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President-Elect Obama must create a peace surge for Sudan, focused on ending the crisis in Darfur rather than managing it. Supporting a U.N.-authorized peacekeeping force that actively protects civilians and holding the perpetrators of the genocide to account are important elements of this "peace surge." Making Darfur a priority from Day One will help ensure immediate and lasting benefits for the people of Sudan.
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With Susan Rice on board as UN Ambassador and Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, we may see the first real, sustained effort to actually end this thing.
Posted by Joshua Levy on 12/03/2008 @ 07:20AM PST
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Team America needs to stop playing World Police.
Posted by Jack Edison on 12/03/2008 @ 10:15AM PST
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Be a voice for Darfur at www.addyourvoice.org. You and one million other Americans will remind the President-elect Obama of a promise he has already made: "unstinting resolve" to end the Darfur genocide.
Posted by Rich Stazinski on 12/03/2008 @ 11:03AM PST
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I BELIEVE THAT ONE VOICE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT WHEN MORE THAN ONE VOICE COME TOGETHER A CHANGE CAN OCCUR!!! I BELIEVE AND HAVE FAITH FOR A CHANGE IN THE WORLD WITH GOD BY OUR SIDES ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!!! WERE ALL HERE FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER AND LETS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!
Posted by Ashley Clark on 12/04/2008 @ 09:17PM PST
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I will support any effort to help Darfur with my own money.
But tax payer dollars are not to be used. If you do that, where do you stop?
It's our foreign policy of intervention that has created terror.
Terrorists don't hate us because were free, they hate us because we interfere in their countries, most times for oil.
If Darfur was rich in oil, we would have saved them years ago.
But that would still be the wrong use of tax payer dollars.
Our government should abide by the constitution not run around the world fighting the worlds fights.
Maybe make a charity, that supplies a group that fights against genocide, and then donate to that charity.
Posted by John Jay Myers on 12/05/2008 @ 07:37AM PST
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"But tax payer dollars are not to be used. If you do that, where do you stop?"
The US already gives out billions of our tax dollars a year already for foreign aid. The US is going broke while billions of dollars are going elsewhere. I think Sudan in 2007 was supposed to receive 450 million from the US in aid. I'd say that's a pretty good slice. For some reason we wonder why we go further and further in debt as a country.
Yes, it's important for these people to stop being slaughtered. Where did that money go if it did go to Sudan? That's something the US is very good at. Giving people money but never finding out what happens to it.
Link to 2008 foreign aid.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/finance/docs/2007/0625house.htm
Posted by Dirk Diggler on 12/06/2008 @ 12:20AM PST
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President Bill Clinton just said a few days ago that he regreted sitting by & doing nothing while he was President during the genocide in Rwanda. Don't let us say the same about Darfur.
Posted by Victoria Marshall on 12/06/2008 @ 03:37AM PST
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How many of the gay communist vegans on this board are going to sign up to patrol sub-saharan Africa with a rifle on their shoulder?
Yeah, I thought so. It's real easy to climb up on a moral high horse when it's somebody else's kid that gets to die for your cause, ain't it?
Posted by Sean Edwards on 12/06/2008 @ 12:54PM PST
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Today, it's Darfur...tomorrow, another sub-African hell-hole full of corrupt tin-pot warlords or whacky dictators. We got our asses in trouble with Somalia...we went it as the "saviors" but wound up being more hated by the people we were trying to save!
Just stop it with the "we need to be the world's police and save everyone" attitude.
Posted by Captain America on 12/06/2008 @ 02:09PM PST
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Don't make this another excuse for military occupation & control of the world's oil production. It is working so well in Iraq & Afghanistan.
Posted by Rex English on 12/07/2008 @ 08:52PM PST
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I want this change. NOW
Posted by Brent Coulter on 12/07/2008 @ 11:29PM PST
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When we reflect on the Holocaust, how can we stand by and see the same thing happen again in our lifetime? I thought the world said "Never Again".
Posted by Cynthia Penn on 12/09/2008 @ 11:59PM PST
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More people have died by our hand in Iraq than in Darfur.
Why don't we worry about the ending the Iraqi genocide and preventing the impending Pakistani/Iranian genocide (both of which Obama has called for), before we worry about Darfur?
Posted by Nick Christensen on 12/11/2008 @ 06:56AM PST
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Before you get on board with this look deeper into the issue. Don't be conned.
