The Genocide in Darfur, Sudan

[Datruth]

I'm not an expert here...

I came with a plea to the forums, to ask a simple question.
What can, I, or anyone else, do here, to help?
And i mean really help, not just let our concerns be shared, which is simple... but help.


I want to accomplish something in this thread, besides talking.
Basically i have 3 goals.

1) Education
I want to eduacte myself more about the problem.
I want to know who to talk to and how to make a difference.
What exactly is the problem... and who is instigating it?
Is there a group, or person, who may be able to stop this now?

2) Support:
I want to support them in some way.
Whether that be monetary, spirtually, or maybe through letters.
Speaking of letters... who might we send one to?
Could the people recieve it?
What about the president of sudan?
Can we send any other type of support?

3) Recruit:
See if i can get anyone, to help me, along the way.
It doesn't have to be anyone here, it could be in RL, or maybe a senator.
Maybe my representative can help.
But find some other people to walk with me, through this. It's a big task, one person alone isn't enough, we need more.


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So first things first.... knowledge, I should share what i have thus far, i hope you all share your info as well.

The website to coordinate our energy:
http://www.savedarfur.org/content

Here is a nice read, about the conflict.. please, if you do nothing else, read this:
http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/background

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Know your enemies:

The sudanese government itself, and the Janjaweed militias. An alliance that has caused most of the destruction of the civilians.

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Support:

All i found and thought of was finding a support group, near your area, if you are in the U.S.

Suprisingly, my small city did have one, maybe i'll find that person and help organize an event.

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Final thoughts:

“400,000 dead, 2.5 million displaced, 10,000 dying every month”
The latest UN estimates say that between 10 and 15 thousand people are dying every month. 

“Every few months we are driven away from one refugee camp to the other, so far in the desert where nothing, nothing at all exists. This is no way for a human being to live. No way to live in such a shocking place – uncultivated, waterless, treeless and barren region...! Everything is burning, Lord, around me, around us ... in me, in us ... Everything is barren, hell, hell...!” ~~ A darfarian women

Fertile land continues to decrease as desertification (growth of the Sahara Desert) becomes more of a problem.  Tensions between nomadic Arab tribes and African farming communities began, in part, because of the scarcity of usable land. 

As a response to the long-standing abuse from the government, rebels in Darfur rose in opposition to the government, attacking a government installation.  President Al-Bashir responded by giving governmental support and money to Islamic militias, also known as the Janjaweed – or ‘Devils on Horseback’ in Arabic – to combat the rebels and civilians in Darfur instead of sending the military to intervene.
These militias have been accused of ethnic cleansing by systematically eliminating entire communities.  Government air strikes frequently precede the militias’ vicious raids. Villages are razed; women, men, and children are raped, tortured, and murdered. The Janjaweed also target and destroy Darfurian food and water supplies, threatening the victims' hopes for their future survival.

The Janjaweed militias steal cattle, destroy wells, and pursue a scorched-earth policy, where crops and buildings are destroyed.  (UNICEF and the New York Times, 2005).

Civilians who have survived village destruction have fled to camps lacking adequate food, shelter, sanitation, and health care in Darfur and across the border in neighboring Chad.  Hundreds of thousands of Darfurians are at risk of starvation and disease.

“Every day, women are sent outside the IDP camps to seek firewood and water, despite the constant risk of rape at the hands of the Janjaweed. Should men be available to venture out of the camps, they risk castration and murder. So families decide that rape is the lesser evil. It is a crime that families even have to make such a choice. Often women are sexually assaulted within the supposed safety of the IDP camps. Nowhere is really safe.” – Brian Steidle, former AU advisor

80% of the children under five years old are suffering from severe malnutrition. Seventy percent of the deaths in the camps are children under five.

Children, as well as young women, are abducted by Janjaweed, often with the complicity of Sudanese troops.  Women are often forced into sexual slavery, and young boys are made to watch over stolen livestock.  (Amnesty, Save the Children).

Currently, the only security on the ground is an undermanned African Union (AU) force that cannot protect civilians or aid workers.  Currently, the AU lacks adequate numbers of personnel and has limited logistical capacity.  Currently, the AU’s mandate is to monitor the failed ceasefire in Darfur, not to protect civilians. Therefore, to be effective, the AU will need a stronger civilian protection mandate, a major increase in the number of troops on the ground, and a much larger logistical and monetary contribution from the UN, the EU, and NATO.

Despite some action on behalf of the world community, more action is needed.  Ten thousand people are still dying every month, and if nothing is done, two million people could perish.  We need to act if we want this crisis to end.

