Sunday, July 30, 2006

NEVER AGAIN COOPERATE WITH THE ULTIMATE EVIL. Hunger Strike Day 22; Vigil day 73.

IT IS SACRED DUTY TO REJECT ALL BUT UBUNTU, no matter the personal cost. ONLY UBUNTU (pronounced oo boon too). LIFE IS UBUNTU. DEATH OR MEER EXISTANCE IS THE ABSENCE OF, OR THE COMPROMISE OF UBUNTU. Below this is explained. THERE IS NO LIFE BUT UBUNTU.



Health: All systems go. I've lost quite a bit of weight (25-30 lbs?) and much energy, but no signs of damaged health.

Plan: 18 days more of hunger strike water only, 5 days food, a final 20 days hunger strike (witness for the returning College Students) for a total of 60 days Hunger Strike. I am very excited and pleased.

Support for the effort. Yesterday and today thanks to some angels (some in Code Pink) support began to materialize. More on that at a later date, within the limits of confidentiality.

Today came the most important clarity of my life thus far. The most important with respect to Darfur, and more broadly with respect to my quest to help heal and save the world.

Roughly 12 years ago a door was closed by me. I sensed it, I permitted it, I cooperated with the closing but only today did I gain clarity. On that day something snapped, something that had been progressing for my whole life jumped a quantum. What I understood that day was that $250,000 (or $2.5 million for that matter) per year guaranteed income was insufficient to pay for the use of my life to make rich people richer. I immediately resigned my VP Business Development position with the Boston software firm that employed me and began the journey that brings me here today.

The clarity of today? I can name the door I allowed to close now, and in doing so I can be even more deliberate in what I reject, and what I embrace and stand for in my life!!!!

This revelation of today did not occur due to my restudy this last week of Gandhi, but that study definitely helps with the perspective! Gandhi has always taught - IT IS SACRED DUTY TO NON-COOPERATE WITH EVIL.

THE EVIL THAT I BEGAN TO LEARN TO REJECT MORE CLEARLY 12 YEARS AGO IS THE EVIL OF the double standard inherent in the notion of NON-IMMEDIATE-FAMILY.

NO!!! EVERY ETHICAL SYSTEM HAS TOLD US - ONE FAMILY - NO DOUBLE STANDARDS. OUR HEARTS TELL US - ONE FAMILY, NO DOUBLE STANDARDS. Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF. "Ubuntu," an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others"; also means "I am what I am because of who we all are".

Several days ago I realized that the small slush fund I thought I had to enable the Darfur Vigil / Hunger Strike laptop and cell phone was gone. Any money for transportation or food for after the vigil was gone. (A delivery company reneged on money owed me for wrecking a car I owned.) The implications of this financial shortfall were death: death of communication for this fight for Darfur; death for me by ultimate starvation. I faced death down this several days ago. I would not give in. I would not give up. This was frightening, enormously liberating, and ultimately a great relief, and JOY.

NEVER AGAIN. I expect to never again cooperate with the consummate evil, the root of all evil, THE LIE THAT WE ARE NOT ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS. I cry with relief and joy at this long sought clarity. I will BE a brother to all no matter what. I will exist, I will live ONLY if others treat me as such. To do otherwise would be to ENABLE, TO EMPOWER the greatest evil on the plant - the LIE OF MULTIPLE FAMILIES; THE LIE THAT WE ARE NOT ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS TOTALLY, LITERALLY, ACTUALLY, REALLY.

WE ARE. Come on my brothers and sisters, let's get on with it. LET'S BASK, LET US FIGHT FOR THE LEAST OF THESE OUR FAMILY IN THE JOY, LIFE AND LOVE OF IT. Let us go where Gandhi, King, Jesus... died to lead us. Heaven. Heaven in the attempt even as we fall short of the goal.













posted by Jay McGinley at 11:33 AM 0 comments links to this post

Saturday, July 29, 2006

RECRUITING IN A GRAVEYARD? Day 72 Vigil; Day 21 Hunger Strike

My life has been spent raising groups of people to courage to face and surmount difficult, life-critical situations. The image that has come to me in attempting to do this for our Darfur brothers and sisters is that my attempts are taking place in a morgue. I'm not trying to be mean, just honest.

