Dying in the Dust: The People & The Headlines

A wildly successful awareness event

2011-05-09T22:09:00.001-05:00

On April 27th, a large coalition of faith groups, refugee service organizations and STAND students came together to put on a wildly successful genocide awareness and prevention event in Chapel Hill, N.C. To make a long story short, these groups planned and worked for months to put together an event for Holocaust Remembrance Week and Genocide Awareness Month that celebrated survivors and liberators in our community, screened “The Last Survivor” documentary and held a discussion with the film’s co-director.

We squeezed 260 people into the sold-out theater and turned away about 50 people. We had three local mayors, two town council members and a state representative attend and participate in the celebration ceremony. We celebrated 12 survivors of the Holocaust and violence in Congo and celebrated 6 U.S. army veterans who liberated Nazi concentration camps. In fact, a veteran met for the first time a concentration camp survivor that he liberated – both now living in our community.

The movie had its usual powerful effect on the audience and especially drew praise from the survivors – who celebrated the film’s attempt to focus not just on the past. The conversation afterwards with the film’s co-director was powerful and inspiring, with a good conversation about what people can do to help prevent future crimes against humanity. People left motivated and engaged and determined.

The success of this event stands in stark contrast to the first Interfaith Coalition meeting held so many months ago at the beginning of my fellowship year - where only one person showed up. Some of the reasons why I think this event worked so well include:

**Strong coalitions. There was not one single group that planned this event. We made sure to involve groups such as the local Jewish federation, local church and mosques, refugee resettlement agencies, a Holocaust Speaker’s Bureau, and the local STAND chapter right from the early days. Asking them to come, have a booth and participate gave them ownership and motivation to promote to their constituencies.
**Involving local survivors. Bringing real survivors who live among us brought a very tangible, emotional power to the evening that simply showing the film would not have achieved.
**Planning far in advance. We began planning for this event late last year – a full five months before it happened. Of course, most work was done closer to the event but we got on elected officials’ calendars early, got out in front of other Holocaust Remembrance events and were well organized to get media attention.

What made some of your events better than others?

International Women's Day

2011-03-08T22:35:00.002-05:00

In honor of International Women's Day, here is an old blog post I did about an iPod and a desert dress:

Tale Of Two Little Girls

Updated Darfur speaker website

2011-03-05T13:05:00.004-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but I finally got around to refreshing my other blog - which is focused on creating speaking opportunities. Many people are looking for a resource for an event, but have trouble finding new and interesting ways of raising awareness. So - my goal is to help as much as I can.

Check it out at DarfurSpeaker.blogspot.com and please spread the word about this site. You never know who might be listening to you on Facebook or Twitter that needs help with an event.

Thanks!

Scott

Words to launch a new class of Fellows

2011-03-03T20:41:00.007-05:00

With emotions and expectations running high, a new class of Carl Wilkens Fellows gathered in Washington, D.C., last month to launch a roller-coaster ride of a year. They embarked on a journey that will both challenge them and encourage them, mess with their emotions and motivate them, and lay the groundwork for a lifetime building the political will to end crimes against humanity.

I know that sounds dramatic, but it's true. The Carl Wilkens Fellowship (CWF) with the Genocide Intervention Network is a truly unique program. I had the privilege of not only being a part of the 2009 class, but also helping the 2011 class during the retreat in February.

It was interesting seeing them go through the same emotions, express the same concerns, and feel the same sense of "finding their tribe" that I did as a fellow. We all tend to be so idealistic, motivated and leaders in our own way. We suffer from MPD - multiple passion disorder - and all desire to see an end to genocide. In this environment, its easy to start comparing ourselves to the other fellows and that can breed anxiety. It's also a recipe for us to just launch out and try to do as many things as possible, without taking the time to think things through.

So here are some parting words of advice for the 2011 Class as they begin their community leadership journey:
-Stay true to yourself and your community. Understand your skills, gifts and spheres of influence and don't get distracted by comparing yourself to others.
-Take the time to plan strategically. You can waste so much energy by rushing forward too fast.
-Build relationships. Your connections to people will last much longer than your fellowship year.
-Dream big and act small. Make sure you set your sight on big plans for change, but break down that plan into bite-size pieces.
-Have fun. Lastly, it's so easy to get depressed and disheartened when you are trying to get friends and neighbors interested in world conflicts and motivated to act. It's important to maintain a sense of humor and have fun while pursuing your fellowship goals.

I raise my glass to all the rockstars in the 2011 class and wish you the best in your grand adventure.

Carl Wilkens to speak at UNC tonight!!

2010-11-06T10:23:00.001-05:00

One of my personal heroes, Carl Wilkens, is coming to speak at UNC Chapel Hill tonight. He has an incredible story of staying in Rwanda throughout the genocide and helping people. His stories are powerful and the message poignant. Stop by and check it out if you are within striking distance of Chapel Hill.

When: Nov. 6 at 6 p.m.
Where: Hanes Art Center 121, UNC campus

See you there!

Has Obama forgotten Darfur?

2010-06-18T18:11:00.002-05:00

Has Obama forgotten Darfur? This thought-provoking question is posed by Nick Kristoff in his latest op-ed in the New York Times.

This is a must-read reminder that Darfur is "still a crime scene" and that violence is steadily increasing. I will admit, I've enjoyed the lull in violence and let my own mind wander from this conflict. A bit of me wants peace so bad that it celebrates the "no news is good news" policy. Well, Kristoff reminds us that in the case of Darfur, no news does not mean good news - it just means we are ignoring the news and forgetting about the situation.

We need to wake up to the impending violence with the upcoming vote in Southern Sudan on independence. I pledge to not forget Darfur, not forget Sudan and not to forget my friends and their families.

Read more.

Video: Elon 4/11/10 rally montage

2010-04-15T20:05:00.004-05:00

Way to go Elon!

2010-04-15T19:57:00.002-05:00

Elon University in North Carolina held an anti-genocide rally on April 11. It was organized by the local STAND chapter and had several partners. It was great to see so many bright, young men and women spend a gorgeous day indoors to learn about ways to prevent genocide. Although the turnout wasn't as high as the organizers wanted, the local student paper showed up and covered the event and my talk.

Check out this great article by The Pendulum: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=3648

The power of the media will help this positive message spread beyond the walls of the rally. I always enjoy speaking at events like this because it inspires me to keep working to end the suffering in Darfur.

March Madness in Sudan

2010-04-03T16:20:00.003-05:00

In North Carolina, there's no mistaking what March Madness means. The fervor of basketball fans pushing their favorite teams to victory surrounds and seduces us all. In Sudan, March Madness stands for the craziness of pushing forward with elections already marred by bloodshed and opposition boycotts. The Sudanese elections coming in April are close to being a complete sham and sending the region back into violence and chaos. For all the warning signs, the Obama Administration has remained remarkably muted.

It is increasingly critical that Congress and the Administration pay closer attention to the situation in Darfur, ensure to their greatest ability that the national elections are free and fair, and pressure the International Criminal Court to hold al-Bashir accountable for crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity. Rep. Brad Miller and Sen. Richard Burr need to step up and be leaders in this area. They’ve been briefed on the Obama Administration’s Sudan Policy, issued in late 2009, and are in a position of influence.

So as this year’s March Madness wraps up, let’s work together to ensure that people around the world have the freedom to cheer on their favorite teams and political leaders to victory without fear of violence.

Pick-up the phone and dial 1-800-GENOCIDE on Monday, April 5, and we’ll connect you with your Senators and Representatives. Tell Congress and the Obama Administration that the situation in Sudan cannot be ignored for much longer.

Introducing CGAN

2010-03-12T13:05:00.003-05:00

One of the biggest frustrations I had with my time as a fellow with the Genocide Intervention Network was the lack of communication among local genocide activists. I would hear about cool events AFTER they were over. I talked to people all over the Triangle region of N.C. who felt they were alone in their genocide prevention efforts, when just around the corner there was another person feeling the same way.

So, how can we stay connected? What about a wiki - a web site that anyone can edit - to create an online presence?

Thus, the idea for the Carolina Genocide Action Network (CGAN) was born. The CGAN is an informal, low-maintenance community of men and women who care about genocide prevention issues. It's targeted to people who live in North and South Carolina, but all are welcome.

So check it out, join the wiki, leave an update and let me know what you think. Is this the right direction for us to go?

Two positive recent developments - dare we hope?

2010-02-22T21:38:00.001-05:00

In the world of genocide prevention advocacy, we’re used to bad news. In fact, we sort of brace ourselves for the worst even while hoping for the best. That’s a trait beat into us from years of seeing oppressors escape justice for mass atrocities while the general American public blithely ignores what is happening.

Well, take heart. There have been two recent developments of note in regard to Darfur. It’s too early to declare victory on either one of these, but hopefully they are the early signs of a positive turnaround.

1. International Court Paves the Way to Charge Bashir with Genocide
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir could face genocide charges in the International Criminal Court (ICC) after a legal ruling over his role in the conflict in Darfur. Bashir, who already faces an arrest warrant on seven charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, is now eligible to charged with genocide after an appeals court overturned a previous ruling stating there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him with genocide.

If the ICC decided to bring charges of genocide against Bashir, it would be the first time it has done so against a sitting head of state. It goes without saying that this would be monumental on many levels, including sending a major warning shot to other oppressors interested in similar tactics. Read more here.

2. New Truce Between Major Rebel Group and Government
The major Darfur rebel movement JEM is set to sign a truce with the Sudanese government in Doha, Qatar, this week. This agreement would mark just one in a ling string of ceasefires – but observers have high hopes for this one. Among other reasons, the Sudanese government (and Bashir in particular) is under particular pressure to demonstrate progress given item #1 above and the upcoming April elections in Sudan. If the truce holds, it will lead to more detailed peace talks in March on issues such as power sharing. Can we hope for this to be a baby-step in the right direction?

Of course, JEM isn’t the only rebel group fighting in Darfur and therefore this peace deal is limited in scope. Success will also be determined by the extent that Sudan and JEM can include the other groups and not alienate them in this process. Read more here.

So, here are two positive recent developments – dare we to celebrate? Not yet. History is littered with false starts.

We’ll keep a close eye on both and keep praying that they ultimately lead to the end of suffering in Darfur and Eastern Chad.

State of the Union: Will Obama mention genocide?

2010-01-25T21:37:00.003-05:00

As a Triangle resident who grew up in Sudan, I won’t be drinking shots every time President Obama says “jobs” as I watch this week’s State of the Union address. Nor will I scrutinize every word for subtle signs of socialism. I will be looking for a young president to live up to his campaign promises of change as it pertains to the most egregious of all crimes: genocide.

President Obama has chosen to deliver his first State of the Union Address on same day as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This provides him with an incredible opportunity to be the first president to declare a commitment and plan to abolish genocide.

Further, President Obama should specifically call on the nation and the world to redouble its efforts to prevent atrocities and bloody war in Sudan. Prevention is easier and cheaper than intervention.

So - what are the odds that Obama mentions genocide during his address?

New Genocide Intervention Network web site

2010-01-15T09:37:00.003-05:00

The Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net) is leading the national anti-genocide movement and has grown dramatically in the previous five years. Started by a small group of college students, this organization has grown to be a formidable presence in Washington, D.C. with a million dollar budget dedicated to the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities.

As readers of this blog know, I had the privilege of serving as a GI-Net Carl Wilkens Fellow in 2009. I intend to remain active and connected with GI-Net in the years to come.

This is one of the main reasons I am excited to see GI-Net update its brand and its web presence. As a senior communications specialist in my “day job” I understand the importance of a good web site and strong identity. I hope the new web site will foster the global genocide prevention movement by being easy to follow, easy to engage and easy to take action.

Check out the new site: www.genocideintervention.net. What do you think? Does it meet the needs of our growing movement?

STANDFast: Stories of Survivors (12/1/09 at UNC-CH)

2009-11-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

Here’s an upcoming event at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I’ll be there – come out and join us!

On December 1st, join UNC’s chapter of STAND, formerly SUDAN, in fasting from a luxury— like coffee, facebook, or food— for a day.

Sign up to fast at www.mysignup.com/standfast

Last year, participants raised almost $2,500. That money helped build two wells for 1,000 villagers in Chow Lek, Sudan. They no longer have to scoop their drinking water out of a shallow, muddy hole used by animals.

But we can’t stop there.

On the night of Dec. 1st, we will break the fast in the Student Union Great Hall at 6:30 p.m. Your donation ($5 suggested) will go to support one of STAND’s humanitarian aid campaigns. We will explain more the night of the fast!

There will be food donated by local restaurants like Jimmy John's, Jack Sprat and Chipotle! And UNC student dancers and singers will perform!

Following dinner, genocide survivors will share their experiences and answer questions.

Co Sponsors: James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence and the Student Life Enhancement Fund

Please sign up to fast at www.mysignup.com/standfast and join the facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204864078059&ref=ts Invite friends!!

Event this Friday

2009-11-15T16:27:00.000-05:00

Spread the word! Free food and film screening this Friday!

The Interfaith Coalition for Sudanese Peace invites you to join us for a free pizza dinner and screening of the documentary “Facing Sudan.” This documentary captures the stories of various “ordinary” people like you and me and highlights their courage and the fight to end genocide in Darfur. Scott Sutton, a 2009 Carl Wilkens Fellow with the Genocide Intervention Network, will lead a brief discussion and provide an update on current events in Darfur.

This is a low-key, informal event that will be thought provoking as well as encouraging. It will be a great opportunity to introduce new people to the current situation in Darfur. Even if you can’t make it, please invite at least TWO other people to attend the screening.

What: Free food and film screening hosted by the Interfaith Coalition for Sudanese Peace.
When: Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.
Where: Connections Community Space, 1280 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh, NC
Why: Because you want to learn more about Darfur, because you are moved to stop human suffering, because you want to do your part to raise awareness, and because there is free food!
RSVP: Send a reply to Scott at suttonsa [at] gmail [dot]com by Wed., Nov. 18

A note regarding children: The event is open to everyone and children are encouraged to attend. However, there will be graphic images in the film as it deals with the real death and destruction in Darfur.

I look forward to seeing you on the 20th.

Rape Bystanders No Longer

2009-11-09T22:47:00.001-05:00

If you saw a 15-year old girl getting raped in an alley – would you stop it or cheer it on? Last month, this brutal scenario played out at a high school dance in California where police say more than 20 people stood, watched and jeered the two-hour gang-rape of a young woman. As a nation, we are now wrestling with the brutality of these abusers and the unfathomable lack of action from the bystanders. We are rightly enraged by the lack of action to stop human suffering and are pursuing criminal charges where possible.

Before we cast stones, we must realize that you and I are already bystanders to rape and massive human suffering. We have stood by as more than 400,000 men, women and children were murdered in Darfur. We are still standing by as the rapes, torture, starvation and suffering continues unabated for those left alive.

The good news is that there is a growing movement to end genocide and mass atrocities and it’s not too late to prevent the next great human tragedy. This past weekend, more than 800 students and adults gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Pledge2Protect conference organized by the Genocide Intervention Network. On Monday, the North Carolina delegation met with Sens. Burr and Hagan to urge them to make “never again” a reality. One unique aspect of this round of advocacy was the use of videos from North Carolinians in addition to “old fashioned” talking, to make the point to our elected representatives.

I urge you – yes you, the one reading this blog post - to refuse to be a bystander to genocide and take action with us. The first step to joining the anti-genocide conversation in the Triangle region of North Carolina is to join the Interfaith Coalition for Sudanese Peace for free food, a film screening and discussion on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at 1280 Buck Jones Rd, Raleigh, N.C. RSVP to Scott at: suttonsa {at} gmail {dot} com.

Pledge2Protect Conference on Twitter

2009-11-07T12:16:00.003-05:00

Right now, as I write this brief blog post, hundreds of anti-genocide activists, elected officials and experts are meeting in Washington, D.C. This conference, called Pledge2Protect is the anti-genocide movement's largest conference ever and is a collaboration between the Genocide Intervention Network, SaveDarfur and the Enough Project.

For those of us unlucky to not be there, you can follow along with participants on Twitter. Many attendees are tweeting about what they see and hear - it's almost as good as the real thing. Check it out by following @pledge2protect if you have a Twitter account, or go to: http://pledge2protect.twazzup.com/

I'm praying that this conference is meaningful and results in action, not merely just talk.

Obama’s new Sudan policy released

2009-10-19T21:54:00.001-05:00

The Obama Administration finally unveiled its comprehensive plan to bring peace to Sudan today at an event attended by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice and Special Envoy to Sudan Gen. Scott Gration. These three administration heavyweights said many good things about their intentions in the news conference, but the question still remains about their implementation.

