This is the third in a series of posts about Darfur. The first post presented a brief introduction to the genocide taking place in the Sudan. The second post looked at the people of Darfur who are suffering. This third posts relates to a question a man walking down our street asked Terri when he saw our savedarfur.org yard sign: "Who do you want to save them?"
My response? Anyone who has the power. I'm in the middle of reading Exiles by Michael Frost. Toward the end of the book he writes about raising criticism, and he distinguishes between situations that we as individuals can individually change (e.g. showing generosity, etc.) and situations that take the effort of a larger power such as a government. Frost suggests that in those latter situations, our personal responsibility is to advocate for change, for justice. I suppose that's what this series of posts is about for me. I'm not getting on a plane to go to Darfur. I can, however, lend my voice to the voices of others calling for world governments to take action. Who do I want to save them? I want all of us to save them -- because they can't save themselves -- that's the issue with powerlessness. Jesus taught that those with power, those with a voice, those with some authority are to advocate on behalf of those without. As westerners, we have all those things, We have therefore are obliged to make our voices heard.
All that said, who should go? What should be done? That's the rub. The African Union contingent is too small. The Sudanese government in Khartoum is refusing a more sizeable UN peacekeeping force. Our military is stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan. Who should go? That's the million dollar question. My personal belief is that the aid has to come from the international community acting in unity. We have something for that, right? It's called the UN. This is the type of situation to which the UN must respond.
I found your site because I googled "go to Darfur." I did this because I would go if there was any way to do that and make a contribution to helping those people. I feel powerless, and more so now that the government over there has kicked out most of the aid workers.
Advocating and giving money just doesn't seem like enough. Maybe we could go to the Sudan and march up and down in the streets demanding justice. A suicide mission? I'm not suicidal, but I feel it is a desperate situation for all people. All of us. I feel like I'm sitting on my hands while children die. It's unconscionable.
What to do?
Posted by: Roseanne Lasater | Friday, March 13, 2009 at 05:01 PM