Within the Darfur activist community, and the faith community more broadly - are we already dead? Have we no capacity for experiencing Darfur as our family? Have we no courage to truly, TRULY put our lives on the line, briefly, to save them?

I've never before been faced with such a hopeless situation. I've considered quitting. I WILL NOT QUIT. They are our family. You are my family. They must be saved. You must rise up. The Hunger Strike continues indefinitely. The Vigil continues indefinitely.

JOIN ME. HAVE ME JOIN YOU. We must stand WITH our Brothers and Sisters, completely. FAILURE MUST NO LONGER BE AN OPTION. Or our Humanity dies as we abandon our Darfur family.


posted by Jay McGinley at 4:34 PM

Sunday, July 23, 2006

"NEVER AGAIN" MEANS NOTHING WITHOUT "I" - Darfur Hunger Strike Day 19

Vigil Day 69 and holding. On 5 days of R&R in Philadelphia before resuming indefinate Vigil and Water Only Hunger Strike at the White House.

Many people involved with Darfur have been trying to cause "Never Again" without the "I", substituting instead, "him," or "them," "it," or "we." It can't be done. It will take 100's of "I's" totally committed to stop this genocide, and once "I" is COMMITTED enough, the Genocide will end rapidly.

THERE IS ONLY ONE "WIN" IN LIFE: TO DO UNTO OTHERS ALL THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. There is no "win" besides this. Nothing else we can truly take credit or responsibility for, that is of any earthly value. The proof I offer you is inside yourself. Ponder and I think you will agree. 21 of the world's religions teach the same. ["WIN" too requires "I"]

THERE IS ONLY ONE "LOSE" IN LIFE: To NOT do unto others ALL that you would have them do unto you. "Lose" places no demands on "I", places no risk, no cost, no value on "I". "I" has a terrible freedom, IRRELEVANCE, when it accepts "lose" as an option.

NOW, HERE'S THE CORROLLARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It clarified for me just today when I was talking to my brother Dave:

THERE IS NO "I" IN WEALTH, THERE IS ONLY "WE." Oh, please try to see that this is more than just a cute word and letter play. Look to your hearts again. Speaking for myself, I am feeling like I have found "home" for the first time in my life largely because I have effectively abandoned the traditional notion of wealth in which "I" and "mine" count for everything. I REJECT THAT NOTION AFTER 55 YEARS OF FINDING IT A TOTALLY BANKRUPT NOTION. I cannot imagine that ever again in my life will I regain the ignorance, stupidity, self-doubt, weakness, or craziness to embrace the prevailing notion of "wealth".

I NOW "EXPERIENCE/FEEL" WEALTH TO BE: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT I GIVE WITH LOVE, AND WHAT I HAVE LEFT. THE MORE I GIVE OUT OF FELT BROTHERHOOD, AND THE LESS HAVE LEFT, "THE WEALTHIER I FEEL THAT I AM." When I reflect back on my life I find no exceptions. You?

No this does NOT lead to self-abuse or self-destruction. If you give beyond a certain point then your productive capacity is damaged and the "wealth" stops! Look to your life for proof. This "wealth" (with the "we") is self-preserving in this sense. The radical brother seeks to give indefinitely, as much as possible, for as many years as possible. His/her life for the first time takes on real importance.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, 'The greatest poverty I have found in the world is in the West. It is the terrible poverty of the spirit.' Let us seek wealth! Let us be the "I" that causes Never AgaIn, that causes wIn: the Rescue and Restore of Darfur.