Many in the activist community have a great deal of concern about what they see as a real gap between the administration’s rhetoric and its day-to-day diplomacy with the Sudanese government. President Obama must be firm in his promise to lead a more urgent multi-lateral peace process. U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration must work to build an international coalition for the meaningful implementation of the North-South peace deal, and implement a policy that creates real consequences for those who continue to attack civilians, block life-saving aid, undermine peace and justice.

For more information on this major development, please check out the following resources:
• View the video of the State Department’s news conference
• View the Washington Post preview article on the Sudan Policy
• View a video response from Sam Bell, Executive Director of the Genocide Intervention Network
• View an op-ed in the LA Times by John Prendergast, Co-founder of ENOUGH!

Take action: Call 1-800-GENOCIDE and urge President Obama to implement his new strategy and keep his campaign promises on Sudan.

Cookies for a dictator?

2009-09-28T20:46:00.003-05:00

In an article in the Washington Post, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Scott Gration is quoted as saying, "We've got to think about giving out cookies. Kids, countries, they react to gold stars, smiley faces, handshakes, agreements, talk, engagement."

He said this on the eve of a major Sudan policy review by the new Obama Administration and that comment, among other statements, is raising eyebrows across the Darfur peace movement.

Cookies for a Sudanese government that has repeatedly broken promises? Cookies for a Sudanese government that expelled humanitarian groups, thus endangering the lives of millions, but then insisted on getting a reward for letting these same groups back in?

I believe the main concern from the Darfur peace movement’s leaders is that these Gration statements reflect the Administration's official Sudan policy. Such an apparently "soft" approach flies in the face of the bold statements and commitments to action made by former Senators Obama, Biden and Clinton on the campaign trail.

The leaders of the Enough Project, Save Darfur Coaltion and the Genocide Intervention Network released a statement in response. To quote Sam Bell, the director of the Genocide Intervention Network: “If Washington is going to start taking war criminals at their word, despite the long list of Khartoum's broken commitments, an even larger tragedy will soon unfold.” [Full disclosure: I am a 2009 Carl Wilkens Fellow with the Genocide Intervention Network]

Personally, I want to trust the Envoy. I want to believe that offering incentives is shortest route to ending the suffering of my friends and their families in Darfur. If his tactics have gained him the trust and ear of the Government of Sudan (GoS), then perhaps cookies are what need to be served.

However, the leader of the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel group was quoted in the Sudan Tribune on Sept. 28 saying the Envoy “does not have a program or strategy for a solution” in Darfur. This does not give me condidence that Gration has the trust of the rebels, who will be key in ending this mess.

So…is Gration fumbling away a chance for real peace by losing the confidence of a key ally in JEM, or is his strategy of paying attention and giving “cookies” to the GoS the right focus and key to long-term solutions? Let me know what you think.

Heading to Washington

2009-09-10T22:32:00.003-05:00

I'm headed to Washington DC this weekend for the second Carl Wilkens Fellowship retreat. I look forward to a good time of catching up with the other 20 fellows, sharing best practices re-focusing on the final months of the fellowship.

I'm going up a little early and will meet with Roger Pena, a senior legislative aide for NC Senator Kay Hagan. I look forward to this opportunity to introduce myself, our anti-genocide work and the ongoing issue in Sudan. I plan to ask Sen. Hagan to help us by sending a letter to President Obama urging him to strengthen his Sudan policy to avoid being duped by a Sudanese Government that is notorious for broken promises.

While I'm there, I might drop by Sen. Burr's office as well.

I'll let you know how the meeting goes.

Strong, balanced policy needed for Sudan

2009-08-24T21:18:00.001-05:00

It’s been nearly seven years since the Darfur genocide began. Fortunately, the conflict continues to garner much-needed attention worldwide. This is in large part due to the unprecedented number of Americans and dedicated elected officials like U.S. Representatives Brad Miller and David Price who have refused to give up on the people suffering there.

President Obama stated on March 18th that “Sudan is a priority for this Administration,” yet the Administration has failed to demonstrate the sense of urgency and executive attention that is necessary to distinguish Sudan as a true priority. The Administration has yet to release a long-overdue policy review of Sudan and has appeared focused more on rewards for the Government of Sudan instead of a balanced approach that includes punitive measures for continued intransigence. The release of an appropriately balanced policy review would help to alleviate fears that the United States will squander its leverage on continued broken promises from Khartoum.

As Senators, President Obama, Vice-President Joseph Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were three of the strongest advocates for Sudan, but now that they are in the Administration we have yet to see them live up to their promises to prioritize peace in Sudan.

Sudan Now, an ad campaign coming out this week in several major news outlets, calls on Obama, Biden and Clinton to keep the promises that they’ve made to the people of Sudan. The release of the policy review on Sudan is expected within days. Obama, Biden and Clinton must take this opportunity to become a part of the process; weighing in to ensure that the policy matches up with their rhetoric. More information on the campaign can be found by visiting www.SudanActionNow.com.

What's in a name?

2009-06-14T21:36:00.002-05:00

In the temper tantrum that immediately followed the ICC's indictment of President Bashir or Sudan, the Sudanese Government kicked out 13 aid groups working in Darfur. This retaliation against "the West" was particularly damaging to the situation in Darfur because the expelled aid groups were significant players in the humanitarian scene - providing about 40 percent of the aid to the millions who are suffering. Names like Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Corps, Save the Children and Oxfam are well-known around the world for their professionalism and quality work under dire conditions. If they're in your background, you've got issues but you're in good hands.

Thankfully, according to news reports, the Sudanese Government is now letting these groups back into the country...with one condition. The only condition seems to be that they change their name. This is an odd move, but one is probably just a face-saving tactic. The best part is the same experienced staff, resources and logistical networks can return to work.

I can understand the hesitancy of aid groups to change their identity. Afterall, its a brand they've built for decades and it matters to donors and staff. It's also about pride in your work. As a public relations professional, I know the value of consistency in communications and image. However, this is a time when your typical PR instinct should get thrown out the window.

Names do not matter in the game of life and death. There are millions of men, women and children in desperate need of water and medical care, and I really don't think they care what logo is on the truck. So, I say to the expelled groups: go ahead and change the name on your badge, the logo on your truck and heck, throw up a new web site to appease those in power. Because the refugees without power need your help, and they need it now. And they don't care what you're called.

For the full story, visit the Washington Post article.

Help Sarah ride against rape

2009-06-11T21:19:00.003-05:00

Right now, rape is at an all-time high in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa where large concentrations of Sudanese refugees are seeking shelter from the crisis in Darfur. A great number of these rapes occur when women venture outside of the camps, in places such as Congo and Chad, to get firewood. Rape is used as a political tool as well as a means of demoralizing and socially degrading women.

One local Raleigh high school student has said "no more!" and is taking action to provide these women with protection. Sarah Cheshire is setting out on a coast-to-coast bike ride to raise money for Genocide Intervention Network's civilian protection program. She begins in Charleston, S.C., and with your help she will make it all the way to San Diego, CA.

For more information on how to sponsor Sarah and provide real protection to women threatened by rape, contact Sarah at [scheshire AT cfsnc DOT org]. The deadline for raising money is June 15 – so act quickly!

The creative side of this blog

2009-05-19T20:27:00.007-05:00

I write this blog not only to provide the occasional commentary on world events pertaining to Darfur, but also to share the stories of life in Darfur as I knew it before the genocide began. My hope is that these creative pieces will grab your attention and make you want to learn more about this region and its wonderful people. They are all based on real life events or people I knew as I lived and played in Eastern Chad.

To save you the trouble of scrolling through years of posts, here is a list of some of my more creative pieces:
How to eat a Mango
Arrival: Part 1
Arrival: Part 2
A Night Without Gunfire
Nighttime Ritual
Evacuation Is Not An Option
The Water Boys
When Is A Chicken Worth Its Weight In Gold?
A Tale of Two Girls
How To Catch A Bat

Peacekeeper shot during carjacking

2009-05-12T22:02:00.003-05:00

The latest report out of Chad/Darfur recently remind us of the volatile situation on the ground in Darfur. On Thursday of last week, an African Union-UN peacekeeper was killed - not in battle, but by a rogue thug tryiing to steal his vehicle. For me, this is almost worse than being ambushed by the Janjaweed militias, because it reflects the utter chaos of the region and desperation of the people. He is the 15th peacekeeper to die since the AU-UN mission began last year.

Are you a Triangle NC Darfur advocate? Come join us!

2009-04-23T21:10:00.003-05:00

This Sunday is an exciting day. It is the "relaunch" of the Interfaith Coalition for Sudanese Peace in the Triangle region of North Carolina.

Many people have participated with the Interfaith Council on past events, while others may not know about the Interfaith Coalition but care about the crisis in Darfur. We thank each of you for your hard work - from volunteering to fundraising to praying – that has helped improve the lives of the men, women and children of Darfur.

Unfortunately, the situation in Darfur remains dire and now more than ever we must work together to raise our voices on behalf of these people. Since we last spoke with many of you, the Interfaith Coalition for Sudanese Peace has changed. We have new members, new structure and a new strategic vision for working to end the crisis in Darfur. We want to reconnect with you (or connect for the first time) and hear what you and your organizations are doing in this area.

You are invited to an event specifically for men and women who have demonstrated a passion and interest in resolving the crisis in Darfur. At this event, we will network with other local activists and get a brief update on the current situation in Darfur. We will also learn about the Coalition’s new organization and examine ways we can partner together this year.

When: Sunday, April 26 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Connections community space, 1280 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh NC

For more information, call 919 612 1698

A bailout for human life

2009-03-31T20:31:00.002-05:00

What does $50 billion get you these days?

Not as much as it used it, at least according to the headlines. The U.S. government is doling out that amount right and left to various mega-industries in the form of "bailouts" and Madoff singlehandedly swindled his clients out of a similar amount.

However – last week the U.S. government decided it could not afford to spend $50 billion to save and improve the lives of millions of men, women and children around the world. Instead, it cut almost $5 billion from the International Affairs Budget. This is an extremely dangerous and short-sighted move by Congress.

The International Affairs Budget funds essential diplomatic and development programs that improve the lives of millions of people around the world, while protecting our national security, promoting economic prosperity, and demonstrating our humanitarian values. Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates and other respected military leaders support increased funding for the International Affairs Budget as essential to national security and to implementing a "smart power" strategy in U.S. foreign policy.

A mere 1.4% of the entire FY10 Budget request, our nation cannot afford to shortchange these vital programs, especially during these difficult economic times. Our support for the Kerry-Lugar Amendment to restore critical funding to the International Affairs Budget will ensure America has the "smart power" tools and resources it needs to strengthen U.S. national interests and restore America's image abroad.

Senator Burr and Senator Hagan must support the Kerry-Lugar Amendment to restore the full FY10 International Affairs Budget in the Senate Budget Resolution and oppose any further cutting amendments.

We’re #1!

2009-03-31T19:05:00.002-05:00

This is one race you don't want to win. Forbes Magazine today released the list of the world's most corrupt countries and guess which one made a return to the top? Yep, Chad. Check out the story by clicking here.

Chad even beat out its genocide-promoting neighbor, Sudan, to take top honors. My quick takes on this news:

This explains why a country rolling in oil money can still not afford to pay its teachers and doctors.
From my experience, the rural populations are so marginalized, do they even realize they are being conned out of all this money?
It's a sad day when the only way to succeed is by cheating and bribing – this turns even good people bad.
How does this affect the large humanitarian presence in Chad? Are the UN, World Relief, Doctors without Borders, etc playing along with corruption (justifying the means for the end) or are they taking a stand?

Not on Our Watch Broadcast

2009-03-26T20:24:00.003-05:00

UPDATE - Unfortunately, the Triangle Community Church will not be hosting this broadcast this afternoon. Stay tuned for more opportunities.

Not on Our Watch - the organization started by George Clooney, Don Cheadle and Matt Damon - is hosting a live broadcast with an all-star cast of speakers aimed at the Christian community.

Because of the urgent and critical nature of this crisis, the Christian Communication Network (CCN) will air a special LIVE broadcast on Sunday, March 29, 2009 from 6:00 - 7:45 pm ET/MT (5:00 - 6:45 pm CT/PT). This event is FREE to all churches with CCN equipment. We encourage you to gather your community to learn what you can do to make a difference.

Featuring John Prendergast - human rights advocate and Co-Chair of the Enough Project, and Reverend Michael Slaughter - lead pastor at Ginghamsburg Church in Ohio, Not On Our Watch will give audiences across North America:

an understanding of the crisis in Darfur
a deepened compassion for the lives affected
a biblical perspective on why Christians should take action in Darfur
a charge to pray
and practical steps for how to make a difference

In the Raleigh, NC, metropolitan area, the only church showing this broadcast is the Triangle Community Church on 4216 Kildaire Farm Road in Apex, NC.

Are you going?

First look: Sudanese president charged with genocide

2009-03-04T08:47:00.001-05:00

Could this be the beginning of the end? Today, the International Criminal Court at the Hague issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for a five-year campaign of violence in Darfur. This is the first time a sitting head of state is charged for war crimes under this international tribunal.
(Link to story: http://tinyurl.com/dgsgpx)

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out in the world, in Sudan and especially, in the villages of Darfur. Here are two initial questions I have:
*Will it be enough? It’s only a warrant for an arrest and Sudan is not likely to simply hand over their head of state. No Western government will support going in an forcibly removing Bashir – so as long as he stays home, he is probably safe. However, will the international pressure and bad publicity drive Bashir to reform his ways? I want to say yes for the sake of my friends and their families who are suffering, but history doesn’t support hope in this case.
*Will Darfur get a backlash? How will Bashir and tribes loyal to him respond? I know they will lash out against the ICC and Western “colonial” powers – but I worry that there will also be retaliation against the men, women and children of Darfur in the form of even greater violence and suffering. The UN is already warning its people to be extra careful in the next few days. Can the AU troops protect the millions of refugees?

Only time will tell the effectiveness of this bold move by the ICC, but I for one and glad they took the first step – if only for the media coverage this will receive. It’s been months since Darfur was in the mainstream media and this will bring it back into focus, albeit briefly. Silence will only empower the perpetrators of injustice.

2009 Carl Wilkens Fellowship

2009-02-17T22:01:00.002-05:00

I am excited and honored to be a 2009 Carl Wilkens Fellow from the Genocide Intervention Network.

The Wilkens Fellowship is named for Carl Wilkens, the only American to remain in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. The fellowship “gives emerging leaders the skills and networks they need to build in their communities sustained political will to end genocide. Over the course of the year, Wilkens Fellows receive leadership training, conflict and legislative education, organizing tools and resources, and one-on-one coaching.”

The 20 inaugural Wilkens Fellows were chosen from around the country to participate in this year-long, part-time program. I am excited to be a part of such a talented and motivated group of men and women, all of who are dedicated to ending genocide and mass atrocities. I believe this Fellowship will help me “raise the bar” in my own work to bring peace to Eastern Chad and Darfur, where my friends and their families are still struggling to survive.

*For more information on the fellowship or the Genocide Intervention Network, click here.

*To read the bios of the 2009 Carl Wilkens Fellows, click here.

Performances for Peace

2009-01-31T21:17:00.002-05:00

CHECK OUT THIS UPCOMING EVENT - I'M GOING!

Performances for Peace: A Diary of Darfur
February 6, 2009 at 7 pm at UNC's Memorial Hall

By the time Emmanuel Jal was seven years old, he was already fighting in the rebel army in Sudan. For five years, he fought in Sudan's bloody civil war.

Today, he is a child soldier turned hip hop artist, channeling his childhood pain into songs. Jal will be speaking at UNC- Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall on February 6th at 7pm. In 2008, Jal released a new album, "Warchild," and has appeared in film festivals to promote an award-winning documentary on his life. His autobiography will be released in the Spring of 2009.

UNC Students United for Darfur Awareness Now (SUDAN), a committee of the Campus Y, is hosting "Performances for Peace: A Diary of Darfur" in the hopes that Jal's narrative will inspire a community dialogue about the current genocide in Darfur.

Tickets are $3 for students (K-12 and college) and $5 for non-students. Proceeds from the ticket price will go directly to aid current refugees living in dangerous conditions in Sudanese camps.

The UNC Loreleis, Modern Inversions, Zankiliwa, and EROT will open for Jal. Penn Badgley and Blake Lively, stars of The CW's "Gossip Girl," are tentatively planning on hosting the event.

*Tickets go on sale Jan. 29th at Memorial Hall Box Office and can also be bought in the Pit or from any SUDAN member*

No Home for the Holidays

2009-01-13T21:52:00.003-05:00

*This is a guest entry by my wife, Sarah.

I can’t go see the place where my husband grew up and quite frankly I’m pissed off about it. This came to mind over the recent holidays when most people are visiting family, possibly going back to their hometowns. Some even go back to visit the same house their parents have lived for 30 years, the same house in which they grew up.