"...there is a growing demand to probe the accounts of "Save Darfur" to find out how the tens of millions collected are being spent due to allegations of arms-deals and bribery, and the SAVE DARFUR movement has become the false flag action of the West, supported by most everyone, people who know little or nothing about what it is they are supporting."... Journalist Kieth Harmon Snow (allthingspass.com/journalism.php?catid=24)
"Sudan is a country with a per capita GDP of less that $2500 per year whose people have already been hurt by US sanctions and boycotts. The US has starved Sudan with sanctions, instigated the civil wars in Sudan, armed the rebels, and then blamed the Sudanese government for all the deaths (whether by violence or famine or disease) and called it genocide." (rule19.org/resources/sudan.htm )
Posted by Jason King on 12/11/2008 @ 06:59PM PST
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People scream about saving animals on other boards, why are we putting resources into helping a group of coyotes when hundreds of thousands are dying in sudan? we stopped genocide in Germany and Iraq, lets stop it in Darfur... worry about human beings first and we'll worry about a rare water buffalo once these attrocities quit.
Posted by Kaleb Pugsley on 12/11/2008 @ 07:06PM PST
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We should go to Sudan because we CAN. I am ashamed of my government when it ignores the UN law of the 1940's which promises to intervene when a genocide is occurring. Even without the law, ignoring such behavior is just wrong.
For every American killed in Iraq there have been 100 killed in Darfur. Almost half-a-million! Imagine mass-murder of all who attended Woodstock in 1969 - would we be outraged then? Are the lives of those in Darfur any less precious than those in America?
When we say, "Never again", let's mean it.
Mike_the_doctor
Posted by Mike Sauber on 12/17/2008 @ 03:06AM PST
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Racism in Application of Refugee Rights
While I absolutely applaud Obama in his response to supporting refugee rights for those in Darfur, I am troubled that with regard to Palestinian refugees, he says that those exact same laws (e.g. the Law of Return) don't apply (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1201523779464)
I think it is a really bad precedent for the first African-American president to take the position that a universal law (International Law of Return) should be applied differently based purely on which ethnic group is being victimized. Nothing in the UN law allows for making that differentiation (i.e., it is a justice is blind legislation).
What is ironic, is Israel actually accepts the International Law of Return and has it codified in their legislation. Granted it is a "for Jews only" law but if we can leverage the aid we give them to encourage them to remove that clause and become more democratic (there about 20 other pieces of legislation that have that same qualifier in it), this issue can be solved without any bloodshed. And the Darfur question can also be pursued without accusations of racial disparity in terms of implementation.
It should be noted that the rationale Obama gives for the disparity in applying the UN legislation is the need to preserve Israel as a Jewish state. Bull Connor could have told MLK Jr. the same thing in that the Jim Crow laws were made in order to preserve Alabama as a White State. Both statements are to me unacceptable.
Democracy and human rights (of all people) should not be something to fear or usurp. Refugee rights should not be compromised in order to preserve ethnic supremacy of ANY group. This is a very familiar and very bad ideology!
Posted by Sabra Getz on 12/17/2008 @ 08:41AM PST
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We as a nation repeatedly say "never again" when genocide occurs, and yet again we are standing by while it happens in Darfur. Our nation has a history of only getting involved to stop genocide when it is in our political interest (see Samantha Power's "A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide"). I understand when others do not want to commit troops or resources to helping another country, particularly given all of the potential pitfalls and mistakes that have been made in the past. However, those in the global community who have been lucky enough to be born in countries that are war-free and hold a disproportionate amount of the world's wealth have an obligation to end these kinds of atrocities.
Posted by Jenny Fischer on 12/21/2008 @ 09:36AM PST
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Let's keep this discussion going and make our voice loud and clear until long after January 20th.
Mike_the_doctor.
Posted by Mike Sauber on 12/21/2008 @ 02:15PM PST
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Joshua Levy...how do you propose the USA "ends this thing"?
Send troops?
No - remember Somalia. We sent troops...we tried to "do the right thing" and those troops got slaughtered because Slick Willie didn't want to give them the equipment they needed because he was afraid of how we'd look to the world.
No more "helping" other nations...we only get screwed in the long run, and more hated by those we are trying to help.
Posted by Captain America on 12/21/2008 @ 06:11PM PST
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With all due respect, we do it right this time and everytime. A half-___ed response is no resonse at all.
We made a promise in the 1940's; genocide means our involvement. But even that reason pales when it stands next to the understated fact that genocide is a horrible crime against humanity, and we must go there because we CAN go there. NEVER for oil, but for our human neighbors, in whatever country they live. Understand that I am a pacifist, and yet I still make these comments.
Once we show our intention to NOT tolerate genocide in even one location, those who up to now have acted without fear of reprisal may need to think twice; the 'sleepiing giant' has awakened.
Mike_the_doctor
Posted by Mike Sauber on 12/21/2008 @ 07:11PM PST
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Everybody calls it genocide but the UN because they don't want to take action. I know some say that military action like what Susan Rice and Hillary Clinton are proposing is what we should do. Others are saying that would have worked a few years ago but a more political solution is needed. I don't know the answer but it shouldn't take years to figure out some action is required.