Let us be the TRUE WEALTH OF LOVE, OF TRUE BROTHERHOOD, the ONLY WEALTH THAT CAN POSSIBLY HEAL THE WORLD.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY 1,000'S AREN'T DOING THIS. Vigil Day 64; Hunger Stike Day 13.

I really and truly can't. My heart. Truly. Yes, my head can go on at some length at the reasons, by my heart, my higher intellect? I don't get it.

It would seem that virtually NO ONE, NO ONE, not even the Sudanese in this country, view the 3,000,000 in the camps as worth their skin, as being their kin.

I have every inclination to ride the Hunger Strike into the red zone. I will fight to the finish. No, I don't plan to die, but I am going to get beat up for these folks.

Unless I switch fights.

There is a bigger tragedy than Darfur. It is our death in the US. The death of our Humanity. It is the greatest humanitarian crisis on the planet, because it results in the globally exterminating neglect and murder we wage planet wide. It, we are the single reason Darfur will die. And we, even we activists don't even care, any more than a masturbator wants to make children.

The fight I would switch to? This bigger one. If I decide I can be of greater hope to the current Code Pink effort by switching full time, I'll do it. Darfur is dead anyway, I see now. A handful of Code Pink KNOW what it means - "as you do unto the least of these my family ...." They are joyfully putting their lives on the line for the folks in Iraq - American and Iraqi. Their hunger strike started July 4th as well. They are the "Marines" I called forth for Darfur.

They are our "salt," our "Light," and our hope. It is critically important that they succeed by staying the course strongly.

Either way, I want desperately to fight on, and expect to do so.

It is very hard. Very stressful. Very tiring. Very sad - the needless death in Darfur. The needless death among we Americans.

It is very, very joyful. Working for God full time. :-) .

Thursday, July 13, 2006

LONDON TIMES. Hunger Strike Day 10, Vigil Day 61

The Times July 11, 2006
+ Post a Comment


The clock ticks. Sudan heads for disaster
James Smith

The world seems to be turning away from the refugees of Darfur — but the United Nations has a duty to act


A COUNTDOWN of less than 90 days has begun until the vulnerable people of Darfur are abandoned by world leaders who cannot make a decision — whether to protect them or leave them at the mercy of a Government that has killed at least a quarter of a million and driven millions more from their land. The scene is set for the world’s worst humanitarian crisis to tip from bad to worse.
The head of the African Union mission to Darfur, Baba Gana Kingibe, has said it is willing to hold the fort in Darfur until the end of the year. But if there is no date soon for the UN to deploy troops in Darfur, then the African Union mission will not wait; the 7,000 African soldiers will be pulled out on September 30.



For the past three years the Government of Sudan has supported its proxy, the Janjaweed Arab militia, to perform a brutal genocidal operation closely backed by Sudanese forces. Darfur Africans cannot farm for fear of attack. No harvests mean that more than three million are dependent on international food aid. In the absence of the African Union and with no certainty that the UN will protect them, a few million hungry people will predictably turn to the only forces showing an interest in their survival — one of several rebel factions.

The Government of Sudan has probably calculated that, by playing for time, the rebel groups will attempt to provide protection for their own people. An escalation of fighting will prevent access for aid agencies and the media, and Khartoum will have the excuse it needs for a resumption of air attacks on Darfuris.

The Janjaweed leaders have had time to reflect that they have not achieved their mission to rid Darfur of black Africans. The onslaught by the mounted militia three years ago led to thousands of villages being burnt. Their aim of destroying the Darfuris will be easier now that two million people are congregated into refugee camps because they will argue that, as the camps are recruitment grounds for rebels, they are legitimate targets.

Neutralisation of the Janjaweed is a key rebel demand — indeed the Government of Sudan has been responsible for disarming them for two years. But Khartoum’s broken promises leave a legacy of mistrust. By giving the Janjaweed free rein, the Government goads the rebels into not taking peace seriously. Furthermore, many rebels are not satisfied that the peace agreement reverses the underlying problems in Darfur.