No such experience for me. Why? My husband grew up in Adre, on the edge of Chad and Sudan. Because of the genocide it’s not even safe to visit. This conflict has been going on since early 2003, which is about a year after we started dating. The last time he visited was Christmas break 2002-2003. I had the opportunity to go then, but not enough cash. If I had known what was to come, I would have gone anyway. At this time, the organization with which my husband’s family worked has deemed Adre too unsafe for their people to be working there.

Even if it were safe to visit his hometown, my husband assures me that the place would be completely changed. A nearby village called Farchana used to barely support a population of nearly 200 is now home to a UN refugee camp of 20,000. Think about what would happen if your hometown grew 100 times in less than 1 year.

So, next time you find yourself visiting your spouse’s hometown/old house, don’t complain - be thankful. Be grateful you have the opportunity to know that part of his/her history. Then go call your congressperson or donate money or do something to help the people who live in Darfur.
-Sarah

Arrival: Part Two

2008-12-01T22:33:00.007-05:00

For part one, click here.

As I cross the blue line into the crowded hall, I eagerly embrace my parents. It’s been months since we last touched and the hug feels so good. Their clothes are warm as if they were just removed from a dusty dryer and faintly laced with the scent of sweat created as they waited for us under the airport’s tin roof. Our joyous exchanges are cut short by the loud shrieking of the baggage conveyor belt coming to life – a reminder that we are not yet fully home.

My bag shuffles around the corner and I reach for it. Before I make contact, a quick arm flashes in front of me and a porter snatches it and loads it on a cart. I protest and explain that I do not need help. Ignoring me, he begins to maneuver my bag toward to the long cement tables on the other end of the room. I shrug and follow; after all, he needs to eat. At our next destination begins the process of showing our passport to one grumpy soldier after another. Each one searches for a reason to detain us, delay us, or otherwise bother or us into offering him a bribe. Disappointed that our paperwork is in order, they pass us along to the next.

Finally before me is the last hurdle before exiting the chaos – the bag checkers. These men and women stand in between me and the light shining through the doorway. They know it and use their power to take advantage of us tired, emotionally drained passengers. My bag check lady rolls up her sleeves and gleefully paws through my luggage looking for contraband. Finding something of interest, she casually asks me if she can keep it. No, I answer, it’s mine. She replaces it with a shrug and asks about the next object. No again. Seeing an obvious tourist behind me with over stuffed bags, the women waves me on with a flick of her wrist. Perhaps she’ll have better luck with him.

I grab my baggage and try to stuff it all back together. I resign myself to sitting on the bag to drag the broken zipper around. The sweat beads start to drip down the back of my neck – it’s 6:00 o’clock in the morning. I tip my porter, sending him dashing back to coerce another unsuspecting traveler. I grab my bags and step through the doorway out into the airport’s grand hall. Harkening to a more majestic time, murals on the wall show hunters chasing gazelles and dancers careening across the mud-brick walls to the sound of silent drums. The strong smell of perfume and garbage wafts up around me as the duty-free shack sits next to a toilet that doesn’t work. I forge ahead and with my family around me, move out into the morning sun.

The brightness momentarily blinds me as I blink away the dark spots dancing in front of my eyes. Once they adjust, I take in the sights and sounds all around me. Taxis. Vendors. Bicycles. Dust. Wind. Shouting. Everything assaults me and I pause to take it all in. One white boy trying to adjust to the heartbeat of Chad. We drag ourselves over to our four-wheel drive vehicle and load it up. I brush the dust off the seat and reach for the seatbelt, only to find none. I settle back and look out the window. My heart leaps inside my chest – I’m back. I’m home in Africa.

Secretary of State: Change Darfur Needs

2008-12-01T21:52:00.003-05:00

Today, President-elect Barack Obama chose Hillary Clinton to lead our State Department. Although I have some personal reservations about Sen. Clinton, this nomination bodes well for our efforts to bring an end to the genocide in Darfur. Obama, VP-elect Joe Biden and cabinet members Clinton and potentially Bill Richardson all expressed strong support for helping my friends in Darfur while they were on the campaign trail. [Check out a previous post after one of their debates: click here] Now that they are off the trail and not seeking election, it’s time they stepped up to the plate and put actions behind their rhetoric.

Here, in her own words, is what Sen. Clinton feels should be done in Darfur:

“There are three things we have to do immediately. Move the peacekeepers--that, finally, the United Nations and the African Union have agreed to--into Sudan as soon as possible. In order for them to be effective, there has to be airlift and logistical support, and that can only come either unilaterally from the United States or from NATO. I prefer NATO. And finally, we should have a no-fly zone over Sudan because the Sudanese governments bomb the villages before and after the Janjiwid come. And we should make it very clear to the government in Khartoum we're putting up a no-fly zone; if they fly into it, we will shoot down their planes. Is the only way to get their attention.” ~Clinton at the June 28 2007 Democratic Primary Debate.

OK Clinton - now you have the power. Let's make it happen.

Tents of Hope

2008-11-13T23:14:00.006-05:00

Last weekend was the big finale of the Tents of Hope campaign. Across the country, citizens who care about Darfur bought large canvas tents and painted them. Some sold squares as fundraisers; others gave the painting opportunity away for free. Last weekend, the tents from all over came to Washington D.C. where they were all set up on the National Mall. This moving display of such colorful, meaningful tents was quite impressive. Afterwards the tents are being sent to Darfur to serve as meager, yet cheerful, dwellings for refugees.

I liked Tents of Hope because it engaged so many people and offered so many opportunities to touch lives. First, the people painting the tent had fun being creative as they become more aware and more connected to the crisis. Second, the display in Washington must have been a powerful show of unity and passion (although I did not get to be there due to a family wedding, I've seen pictures and heard reports). Third, the tents will touch the lives of refugees living without much hope in Darfur. It will not only be a symbolic gesture (the paintings) but also a practical one (providing a living space). I like awareness events that are more than just holding hands and singing kum-ba-yah.

Kudos to Tents of Hope and their entire team. I hope and pray that the people inspired by this campaign will in turn take up the fight and press on. For more info and photos of amazing tents: www.tentsofhope.org.

In the photo: I am painting my squares on a tent at a Tents of Hope event in Raleigh, N.C.

-

Do the Math

2008-10-28T20:14:00.004-05:00

There was a glimmer of hope coming from the news about the tragedy in Darfur today. According to UPI, a group of 111 newly-trained Chadian soldiers have begun a deployment to eastern Chad as part of a U.N. mission to improve security in the region. They will join forces with another 320 soldiers who are already trained and in the area. This is good news. Properly-trained security forces are a key element in restoring peace to a region embroiled in war. They can protect the women going into the fields to collect firewood. They can bring order to the chaotic food lines. They can fight off rebel attacks aimed at undermining whatever fragile fragments of society remain intact. This all seems very hopeful, until you do the math.

This group of 431 soldiers (eventually the number is supposed to rise to 850) is expected to bring security and safety to more than 400,000 refugees and others running for their lives in an area the size of Texas. So if you do the math, that means each soldier is roughly responsible for watching out for the welfare of about 950 men, women and children. Wow. How can we possibly expect these security force members to be successful when they have such odds stacked against them, when the ratio is so out of whack?

I understand that even baby steps are good if they are in the right direction. Deploying 431 troops is a baby step - and we must do more. One of the way you can help is by contributing to organizations, like GI-Net, that purchase radios and other "non-lethal" materials for peace keepers. Things like radios help increase the effectiveness of the troops and reduce the incredible odds they face.

Event: Drinks for Darfur

2008-09-17T21:50:00.008-05:00

I spend a great deal of time learning about the crisis engulfing my friends in Darfur and sharing my experiences with my friends in America. Now, we finally get to have some action to go along with this talk. The Interfaith Council for Sudanese Peace is hosting a multi-location fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 27 in the Triangle of North Carolina.

Named "Drinks for Darfur," the Council has partnered with restaurants and bars in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham and Cary to raise awareness and money. This event will allow people to enjoy going out and socializing with friends while supporting a good cause. I personally will be at Tir Na Nog restaurant in Raleigh, NC, where we will have a private screening of "The Devil Came on Horseback" along with other activities.

I know it seems a bit ironic to have an event that involves merriment and food to raise funds for people who are starving and suffering. However, any little bit helps and if this is what it takes to have an impact on the crisis - then so be it. I encourage you to spread the word and come out yourself to support Drinks for Darfur. More information on the events can be found on SaveDarfur.org. Click here for more information.

What: Drinks for Darfur - Raleigh
When: Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Tir Na Nog, 218 S. Blount St, Raleigh
How Much: $10 cover
Who: Anyone and everyone who cares about Darfur and enjoys a good night out.

See you there.

Big Oil Money = Big Problems

2008-09-13T16:28:00.004-05:00

In 2000, one of the poorest countries in the world struck gold - black gold. Exxon and a consortium of oil companies discovered vast reserves of oil under the hot, dusty terrain of southern Chad. Millions of barrels to fuel global demand lay just within reach - but there was one major problem: Chad is a land-locked country. It has no ports, no railroads and no water transportation routes; carting barrels of oil on the backs of camels wasn't exactly what Big Oil had in mind. So, in one of the most ambitious projects of its kind, the oil companies built a 665-mile pipeline from Chad to the coast of Cameroon.

This deal would bring billions of dollars to Chad, providing riches in a place where the previous two largest industries were cigarettes and beer. However, Africa has a shoddy track record of getting the money to help anyone but the elite. The World Bank tried something groundbreaking to prevent the new-found riches from being whisked away to a private swiss bank account. It entered into an agreement with Chad that would only give Chad the money in return for investing it in anti-poverty measures. This was hailed as a landmark achievement and the future looked bright. Then, the pipeline was built.

I have heard so many first-hand accounts of the damage to society that occurred thanks to the pipelines. Yes, the oil companies built roads and infrastructure - but home prices rose 500 percent, food prices sky-rocketed and the oil companies imported hundreds of workers from Indonesia and the Philippines. Locals could not afford to stay in their own houses or villages and were forced out. White workers received special passes to allow them to cut in front of any line they wanted and lived in single units with AC. Imported workers were stuffed into barracks eight at a time. Native Chadians were forced to sleep under the stars on the ground. Despite these challenges, many people felt the suffering was worth it because of how the money would change the country for the good overall.

Well, the money started pouring in and the government became more and more corrupt, less and less transparent, and eventually did everything it could to avoid using the money to fund real anti-poverty measures. They have used the crisis in Darfur as an excuse to purchase weapons. They have said "the government is too corrupt to follow the anti-corruption agreement" with the World Bank.

Finally, after eight years of trying to set up a different model - the World Bank quietly ended its "landmark" agreement with Chad. It is now completely up to the will of the government to invest this incredible new flow of money in real, meaningful development activities to benefit the average Chadian citizen.

To read more, check out the New York Times article on this latest setback for my friends and family in Chad. http://tinyurl.com/6kgmu3

Spiraling downward

2008-07-21T21:51:00.001-05:00

The steady diet of bad news and impotent peace efforts have continued to flow from the land that I love even while I’ve taken a brief absence from writing. Just because my words have been few and far between doesn’t mean my mind has left Darfur or the men, women and children who are struggling to avoid dying in the dust.

I wish I was being melodramatic – but I’m not. And the situation for millions of families just got grimer with this news:

“Humanitarian organizations Oxfam and Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) have suspended their operations in Kerfi, Eastern Chad, following rising insecurity in the area. The two NGOs say gunmen have increasingly attacked their staff and compounds, the latest incident being a night attack on July 9, when six gunmen shot at and tried to burn a house where Oxfam staffers were hiding. And MSF reported that dozens of local young men beat up their staff members and patients on July 8. The two organizations undertake humanitarian work that supports over 10,000 displaced people living around the town of Kerfi.”

I sit up and take notice when the brutal actions of angry thugs are causing MSF (one of the most fearless humanitarian groups in the world) to leave their mission. 10,000 lives in danger due to the actions of six gunmen. This is the reality on the ground.

The politics are getting heated up more than usual with the impending indictment of Sudan’s president by the International Criminal Court for charges of crimes against humanity. While the government-forced rallies in the Sudanese capital have slowed down, the calls from other governments to avoid the indictment have increased. The African Union has weighed in, asking the ICC to drop the indictments.

The question I have for you is this: What message does it send Sudan’s president if the African Union (his peers) are standing by his side and urging the ICC to drop the case? Is this a good thing because it means they are united and focused on diplomacy and peace, or a bad thing because it gives credibility to a genocidal leader?

Arrival: Part One

2008-04-09T21:01:00.002-05:00

Africa hits me like a wave on the beach the moment I step out of the airplane. The oppressive heat washes over me despite the midnight hour. My first breath of African air leaves my teeth feeling gritty and my throat dry. I make my way down the shaky steps that lead not to an air-conditioned terminal with a smiling airline employee, but rather to the broken black asphalt of the airport tarmac with a rigid solder staring at me with his machine gun casually draped across his shoulder. Ahh, I'm home.

As the other passengers pause to adjust their luggage and strip layers of clothing, my sisters and I begin sprinting. We run because we know. We know that on the other side of this dark expanse of pavement lies the cattle stable known as the international arrival room. Shuffling lines of tired, hungry and dazed passengers await the slow; the speedy might get out before the mosquitoes start biting. It's a mad dash I've performed each time arriving back to this desolate country and no strange look from an already-exhausted aid worker will change my mind.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the fluorescent light flooding the brown cement "welcome" building. It's almost as if the Chadian government set it up to give people one last chance to change their minds. The cracks in the wall whisper doubts: are you sure you want to come to Chad? This is your last chance to turn back, murmurs the rusted ceiling fan swirling weakly overhead. Moving into a line, the room quickly fills up behind me. Peering past the kiosks where grumpy men look for every excuse to stall our progress with pointless passport inquiries, I see my parents. Thin, dusty and radiant – excited that their children are back safe from a semester at boarding school.

The soldier looks up and motions me forward across the yellow line. I step forward and hand him my passport, but I pause right before it lands in his hands. "Asalam Alek," I say in the local Arabic dialect, greeting him in is native tongue. A smile breaks the rough surface of the face and he responds, intrigued by the white teenager who knows the language. I eagerly chat with him to let him know that I am different, that I care and that I know his country well. Hope that this will give me the upper hand becomes true as the words work their magic. After a cursory glance at my paperwork he waves me through, past another rigid guard and into the chaos that waits me on the other side of the blue boundary line. Victory; I am back in the land I love.

Interfaith action

2008-03-26T21:17:00.003-05:00

I have been fortunate to participate in two interfaith events recently in Raleigh, N.C. The first was a wonderful "Tents of Hope" event held at Meredith College and the second was a meaningful "Peace Vigil" held at NC State University. The "Tents" event brought together a local muslim school, jewish senagogue and area christians to paint three tents, which will be sent to join hundreds of others in a major awareness campaign in Washington, D.C. The vigil included members of the Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist and Muslim student groups singing and reading well-written prayers. It also included a poignant candlelight circle. Both events were well organized and I deeply appreciate everyone who participated.

There are two main reasons I enjoy interfaith events:

1. I lived an interfaith life. Although I am, and my family is, evangelical christian, growing up in Chad we lived in a predominantly muslim area that had pockets of tribal religions dotting the landscape like swiss cheese. Every day I would come into contact with someone of a different faith, as I played with muslims, sang with christians and went mango-hunting with animists. This world taught me the value of respecting others and broadened my worldview. Unfortunately, interfaith mingling is not very common in the U.S., as we tend to surround ourselves with those like us and shun those who aren't. I miss living in that interfaith community where we could disagree, but still enjoy life together.

2. The violence in Darfur is not based on religion. Although most of the tribes involved in the current crisis are muslim, the fighting is not based in religious bigotry. The catastrophe in Darfur is fueled by decades of oppression, poverty, lack of natural resources and just plain evil. Men, women and children of all religions are suffering and enduring this evil. Any person of faith should be rocked to their core at the destruction in Darfur and be urged to action by their beliefs. We are stronger together when fighting evil and are ineffective if we get sidetracked by inter-faith bickering.

For more ways you can help out and raise awareness and action for Darfur, check out my 20 WAYS I CAN HELP link on the right.

How to Eat a Mango

2008-01-17T21:31:00.001-05:00

You always know the whereabouts of the riverbeds. You can see them coming, still far off in the distance as you make your way forward on your bone-jarring journey across Eastern Chad. The rivers – dry, of course – are highlighted on the horizon by the long line of lush green mango trees that seem to rise out of nowhere. Sucking sustenance from some deep water table lying dormant under the earth’s sandy floor, they grow together in mighty groves stretching as far as the eye can see. Once among them, the air changes and you can sense it. It gets cooler, fresher and is laced with a sweet fragrance that lingers above the carpet of dried leaves. You can raise your eyes without squinting and listen to the foreign sounds of monkeys rustling in treetops. Up above, you hear the creaking of a limb straining under the weight of its treasure – mangos!

