Susannah Cunningham

Recent Activity

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  Susannah commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Overclass: The Problem With the Bootstrap Era

  Update on investing small sums into new ideas.

  
  

  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/technology/start-ups/06andreessen.html?ref=business

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  Susannah commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Denying My Judaism in Darfur

  As a foreign, non-Muslim living in a conservative Muslim country I understand the extra cognizance your faith/religious tradition is given when you essentially stand alone in that tradition. My job also allows me to work heavily on human rights abuses executed by the Sudanese government, so I'm quite sympathetic to your experience with the varying and colorful discrimatory tactics of Khartoum. That being said, aren't you forcing Judaism into this story?
  
  In a country like Sudan, where most nationals have "they place they live" (Khartoum?) and the place "they're from" (their family or ancestors village), it's not surprising that a Sudanese official wouldn't believe that an American passport alone would describe your identity (the concept of a "melting pot" doesn't translate in most of the world, a reality with which I'm sure you're more than familiar). It seems rather ordinary that they'd want to know your original "village," or pre-immigration country.
  
  Your Judaism might have played a role in Darfur, but more than in Afghanistan? Really???
  
  Khartoum blames White people. Khartoum blames the West. Khartoum blames Neo-colonialism. Khartoum blames "traitors." Khartoum blames Non-believers. And Khartoum blames Jews. Khartoum is looking for ANY scapegoat. Because Khartoum can't govern outside of Khartoum. 
  
  When surrounded by those who don't share your history, your differences--your faith and traditions--become a more distinguishing feature of your identity and of your consciousness, but that awareness may still be more your consciousness than others. That Sudanese official may have been a bad guy or worked for bad guys, but that doesn't have to do with your religion--it has to do with your beliefs.
  
  As a foreign, non-businessman in Sudan--that officer could guess that you probably came to Sudan "to help" or "to tell a story," that you hated the men he worked for, perhaps hated him. If you were a journalist, you were dangerous. If you were a humanitarian worker, you were, at best, oppositional. And that matters as much if not more than the religion he never asked you about.
  

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  Susannah commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  What image opened your eyes to human rights?

  Talisman no longer operates in Sudan, largely do to public outcry...But rage on, brother.
  
  Now back to the topic:
  
  The little girl in the red-petticoat in Schlinder's List, on top of the pile of corpses. I was a young girl when I saw that movie with my father and when I saw the red petticoat in the black-and-white scene, I began crying uncontrollably into my father's coat. At that time, I simply understand why they'd kill another little girl.
  
  Still, books like The Giver, Number of the Stairs, the Upstairs Room, and other stories of race-based discrimination and hate crimes in the US and abroad branded my own images of these injustices better than any photograph or painting ever did.