Genocide is the extreme end of a process that starts with social, political and economic exclusion of a group from society. The Darfur peace agreement still deprives Darfur Africans of significant political representation, thereby maintaining their exclusion. It is hardly a wonder, then, that two of the three rebel factions have not signed up to it, and that the third is threatening to pull out unless the UN deploys in Darfur.

The UN Secretary-General is visibly frustrated, especially with the powerful nations of the world. “A certain political will is required for action — and I don’t think we have that kind of political will,” Kofi Annan stated last week at the African Union summit in Gambia. Political will may only be induced if the public demand that their leaders protect Darfur.

After Iraq, there is a fear of deploying forces in another Muslim nation, even though this would be a humanitarian intervention with no agenda other than protecting people from genocide. However, if we dither much longer, there will be charges that vulnerable Muslims in Darfur are being neglected just as the Muslims in Bosnia were abandoned a decade ago.

The UN estimates that 17,000 troops are required to provide security and, even if they can be found, will take six months to become operational. Denmark, while president of the UN Security Council last month, showed leadership and offered troops for Darfur. Other countries should now follow. The 7,000 African soldiers already on the ground will be needed. Even though Britain is overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan, it should offer assistance.

The success of a UN mission will be judged first on whether food aid reaches those who need it; secondly on whether rape and violence ends; and finally by a reversal of the ethnic cleansing, returning people to villages in safety.

To achieve this, the mission must have a strong enough mandate. Most peace-support operations are under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. This will allow them to disarm and, if necessary, engage the Janjaweed. It would be preferable, and in everyone’s interests, for the Sudanese Government to co-operate. So far though, Khartoum has categorically rejected UN intervention, calling it colonial invasion. Sudan cannot have it both ways: they have not stopped the violence, yet they don’t want an outside force to do it.

At the World Summit in September 2005, leaders declared that “The international community . . . has the responsibility . . . to help to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.” They also stated: “We are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner . . . should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to protect their populations.”

Peaceful means are clearly inadequate and the national authorities in Sudan are manifestly failing to protect their populations. With time ticking toward a disaster that could dwarf the 1994 carnage in Rwanda, the UN Security Council must fulfil its duty and exercise its authority to sanction the deployment of a protection force, with or without Sudan’s consent.



James M. Smith is chief executive of the Aegis Trust

DYING PEACE DEAL. Hunger Strike Day 10, Vigil Day 61

If you care about Darfur, BE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE TIGHT WITH "AFRICAACTION.ORG". Please. They are our greatest hope now.

A dying deal in Darfur
Boston Globe

REBEL-HELD NORTH DARFUR IN THIS EERILY depopulated area of war-ravaged Darfur, a woman named Ayesha explained to me why she and a handful of others refused to become refugees. ``We fear another attack," she said, ``but we brave the situation and come back to be near our village." Why, I ask. ``Because this is where we belong."
John Prendergast
July 13, 2006
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JOHN PRENDERGAST
A dying deal in Darfur
By John Prendergast July 13, 2006

REBEL-HELD NORTH DARFUR IN THIS EERILY depopulated area of war-ravaged Darfur, a woman named Ayesha explained to me why she and a handful of others refused to become refugees. ``We fear another attack," she said, ``but we brave the situation and come back to be near our village." Why, I ask. ``Because this is where we belong."

Most Darfurians, however -- more than 2.5 million displaced within Sudan and in neighboring Chad -- cannot go back where they belong, because the government still supports the Janjaweed militias, who continue to rape and pillage across Darfur and eastern Chad. We are now witnessing the second phase of a state-sponsored campaign to forcibly displace the largest of Darfur's non-Arab peoples from their homelands in collective punishment for the rebellion of a few among them: first, kill and displace as many of those targeted as possible; second, manipulate humanitarian aid so that survivors succumb to the attrition of diseases and malnutrition in squalid camps.

