented here before about the genocide in Darfur, Sudan and President Hinckley’s remarks concerning it. “Never again” continue to be just empty words (many thanks to Nicholas Kristof for not letting this go). Things Darfurian stand at an important juncture: whether to hand peace-keeping over to the UN, and whether the US Congress will approve a $514m supplemental for Darfur (not enough, but better than nothing). So, consider letting your king, president, magistrate or ruler know that these crimes against humanity offend us all. Oxfam make it easy peasy.
Thanks for posting the OxFam link. That did make it easy, although I truly wish I had time to write a personal letter rather than sending the form letter. But that was far better than nothing.
Comment by john f. — February 27, 2006 @ 4:22 pm
Do you think the government will listen? The only time I’ve ever known government entities to listen and act is if an issue gets a lot of media attention. Personally, I mean.
I would think if we’re spending billions in Iraq, we could afford more for those poor babies.
Comment by annegb — February 27, 2006 @ 4:29 pm
Anne,
The government is kind of listening by requesting the supplemental. We can only do what we can do: just raise our voices. Apparently, during the Rwandan genocide, only a few hundred people in the US ever raised the issue with their elected representatives. That paltry figure can be improved for Darfur. Surely!
You’re right about the media too: I will fish around for simple ways to demand the media cover Darfur. Also, it needs a Live8/FreeTibet style celebrity-awareness event.
Comment by Ronan — February 27, 2006 @ 4:36 pm
Thank you Ronan for being the Blogernacle’s Kristof. Not having seen your earlier post, I just read through it and was appalled at some of the comments. May you have better luck reaching people’s souls with this one.
Comment by Kleermaker — February 27, 2006 @ 4:56 pm
We might not be doing much about Darfur, but at least we’re talking about it, unlike what’s happening in the Congo.
Comment by ed — February 27, 2006 @ 5:56 pm
Thanks, Ronan. This is an issue near and dear to me. My students are engaged in an extended project to Save Darfur that I’ve written about a little on the Exponenet Blog. They have sent essays to each of their congressional leaders, they are raising money for NGO’s that help Darfur refugees, and recently published an op-ed in the local paper (which was picked up by some blogs — if you go to savedarfur.org, click on “Latest News” and scroll down to 2/21 “On the Continuing Misery in Darfur,” you can read their essay.) It’s been amazing (and humbling) to watch their unabashed belief that they can make a difference. They are currently trying to gather 1000 signed postcards to send to President Bush — if any bloggernacle readers want put their names on one of our postcards, they can e-mail these 8th graders at darfurpostcards at yahoo dot com (include name and city).
Comment by Deborah — February 27, 2006 @ 5:59 pm
That Kristof link is horrifying. I’ve sent a letter through Oxfam, and will follow up with physical letters to my representatives. I wish the church would give more voice to issues like this. Imagine how much could be accomplished if more information was given over the pulpit.
Comment by jjohnsen — February 27, 2006 @ 10:12 pm
Ronan,
This is what my group did, and we got a lot of press coverage. I don’t know if it will work as well, we practicaly had to prostitute ourselves.
We had our families and friends write letters to certain media entities each week. Like the first week, we wrote to 20/20, etc. When a program like that gets thousands of letters on the same topic, they pay attention. And they did a story. We also had the support of a reporter from US News.
Our cause was a local one, in that it involved local boys in certain areas, so we were able to enlist our representatives and senators. I would suggest you find a way to make this a local cause. For instance, (and I’m famous enough already, but I know a girl who I think would take this on), I would call a local reporter and pique their interest. If they put the story on the front page, you bet Senator Hatch and uh, I think it’s Jim Matheson, will hear about it.
Then I call their aides. All you have to get is one aide from one state on your side and they are the ones who do the homework for a senator/rep to make it a cause.
It’s darn hard work, grueling, really, and it costs a lot in postage and phone bills.
But we took a grass roots effort and got legislation passed and I don’t know about substantive change. Long story.
Comment by annegb — February 28, 2006 @ 8:51 am
I finally read the Kristoff link. I agree that it is a tragedy. But just what is Kristoff’s goal? Apparently it is to “galvanize American society” with regard to this matter. But to what end? Is an invasion being suggested? Or is the goal to raise money? What can America really do if Muslims are torturing and slaughtering all non-Arabs in the Darfur region? Is sending money and aide really going to help given the fact that the corrupt kleptocrats and chieftans who rule Africa will pose a genuine obstacle to getting the aide to where it is needed?
Comment by john f. — February 28, 2006 @ 12:11 pm
That last comment was not meant as a statement that we should not try. We should try to do everything possible to alleviate the suffering of those people. But I find it impossible to mask my frustration at the situation.
Comment by john f. — February 28, 2006 @ 12:17 pm
Kristof’s proposals:
None of that sounds pie-in-the-sky and it is all within our reach.
Comment by Ronan — February 28, 2006 @ 12:49 pm
But what is America’s role in those suggestions? Why should America be receiving criticism here? Aside from its vote on the U.N. Security Council for the sanctions and no-fly zone, it sounds like these measures are things that need to be undertaken locally. Let’s criticize Africa and Arab countries for inaction over Darfur. If there is reluctance to do this, we need to ask ourselves the uncomfortable question of why. What is it about our current political climate and culture that prevents us from condemning where condemnation is due?
Comment by john f. — February 28, 2006 @ 1:20 pm
I was referring to America’s vote on the U.N. Security Council, that is.
Comment by john f. — February 28, 2006 @ 1:20 pm
America is as responsible for the atrocities in Darfur as we were for the atrocities in Iraq.
I’m not complaining about the money spent on Iraq, I want every possible thing backing up our soldiers there.
But it bothers me how we pick and choose our battles and ignore one country and focus on another.
Comment by annegb — February 28, 2006 @ 9:47 pm
anne, what do you mean? Are you saying that America is not at all at fault for the atrocities in Darfur? Or are you saying that America is responsible both for the atrocities in pre-war Iraq and in present Darfur?
Comment by john f. — February 28, 2006 @ 10:27 pm
lol, not following? I don’t think we’re responsible for perpetrating atrocities in either country. But it seems hypocritical to say “we had to go into Iraq to rid the world of an evil dictator” thus hopefully ending or mitigating the atrocities there, when we are not willing to do it in other countries.
Let me try to rephrase: America should act in Africa, the same way it’s acting in Iraq. We’re just as responsible to help. Or not. We should just have some parity–150 Billion in Iraq? And 530 million in Africa?
Comment by annegb — March 1, 2006 @ 12:27 am