These plump, juicy and fibrous fruits have been called many things throughout the ages, including such portentous titles as “fruit of the gods.” I don’t doubt that ancient mythological creatures would treasure the sweetness and sense of fulfillment one gets from devouring a ripe mango, but I am skeptical that they would actually eat one for fear of getting their hands sticky and staining their white robes.

After personally enjoying mangos on four different continents, I have come to the conclusion that the world lacks some serious mango know-how. I have seen people try to peel it, chop it, rip into it and all have managed to get themselves incredibly messy. Please, allow me to explain the best way to eat a mango, learned from the experts themselves in the dry riverbeds of Eastern Chad.

Step 1: Get a mango. Big, juicy and ripe (otherwise they are kind of sour). Look for the ones that are starting to turn reddish or yellow and not just solid green. Avoid the ones with maggots.

Step 2: Get a knife. Doesn’t have to be big, just effective.

Step 3: Stand the mango upright on a hard surface. Each mango has a broad side and a narrow side – point the narrow side towards you.

Step 4: Carefully cut off one entire broad side of the fruit. Position the knife just off-center (to avoid the hard inner core) and in one clean stroke, go from top to bottom.

Step 5: Cut the half of mango by making deep cuts in a criss-cross pattern (like tic-tac-toe). Don’t cut the skin, but go deep enough to separate the “meat” into little squares.

Step 6: Grab the cut half and flip it inside-out. Push the outer edges back and the center toward you. This will make the squares “pop out” and stand ready to be eaten. Enjoy.

Step 7: Repeat steps 3 through 6 with the other side of the mango. Enjoy again.

Step 8: With the knife, carefully peel off the skin from the remaining core.

Step 9: Hold the core in the middle with your hand and eat the fruit around the edge, similar to biting the crust off a piece of bread. Now, you have eaten an entire mango with very little mess.

Step 10: Get out the dental floss and remove the hundreds of fibers stuck between your teeth, rinse your hands and wipe your smiling face.

These 10 steps have provided many hours of succulent bliss in my life and I am glad to share them here. Unfortunately, with the current chaos and violence wreaking havoc on the areas of Eastern Chad and Darfur, there is little time to enjoy the simply pleasures provided by the mango. These lands are embroiled in what the UN calls the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis" and all food is now scarily scarce. More than 200,000 people have already died and millions more are on the verge.

We can help. We can restore peace, justice and hope to this land and its beautiful people. We can assist my friends and their families return to enjoying the simple fruits of life. For a list of things you can do, check out the 20 WAYS I CAN HELP link on the right side of this page.

Our great big world...

2008-01-16T20:17:00.000-05:00

One of my most memorable New Year’s Eve celebrations in my young life was the one at the turn of the millennium. While the rest of the world was trying to outdo their neighbors in either Y2K panic or frenzied jubilation, my family was packing our bags for a special, one-night vacation.

We quickly loaded our clothes and toiletries, eager to get on the road and experience one of the biggest events of our lifetime - the change of the millennium. Our excitement would have you think we were headed to New York City, or Paris or Sydney to ring in the year 2000 with millions of other revelers. But this was not the case – we were going someplace better. We were headed all the way across town to the unoccupied house of an aid worker friend.

Why was this house special? For starters, the aid compound had electricity. With this privileged existence came the real prize – satellite TV. We bundled ourselves into our rough and tumble 4x4 and drove through the dusty town as evening fell. We quickly settled in to our home away from home and immediately turned on CNN International. My family gathered in front of the flickering screen, soaking up the images of the outside world and its rich diversity of celebrations. We saw amazing fireworks, huge parades and extravagant shows. Outside, the donkey started braying. We saw people dressed in their glitz and glamour braving the cold to giddily grip their microphones. Through our window came the far-off wailing of a Muslim call to prayer. As CNN’s coverage flew us around the world to witness noisy celebrations, we gathered together as a family on the concrete floors and lit a few quiet, orange candles.

As midnight struck, we sat around illuminated by the twin glows of our candles and the TV and enjoyed being a part of the great big, beautiful human race. It was fun to feel a part of something spectacular even though it stood in stark contrast to the reality of life in Chad. But despite the fun being held elsewhere, as I looked outside my screen door, I remember thinking – there is no other place I would rather be than right here, right now. I love my family and I love Africa.

Small steps

2007-12-13T22:24:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of teaming with the UNC-G chapter of STAND for their DarfurFast evening on Dec. 5. The event consisted of two presenters (myself included) and two musical acts. It was held at a cool community space known as The Hive in Greensboro, NC. Although small, the evening was meaningful and the entertainment very good.

The Hive was hard to find and in a not-so-good part of town. However, the light from within the room shone into the street and welcomed us in. Standing outside briefly, I noticed people would stop on the sidewalk and be drawn into the happenings indoor – people who are now aware of the tragedy in Darfur only because they were strolling by.

Although the crowd was small in number, they were engaged and asking good questions. To me, this is more important than having hundreds of disinterested people simply being nice to you as you speak! DarfurFast in general was a huge success, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars across the country to fund protection campaigns in Chad and Sudan.

Kudos to the organizers for persevering and for doing something, even a small something, to help bring the Darfur crisis one more step closer to ending.

DarfurFast

2007-11-14T22:41:00.000-05:00

On December 5th, students around the world will ask their peers, families, and communities to join them in DarfurFast by fasting from one luxury item for one day and donating the money they would have spent on those items to protect civilians in Darfur. Just three dollars– less than the cost of a latte– can provide protection for one woman for a year.

For more about this international campaign led by students, go to www.standnow.org/darfurfast

On a personal note, I have been invited to speak at a DarfurFast event in Greensboro, N.C., that evening at 7;30 p.m. Sponsored by the UNC-G STAND chapter, this event will include a mixture of music, art and awareness. For more information, email standuncg [at] gmail [dot] com.

Hope to see you there!

The danger of doing good

2007-10-27T21:54:00.000-05:00

Here’s an interesting recent development in my former hometown of Abeche.

Several members of a French agency have been detained in Abeche due to the accusation of child trafficking. The French agency, Zoe’s Ark, is being accused of illegally trying to export hundreds of children back to France. France, UNICEF and Chad have all denounced this “rescue mission” and are pressing criminal charges. Meanwhile, hundreds of host families were waiting pointlessly at an airport in France to receive a Darfur orphan. Officials contend that some of the children are not from Darfur and some are not orphans – but most importantly, they say Zoe’s Ark did not follow international law governing the movement of children.

Read more about this in the UK’s Times newspaper.

I do not know this group and cannot say whether their motives were good or evil, but either way, this is a gravely unfortunate situation and illustrates the danger of inexperienced people trying to “do good.” Humanitarian work needs to be left up to the professionals.

I remember when an American mega-church raised thousands of dollars and sent the pastor over to my town in Chad to “do good.” The pastor was clueless to the local culture, local needs and was more intent on giving the money then thinking carefully about the consequences. He dropped into town unannounced, gave all the money to a local pastor with instructions to do good, and then left. Five days later, the local pastor was gone and so was all that money.

In our rush to come to the aid of people (which is a very good thing, by the way) we can sometimes act without thinking. I would like to assume that this is the case with Zoe’s Ark – a group of generous people with good intentions rushing ahead without playing by the rules. My prayers are with these children, no matter where they end up in this world.

Darfur peace talks open in Libya

2007-10-27T21:40:00.000-05:00

Today, key UN and other international leaders are meeting in Libya to begin official peace negotiations to try to end the long-running conflict in Darfur. However, many people are calling the negotiations futile and doomed since the main rebel group’s leader pulled out before it started. It is true that there is severe intra-fighting between the splintered rebel groups and no one voice that speaks for the people of Darfur. That fact makes a comprehensive peace agreement virtually impossible. But is all really lost before it’s even started?

If one views peace talks like a win-lose situation (like a sports game) where the win is a piece of paper with everyone’s signature promising everlasting peace, then, yes, these talks are doomed.

But instead of viewing the peace talks like a sports game, let’s view them as a medical conference. Here, talented men and women with experience in international diplomacy can get together and put their heads together to come up with a long-lasting cure. We must share ideas, listen to the opposite sides and then push for action. So much can happen when people get together around a common goal.

I would much rather they have “doomed” peace talks than no peace talks at all.

The Picture

2007-10-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

This picture from my childhood strikes a chord deep inside me. It makes me wonder what has happened to my young, carefree friends in the picture. Our dreams were filled with optimism - not murder and mutilation. Without the luxury of escaping the violence like me, have they been murdered? Are they hiding in the wilderness? Have they joined the fight? Do they have families and are their families safe? These are the burning questions that I want answered. I want to track them down, find them, and tell their stories. Can you help me?

PRNews Award = Wider Audiences

2007-10-13T17:01:00.000-05:00

As I said in a post not too long ago, I am in the business of sharing stories. I do this at work during the day and on behalf of my friends in Darfur every other second that I can.

One of the founders of the public relations (PR) industry said “the essence of PR is doing good and telling others about it.” I believe this is true – but in the case of Darfur, someone is doing something very bad and I’m telling about it. I enjoy taking a complicated subject and making it something that can be understood and acted upon.

As I get to learn and grow as a communicator, I have been given the opportunity to speak to larger audiences. Recently, the international PR industry magazine – PRNews – named me one of the “15-to-Watch Best Young PR Stars” in the country. I am honored and humbled…. and really excited at using this recognition to reach wider audiences with my message. I am not someone special, but I have the privilege of serving a great God, having a great family and working with a great team.

To read the press release by the University of North Carolina, click here.

Nighttime Ritual

2007-09-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

The soft glow of the moon outlined the four beds lined up like soldiers at attention as I slowly began my nighttime ritual.
First, I walked outside my house and headed to my bed, stepping through the cool sand and avoiding a few wayward bricks. I passed the large queen-sized bed that belonged to my parents, past two identical twin beds with matching pink sheets for my sisters and continued down the line until I finally reached my own wooden frame. Once there I made sure the inch-thick wooden slats were all aligned evenly to prevent uncomfortable holes from developing in the night.

I slowly unfurled my dusty, flat mattress that had been rolled like a taco all day long to prevent the harsh sun from baking the sheets all day. The mattress, with its color faded from green to white, was long overdue for a refill of cotton and was thinning badly – leaving walnut-sized lumps eager to destroy a good night’s sleep.

A quick shake of the sheets to brush off any insects and leaves that might have accumulated during daylight was followed by a swift deployment of the overhead mosquito net. Taking great care to never lift a corner of the netting once it was unfurled, I slowly tucked it in with sheets under my bed. Now my flimsy fortress was complete.

Slipping my hand under the middle edge of the bed I undid the tucked netting and slithered my body inside, as if I was sneaking under a fence. Once my torso was inside, I spun and sat on the edge of the bed with the netting secured tightly around my legs to deny access to any adventurous bug. Lifting one foot after the other, I brushed off the sand and brought each leg into the safety of my cave.

Once safely inside, I gave a quick survey of the area and pounced upon a wayward cricket that, despite my best efforts, still had managed to sneak inside my mosquito net. Once he was put in his place (on the other side of the netting) I was finally free to relax and lay my head against my board-like pillow.

Snuggling under the sheets heated from the sun and feeling the cool African breeze against my cheeks was a great feeling. As I concluded my nighttime ritual, I gave one more look up at the brilliant night sky, said a prayer, and drifted off to sleep.

-------------------
For ways to help stop the violence in Darfur, click on the 20 WAYS I CAN HELP link to the right.

Sharing the Story

2007-09-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

Numbers have a way of numbing people. Statistics bombard us about everything, from how many out of ten dentists recommend a certain product to the gruesome statistics of genocide. It’s too easy to distance ourselves from the horror when it’s couched in numbers – that’s why I tell stories.

Stories have the ability to draw an audience closer to a topic than anything else. Stories bring humanity to pain and context for atrocities. It is much harder to ignore something once you care for it.

I jump at every opportunity to share my story of growing up in Chad on the border with the Darfur region of Sudan. The latest chance was with a local newspaper, the Cary News. The Sept. 4, 2007, edition contained a profile of my childhood and a rather interesting photograph of me in traditional clothing!

To read the Cary News article about me, click here, or go to www.carynews.com and check out the Names & Faces section under the Arts section.

This article has sparked several follow-up conversations, which is the point of sharing my story in the first place. Due to this article, several local groups are going to learn more about the crisis facing my friends in Africa and a local high school has a mentor for his senior project of raising awareness about Darfur in his neighborhood. Stories have a way of building upon themselves.

Compassion Permanence

2007-08-25T16:54:00.000-05:00

If I were to hold up a pen in front of you and ask whether or not it exists, you would reply with a resounding “yes!” If I moved the pen behind my back and out of sight and asked the same question, I would get the same response. How do you know the pen exists even though you can no longer see it? The reason is that you and I, as adults, have grasped the concept of object permanence. We know that just because it’s not right in front of us doesn’t mean it fails to exist.

Babies, on the other hand, have zero capacity for object permanence. Once a brightly colored toy is not in front of them, the object ceases to exist for them (as far as child psychologists can determine). Out of sight, out of mind.

Too often, we as humans treat injustice the same way as the baby treats a toy. If it’s not in front of us and does not directly involve us, then it ceases to exist or matter. As mature global citizens we must develop a sense of compassion permanence. We must be able to consciously engage a broken world and the injustice in it even when it’s not right in front of us.

Countless mass atrocities, human rights abuses and lives could have been saved throughout history if only individuals had not looked the other way. This is our world – we must engage it.

The debate

2007-07-24T21:55:00.000-05:00

So, many of you are probably wondering if my video question was used in Monday night’s CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate. The short answer is no, it wasn’t. However, much to my delight, the issue of Darfur was addressed by using equally impressive and emotional video questions from aid workers in Chad. The real victory is that for five minutes, the “entire” world watched US presidential candidates react to the issue of Darfur. This is quite impressive – the crisis facing the African villages where I grew up is now valued enough to take time in a nationally televised debate to address it.

Here is a brief rundown of what I observed during some of their answers:
Gov. Richardson – A strong, steady advocate who would prefer to use the UN to achieve peace in Darfur. He advocated a permanent UN troop presence, with soldiers coming from Muslim countries. He sees “doing right in Darfur” as a way of restoring America’s leadership in the world.

Sen. Biden – Very outspoken against the genocide and showed true emotion while passionately addressing the crowd. He obviously has little patience for diplomacy and is an advocate of swift action (what action was not clear). “These children will be dead by the time diplomacy takes it course” was one of his quotes.

Sen. Clinton – Wants to “act and not talk.” Not as passionate as the others, but proved she has given the issue real thought by throwing out many possible actions, including a no-fly zone led by NATO and supported by the US, targeted divestment, increased sanctions and more. She said US ground troops were not needed but did advocate using US logistical support for the AU/UN mission.

Whirlwind Week

2007-07-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

When I posted my CNN/YouTube debate question two weeks ago, I had no idea what it would spark. The video question caught the attention of the YouTube.com Political Editor and before I could hardly blink, I was asked to be interviewed live on CNN.

Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of going on national primetime TV and sharing my passion for saving my friends in Darfur. The experience was both surreal (sitting in a cold room speaking to the voice in my ear) and exciting (spreading an important message, even if for just a few seconds).

The response from that interview has been impressive. Many people were genuinely moved and encouraged by the interview and reached out to me to let me know. I have had a nurse tell me she has found her life’s calling after seeing me, a missionary kid share deep secrets, a newspaper contact me about writing a feature piece and a theatre director in London call for an interview. I also did an interview with the local 24-hour news channel, News 14 Carolina. This aired on Friday and over the weekend as part of their Presidential Debate coverage.

Granted, it is nice to receive the many encouraging emails and phone calls – but what means more to me is the fact that Darfur was placed on the national and local agenda for at least one week and prompted genuine, strong reactions from people as they discovered the truth.

Purpose of this blog

2007-07-16T21:19:00.000-05:00

I write this blog not only to provide the occasional commentary on world events pertaining to Darfur, but also to share the stories of life in Darfur as I knew it before the genocide began. My hope is that these creative pieces will grab your attention and make you want to learn more about this region and its wonderful people. They are all based on real life events or people I knew as I lived and played in Eastern Chad.

To save you the trouble of scrolling through months of posts, here is a list of some of my more creative pieces:
A Night Without Gunfire
Evacuation Is Not An Option
The Water Boys
When Is A Chicken Worth Its Weight In Gold?
A Tale of Two Girls
How To Catch A Bat

CNN/You Tube Debates

2007-07-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

I have submitted a question for the upcoming Democratic Candidate Presidential Debate on CNN. They are accepting video questions via YouTube and so I thought I would give it a shot. I apologize for the crummy resolution, but my only video camera was on my digital still camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvR6kFrzAA4

Bush sets sanctions, Democrats spar

2007-06-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

A lot of happened recently with regards to the US response to my friends dying in Darfur. First of all, the anticipated Plan B from President Bush arrived with much fanfare and sanctions. I personally was extremely pleased to see Bush talking about Darfur in a major speech. However, the flood of emails from activist organizations post-speech suggest they believe he is still not doing enough. I believe that as long as America is going alone in this, my friends are still going to die.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Democratic presidential nominees sparred in a recent CNN debate over what they would do in Darfur. Joe Biden came across the most resolute in his desire to stop the violence and Bill Richardson once again demonstrated his real concern for the area. The other candidates seemed more intent on not committing anything or not getting tricked by the "all raise hands" questions than on saving my friends. At one point, when asked about military force they all balked in a loud cacophony of protest.