Look beyond the headlines, understand that a genocide is occurring right now, look for how we can support a solution – and ways in which we may be contributing to the problem. 
These people need our help. As humans, we owe them our support and prayers. As Americans we owe them our courage and experience. We must do something to help those who suffer, and this time we can.

~~~~All quotes taken from the Save Darfur Powerpoint presentation, a must download.

Arm yourself with knowledge.... post a response on how we can help... actually help guys, don't b.s me.... and recruit each other to the side of the innocent civilians.

Thank you for your time, as always.

~~Datruth

[chazarus]

Restound have you turned into Angelina Jolie or Bono?
Save Africa!!

[Xordan]

There's not much we can do short of using force tbh. If the people want to kill each other we can't stop them, the UN is once again proving useless.

[Raiyx]

Datruth,

I'm planning on studying international relations, and the Darfur tragedy is definately one of the most pressing issues in contemporary int. relations.

One of the biggest detriments to solving this problem is our current foreign policy program.  Unfortunately, as we all know, the Bush administration has plugged all of our resources into a empty cause.  Dafur, then becomes something of a back burner issue to the general public and representives in congress as we debate over continuing to occupy Iraq.

But I sincerely think that genocide in Darfur can be solved by the three criteria you laid out.  The biggest problem is education.  It is in my opinion that people just don't want to trouble themselves with the grim truth of the world.  Ironically, politics and international issues have become so prevailent in society today, that people are afraid to talk about them.  In America, we live in a society of differing opinions, and if you can't uphold your own, you're belittled as a person.  So, people just use slogans, and avoid arguing and educating themselves for the sake of saving face.

In this light, all we can do is keep on pressing how important this issue is.  Make it a new hot button issue so it can gain attention and be another item of unspeakable controversy.  Looking back at all the historical changes in the world, they all take place because of public awareness. 

But now I just feel like I'm rambling, so I'l stop.

Check out the amnesty international website, too.  Dafur is one of their biggest causes. 

[Datruth]

Thanks Raiyx, for your awesome post.

And i know what you mean, our politicians are centrists and rarely commit to anything lol.
I loved that slogan line of yours, i never really knew what those were for, your reason is good to me lol

And yea, education is the problem, people know about Darfur.. but they don't know what's really happeneing.
I can bet if we asked people on the street about it, they might be like... yea, that place... but they won't tell you what's happening there.

It's sad, that we're in IRaq, wasting our time, our money, our troops, our sons, our daughters, our fathers, our mothers.
We had no reason to go there, all have been b.s, and the weapons contractors are rolling in dough.
Not to mention halliburton which won something like 95% of the contracts given in IRaq....
Does it help to know the VP is part of haliburton?

Corporation are stopping us from helping the world, i mean i love wal mart, but i hate haliburton, oil companies, and the RIAA/ MPAA.

Tell me anything you learn my friend Raiyx, i'd be happy to listen, feel free to post anything you learned in your studies.
Every month.... 10,000 people die there.

Let this be the last month.

~~Datruth

[hitancrias]

Datruth, I have to say that I'm touched by your compassion. The idea that we can't do anything to help the people in Darfur can be both discomforting and comforting at the same time. Discomforting for the ones with the ambition to contribute to a solution for the problem, and comforting for the ones who realise that all the effort of writing letters, participating in demonstrations and donating money most likely won't have much effect. Sadly as it is. Personally, when I think of helping other people in need, I rather go for the man next door, leaving global problems to the global leaders. Foreign affairs is a very important issue when I decide who to vote at though. If the western world stopped protecting their markets, and stopped forcing third world countries to open up theirs, it would help something.

If the people want to kill each other we can't stop them, the UN is once again proving useless.

It's not a case of two peoples who want to kill each other. It's genocide. One group is pretty much defenceless against people who aim for ethnical cleansing. IMO it's a task of the international community to defend the defenceless from being slaughtered.
The UN does what it can, but it simply lacks forces. Right now, the UN can't do much more than to build refugee camps. It's the question if you can blame the organisation or rather its member states.

[Idoru]

1) Education
I want to eduacte myself more about the problem.
I want to know who to talk to and how to make a difference.
What exactly is the problem... and who is instigating it?
Is there a group, or person, who may be able to stop this now?

The problem is that people like to kill each other it seems. No matter what the reason. This time it comes down to ethnic cleansing. Different groups that could surely live in harmony have decided not to. The Janjaweed who are Arabic are trying to wipe out several african tribes in Darfur. The only group who can stop it are the instigators, although if the sudanese government were to stop their support of the Janjaweed it would probably have a good effect.

2) Support:
I want to support them in some way.
Whether that be monetary, spirtually, or maybe through letters.
Speaking of letters... who might we send one to?
Could the people recieve it?
What about the president of sudan?
Can we send any other type of support?

The problem with this situation is that tere is little you can do. The US wont help at this time because they have already stretched their military quite badly. The African Union are probably best placed to do something about it. They just dont seem to want to.
As for sending letters to the president of Sudan; That wouldnt achieve much considering his government is heavily backing the Janjaweed. the only support you could offer would be charities working in the region.

3) Recruit:
See if i can get anyone, to help me, along the way.
It doesn't have to be anyone here, it could be in RL, or maybe a senator.
Maybe my representative can help.
