Shame, Shame, Shame

Nowadays, Darfur seems to be a memory. Nuclear talks in North Korea, the War in Iraq, nuclear dealings in Iran and the Pakistani election are all more current topics and enjoy more media time than the western region of the Sudan. I guess that for the beleaguered people of Sudan, their story has come full circle: silence. Five years ago, the conflict in Darfur exploded; The government backed militia began killing the tribal residents and literally destroying the world around them. Since then, over 400,000 Darfurians have died and some two million have lost their homes and reside in refugee camps across the border in Chad; where the violence is now spreading.

I confess that I myself only learned of the tragedy a year after it had started. From that time, I worked to spread awareness. I would tell anybody of the terrible goings-on in Darfur. Foolishly, I believed that what stopped action was a lack of awareness and that once people were aware, they would do something. And, once we had that awareness, I thought that maybe, just maybe, something would happen. And yet, the meager African union force cannot control the violence and the government of Sudan and the vile President Omar Al-Bashir, who claims no responsibility, has hindered the international community from doing anything. So now, that awareness has left. This week, a group of well known and diverse international figures (including President Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and billionaire Richard Branson; see: "Carter, Others Lash Out at Darfur Misery") toured the country and saw the terror first hand: "Darfur is one of the most awful places in the world," commented Tutu. However, after seeing the horror for himself Carter said that "The atrocities were horrible but I do not think it qualifies to be called genocide." No, Mr. Carter, 400,000 dead is not genocide, is it? No, Mr. Carter, killing them because of their ethnicity and religious beliefs is not genocide, is it?

So I say shame. Shame to the international community, shame to Mr. Bashir and his government, shame to Mr. Carter; but, most of all, shame to me and you who do not have the courage to do anything. Margaret Mead once said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Cannot you or I be these people? And if so, why do we wait? How many more must die until we do something?

"Never again"? It is a shame such good rhetoric must go to waste.