The truth is, the Democrats have one message to use to beat the Republicans - that Iraq was a mistake and we must pull out - that even considering using force in Darfur could "hurt" their race. It was sad to see them squabble over petty differences and avoid standing up for my friends.

20 WAYS I CAN HELP

2007-05-30T21:46:00.000-05:00

A resource guide for North Carolinians seeking to fight injustice in Darfur.

Excellent General Resources:
Save Darfur Coalition: www.savedarfur.org
Genocide Intervention Network: www.genocideintervention.net
US Holocaust Memorial Museum: www.ushmm.org/conscience

LEARN
1. Although there is a serious lack of media coverage, some can be found if you look hard enough. Seek out media reports on the area:
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/Africa
CNN: www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa
African media: www.AllAfrica.com

2. Get current news directly from agencies working in Darfur:
Reuter’s humanitarian agency news: www.alertnet.org
World Vision: www.worldvision.org
Amnesty International: http://news.amnesty.org/regions/AFR

3. Browse online journals (blogs):
www.DyingintheDust.com (my personal site)
www.passionofthepresent.com
www.coalitionfordarfur.blogspot.com
Search Google Blogs for posts on Darfur

4. Sign up for alerts from any of the three “general resources” above.

ATTEND
Seek out events about Darfur in our community
5. Check out events calendar on www.savedarfur.com

6. Join groups on social networking sites such as Facebook.com, Meetup.com and MySpace.com and subscribe to email distribution lists. http://sudanpeace.meetup.com/84/?gj=sj3

EDUCATE/VOLUNTEER
Don’t keep it to yourself – share!
7. Share what you are learning with your family, closest friends and Bible Study members.
-Darfur on Google Earth for “techies”
-MTVU for teens

8. Plan a fundraising event
5K Run, Dimes for Darfur, classic fundraisers, etc.
www.genocideintervention.net/fundraising

9. Plan an awareness event
-Darfur Stories – a theatre piece www.darfurstories.org
-Film showings (Hotel Rwanda), Dinners for Darfur, Dream for Darfur gatherings
-Publish it: www.savedarfur.org
-Check out the event planning guides from the “general” resources

LOBBY
10. 1-800-GENOCIDE (easy to use system tells you the latest talking points and automatically connects you with your elected official)

11. Encourage your senators to support the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act (DADA) which passed the House of Representatives 418-1 on July 31, 2007.
Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC): 202-224-6342, dole.senate.gov
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC): 202-224-3154, burr.senate.gov

12. Stay current on how all elected officials are doing: www.DarfurScores.org
U.S. Rep David Price (D-NC4): (202) 225-1784
U.S. Rep Brad Miller (D-NC13): (202) 225-3032

Highlight
13. Generate press coverage of your events and the crisis
-Issue press releases, media advisories prior to event
14. Make sure the crisis is covered in the news when important events occur
-Write a guest editorial for a newspaper
-Write a Letter to the Editor in response to an article
15. Publish posts online about the crisis or in magazines

Contribute
16. Provide funding for the humanitarian missions
Great list of groups on BBC: How to help. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3793577.stm
17. Provide funding for security/protection missions
Genocide Intervention Network provides funding for “non-lethal” security aid
18. Provide support for missionaries working in the area
WEC International (USA) www.wec-usa.org

Divest
19. Make sure you are not unintentionally funding genocide. www.sudandivestment.org

Pray
20. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Make lifting up Darfur a regular part of your prayer life.

SMALL STEPS LEAD TO BIG CHANGE

Crisis or cash cow?

2007-04-29T20:36:00.000-05:00

The Sudanese government recently refused to allow the World Food Programme to bring 100,000 metric tons of sorghum flour into the country to feed the Darfur refugees. The reason was that the government claimed the sorghum was genetically modified, or GM. First of all, there is no such thing as genetically modified sorghum in the world today. Second of all, even if there was – why would the government object to the food needed to keep its own citizens alive?

The real reason behind the Sudanese government’s attempt to blockade this sorghum is because it is trying to pressure the WFP to buy the flour from Sudan. In other words – the Sudanese government wants to make a profit off of this disaster.

In my mind, I have to wonder that if the Sudanese government has the sorghum supplies available to gladly sell to WFP, why isn’t the government using it to aid the plight of its people? If supplies exist then why is there a famine? I believe it’s just one more indication of the marginalization of Darfur by the central government and the root cause of this crisis.

I am glad the WFP stood firm and insisted on bringing in its flour. For starters, the claims that it was GM were false. Secondly, with the rainy season approaching, it is imperative that all the supplies for the next three months arrive early. And thirdly, it would be self-defeating to allow the Sudanese government to make a profit off this refugee crisis. What motivation would the government have to stop the fighting and allow refugees to return home? The war would be a cash cow and we would have no choice but to pay up or lose lives. Instead, we have to make it financially difficult for Sudan to justify supporting the crisis and delaying aid to its own people.

Thoughts?

Virginia Tech & Darfur

2007-04-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, more than 30 people were killed at point blank range for no reason. These innocent had done nothing to provoke this violence and the brutal massacre came as a surprise, prompting terror in neighbors and forcing young men and women to flee. I am not referring to the recent tragic events at Virginia Tech – I am talking about the village of Tiero in Eastern Chad.

Our nation is fixated on the grief, shock and terror of the senseless shooting at Virginia Tech, which has stolen the lives of 30 college students. In Tiero, more than 400 men, women and children were massacred simply for having the wrong color skin. This recent massacre in Chad, more than ten times as large as the massacre at Virginia Tech, is a result of the spreading violence from Sudan’s Darfur region into Chad.

This genocide in Darfur has been called the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis” and over 300,000 people have been murdered over the last few years. More than 2.5 million have been forced to flee and are on the verge of starvation. The rainy season is approaching and major non-governmental organizations like OXFAM are expressing their deep concern that the rains will prevent delivering aid to these desperate millions.

We are rightly angered at the fate of the VaTech students and our whole nation is rocked with grief. Imagine this grief multiplied and spread out across an area the size of Texas. Imagine that the gunman responsible for the Tech murders was still on the loose and every two hours more people were slaughtered. The terror that we would feel and the demand for swift action would be next to none. And yet – we as Americans are content to let the terror and slaughter continue to our brothers and sisters in Darfur.

Over the next few weeks we will all ask questions about the tragedy at Virginia Tech and we will all search for some meaning. Perhaps the greatest testimony and honor we can give to the US college victims is to use this sad day to catapault the Western world into action to prevent more of these daily massacres in Darfur.

Today, my heart mourns for those in Blacksburg, VA, and in Tiero, Chad.

Local media coverage

2007-04-02T21:26:00.000-05:00

I could go hoarse screaming at the top of my lungs and still not reach the sheer number of people that the media can. An article in a paper or 20 seconds on TV is so important to saving my friends as the media often "set the agenda" for what people talk about. Getting the media to take notice of Darfur is step one in a global awareness campaign.

To this end, it was encouraging to see a local newspaper journalist at last Sunday's community panel discussion on Darfur. Although this event was not well attended by members of the community, the resulting article reached across many communities and onto the doorsteps of more people than I could ever do in one day.

To read the article in the Chapel Hill Herald, click here.

Motivated by Meredith

2007-04-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

This past week has been promising for my friends in Darfur. Unfortunately, my uncle passed away last week as well, so I have been distracted from writing on this blog. However, there has been some positive momemtum.

I had the privilege of sharing my passion with a packed house at Meredith College this past week. It was refreshing to see so many eager faces interested in learning more about Darfur, the possible solutions and how students can play a role in ending the conflict. A credit to the organizers, the event was well planned and offered me a great platform to share my heart. The questions from the audience were intelligent and engaged and I thought the panel discussion afterward offered a diverse range of opinions. One of the first events of its kind at this all-girl school, I hope that it is a great launching point for greater awareness and compassion on this campus.

This event motivated me and encouraged me. It was great to see a room full of men and women who might have wandered in without a clue, but who left an enaged global citizen.

Upcoming NC awareness events

2007-03-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Here are two upcoming Darfur awareness events in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. If you can make it, please come - both events are free and open to the public.

1) Tuesday, March 27
Where: MEREDITH COLLEGE, Oak Room - Belk Dining Hall
When: 7:30 p.m.
What: A showing of portions of the documentary film "Darfur Diaries" followed by a presentation by Scott Sutton (yours truly) and then a Q&A session with a Meredith professor.

2) Sunday, April 1
Where: CHAPEL HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY
When: 3:00 p.m.
What: A panel discussion on Darfur hosted by the UNC Chapel Hill STAND chapter. I will be a member of the panel.

Hope to see you there!

A night without gunfire

2007-03-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

This night began like all other nights that summer in Chad. My family said our prayers and headed outside to sleep under the stars. The long night of cool breezes across our bodies was worth the risk of a morning battle with a pesky fly. Protected by the large walls of our compound and the flimsy fabric of our mosquito nets, we settled in for another peaceful night in Africa. This night though, there would be no peace.

Bang – bang – bang. Gunshots rang out in the night - jolting me from my sleep. Disoriented, I struggled to understand the situation as my father appeared at my bedside. With a few swift motions he untucked my netting and scooped me out of bed. Another series of rifle fire forced me to flinch. This time, the sounds that poured over our compound walls were obviously closer. Voices were yelling, guns firing and chaos reigned.

My family rushed indoors, closing the large steel doors to our house just as more shots rang out. We headed to my room because it offered the best protection. A former bathroom, its two windows were small and up high. Huddled together in my parents’ embrace, my sisters and I listen to the firepower display taking place just a few hundred feet away. Silently we sit as the shouts and shots pass us by and continue up our street, around the corner and away into the distance. That night, we slept inside.

The next morning my father went out to see what had caused last night’s gunfire. The answer was a mad cow. A cow worked itself loose from its restraints and charged through the village streets in the middle of the night. The gunfire came from desperate herders intent on intimidating the cow into submission. As the chase continued throughout the streets, the cow became more and more frenzied, eventually forcing the herdsmen to kill it to prevent more damage.

Looking back on this night, the comical reality of the situation is overshadowed by the reality of the emotions that swept over us from hearing gunshots. We were scared. We were uncertain. We were waiting helplessly inside our house as this unusual event took place outside our walls.

*******************************
Today in Eastern Chad and Darfur, gunfire is not unusual - it is a nightly event with no funny story in the morning. The nightly terror is real and people wake up in the morning to find out which relatives have been murdered and/or whose livelihoods stolen. The gunfire is incessantly denying men, women and children a peaceful night’s sleep. The gunfire is a constant reminder of the mass atrocities taking place across this region, the rapes, the slaughters and the pure hatred.

The crisis in Darfur has rained so many bullets over the heads of my friends that the big news of the day is when there is NO gunfire the night before. I friend of mine living in Abeche remarked in a recent email how it was the first night in three months without the heart-stopping sounds of the conflict echoing off her walls.

We must all work together to end the gunfire. With more than 200,000 people already dead in the dust, millions in peril and no end in sight to the mass crimes against humanity – the situation looks bleak. There is hope; this recent night without gunfire is hope. One day at a time, we must devote ourselves to giving my friends in Darfur one more night without gunfire.

US State Department puts Darfur first

2007-03-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

It’s normally a very bad day when your hometown shows up at the top of a U.S. government list of the world’s worst human rights abuses – so why am I so happy?

When the State Department published its annual report on human rights around the world – it had plenty of items to discuss. From concerns in Russia to coups in Fiji, there was no shortage of human rights issues to condemn. However, at the top of its "most concerning" list is the genocide in Darfur – and the killing of my friends.

I am pleased that this crisis has been acknowledged for what it is – a humanitarian disaster on a scale only seen in previous genocides. This is positive because it will garner media attention (CNN has it on its front page), raise awareness and really sharpen the focus on Sudan’s actions. The end result is that if the U.S. Government says its important – then it is.

However, I am disappointed that it was “in retrospect.” In other words, this list is a list of abuses in 2006 – THEY ALREADY HAPPENED. My friends are already dead, their blood already shed out of hatred and the young girls already raped. No list in the world will return families from the dead and heal deep scars. We must act as the violence continues into 2007 and make it an absolute priority that the Darfur crisis does not appear on the 2007 version of the list as well.

Now that the State Department has made it so obvious what its #1 concern is, the other parts of the government - especially the newly elected Democratic Congress and President Bush – must take action. If more is not done to save the men and women of Darfur and to restore their ability to built futures and fulfill childhood dreams – the we are getting dangerously close to becoming “guilty by non action.”

One small step for a court, one giant leap for mankind

2007-02-27T21:42:00.000-05:00

Today the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor named a Sudanese minister and a militia commander as the first suspects he wants tried for war crimes in Darfur and suggested more could follow. This is huge for several reasons:

1) This is the first time a sitting government official has been named as a suspect for crimes against humanity.
2) This is the first time individuals are being held accountable for the murders of my friends in Darfur
3) The ICC normally only acts if the "host nation judicial system is incapable of bringing justice." If the ICC proceeds, it sends a clear message that the Sudanese government has been complicit in the murders.
4) This new attention will up the ante for the Sudanese governement and will make them think twice before encouraging more attacks.

The two people named (and more could come) are Ahmed Haroun, state interior minister during the height of the Darfur conflict, and militia commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb. Kushayb is said to have personally inspected a group of naked women before his men in uniform raped them. Haroun is reported to have personally delivered weapons, ammunition and funding to the Janjaweed.

All told, the chief prosecutor named them in 51 counts of alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in 2003 and 2004.

This small initial step sends a very strong message that the world is noticing the crisis and will not tolerate it. However, there is still much to be done. First of all, the ICC needs to pursue this and ensure that these two men have charges brought against them if the facts are there. The investigation team gathered over 100 witness statements in 70 trips to 17 countries compiling the evidence. This due diligence should be rewarded with action.

We cannot become complacent, or rest on this success. The crisis in Darfur is a chaotic, fractured mess and many, many more men are responsible for the violence. In order to prevent my friends from being raped, killed and run out their homes, justice must continue.

I urge you to take action, urging the international community (and especially the US) to support the ICC's efforts and continue to increase the pressure on Sudan.

UNC Taking Action

2007-02-25T09:45:00.001-05:00

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has always had an active student body - and this latest generation is no different. Next week starts a Week of Action for Darfur and it begins on Monday, with a vigil and then presentation by yours truly. I have been asked to give a 30-40 minute presentation about the situation for my friends in Darfur. It will be mostly stories in an attempt to "bring the conflict close to home." If you are available, you should come check it out.

When: Monday, Feb. 26.
What: Vigil at 6:30 p.m. and presentation at 8:00 pm
Where: PIT and Student Union on UNC's campus

Hope to see you there!

Repost: Evacuation is not an option

2007-02-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been terrified? I’m not talking about scary movie jitters. No, I am referring to the feelings that wash over you as you crouch behind a thorn bush desperately trying to go unnoticed by masked gunmen. It’s the kind of terror that comes with having no control over a deadly situation, knowing helplessly that if you are found, you will be tortured or even killed because of your natural skin color. It’s a fear that emanates from the inside and completely changes a person before it escapes the body through the eyes.

Unfortunately, this kind of primal terror caused by being helpless in the face of brutality is far too common among the men, women and children of the world. Westerners, like myself, growing up in Africa, Asia and South America have all been witnesses to such crime. However, as ex-patriots we tend to have a great advantage over the local population - when crisis hits, most of us have the luxury of evacuation. We get whisked away out of harm’s way while our native friends, classmates, and neighbors are left behind to survive. Granted, some families decide to stay put and ‘ride out the storm,’ but many wisely take the opportunity to move to safer grounds.

I remember my own personal evacuation story. It happened in 1990 when a rebel group was making a successful march across the country. My family was enjoying a peaceful night under the African stars when we were interrupted by thunderous bangs on our front gate. My father was greeted by two French Military soldiers who informed us we had only twenty minutes to pack our bags and get out of town before fighting began.