An enduring peace in Darfur would mean reversing this trend, but unless the survivors feel safe, no one is going to leave their hideaway or displacement or refugee camp, and go back and rebuild their scorched village. The specific security guarantee every Darfurian talks about is a United Nations force that will ensure the Janjaweed disarm, and that will protect refugees and help them return home. Sadly, the Darfur Peace Agreement, signed by Khartoum and one rebel faction in Abuja in May, is not meeting this expectation. Relying solely on the government to disarm the Janjaweed without UN verification, as the Abuja agreement sets out, appears to be a nonstarter for those most affected by this war. For them, homelessness seems a safer bet.
This is the first time in my 20 years of work in Africa's war zones that I can remember meeting people so opposed to their own peace deal. They are not opposed to peace, to be sure. They are opposed to specific provisions in the Abuja agreement that would leave them vulnerable to Janjaweed predation and land-grabbing. The key issue in Darfur is security, and that primarily means Janjaweed disarmament, or at best neutralization. Local confidence in Janjaweed neutralization requires independent, external verification, and responsibility for that in the Darfur Peace Agreement rests with the African Union force now on the ground in Darfur, which openly admits it cannot do the job. The situation demands a transition to a UN force with a stronger mandate than the current African Union mission, but the government of Sudan opposes a UN force of any kind.

As it stands, the deal thus hinges entirely on the Sudanese government's willingness to disarm the Janjaweed -- something Khartoum has disingenuously pledged to do many times before (including to both Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice) and something it will not do because the Janjaweed are the cornerstone of regime security in Darfur.

And it is not just the war's victims who understand the reality of the situation. An African Union officer on the ground told me, ``The government of Sudan will not disarm the Janjaweed as long as there are rebels. Without UN verification, it won't happen." President Idriss Déby of Chad also said that the holdout rebel factions would sign the Darfur Peace Agreement if these same security conditions were met: ``The population of Darfur doesn't trust the government of Sudan," he told me. ``They need the UN as a guarantor of the agreement."

For the past six years, the United States and the European Union have pursued an incentives-based strategy to try to change Sudan's behavior. Khartoum pocketed each incentive while state-sponsored violence continued in Darfur.

It is time for serious pressure. The United States should tell regime officials it will work multilaterally to impose targeted sanctions, help the war crimes investigations of the International Criminal Court, and support the divestment movement that seeks to have companies stop doing business with Sudan.

The regime in Khartoum has taken the measure of the international community and believes it will face no consequence for continuing to support the Janjaweed and blocking a UN peacekeeping mission. As one high-ranking Sudanese government official brazenly told me this week, ``The United Nations Security Council has threatened us so many times, we no longer take it seriously." That state of impunity and arrogance is dangerous to the international system and deadly to the people of Darfur.

John Prendergast is a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group.
© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

FAREWELL. Darfur Hunger Strike Day #9, Round-the-clock Vigil Day #60

Dear brothers and sisters,

With all of my salvos of communication I wish to be sure that I don’t confuse you:

1. JAY’S A MADMAN. Doubtless many of you have concluded that I am something of a madman, or egomaniac, delusional SOB... whatever. What matters is if enough of you see that I am not; that I’m just a Darfurian dad and brother whose IMMEDIATE family is being slaughtered; a dad who will gladly give his life, if it will help, to Rescue and Restore his family; just like many, MANY of you should become; like many, many of you WOULD BE OVERWHELMINGLY OVERJOYED TO BE, in my humble opinion.THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE OF YOUR LIFE? THE SINGLE GREATEST GIFT YOU WILL EVER GIVE TO YOUR "BIOLOGICAL FAMILY?" TO YOUR GOD? IF ONLY YOU SEE THIS IN TIME. Maybe I am mistaken. Also, my aparent "madness" is not that, but necessarily aggressive action, vision and conviction that comes from a lifetime of expertise successfully leading the turnaround of high stakes situations. Expertise few people have; that few if any in the movement have. (Fighting and FIGHTING-TO-WIN are as different as Death and Life.)

