Genocide in Darfur

“Why should I be concerned with the death of one child? It happens every day, every hour. Every minute. Why would we get involved? Why would I get involved with genocide occurring on the other side of the world? If they want to kill each other, let them! What could I do? How would I prevent death? We can’t really change the world. I can’t really stop one child from dying. Children may suffer now, villages might burn; a reward awaits them in the next life. We need suffering and death, it puts things in perspective. Death is taking them to a better place.” These statements are but a handful of the excuses spouted off in my direction, burning my ears with apathy. I have stood, listening to others reason to themselves, reason to me. Answer this: your home is on fire, you are one of the few who made it out with your family alive. Your three children have severely charred limbs, you can carry one child and your wife can carry another as you run from the village whilst avoiding gunfire. How do you decide which child to leave behind? There are no ifs, ands, or buts, one of your three children must be left in the burning village or your entire family will burn. You have seconds to decide. If you leave your eldest daughter, she will be raped before being shot or burned. If you leave your youngest, an animal may tear him apart before he succumbs to death. Once the smoke clears, the military will be in the village killing those still alive. This is not a weekend blockbuster. This is not a video game. This is not the History Channel. This is the present moment, reality, daily life for Darfur refugees, over two million displaced and 800 thousand dead (Cheadle 5). These are the faceless that have no voice on the other side of the world; we hear no screams, we smell no burning flesh, we see no ash or smoke moving closer to our homes, we taste no blood as it drips from the forehead of our mothers. When did we stop hearing? When did we stop feeling? When did our nation become apathetic to suffering?
I had planned on providing you with a brief history of genocide, our nation’s lack of involvement, the excuses told by one Congress to another, yet this is irrelevant to your involvement. What congress did or did not do twenty years ago does not save one son today and a daughter tomorrow. The actions we take NOW have the potential to save life and prevent suffering. Few of us understand the suffering of living among a war-torn country; few of us have fled out of our homes as our neighborhood burned; few of us have heard gunshots fired in the direction of our family our friends and our neighbors. Although we have not experienced Hell we cannot ignore its presence.
In my preparations for this paper I read the account of three young boys who have experienced hell, “They Poured Fired on Us from the Sky” is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. The beauty of the book was its ability to open my eyes to another understanding of humanity, but more importantly, the book provided me with a greater sense of how similar each of us is regardless of color, nationality, or geographic location – we love and we live, and we cannot accomplish either of these alone. Why put forth effort to save the life of a child who knows not of your existence? You only exist because you were first a child.
Do not despair. It is easy to lose sight of what is important when overwhelmed by the big picture. There is much that you can do today . . . tomorrow . . . next week . . . I find that we are often surprised by the little efforts that make a big difference. If I could urge you to do only one thing, I would ask that you check out one of the books listed on the works cited page. The first is the book “Not On Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond” by Oscar winner Don Cheadle. The second book is a memoir of three Sudanese refugees, “They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky”. This is the account of three young boys displaced by war; an excellent choice for a book club. Don’t have a book club? Call a friend or neighbor, call your sister or mother, a discussion takes two people – share the book with your partner. If your library does not offer this title I would be happy to supply you with a copy to share with friends and family. Send me an email, my email address is listed at the end of my remarks. The third book is the Pulitzer Prize winner “The Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide” by Samantha Power; I own the latest version printed earlier this year which contains an appendix about the situation in Darfur. I would suggest reading Power’s book if the other two leave you wanting to understand genocide and its origins. You may ask, why would I suggest you read? Shouldn’t I recommend action? Educating yourself may be the first action most suited to end genocide; once you are informed you can educate others. “Not On Our Watch” offers an easy explanation of six things you can do today to help. On page 160, Don Cheadle recommends six steps of action that you and I can take.
· Raise Awareness
· Raise Funds
· Write a Letter
· Call for Divestment
· Join an Organization
· Lobby the Government

Please email me with any questions. I don’t claim to have all the answers but I will do my best to provide you with accurate information. And please, don’t hesitate to contact me:
· If you would like to discuss genocide further
· If you are willing to wear a green “Save Darfur” wristband
· If you would like a list of online sources working to end genocide
· If you would like material on starting a book club
· If you would like more details about what you can do today
· If you have any comments or questions

My email address is meganvanpelt@mail.weber.edu.

Works Cited

Cheadle, Don., and John Prendergast. NOT ON OUR WATCH: The Mission to End
Genocide In Darfur And Beyond. New York: Hyperion, 2007.
Deng, Benson, Alephonsio Deng, Benjamin Ajak, and Judy Bernstein. They Poured Fire
on Us From the Sky. New York: Public, 2005.
Power, Samantha. “A Problem From Hell” America and the Age of Genocide. New
York: Harper, 2007.