The next thing I know, I am bouncing around on a bench in the bowels of a windowless French military cargo plane. We were packed like sardines and unable to talk over the noise of the engines. I had nothing to do but stare at the scared faces of those sitting all around me. However, the faces that still haunt me are not those that surrounded me in the safe – albeit uncomfortable – confines of the airplane. No, the faces that I remember most are the ones of the local women and children desperately fighting for a chance to board our plane. As we boarded, soldiers fought back a mob of scared citizens desperately desiring to be saved from the coming bloodshed. They wanted to get on the plane as well, but there was no more room – it was full of fleeing ex-patriots. The tears of the mothers clutching their children as they were denied safety stick with me to this day. They were terrified, at the mercy of the rebels and helping them was out of my control.

That same feeling is back.

Over the past three years – in what the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis – over 300,000 of my friends have been slaughtered and over 1.5 million of them have been forced to flee in terror. They cannot evacuate like those of us from the West.

Innocent civilians are helplessly being hunted down and slaughtered for their skin color. If we, all of us - including you - continue to sit back and let this genocide unfold, we will all be held accountable for their extinction. History will judge you by your response. Please - save my friends. Save your neighbors. Save Darfur & Eastern Chad.

The Water Boys

2007-02-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

Sometimes at night I can still imagine the pounding drum beat of a water boy. This rhythmic pounding is the lifeline of an entire community. In the Darfur region of the world there is no running water. Water comes either from the drying central lake or deep wells dug in dry riverbeds. These sources are often far from the showers and washrooms where the water is needed, and that is where the Water Boys come in. A Water Boy is a career that provides the link between the supply and the demand. Please, allow me to describe to you a water boy:

Meet Ibrahim. His hair is tightly braided and his skin is freshly oiled. He rises early in the morning and steps outside his dark hut, squinting at the already bright sun. He shakes some coals and a few weak embers rise. He quickly inserts some dry reeds and a flicker of a flame gives him hope for a hot breakfast. He heats some medidi (a drinkable rice and sugar mixture) and gobbles it down. He knows he needs his strength for the day ahead.

Once his stomach is satisfied, he makes his way through some thorn trees and over some brown grass to the animal pen. He unlatches the goatskin lock and swings open the branch that is doubling as a gate. He enters and approaches his capital investment - a donkey.

The donkey is ornery this morning and backs away from Ibrahim. He shakes his hand and turns his body, as if he is threatening to turn Ibrahim'’s day sour with one swift kick to the midsection. Ibrahim grabs him by his mane and calms him down.

"Agod sakit (Stay still)" he begs the large animal. Finally, with the donkey'’s jitters gone, Ibrahim reaches for a heavy burlap sack and places it on the animal's back. Then follows a coarse pad made of woven straw, a blanket and then a wooden saddle. This saddle is not ordinary for a bar is placed across where a human normally sits. This saddle is not made for joy rides, this is business.

The last touch to add to his steed is the most important piece of equipment - the water sack. This equipment is made out of leather and sits on the saddle. It actually has two large sacks, one sits on either side of the donkey. At the top there is one opening that leads to both sacks and that the bottom corner of each sack is a tied-off opening.

Ibrahim adds the other two essentials tools of the trade -– large buckets and a wooden stick - and he is ready for his commute to work. He makes his way through the quiet streets, through back alleys and under archways. Each house’'s front yard is surrounded by large, mud-brick walls.

He arrives at the well and stands in line. He makes his way closer and closer and pays the Well Master a small fee. He attaches his buckets to the rope and lowers them in to the well. Seconds after they hit the bottom with a splash, he strains and tugs and works the buckets back up to the surface. Once at the top, he empties them into the sacks on the donkey. He repeats this until both sacks are bulging full, seeping water, and the donkey teetering a bit from the load. Then, it's off to make money.

Unless he has specific clients - people who prearrange for his water delivery service -– he has to roam the streets looking for buyers. The way he lets people know that he is walking past their large compound walls is by beating his stick against his buckets. Bang- Bang - Bang. Now the whole block knows a water boy is near.

No luck here so he continues to the next block where a young girl sprints out of her family's gate and calls him over. She points him over to the family barrels where he parks the donkey. Now comes the trickiest part of his job as he must untie the opening to the sacks one at a time and empty the water into his bucket. Then, he must empty his bucket into the barrel. He must do this all while dealing with a donkey who simply doesn't enjoy the task at hand. So Ibrahim gallantly grabs the tie and lets some water through, the donkey jolts and sends water (money) crashing to the dry ground. Ibrahim readjusts and tries again. On his fourth or fifth time, he gets a full bucket. He ties off the sack and dumps it in the barrel. Once the barrel is full, the young girl pays him and he is done.

It's off again to the well, to continue his job as the town'’s plumbing system -– yet another way the people of Darfur have ingeniously beaten the odds.

In Darfur, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Survival is not an option and the people are so creative. They manage to find a solution to every problem. They reuse everything and waste nothing. These very people are now the victims of genocide. Please, help me take a stand for them and end their unjust murders.

Panel discussion at NC State

2007-01-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

Next Monday, Feb. 5, I will be a guest panelist during North Carolina State's Darfur Awareness Week. This week of activities includes a showing of "Darfur Diaries," the panel discussions and a keynote speech by NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.

Below is the press release:

"North Carolina State University will host guest speaker Nicholas D. Kristof, Tuesday, February 6 at 7:30 PM in Nelson Auditorium (Room 3400). Kristof is a New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winning author. His talk will be entitled “The First Genocide of the 21st Century: Report on Darfur.” This event is free and open to the public. Parking is available at the nearby Dan Allen Parking Deck.

Mr. Kristof began writing for the New York Times in 1984. In 1990 he and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, also a Times journalist, won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of China’s Tiananmen Square democracy movement. In 2006 Kristof won a second Pulitzer Prize for commentary. He is generally credited with bringing the Darfur tragedy to the attention of the America public. Kristof has lived on four continents and traveled to over 120 countries. During his travels, he has had unpleasant experiences with malaria, wars, an Indonesian mob carrying heads on pikes, and an African plane crash.

NC State will host a “Darfur Awareness Week” from Tuesday, January 30 until Tuesday, January 6. Fundraising will be done during this week for the Save Darfur Coalition. Donations can be made from 10AM - 2PM at the NC State brickyard.. Cash and check donations will be accepted. Willing donors can also contribute via credit card at: . Every penny helps.

On Thursday, February 1, the award winning documentary, Darfur Diaries, will be shown in the Erdahl-Cloyd Theater in D.H. Hill Library at 7:30 PM. The film will be followed by a short discussion led by Professor Anna Bigelow, Department of Philosophy and Religion. This event is free and open to the public.

On Monday, February 5, there will be a panel discussion, “Perspectives on the Darfur Crisis,” starting at 7:30 PM in Withers Room 232-A. Panelists will include Professor Andrew Reynolds, Department of Political Science, UNC-Chapel Hill; Haywood Rankin, U.S. Diplomat; hydrogeologist Mansour Malik; and Darfur activist Scott Sutton. The panel will be moderated by Professor Craig Brookins, Director of Africana Studies, NC State. This event is free and open to the public.

These events are made possible with the help of the School of Public and International Affairs, NC State University, the Park Scholarships Program, NC State University, and the Political Science Club, NC State University."

If you are in the area, please support these students and these events.

Thanks,
Scott

A small step for the AU, one giant leap for my friends...

2007-01-29T22:01:00.000-05:00

This week, the African Union denied Sudan the priviledge of being the AU's leader for this upcoming year. This comes after Sudan had unofficially been promised the position last year. All eyes were on the AU to see what they would do and thankfully they made a smart decision.

To put Sudan in charge of the AU (who in turn is in charge of protecting the Darfur civilians being killed by the Sudan governement) would be like electing the head of the mafia to be the town's police chief. Or like nominating Osama Bin Laden to be the Chief Judge on the Human Rights Tribunal. Placing a dictator/chief of state (you pick) whose regime is actively and passively supporting the calculated extermination of its own people in charge of a peacekeeping organization would be disaster.

The AU is a fledgling organization, which in my opinion, holds the best hope for Africa's future. The only way it will ever have the influence and credibility needed to unite Africa, rebuild Africa and move Africa forward is if it takes a firm stance on Darfur. The AU must lead the charge against genocide, proving Africans are capable of caring for their own brothers and sisters and are committed to ending the war.

The road ahead in Darfur is long and difficult for the AU, but by denying Sudan the presidency, it made sure at least it stayed on the right path for now. This small gesture by the AU now will have a huge in the future.

Progress in Darfur?

2007-01-13T22:18:00.000-05:00

Some rare good news: New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson just released a joint statement with Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir that, if implemented, would bring some immediate security and relief to the people of Darfur as well as provide a clear path forward to long-term peace in the region.

Save Darfur asked Governor Richardson to travel to Sudan to discuss ways to secure peace in Darfur and to end the genocide. The Governor was accompanied by Save Darfur Senior International Coordinator Ambassador (ret.) Lawrence Rossin, Refugees International Executive Director Kenneth Bacon, and Public and International Law and Policy Group senior attorney Amjad Atallah. Since Sunday, when they arrived in Khartoum, Governor Richardson and the delegation have visited Darfur and participated in a variety of meetings with government officials, rebel leaders, humanitarian officials, AU commanders and UN officials.

The promises from President Bashir in this agreement are encouraging. They include commitments to:

*A 60-day ceasefire with an international peace summit to be held before March 15, 2007.
*Sudan's cooperation to work with the African Union and United Nations on the deployment of a hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur.
*Ensuring "zero tolerance" policies for gender-based violence in Darfur.
*Free access for humanitarian aid workers and journalists.

This news is very promising - but without swift action, the deal is only as valuable as the paper it was printed on. People - my friends - in Darfur are used to promises and overtures from heads of states. What they really care about, and what we should really care about, are the actions on the ground.

Real progress would be a night without gunshots ringing across the desert. Progress would be the ability to walk to a well to get clean water without fear of rape. Progress would be new seeds distributed to start new fields before this year's rainy season. Progress would be refugees streaming out of camps instead of into them.

On the upside, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has now completed two successful negotiations with Sudan (he freed National Geographic reporter Salopek last year). This means he has done more than the President and more than the UN Secretary General together as far as real results with the Sudanese goverment go. More than just a signed piece of paper, this peace agreement speaks to a real relationship between two leaders - and relationships will go a lot farther in the high stakes world of ending mass genocide than empty threats and sanctions.

Kudos to Richardson for getting on a plane, flying across the ocean and investing in the relationship. And good for him for thinking about more than just his constituents in New Mexico - understanding the importance of being a global citizen. Although the true success of his efforts will be measured only in saved lives, this is finally some decent news for Save Darfur activists and my friends in Chad and Sudan.

Moving to NC - staying strong in activism

2006-12-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

In the time that I have not been writing on this blog, I have been uprooting my life in Florida and moving to North Carolina. The move was made for work and life issues - not for Darfur activism - but it will certainly help. A whole new world of opportunities are now available and I am eager to get started. In Florida I had almost exhausted all my opportunites in my area for raising awareness. I spoke at Stetson University and the University of Florida, two benefit concerts, conducted media interviews and had several editorials published. The Triangle area of NC is close to several active universities, large media markets and a more vibrant social activism scene.

In the meantime, I have been staying abreast of the issues, developments and heart-wrenching violence that is continuing to spill over into my old streets. In fact, an email I received from a friend over there said it was the worst period of chaos and fear that she has seen in her 18 years in Chad. When this battle-hardened woman says this, you KNOW that the situation is really bad.

I am looking for any way to spread the word, share my life stories and most importantly, raise awareness about my friends who are dying in Darfur. If you are interested in chatting with me, email suttonsa@gmail.com

The good, the bad and the ugly

2006-09-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

Recent weeks have brought some interesting developments to the crisis
in Darfur. Everything from increased attention to steadfast
dictators, September has been an eventful month. Allow me to recap:

THE GOOD:
-The level of awareness of the deplorable situation of my friends in
Darfur is reaching an all-time high. Pres. Bush addressed the issue
in his UN speech, the Global Day for Darfur was a success with
thousands of people coming together around the globe, media covered
George Clooney's testimony in from of the US government and more and
more groups across the world are raising awareness.
-These are all positive developments because the world leaders will
not take action on an issue that their constituents don't care about.
In order for the Western world to care about Darfur, they must learn
the truth.

THE BAD:
-The Sudanese government has refused to allow UN peacekeeping troops
from deploying in Darfur. This is blatant disregard for the safety
and security of their own people. Each time they block what is best
for the preventing violence, they become complicit in the murders.

THE UGLY:
-For a while, it looked like Sudan was going to demand that AU troops
leave Darfur when their mandate expired at the end of September.
Thanks to political intervention at the UN last week, the Sudanese
have agreed to allow the African Union to extend the mandate of the
7,000 poorly equipped troops currently providing security.

Although the security is dismal, some security is better than no security.

Journalist freed, millions still suffering

2006-09-09T20:16:00.000-05:00

In an "about face" for the Sudanese government, the US journalist (and
adult Third Culture Kid) Paul Salopek was released after being accused
of spying in Sudan. This release came after pressure from US
diplomats and Paul's wife. This release is welcome news, especially
as Paul is an innocent man.

What sickens me about this release, however, is the fact that the
Sudanese government claimed it released Paul as a "humanitarian
gesture" according to news reports. This is utterly hypocritical.
For the last three years, Sudan has had the option to extend a
"humanitarian gesture" to the more than 2.5 million citizens that have
been forced to flee. Since 2003, over 400,000 people - my friends -
have been murdered as a result of the Janjaweed's ethnic cleansing
campaign. The Sudanese government is complicit in these crimes no
matter what they say, because either they have control over the
Janjaweed and order them to stop (which they haven't done) or they do
not have control over the Janjaweed but could give permission for UN
peacekeepers to stop the violence (which they haven't done either).

This release of the journalist is a good move because it was the right
move - the other right move is to bring peace back to Darfur, allow
the refugees to return home, and bring the perpetrators of rape and
murder to justice. This is truly the only "humanitarian gesture" that
will matter in the years to come.

10 Days for Darfur begins today...

2006-09-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

The international effort to increases awareness about the crisis in
Darfur gets kicked off today with the first of ten "Days for Darfur"
culminating in the huge Rally for Darfur in New York City on Sept. 17.

Although I am still here in Florida, I am doing my best to be a part
of the actions being done on behalf of my friends. I encourage
everyone to take advantage of this mass mobilization. Jump on the
bandwagon - and help bring much-needed attention to the genocide.
Check out the Save Darfur Coalition for tons of ideas on how to give a
voice to the voiceless.

Welcome Among World readers

2006-09-05T18:54:00.000-05:00

Today the article I wrote for Among Worlds, the magazone for adult
Third Culture Kids, hits mailboxes around the world. It is my hope
that what I wrote from the heart will spur fellow adult TCKs to think
about the crisis in Darfur, evaluate your role in world events and
perhaps even prompt some of you to lend a voice to the voiceless.

If you read the article, feel free to post a comment here in response.
Don't worry, all comments are welcome even if you disagree!

Thanks,
Scott

Reporter charged for spying in Sudan

2006-08-27T09:11:00.000-05:00

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- A Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign
correspondent for the Chicago Tribune was charged in a Sudanese court
Saturday with espionage and other crimes.

Paul Salopek, 44, was charged in a 40-minute hearing with espionage,
passing information illegally and writing "false news," the Tribune
reported on its Web site. His driver and interpreter, both Chadian
nationals, faced the same charges.

For more of this story, click here:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/08/26/reporter.sudan.ap/index.html

New Zealand helps save my friends

2006-07-30T20:43:00.000-05:00

New Zealand is to provide additional aid to help alleviate the
humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

The Government has announced it will contribute $1.5 million to the
United Nations World Food Programme to support its work in the Sudan.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the grant will help provide for
the half million people that depend on the Food Programme.

This is a step in the right direction. Every person in the entire
universe who does not go to bed worrying about being raped or
slaughtered in the morning should rise up and help my friends that are
dying over there.

Scott

Post recognizes dire situation in Sudan

2006-07-24T06:16:00.000-05:00

An excerpt from the Washington Post editorial page:

"THE GENOCIDE in Sudan's western territory of Darfur shows no sign of
ending. Diplomatic efforts to convert the underpowered African Union
peacekeeping force into a somewhat more serious United Nations one
have stalled. The Bush administration's point man on the crisis,
Robert B. Zoellick, has left the State Department for Wall Street, and
a fragile agreement he negotiated has failed to improve anything for
Darfur's vulnerable people. It's good that, even as the world's
attention has shifted to Lebanon, President Bush met Thursday with
Salva Kiir Mayardit, the leader of the southern Sudanese rebel group
that fought the northern government for 21 years until a peace deal
last year. But nothing about Mr. Kiir's message is encouraging."

At least one media outlet is still giving space to the worst
humanitariaran crisis in the world. It seems like Lebanon has
dominated all the news and shocked reporters list off numbers like
500,000 refugees and 200 killed. What about the 2.5 MILLION refugees
in Chad/Sudan and the 400,000 DEAD?? Death and injustice is not
appropriate anywhere in the world, and I wish peace on the Middle
East...but c'mon people! The Middle East "crisis" is pithy compared
to the suffering and destruction in Darfur. And yet, you see no
shocked reporters standing in flak jackets reporting 'Live from the
Darfur Crisis, day 1,356" Instead, we rely on editorial pages to
carry the flag forward.