It seems like we could agree on that.
So can we say get the best people and do something IMMEDIATELY? And let's pressure the new administration and to follow through and take action. And let's pressure the UN to take action by beginning to call it genocide. How can we shame the UN into action? I don't know if it's possible since they did nothing about Rwanda and are doing nothing about the Sudan.
But let's not tolerate inaction and let's not tolerate the UN getting away literally with murder by their inaction.
(New administration's position on it - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/12/07/ST2008120702921.html)
Posted by Karen Peterson on 12/24/2008 @ 08:53PM PST
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If such words as Karen's above, stated over and over in numerous ways by countless people cannot shame them in to action, then they have no conscience. Even if they have no conscience, public opinion DOES make a difference. Continued restatement of this point will touch SOMETHING that causes action. A strange situation: a peaceful revolution to bring on military action. Let's all keep the word a comin', over and over again.
Posted by Mike Sauber on 12/24/2008 @ 10:42PM PST
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Ni hao. An injustice to any is an injustice to all, "we, the people...", can't allow it :) The fundamental thing taught by Jesus was destruction and murder are of no profit or pleasure, something almost all supposed Christians are anti-thetically opposed to, as is your gov't; and a gleaning from Native American teaching, et al, all life are needed threads in the fabric of life. Put your shadow behind you, give the gift that keeps on giving, a hand to a sister and/or brother :)
reality
Posted by james m nordlund on 12/26/2008 @ 01:54AM PST
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The crisis in the Sudan has been ignored far too long - action is needed NOW to stop the barbariic violence in Darfur. Take action now!
Posted by Phyllis Bedford on 12/28/2008 @ 08:05AM PST
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We should not turn our backs to such attrocities.
Posted by Cynthia Whitmire on 12/28/2008 @ 02:04PM PST
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Air Embargo, close the main port --use Navy.
Do it right away.
Posted by Thomas Tranfaglia on 12/31/2008 @ 01:30PM PST
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America needs to again act in accordance with the principles our nation was founded on. To ignore human suffering,--and aid only those people from which we can gain--is entirely contradictory,--in opposition to what the REAL American Dream is all about. Fulfillment of that dream requires recognition it has no borders,--no geographic location,--but lives in the heart of people everywhere. Is it not our responsibility to expand recognition of personal worth,---and use our strength to defend this worth through the United Nations?
Posted by Dinah Dubble on 01/06/2009 @ 11:00AM PST
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To those writing with concerns over the efforst of the Save Darfur Coalition...I whole heartidly agree that their efforst may not be the best. It's also absurd to view the United States as the "hero" of the Darfur people.
However, I believe that the actions of the Darfur government should not go ignored. I feel that Divestment is the best way of obtaining a US goal of not supporting action in Darfur, while not sending in troops. The best way of dealing with Darfur is to hurt the wallets of those that profit most from such actions. It is foolish to promote rebel groups and the people I am most concerned for are the 3 millions displaced civilians of the Darfur region.
Just because I don't think we should invade does not mean that we should sit by and watch these actions happen.
Posted by Alex Edstrom on 01/06/2009 @ 02:59PM PST
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I supported your idea, please support this one.
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/pass_the_dream_act_now
Thank you
Posted by Ike A on 01/06/2009 @ 03:24PM PST
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I am glad that we are going to try and stop this. I did a project on it when I was in school a couple years ago and it is some really screwed up stuff.
Posted by Zach Robinson on 01/06/2009 @ 11:11PM PST
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Darfur must end now!
Posted by Nick Cross on 01/07/2009 @ 10:04AM PST
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I invite all of you to visit the second idea about education in this second round (Introduce Esperanto as the first foreign language subject in schools to help American kids succeed), just about introducing Esperanto in the american schools, firstly as a pedagogical(?) experiment.
The qualities of Esperanto as a language will help your children to learn better your own language and other school subjects.
Look
at the project Springboard to languages been realized in the United
Kingdom successfully. In the commentaries about Esperanto you will find
those very important ideas.
So Esperanto will give to your children all the basis not to need menthors or tutors to succeed (?) in school, cheafly on language learning, including English, maths and other subjects related, because of its reknowed propedeutic value.
So you will win in both ideas for changes in USA, also in the education field during Barak Obama Administration.
José Mário Marques
Federal Attorney
Natal - Brazil
Posted by José Mário Marques on 01/07/2009 @ 11:07AM PST
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Genocide, in Dafur and everywhere, has to be (and can be!) stopped by determined action - whether or not some immediate selfish benefit can be seen in helping the country. As it is written in the Bible, justice should roll on like a river, not a hose that we stop and start at whim. The idea was written very well - other wording might have implied some bad "Team America" fiasco, but this could certainly work well.
Posted by Mark Aitchison on 01/07/2009 @ 08:50PM PST
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