Last night I saw a superb documentary called The Devil Came on Horseback. To see it is to witness genocide, and to be a witness is to bear responsibility. In one particularly emotional scene, a Darfuri man in an IDP camp tells Brian (the subject of the film, who was also there in the theater last night) how thankful he is that American people pressure government organizations to send food, water, and shelter, and also, that we have demanded the Sudanese government stop systematically exterminating people. His basic survival depends on those who can speak up, who can pressure elected officials, whose voices can be heard, deciding to do so.
The American people. That's me. That's you. There's nothing abstract about it. He's speaking to us.
In New York, it's so easy to be dissonant - to see a film, to read a Nick Kristof article, to attend a rally - and then to feel that I've done my part. But what impact has it had if I go see a film and then keep it to myself? What impact does it have for the people on the ground? It's easy to forget, or ignore, the fact that the bystander who can do something, yet doesn't, is guilty as well.
So without knowing where to start, I started by writing a letter this morning to Senator Clinton. I'll copy it below if you want to use it and write one yourself. If you can see the movie, do so. If you can write a letter, do so. I know if I was living in Darfur, I would want someone whose voice could possibly save my life, to use it.
It's a heavy blog post, I know, but the subject deserves nothing less.
***
Dear Senator Clinton,
As one of your voting constituents - one about to embark on a year of volunteer service overseas with the American Jewish World Service - I would like to see you demand the following actions immediately to stop the GENOCIDE in DARFUR:
1) Immediate UN Intervention in Darfur
2) Unrestricted access for Humanitarian Aid
3) No-fly zone and economic & military sanctions
I voted for you for Senator, but need to hear you take a strong stance on this issue before I will consider doing so again in your run for President.
Sincerely,
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1 comment:
Just completed an assignment for hydrology which sought to delineate the major drivers of the conflict in Darfur. We were tasked with writing a policy memo to the UN Sectretariat posing water-resources development solutions. After careful analysis, it seems in addition to these three important proposals, sustainable water resouces are needed in the Darfur, and in the broader Sahel. Much of the present conflict is due to pastoral grazing tribes in the precipitation limtited north(due to climate change, land use conversions and desertification) migrating south in search of water for grazing animals. This has created a situation in which the settled farmers of the south are now in direct competition with the migrating group placing pressures on severely limited water sources. Evidence shows catchment basins, which account for storage of water for irrigation purposes during periods of drought, are 'flashpoints' of conflict betweent the two groups. In sum, a significant strategy for sustainability in the region, and and any mitigation of conflict needs to address water issues.
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