Barbaro vs. 400,000 humans

2006-07-14T06:45:00.000-05:00

The emotional saga of Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby-winning worse who
injured himself in the Preakness, continues as he has developed a
"life-threatening infection." His doctor said his outlook is "poor"
but as long as the horse is not suffering, he will do whatever he can
to keep Barbaro alive.

Meanwhile, the "world's worst humanitarian crisis" is happening in
Darfur and no one is taking notice. Every major media outlet covers
Barbaro updates, but rarely do they chronicle the latest going on in
Eastern Chad and Darfur. This situation is worsening, my friends are
starving to death or being killed. Hundreds more of them are forced
to become refugees each day. Their suffering is real. Their
suffering is intense.

Barbaro is an animal being treated like a human being. The people of
Darfur are humans being treated as animals. Why is it that we are
more concerned about the fate of one horse versus the fate of 400,000
men, women and children?

Stand up for justice. Stand up for Darfur. Stand up for my friends.

Sudan Relief Jam a smashing success

2006-07-09T20:31:00.000-05:00

A great big THANK YOU goes out to the teenagers of the Sudan Relief Fund from Valrico, Fla., who banded together and successfully organized an 8-hour long benefit concert. This concert was in a really fun venue (Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa), included some great musical talent, and accompanied by good food. But what really made it successful was the dedication of everyone present to look beyond themselves and find a place in their heart for my friends in Darfur.

I look forward to seeing on their website (on the right side of this page) how much money was finally raised. But the real value of the event will not be in dollar signs, but in eyes opened and hearts touched. The more people know and care, the greater chance my friends have of living to see another day.

Congratulations to everyone who defied American apathy and proved that a small group of concerned people really can make a difference in the world.

Evacuation is not an option

2006-07-02T10:35:00.000-05:00

UN must police both Darfur and Chad - Amnesty

2006-07-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

As the violent downward spiral in Eastern Chad - where I grew up - continues unabated, Amnesty International is calling upon the UN to send troops to this region as well. AI makes a good point that because the violence knows no borders, we cannot distinguish between Chad and Darfur anymore. To just look at solving the crisis in Darfur would be to ignore the hundreds of thousands of desperate people just minutes aways in Chad.

To read this article, click here.

To help save the lives of my friends, click on any of the links on the right side of this page.

Violence spilling into Chad

2006-06-22T22:03:00.000-05:00

Some of the most distressing news coming from Darfur in recent days is the word that the Janjaweed are carrying out regular attacks on Chadian soil. This shows that the crisis is far more than political, for the slaughter and rape has not stopped at the Chad-Sudan border but has spilled over, following the refugees. What is even more distressful to me is that the Janjaweed - the militias carrying out genocide against certain tribes - are now being aided in Chad by Chadian civilians.

This situation is continuing to spiral out of control. There is no security in Chad nor Sudan and this shows that the UN and the AU must look beyond the strict borders of Darfur to solve this crisis.

Please, they are my friends over there being raped in front of their husbands. These are real human beings, with lives and laughter and dreams just like you. Please continue to fight for their right to live in peace.

To read a Reuters report about the latest wave of Janjaweed attacks in Chad, click here.

World Refugee Day

2006-06-20T19:38:00.000-05:00

Today is World Refugee Day - a day that the UN has set aside to bring a spotlight to the suffering of the millions of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in the world.

Please, take a moment and read CNN's special coverage. They have done a good job of bringing stories to life for Americans. Click here to read a poignant commentary by CNN's chief African correspondant.

We must continue to fight for the rights, dignity and respect of all people and stand up against injustice. Please get involved, please support an agency and please save my friends.

Last month, Deputy Secretary Zoellick aided in brokering a peace agreement - an important first step. Yet with hundreds of thousands in Darfur already dead, millions more displaced and many at risk every day, we must continue to press for a solution.

That is why we are asking President Bush to appoint a special US envoy to the region and to press for a UN peacekeeping force to be on the ground in Darfur no later than October. We cannot wait any longer!

Join us in asking President Bush:

-To push for a UN force for Darfur;
-To strengthen African Union troops already in Darfur until the UN arrives;
-To continue supporting humanitarian assistance programs in Darfur; and
-To appoint a special envoy to coordinate US policy in the region.

Click here to email President Bush today. Today is World Refugee Day today - a day set aside to remember the millions of refugees around the globe - and now is the time to remind President Bush of the plight of Darfur's 2.5 million refugees.

A breath of fresh air

2006-06-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

As I traveled across Darfur and Eastern Chad, I would stay in friends' houses along the way. There was one particular house that I especially enjoyed stopping at, for it was located on a large hill. In the morning, with the rooster still crowing and smoke from the morning fires just beginning to trickle into the air, I would climb the rocky hill and stand on a large rock overlooking the village beneath me. I would spread my arms wide and inhale deeply. I loved the fresh, cool morning air filling my lungs. It was such a nice difference from the hot, dusty air I would breathe all day in the car.

I had a similar experience today as I read an article in the St. Pete Times. I read about a group of Tampa Bay teenagers getting passionate about Darfur and raising awareness and money to help save my friends. Hearing that a least a few of America's youth found a place in their hearts for someone other than themselves is so refreshing. This extraordinary group of high school graduates have attacked the notion that 400,000 people don't matter if they don't start with the letters M-E. They have given me hope that my friends can be saved if more people accept their role as global citizens.

These teens have banded together to host a benefit concert on July 9. It is called the Sudan Relief Jam and is going to be an awesome eight-hour concert event featuring all sorts of different music. They are just getting started, but have already organized, rounded up sponsors, and are working hard at getting an official t-shirt made, TicketMaster account set up and spreading the word.

Where: Skipper's Smokehouse - Phone: (813) 971-0666
When: July 9th from 2:00pm - 10:00pm
How much: $15.00 in advance/$20.00 at the door

I will post as much information about this event as I can, but you can also check out their website: www.sudanreliefjam.org. I believe strongly in what they are trying to accomplish and know firsthand the difficulty of motivating people to care about anything, much less Africa.

To read the article about the teens, click here.

Continuing janjaweed attacks in eastern Chad

2006-06-12T05:25:00.000-05:00

UNHCR fears further displacement
Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Date: 06 Jun 2006

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond –
to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 6
June 2006, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

UNHCR is extremely concerned about continuing attacks by janjaweed
militia in eastern Chad and the potential for more internal
displacement of local Chadians. This ongoing insecurity also poses a
threat to 213,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur in a dozen
UNHCR-administered camps in this remote region along the border with
Sudan. On Saturday, armed militiamen stole 350 head of cattle from a
village 20 km west of Koukou Angarana, in the Goz Beida region of
eastern Chad. No casualties were reported, but this is just one recent
example of escalating violence which is causing increasing
displacement and sometimes death.

The janjaweed attacks against Chadians appear to have become more
systematic and deadly over the past three months and there is no sign
that this pattern will stop.

There are presently an estimated 50,000 displaced people in eastern
Chad who have fled their homes in recent months following dozens of
attacks by janjaweed. In some cases, people flee out of fear of
impending attacks, and many have been displaced several times. A major
attack near Modeyna on March 3-4 led to the displacement of thousands
of villagers to Koloye, 15 km away. Dozens of local inhabitants were
reportedly killed during that attack. Militia later attacked Koloye
and the displaced from Modeyna once again had to flee, this time to
Gouroukoun, a village near Goz Beida, which presently hosts some
11,000 displaced people.

On April 13, hundreds of janjaweed attacked the village of Djawara,
massacring over 100 men and stealing hundreds of cattle. Djawara, 60
km from the Sudan border, and other surrounding villages are now
deserted. Most of the inhabitants fled north-east to Dogdore to join
others recently displaced. Dogdore now hosts an estimated 9,000
displaced Chadians.

UNHCR teams have interviewed many displaced in spontaneous
settlements. They say attacks are being perpetrated by janjaweed
militia coming from Sudan. They also said that on several occasions,
they recognized Chadians from other tribes taking part in attacks
together with the Sudanese janjaweed militia, alleging that those
Chadians had concluded agreements with the militia to avoid attacks on
their own properties and livestock.

On May 1, a group of 150 janjaweed attacked cattle herders near
Koukou, stealing 2,000 head of cattle and killing five people.
Repeated attacks early April at the border, especially on the village
of Singitao, caused more displacement near Goz Amir refugee camp. UN
agencies and NGOs were able to relocate some 1,300 displaced persons
to the village of Habile near Koukou.

The arrival of additional displaced persons in Chadian villages and
towns often strains already limited resources, including water. The
town of Goz Beida, with 6,000 local inhabitants, hosts 14,000 Sudanese
refugees in Djabal camp and is now trying to cope with an additional
11,000 displaced Chadians the outlying village of Gouroukoun. Because
of the limited water resources, we have started to relocate some of
these people to other villages around Goz Beida. So far, we have moved
2,000 people in UNHCR trucks.

These relocations are part of an inter-agency 'cluster approach'
toward IDP issues in eastern Chad. UNHCR is responsible for protection
and shelter; UNICEF for health and water; and WFP for food security. A
few non-governmental organizations are also working with us.

Again, we urge authorities in Chad and Sudan to reinforce security in
border regions to prevent further attacks and displacement, and call
for more international engagement in dealing with the very serious
issue of spreading instability and insecurity.

In all, there are 213,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad as well as
50,000 displaced persons. There are also 47,000 refugees from the
Central African Republic in southern Chad.

Repost: The Water Boys

2006-06-08T22:54:00.000-05:00

Lessons from a naked man

2006-06-07T21:48:00.000-05:00

Many years ago, when my parents were working in Southern Sudan, they lived with a rural tribe. This tribe, as is often the case in very hot climates, made the common-sense decision that clothes were to be optional. In fact, everyone went around with little else than a string of beautiful beads around their waist - anything else was abnormal.

Nearby there was a town that was seeking to be known as "modern." So, as a part of their modernization effort the town passed a law saying that anyone who came into the town's limits had to be clothed. The ultimate example of "no shirt, no shoes, no service."

One day my parents visited the town to pick up some supplies (yes, fully clothed) and on their way back saw the most unusual sight. Strutting down the road toward the town - his face lit up by a wide grin - was a very tall, very dark Sudanese man. The rich darkness of his skin contrasted greatly with the the brand new, bright white tennis shoes he was wearing on his feet. That's right, he was only wearing shoes - nothing else. Beaming from ear to ear and confident that he was now clothed, because he had on a pair of shoes, he was eager to visit the town.

This was a man who had spirit. He was dedicated to his goal of visiting the town and had worked up and saved up to buy his shoes. He was proud of being clothed and oblivious to the weird glances he was receiving. He was carefree, happy and intent on enjoying himself despite his circumstances. Captured in this picture are so many lessons that it would be hard to define them all here. I will go into a few things that I see, but would love to hear from you as to any other things you can see or learn from this story.

I wish sometimes that our society would let us act like this. Not so much the walking around naked part, but rather, releasing us of self-imposed inhibitions and social norms. We dictate to ourselves what is appropriate, what is normal and what is not. We convince ourselves that there is no other way to live. We try so hard to conform that we often scorn those who do not meet our standards, almost as if we are jealous they have the freedom to be different. This is true in both the secular and Christian worlds.

One of the things I loved the most about my friends in Eastern Chad and Darfur was their spirit. They managed to laugh under the most dire of circumstances, stay hopeful even while planting dead seeds in parched land, and maintain a generous attitude that rivals any other culture that I have experienced. If you arrived at dinnertime, you were guarenteed a place around the tray of food - no matter how meager the rations. Chadians perfected the art of "visiting" and would always keep a pot of tea on the fire to welcome the steady stream of friends stopping by to chat. There was no hurry - you were always welcome. A favorite quote of mine goes like this: "Americans may have watches, but Africans have the time."

Unfortunately, this spirit is being violently crushed even as you read these words. Every day, fathers have to witness their young daughters get raped before they themselves get killed. Mothers are forced to flee from their homes and take up camp in the desert to excape harm. There is a genocide taking place in Darfur AND it is now spilling over into Chad as well. Over 400,000 people - my spirited friends - have been killed and over 3.5 million others have been forced to live as refugees in their own countries.

Please, join me and everyone else who realizes that what is happening "over there" is the worst man-made humanitarian crisis our generation has ever seen. Help save Darfur. Help save the last remaining spirit of my friends.

TIME RUNNING OUT IN DARFUR

2006-06-06T07:05:00.000-05:00

By Nat Hentoff
Washington Times

After prolonged, fractious negotiations, there appeared to be hope
that the horrendous genocide in Darfur might be coming to an end after
hundreds of thousands of black Muslims and others have been killed or
died of disease, and 2.4 million of the survivors have been torn from
their villages into refugee camps. But a peace treaty signed on May 5
in Nigeria between the government of Sudan and one of the rebel forces
is coming apart.

Two weeks after the signing, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan
wrote in the French daily, Le Figaro, that "there is not a second to
lose...the region is undergoing the worst humanitarian crisis gripping
the planet." On the same day, Jan Egeland, the U.N.'s relief
coordinator, emphasized on the Sudan Tribune's Web site: "The next few
weeks will be make or break. We can turn the corner toward
reconciliation and reconstruction, or we see an even worse collapse of
our efforts to provide protection and relief to millions of people."
Earlier, he had warned: "The alternative to peace through this
agreement is too horrendous for any of us to contemplate."

But on May 18, the Sudan Tribune reported that Khartoum had
"detained" two well-known Sudanese human-rightsactivists
"incommunicado, putting them at risk of torture ...Detaining them
sends a clear message to victims of rape and torture that no one in
Darfur who attempts to stand up for the rights of the victims is
safe."

Meanwhile, on May 15, the Khartoum-directed Janjaweed, relentless
murderers and rapists, attacked two villages in the north of Darfur.
As a New York Times headline the previous day all too accurately
proclaimed: "Truce Is Talk, Agony Is Real in Darfur War." That story
told of how the Janjaweed again broke the so-called peace treaty,
attacking the village of Menawashie. They "killed one woman, wounded
six villagers and raped 15 women."

"They told us," said a villager, "you are slaves, we will finish
you. We will not allow you to move from Menawashie, not one
kilometer." Added another survivor, Aish Adam Moussa: "They always say
peace is coming, but we are still waiting."

The core hole in the quickly unraveling peace treaty is the
promise of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to demobilize the
Janjaweed fully, and with verification, by mid-October.

Says Ismael Haron in the Gaga refugee camp in Chad: "We know Omar
Hassan al-Bashir. We have seen him make agreements and then break them
10 minutes later." And, if the Janjaweed keep murdering and raping for
months to come and beyond October, who will stop them? After all, Mr.
al-Bashir has, for three years, earnestly insisted he would disarm the
Janjaweed.

As of this writing, the United Nations has agreed to send a U.N.
force to bolster the greatly inadequate African Union monitors in
Darfur, but it will take months to organize and provide for these U.N.
peacekeepers. And in the village of Menawashie, the survivors will
still be waiting.

Reporting for the past 10 years on Khartoum's horrific crimes
against its own people in the south, and then in Darfur, I continually
keep reading, and talking to, the most authoritative chronicler of
these atrocities, Eric Reeves of Smith College in Massachusetts, who,
as Nicholas Kristof noted in the May 7 New York Times, has financed
his ceaseless campaign to inform the world of this genocide "by taking
a loan on his house."

As Mr. Kristof adds, Mr. Reeves, while trying to save untold lives
in Darfur, "has been fighting for his [own] life, struggling in a
battle with leukemia." But I still can reach him on his Web site
(SudanReeves.org) and sometimes on the phone. His analyses can also be
read on SudanTribune.com.

And in the May 10 New Republic, Mr. Reeves wrote that the May 5
peace agreement "at face value amounts to an extraordinary gamble with
the lives of more than 3.8 million human beings...in Darfur and [in
refugee camps] of eastern Chad...In essence, the victims of genocide
are being asked to trust that the perpetrators of genocide will disarm
and restrain themselves." If, Mr. Reeves insists, there is not "a
meaningful international force" deployed to protect the survivors in
Darfur, the international community will sigh too late and say, alas,
that peace treaty was "a meaningless piece of paper."

My own view is that unless there is a willing coalition of nations
going outside the United Nations and into Darfur to rescue those still
waiting for deliverance, a message will be sent to other nations that
destroy their own people. And Mr. al-Bashir will become the patron
saint of these future perpetrators of genocide.

President Bush, more than any other world leader, has done a lot,
though not enough, to prevent the extermination of the black Muslims
of Darfur. With that record, he can, despite all his other problems,
gloriously enter history by moving to exterminate this genocide by
helping to organize a coalition of willing nations while there is
still time.

