Author: Tim

In California, over 150 people stopped to write letters to their Congressional Representative in support of saving Darfur. The result?

“When they write the history of the genocide in Darfur what will they say about what we did or perhaps more importantly, what we didn’t do to stop the violence.” Schiff [D-29th District] asked. “There are estimates that 300,000 persons have been murdered, countless tens of thousands raped and this is an absolute atrocious situation that is ongoing as we speak.”

It’s true, letter writing can make a difference. The key is getting as many people (per district) involved as possible.

The Save Darfur Coalition recently took out a full page ad in the Waco Tribune-Herald, near the President’s home, urging him to push for the use of UN peacekeeping forces and to appoint an envoy to the region. To date, the Bush administration has acknowledged that an act of genocide has occurred in Darfur, but has been reluctant to get involved and put a stop to it.

Perhaps the most telling quote from the administration came from State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, who said – “People have lost their lives and that’s concerning.” He was, of course, referring to the death of Western aid workers rather than the hundreds of thousands of residents in Darfur who have already lost their lives.

In recent weeks, as Israel has wage war against Hezbollah and Lebanon, I’ve been noticing a few ironic twists to US foreign policy. The stark contrast between our reactions to violence in Lebanon versus the violence in Sudan is utterly disheartening.

The Bush administration has been surprisingly lethargic in their efforts to put a halt to the continuing conflict in Darfur, especially considering their acknowledgement that it is an act of genocide. Yet, with only three weeks of renewed violence between Israel and Hezbollah, the US is springing to action (all quotes from this morning’s press conference).

Secretary Rice and diplomats from other countries are developing United Nations resolutions to bring about a cessation of hostilities and establish a foundation for lasting peace.

A ceasefire has existed in Sudan since May (2006). Unfortunately, the treaty was brokered between Mini Minnawi, the head of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), and the Sudanese government.

The loss of life on both sides of the Lebanese-Israeli border has been a great tragedy. Millions of Lebanese civilians have been caught in the crossfire of military operations because of the unprovoked attack and kidnappings by Hezbollah.

Since 2003, over 200,000 (and possibly as many as 400,000) people have been killed in Darfur, with more than 2 million now living in refugee camps in Chad. During the militia (and Janjaweed) attacks, women and young girls are routinely raped, while the younger girls are often kidnapped.

By taking these steps, it will prevent armed militias like Hezbollah and its Iranian and Syrian sponsors from sparking another crisis.

Since the ceasefire, the SLA has fractured, creating a myriad of rebel groups who are now getting the same government backing as the Janjaweed. Survivors and humanitarian workers are now reporting that the government is using white helicopters and planes (to mimic humanitarian aircraft) in order to continue their strikes on villages in Darfur.

Meanwhile, the African Union, with only 7000 troops, doesn’t have enough funding to continue their operation past September. The United Nations, who is negotiating with Sudan to send in its own peacekeeping force, isn’t due on the ground until January 2007 (at the earliest).

I also believe that innocent civilians in Israel should not have to live in bunkers in fear of missile attacks.

Unlike the deal that Condi Rice is attempting to broker for Lebanon and Israel, the people of Darfur have no such deal. The people of Darfur have been killed, raped, and forced into refugee camps, with no end in sight.

Nat Hentoff, the syndicated columnist, has an article that’s appearing in countless newspapers across the country. I can’t tell you exactly what the title is, because it’s different in each newspaper, but Google News’ first mention of it came from The Register and so that’s the link I’ll use.

In it, Hentoff comments that:

Now, I am depressed and puzzled at why — when knowledge of the genocide in Darfur cannot be escaped — so many Americans are indifferent.

There have been rallies from a persistent network of American human-rights activists. But, aside from them, among the millions fiercely opposing our involvement in Iraq, I see and hear no public, organized horror at the killings in Darfur.

Among my own family, friends and acquaintances, the reaction — when I speak of Darfur — is mostly only polite attempts at showing concern. Often there is no reaction at all, as if I were an utterly boring Ancient Mariner with a tale of the suffering that befell his crew when he shot an albatross.

While I would say that the public’s reaction to such atrocities is surprising, I have to concede that it’s the “typical” reaction. In fact, our reaction to past genocides has been (as echoed by Hentoff) exactly the same.

OSMOSIS is gearing up for their second iniative — a letter writing campaign to encourage Congress to enact H Res 723. Like the petition I wrote about last week, you can find more information about H Res 723 at the Genocide Intervention Network.

Amy provided contact information if you’re interested in picking up a letter at her shop. If you’re not local, and you want to write a letter, I’ve got three different copies that you can grab:

A Word document that you can customize.
One version of a fill-in-the-blank pdf.
A second version of a fill-in-the-blank pdf.

If you’re not sure who your Representative is, you can find out by visiting the House of Representative’s website.