6/09/2005
Fasting for Darfur
I'm not a big "this is a crisis" kind of guy. Or rather, I recognize a lot of situations as crises and I try to take actions in a steady way, without running from crisis to crisis. Quite a large group of people I trust are working hard to stop the on-going genocide in Darfur in southern Sudan. Read about it at Stop Genocide Now, at omidyar.net and at the International Crisis Center. In the Rwanda Genocide, the worst killing happened during a 100 day stretch starting on April 6. In 2005, an international 100 Days of Action started on April 6 to draw attention to the Darfur situation, which includes a rolling fast. Tomorrow (starting in an hour) is my day.
Yesterday I asked what action those calling for action are asking for. I was given various answers. I did some reading and wasn't happy with what I found in terms of actions:
The killing can be stopped.
Yesterday I asked what action those calling for action are asking for. I was given various answers. I did some reading and wasn't happy with what I found in terms of actions:
Contact your elected representative, Write to your newspaper, Post a blog comment, Tell a colleague, Inform yourself about the crisis, Donate to organisations working in Sudanso I kept at it to find out why we'd perform the above actions. I doni't want to see the US invade another country, for example. I found a bunch of reasons that seem to make sense to me:
Protect Civilians and Relief Supplies, Implement Accountability in Darfur (sanctions), Build a Darfur Peace Process, Implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between Khartoum and the SPLM, Prevent New Conflict in SudanSo keep doing the other good things you're doing in the world and read something about Darfur. Then write something. In your blog. In an email to friends. To your elected representatives. And if you'd like to go further, pick a day to fast, donate what you would've spent on food that day to a relief organization and write about that.
The killing can be stopped.