CNN/You Tube Debates

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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?

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

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

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

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.