Chad under siege?

2006-06-02T06:38:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- The government of Chad is under
political siege, juggling mounting hostilities with the Sudanese
government as the lives of 200,000 Darfur refugees stashed away in its
countryside hang in the balance.

Without aid from the international community, the government contends
it is likely to face an emerging war with neighbor Sudan, who has been
seeking to destabilize the country over the last three years.

'Sudan`s ultimate goal is to change the regime of Chad before settling
the issue of Darfur,' said Mohammad Adam Bechir, Chad`s ambassador to
the United States, in a recent interview with United Press
International. 'They want to settle the issue of Darfur in their own
way. They want to put in Chad a government that is pro-Sudan and puts
both the refugees and the rebel groups in a sandwich, so they don`t
have much choice but to accept whatever the terms of settlement the
Sudan government is ready to give.'

Until now, the Sudan government has been vehemently opposed to
allowing international forces to enter its borders, including the
war-torn region of Darfur. In a statement from the Sudanese Foreign
Ministry last week, the government said 'any forces, if that is agreed
upon, would be a force for supervision and not a force for peace
implementation.'

But on Tuesday, the government said it would allow a joint African
Union-United Nations assessment team to enter Darfur next week to
evaluate any additional needs of the African Union Mission in Sudan
(AMIS) and the requirements for a U.N. peacekeeping force.

The 15-nation U.N. Security Council will begin their 10-day trip on
Monday, visiting Khartoum, southern Sudan, refugee camps in Darfur and
Chad and African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

'You have to have the assessment team on the ground in order, as a
precondition really, to have an expanded force there and eventually a
U.N. peacekeeping force,' said Sean McCormack, spokesman for the U.S.
State Department. 'They do need to try to get a handle on the
violence. All the parties need to meet their obligations under the
Darfur Peace Agreement. But the only way that you are going to really
address the security situation in the immediate term is to have that
expanded mission, to have that U.N. mission. And the decision by
Khartoum to let in the assessment team is a step along that pathway.'

U.N. spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Stephane Dujarric,
confirmed plans Wednesday amid mixed reports that the peacekeeping
mission would arrive in Khartoum for consultations next week before
heading to Darfur to 'see for themselves and plan for an eventual
takeover to a U.N. team,' and 'assess what the AU force needs now.'

It is expected that it will take roughly four months to deploy
peacekeeping troops after the joint mission has had time to assess the
situation.

'The speed with which we deploy will depend on how quickly the
governments give us these troops. So we will be looking at a couple of
months. By a couple of months, I mean four months or so,' Annan told
reporters at the United Nations Wednesday.

The United Nations has previously warned that a catastrophic situation
could still worsen in Darfur unless the international community
bolsters the U.N.-backed African Union peacekeeping mission there. The
roughly 7,300 member African Union force in the region has been
largely unable to halt violence, despite a peace deal signed on May 5.
The agreement was designed to stop the fighting that has killed nearly
200,000 and displaced roughly 2.5 million since 2003.

Bechir explained that Sudan`s tactics to isolate member states and
play rebel groups against each other has contributed to the lack of
efficiency by the African Union.

'The African Union has been mediating this issue, and the African
Union, I`m afraid, doesn`t want to be blamed or point fingers to any
of its member states,' said Bechir. 'And that`s why this limits the
efficiency of the African Union as a mediator or serious judge of the
problem.'

Fighting broke out in Darfur in 2003, after rebels complained that the
region had been marginalized by the central government. Rebels
affiliated with the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and
Equality Movement attacked Sudanese government facilities. Janjaweed
militia, with support from the Sudanese government, responded by
launching attacks on Sudanese civilians.

Chad, which has already cut off diplomatic relations with Sudan, has
repeatedly called on the international community to send peacekeeping
forces to the region.

'We were the first mediators,' said Bechir. 'We mediated between the
rebel groups and the government. It has taken more than three years of
mediation to reach a signed agreement.'

But with limited means and Sudan`s eagerness to destabilize the
country, Chadian authorities argue that the situation facing refugees
and the ongoing genocide in Darfur also falls to the responsibility of
the international community.

'Under these circumstances, Chad can no longer play as the mediator.
This is now the role of the international community. Our president
kept asking continuously; this is not the responsibility of Chad
alone. Our position is very sensitive. You can only go so far. We have
very limited means in Chad. We ourselves are in danger,' said Bechir.

UN Threatens to Cut Off Refugee Camps in Chad

2006-05-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

May 27, 2006: The UN is threatening to cut off supplies to some refugee camps unless Sudanese rebels stop using the camps as bases. The Sudanese rebels often have family in the camps, and usually come into the camps wearing military uniforms (the favorite attire of both the Sudanese paramilitaries and the rebels on both sides of the border.) Chad is responsible for security at the refugee camps, but because of the expanding civil war in Chad, the army is too busy trying to keep president Deby in power, to worry about refugee camps. Chad's security forces were never very efficient in the first place, but now the border with Sudan is apparently wide open for any truckload of guys with guns.

What about the people?

2006-05-23T19:43:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I was quite shocked as America's favorite horse - Barbaro - went down in the opening strides of the Preakness, but nothing has got on my nerves quite like the coverage since then. Since Barbaro - which I must remind you is still just a horse - broke his leg, the mainstream media have been treating it like the death of a president. Round-the-clock updates, photos of him recovering, poignant shots of children laying flowers next to a fence, juicy gossip ("Barbaro is now flirting with mares, delcared a headline from a "respectable" news agency) and an appearance by the surgeon on ABC, NBC, CBS and many other stations all are over the top.

People - real people, not horses - are dying by the thousands in Darfur. Real people are having their bones purposely broken out of vengeance. Over 3.5 million real people, human beings, are displaced from their home and lack food, water and healthcare. But what does the media cover all weekend long? The drama of a four-legged animal who broke his leg in a race.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Barbaro pulling through and avoiding the slaughterhouse, but c'mon, get real! 300,000 intelligent, funny and capable humans have died because of a preventable genocide. My friends have less odds of surving than a horse here in America. Please, urge the media to give attention to Darfur. Click on the Be A Witness Campaing link on the right and join the fight.

International Justice Mission

2006-05-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

Last night, my wife and I had the priviledge of attending an IJM Benefit Dinner in Orlando. Not only was it a fun gala event with good food and music, but it was also a rare chance to hear IJM's President Gary Haugen speak live about his passion for rescuing children and their families from slavery. We also got to hear from Ted Haddock, Communications Manager for IJM, and see some of his pictures.

Thoreau said, "Thousands whack at the leaves of evil, but only one attacks the root." IJM is the one attacking the root.

IJM is doing a great work in the world and is really making a difference. Every day they are restoring dignity, life and love to people around the world. They are an incredible organization and I strongly encourage you to learn more about their successes and to donate to them financially. You can click on the link in the right sidebar to go to their website.

Some people are the hands and feet of justice, others are the wallet...which one are you?

When is a chicken worth its weight in gold?

2006-05-16T20:35:00.000-05:00

When is a chicken worth its weight in gold? To answer this question, let me tell you a story about a disease and a diseased. It is a story about the dignity that every human deserves.

Leprosy - despite all the advances in medicine in the modern world – is one of the most debilitating diseases that still run wild in Eastern Chad.

Leprosy is a disease that attacks not only the body, but also the heart and soul of a person. As a leper’s hands and feet lose the ability to feel and are worn down to bloody nubs, the leper becomes an outcast. Shunned by family and friends, they are forced to live in the outskirts of town and are denied basic human interaction. If they take their family with them, they too are shut out of life with others. They live by begging and survive on the barest of threads.

Growing up the son of a doctor whose life was dedicated to serving the poor people of Eastern Chad, we often came in contact with the ‘despicable’ members of society. I remember clearly spending one whole day cleaning up a leper colony (a place where outcasts had joined up to form a new village) and seeing the amazement on their faces that someone valued them.

My father began to befriend and give medical treatment to one leper in particular. He would bandage his wounds and then sit and talk with him – treating him not only with medicine, but also with dignity and respect. Over time, they became good friends and we helped out their family on a regular basis.

One night, in the cool early evening of the desert, the old leper came limping into our front yard. As he approached, clothed in dirty rags, he called out my dad. In between the stumps that use to be his hands, he had clinched a tiny, scrawny chicken. My father went out to greet him and the man looked up at him. With tears in his eyes, the elderly man looked at my dad and thanked him for caring. He told my father how he had never been treated like a human after getting the disease. He recounted the abuse and the discrimination that he faced because of the cards that life dealt him. Through his tears, his eyes shone with dignity and pride. He thanked my father for noticing him and taking care of him. Then, he reached out his arms and offered my dad the tiny bird – it was so small, but it was an entire meal for his family. He apologized for not being able to give my family a nicer gift of thanks, but he was giving all that he could.

That is when a chicken is worth its weight in gold.
------------------------------------------

Right now, almost 400,000 men, women and children - with the same dignity and right to life and respect as the old man - have been slaughtered in Darfur. Millions are displaced due to the violence taking place there. Please, take a stand now for Darfur and help save an entire race of human beings from being wiped off the face of the earth. Save my friends.

The Chronicle article about me

2006-05-16T20:33:00.000-05:00

Reprinted here with the permission of the Citrus County Chronicle.
---------------------------
Local man urges pressure for international action

By Jim Hunter
Citrus resident Scott Sutton has fond memories of growing up along the Chadian border next to the Darfur region of Sudan in Africa. It was a desolate landscape, but the people of the region were what make his memories so fond.

They were generous, caring people who had little but who needed little, he said, and they lived life with an infectious joy.

That’s why he is so shocked when he sees the lifeless faces staring back at him from the TV reports of the refugee camps there now.

He remembers a wonderful people, full of life; people, he said, who have “a remarkable ability to survive in a wasteland.”

They live in a harsh, arid land that sees rain but three months of the year — and not a drop the rest of the year, he said. They live very essentially, though still have a joy for life.

Sutton’s father was a missionary doctor for the nondenominational WEC International mission in Chad and was the only doctor in his whole province. Even back in the early 1990s, because of the centuries-old cultural, religious and tribal strife in the region, his father worked with refugees from neighboring Sudan, Sutton said.

But things slowly got worse. His family had to evacuate once, though the situation was never as bad as it has become now. “They’re dotted all over the landscape now,” he said of the refugee camps.

When he reached his middle teens, the young Sutton went to a boarding school in Germany for high school and subsequently went to the University of North Carolina for his degree in journalism, but he routinely went back to Africa.

As the situation deteriorated, his family had to leave. Sutton was last there in 2002. He still corresponds with friends and is appalled by what he hears.

What he reads and sees on TV has him very dismayed. The longstanding conflict in Sudan that has driven refugees from Darfur into camps in Chad has turned into a dire situation, he said.

The Sudanese government had turned a blind eye to what amounts to genocide by Arab tribal militia forces on indigenous African civilians. The raids on camps and raping and killing by the militias was widespread. That ultimately sparked a rebel uprising.

Since early 2003, about 2 million have been driven from their homes in the conflict, according to the United Nations.

There is a recent glimmer of hope. The largest of three rebel groups fighting the government late last week agreed to a truce, but it’s unclear if all the rebel groups will do so. The peace deal would disband the government-backed Arab “janjaweed” militias.

But even as the possibility of a peace deal unfolds, Sutton said, there is another long running problem about to turn disastrous. The United Nations estimates that about 180,000 people have already died from illness and malnutrition since 2003.

Just last week, the United Nations said it was cutting in half the daily food rations it gives to about 3 million people in the war-torn Darfur region. There are another 3 million displaced persons in neighboring areas of Sudan who also depend on the food to survive.

The World Food Bank said it had gotten only about a third of the funds necessary from the international community to feed the people this year. About 79 percent of that has come from the United States.

Sutton said the three-month wet season is approaching, when it’s almost impossible to truck in supplies.

He has watched the situation get worse and worse, and now he feels he has to speak out in his own community and to urge citizens to speak up to get the United States to force the United Nations and international community to act. He has put up a Web site to draw attention to the situation.

He said he doesn’t expect the United States to send troops, but that all self-respecting citizens of the world have a moral obligation to speak out and demand intervention before Darfur becomes another Rwanda. (See his column in today’s Commentary section).

Sutton is now a communications specialist for Progress Energy in Crystal River, but if his heart could have its way, he said, he would be handing out water and supplies to the refugees in Darfur and playing with the lovely children he remembers.

He is fluent in Chadian Arabic and French and knows the culture. But since it’s not possible for him to be there at the moment, he figures the next best thing is to do what he can to get U.S. citizens to understand what is happening.

To read Sutton’s stories of Africa and see more of his personal commentary, visit his blog at: www.dyinginthedust .blogspot.com.

This is GREAT news

2006-05-15T21:03:00.000-05:00

Although this news is from almost a year ago, it is new to me. I am so thankful that an organization like the International Medical Corps and a charity like the Gates Foundation have recognized the dire need of the Chadian citizens. The world is focused on the refugees - and rightly so - but what many aid workers are beginning to notice as they travel to the camps is that the people along the way are in just as much need as those in the camps. Kudos to the IMC and the Gates foundation for working to better the host population.

Before they were involved, my father was the only doctor doing any medical work in this entire region. He single-handlely built hospitals and clinics, trained nurses, and procurred supplies. Now, where he was alone in his work for a decade, there are hundreds of medical professionals and large amounts of money being spent. It's about time the world took notice.

To read more about the $537,000 Gates Foundation grant to help Chad cope with the Darfur crisis, click here.

Tale of Two Girls

2006-05-14T14:23:00.000-05:00

Two Christmases ago I was making a quick pit stop in a grocery store in Charlotte, NC. I just needed to pick up a few items before meeting up with my fiancée and I stopped at a store in an affluent district of town. As my eyes were searching the shelves for my desired item, my ears caught the sounds of a young girl and her mom visiting with a friend. This is how I remember the conversation going:

Friend: “Don’t you look cute today! Are you getting ready for Christmas?”

Mom: “Yes she is, she can’t wait for her presents.”

Friend: “What are you asking for this year? An IPOD?”

Mom: “No, she already has one, she couldn’t wait until Christmas so she bought it herself.”

At this point, my ears are fully attached to this conversation. I am 22 and do not have the funds to afford an IPOD music player. Here was a mom saying that that her 6-year old daughter not only already owned one, but also bought the $200 piece of electronics herself.

The mom continued: “Yeah, she just wasn’t happy without it, so we said she could spend some of her allowance to get one.”

Ok, now I was beginning to get mad. The words that jumped out at me were “wasn’t happy” and “some of her allowance.” $200 is just some of her allowance? Not happy?! I had visions of this little girl dancing around listening to her music in a room filled with once needed, now discarded toys. At that point I felt like turning around and shaking both mother and daughter. Instead, I turned around and left the store.

As I replayed that conversation in my head over and over again, I could not help but think of little Zara. Zara was a girl that I knew growing up in Eastern Chad. Life in a barren dessert wasteland is never easy, but a young girl’s lot in life seems to be extra tough. As the oldest girl of eight children she had never really had a childhood. From the moment she was strong enough to carry a pot, she was put to work helping her mother. She would go fetch water from the local well, she would chop and split firewood, and she would join in the arduous task of grinding grain for the evening meal.

Once her siblings were born, she had the chores of caring for them as well, often carrying them on her fragile back as she went about her other chores. Her father had run off to Libya to try to find a good job, leaving her mother and Zara to try to grow enough crops on their patch of desert to last another year.

Yet despite these odds against her, her lost childhood and her struggle to provide for her family – all before the age of 10 – Zara never lost her smile. Zara sang as she worked, hummed as she cleaned and laughed during the few moments she got to play with other kids.

Being Muslim, Zara’s family did not celebrate Christmas but instead, celebrated the end of the holy month of Ramadan. This once-a-year festival is a time off rejoicing and feasting and gift giving. For her celebration, Zara didn’t receive anything more than a plain, white dress – her first new clothes all year. Her eyes lit up upon receiving this humble gift and she wore it proudly until it was in tatters.

Zara’s reaction and joy is so different than the girl in the Charlotte grocery store. The girl in the store has enormous advantages in life, but she was less joyful and less content than the girl in Chad. She was being taught that the way to happiness is through money and through instant gratification, whereas Zara was learning that happiness could be found in any situation and to be content with little.

If I have the choice to raise my future daughter with all the wealth in the world or in the middle of the desert, I would be inclined to raise her like Zara – finding joy in a land of little.
--------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, millions of young girls like Zara are now being starved, beaten and even raped in Eastern Chad and Darfur. The dangerous lack of security has allowed rogue militias to destroy villages, herds and lives in a brutal genocide campaign. Now Zara, and those like her, live in refugee camps and where smiles and laughs once were, now only exist blank stares and desperate cries for help. Help save Darfur now – help save my friends - help save Zara.