But find some other people to walk with me, through this. It's a big task, one person alone isn't enough, we need more.

The US government has actually declared that this does constitute genocide but strangely the UN has not. Im not sure of the reason for this. The best way to get people involved is simply to educate them and hopefully they will want to act.


[Posted remade because I was very drunk when I wrote it.... xmas and all ]

[Datruth]

I mentioned the two parties in my original post my friend, but your right at not knowing exactly who to back.
You can't back the government, and you can't necessarily back the u.s which hasn't sent troops to the region yet.
So who do you go to for help, the African national army was mentioned in an article i read, they are very very undermanned and paid.

Maybe we should back them, and see how we can help them.

And thank you hitancrias, for your kind sentiments, your words hit home again, and i agree, we should focus on our neibhors first, they are alot easier to help and support.

In this case though, i must try and help the defenseless in some way i can, anyway really. Even if it ends in futile effort, some effort by my part must be tried.

Thank you all for your replies so far, help me to help stop this problem, i'm still lost in a confused world, wondering what to do next.

~~Datruth

[Kemelud]

There's not much we can do short of using force tbh.

So true. It's beyond civilian help. And the sudanese government, well, not the best track record. They've pretty much backed one side of this fight. And before the inicial gencide began to take place, are beleived to have sent a small force there and killed a few people. The United States won't admit to a genocide being comitted in darfur, because it'll have to act once it does. It's the same with not admiting to the armenian genocide in 1915. The US wants to keep trade up with turkey, so they denie it. I hate to say it, but todays governments happily choose money over a life, and even many lives, and whole races of men. As long as that's true, there isn't much anyone can do, and genocides will continue to go on.

I hope I put that into good wording, I usually have trouble with it.

[Shangreloo]

Does it help to know the VP is part of haliburton?
~~Datruth

Does it hurt any worse knowing our VP gets a bigger annual paycheck from Haliburton than he gets as VP?

[emeraldfool]

I agree with Hitancrias.

It really pains me to think of the injustices that are being done here. To think of a poor, starving family huddling together in their one-room huts, as a firing squad blows their brains out one by one... the children killed first, to stop them from running away, and to shock the parents into hesitating, so they can be slaughtered in turn. (Eh... I'm pretty messed-up though... it might just be me)

That's why I don't want to think about it, really. There's nothing I can do, so I'm content to lead my sheltered life, playing RPGs on high-powered laptops. Me having nightmares about a country I've barely heard of doesn't help anyone. Even if I become a politician, or a peacekeeper, there's ultimately nothing anyone can do if people want to kill each other. Until we have infrared satellites that can identify a crime being committed anywhere on the face of the earth and fry the criminal with a microwave beam at any time, 24/7, there's nothing anyone can do about it.

[lordraleigh]

Don't worry! The Paladins of Democracy are coming to rescue Sudan! The US Government will soon send their troops to defend freedom! Here are the poor ones that must be freed, and perhaps moved to the glorious land to contribute with its corporations in defense of democracy!

"Rich mineral resources which may be available in Sudan include: petroleum, natural gas, gold, silver, chrome, asbestos, manganese, gypsum, mica, zinc, iron, lead, uranium, copper, kaolin, cobalt, granite, nickel and tin.[19]" (Source: Wikipedia)

And don't forget, these people aren't the official goal... the official goal is to take down another dictator and implant a Democracy in Sudan!

This is the truth people! Lets praise the United States government!

[Datruth]

The United States won't admit to a genocide being comitted in darfur, because it'll have to act once it does.

It actually has, it's the U.N that won't admit to it, basically because if it tries to draft such a resolution, it knows someone will veto it, specifically china.

There a little commentary about this on the savedarfur website, and it find it interesting.

Finally America admits it's a Geoncide.... yet does very little.

Darn that whole Iraq war and our Dumass president for lying us into it.

If we only had the troops to help heal REAL problems, instead of lining corporate pockets.

~~Datruth

[Xordan]

What's happening in Darfur now isn't much different to what happened in Iraq (to the Kurds as one example) pre-invasion. If the USA invaded Sudan to stop this, we'd have the same situation as we have in Iraq now and people would be whining just as much.

[Datruth]

What's happening in Darfur now isn't much different to what happened in Iraq (to the Kurds as one example) pre-invasion. If the USA invaded Sudan to stop this, we'd have the same situation as we have in Iraq now and people would be whining just as much.

I 100% disagree with that, besides the Janjaweed who are in cohoots with the government, the people would love us.

In Iraq, 10,000 people weren't being killed every month.
People had power, water, and all the necessities. It was no where near as bad as sudan.
IRAQ wasn't even considered a 3rd world country because their GDP was very high, thanks to their oil and other exports.

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Iraq is nothing like the sudan.

We had literally no reason to invade Iraq, all reasons we had were cooked up by Bush and Blair and It turned into a Disaster.
No where near as many people were dying as in the sudan.

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If we were to invade and create a new government, the Janjaweed would attack back, so all we'd need to do would be to set up a strong perimiter.
AS long as that perimiter holds, we're good, it would take alot of men, and probably a long time, but it would be worth it.
We wouldn't have civilians attack us, as we saw in Iraq.

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Again unlike IRaq, where things are still NOT anywhere near the quality of pre war.
People still don't have water and power in lots of areas and the rate of civilian deaths is unbelievable.

Iraq is not sudan, and i can't compare the two, not on any level.
You can blame the Iraq disaster on Bush and Blairs uneeded war, and destabalization of the country.

~~Datruth