The Hunger Strike for Darfur at the White House / around DC resumes Friday, September 8th.
NOW, given the developments of this past week, September 9th at the White House (africaaction.org) and September 17th in NYC (savedarfur.org)/Around the World (dayfordarfur.org) MUST BE THE START OF OUR BATTLE FOR DARFUR. Or, we have finally and certainly abandoned Darfur to Genocide; and God help us.
The HUNGER STRIKE SUSPENDED (War over? War beginning?) Wednesday, August 30th after 45 days water only, in the midst of highly divergent accounts of the prospects for ending the Genocide. Bashir's behavior suggested a total disregard for International and US will. However, US Ambassador to the UN Bolton asserted that his only worry was responding fast enough to Bashir's acquiescence to troops. All of which suggested that it would take several weeks to see who knew what he was talking about, and who had the will to determine the outcome.
No need to wait any longer. If "will" were measured in words, the Hunger Strike would be suspended for good! My goodness, we in the US have been chanting in earnest "NEVER AGAIN" and "NOT ON OUR WATCH" for three years now. BUT WORDS ARE CHEAP, ACTION IS DEAR. And Bashir is the one determined to act on this stage, so far.
Our WORDS say: Never again!
Our ACTIONS say: Never again! if I can stop it with emails, postcards, a rally every 6 months and the telephone during commercials and between classes.
Our WORDS say: Not on my watch!
Our ACTIONS say: Not on my watch! if it is safe, convenient and does not disrupt my plans for me and mine or mess up my GPA.
Our WORDS say: GENOCIDE!
Our ACTIONS say: Darfur GENOCIDE is less important than whether there are to be Soda Machines at my little brother's middle school or not, or that date I have planned for this weekend.
Within the last week Bashir has called the UN resolution for immediate troops "illegal," restarted the war counter to the May 5th DPA, moved most of 10,000 troops into Darfur, restarted genocidal slaughter of civilians with bombs and guns, told the AU to leave unless they agree to NEVER accept UN Blue Hat, KILLED DARFUR STUDENTS STRIKING FOR UN INTERVENTION, killed more aid workers, destroyed what safety was left to allow aid workers to keep 4,000,000 alive.... He's been busy this past week!
The International and Activist community in the face of all this horror has... hmmmm... DONE NOTHING, except what we do... talk....blog.... write emails.... read news... basically watch ....pontificate, analyze ....whine, ....criticize... issue press releases.... But really ACT? PUT OUR SKIN IN THE GAME? Nah.
I know this can change. We Americans, we world citizens are better than this. We have more humanity and courage than this. Now, immediately - others must join in real action - civil disobedience, mass - protracted demonstrations, hunger strikes.... Until we are heard; until 24,000 peace keepers are on the ground in Darfur with Chapter 7 mandate. We must leave no room for the US Government, our fellow Americans, and the international community to continue to watch. The only option that OUR BEHAVIOR must leave is for the World to stop the genocide now. Period. End of discussion. FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.
THE NGO / NONPROFIT LEADERS MUST BEGIN TO LEAD US, not to activity, but to victory. Nothing less is acceptable. AfricaAction.org is beginning to show signs of appropriate leadership. Others must follow. History, Darfur, Bashir are watching. Failure is not an option.
This can be our finest hour. This must be our finest hour. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN DARFUR IS AT STAKE, as if 4,000,000 Darfur lives were not enough.
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