2. YOU, YOU are Darfur’s only hope. Their lives are in your hands. There is no one else. DISCOVER THAT THEY ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY and let's try to work the Miracle that "families" DEDICATE THEMSELVES to work for their "kin", IMPOSSIBLE crisis after crisis after crisis.... Right?

3. THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT NOW. I’ve taken my best shots toward your heart, that you might SEE THAT YOUR "IMMEDIATE FAMILY", DARFUR, IS SHEDULED FOR IMMEDIATE EXECUTION, AND THAT YOU CAN SAVE THEM. (http://standwithdarfurwhitehouseii.blogspot.com/2006/07/call-to-battle-launch-all-out.html) Do I know that you are called to RECOGNIZE AND TREAT DARFUR AS IMMEDIATE FAMILY? Only your God/Heart/Values/Humanity/Conscience, and you can know that. The three blogs I’ve created might help you explore your heart, as they’ve helped me.

4. IT IS TO BE DEATH BY GENOCIDE FOR DARFUR. As it stands, the verdict is crystal clear as it has been for 2.5 years; THEY ARE NOT WORTH OUR SKIN. THEY ARE NOT OUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY. WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY, AND THEY DO NOT INCLUDE DARFUR. Darfuries are worth our lip service, and some token efforts, but not our LIFE SERVICE. THEY ARE NOT IMMEDIATE FAMILY.

5. WE CAN SAVE THEM. A heroic cadre of Nonviolent “Marines/Commandos” can spark the turnaround IF: a. 20-50+ immediately emerge and fully commit, THIS WEEK and NEXT. Later than July 21 and the game is already over. The nonviolent “Marine’s/Commandos” land at the White House by July 31 or it is too late. b. If a group of support folks and consultants emerge as well.

6. CONTACT ME, if, AND ONLY IF you sense that you CANNOT, CANNOT LET THESE FOLKS, YOUR FAMILY DIE. AFTER we form a team that is IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS TO DARFUR, we can work out the details of our plan, although as people join we will progress together. Otherwise, there has been more than enough time for talk/analysis/research/talk/news/emails/blogs/letters/phone calls/ speculation/blame…. We’ve killed enough time. Our lips and fingers need a rest. It is up to our hearts and feet now.

7. MY JOB FOR THIS PHASE IS DONE NOW. I desperately, DESPERATELY wish I could keep chasing you! But it is up to your hearts now. I’ll be here fighting and waiting, planning/fasting/round-the-clock-vigiling here in DC, for a while. 484 356 6243; jymcginley@cs.com. I expect that for a while, only those who find they are "IMMEDIATE FAMILY" OF DARFUR will be hearing from me. If it becomes clear that our Darfur family does not unclude at least TWENTY (20) of us, that they are therefore already dead, I suspect I’ll go looking for "the least of these my family" elsewhere in the world who are not.

It is between each of us and our God, our hearts now.

I wish there were the time to be gentle, talk, explore, get to know each other. But, there is not. Time’s up. War is tough.

At peace, your brother,

Jay

CALL TO BATTLE: LAUNCH ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR IN JULY TO RESCUE DARFUR. Fast Day #8; Vigil Day #59 - A CONCRETE PROPOSAL

We are years, YEARS behind in stopping this Genocide; a tragic, inexcusable failure of will and humanity on our part. We must bring this to an end. Bashir's Genocide is exterminating 500 people per day, more than one 9/11 per week. We are giving crystal clear signals to Bashir that he has the time to exterminate, NOW, the remaining 3,000,000 people. Oxfam is pulling out, and the other aid groups are on the verge of following – too hostile on the ground. We are training ourselves to the "gradualism" that was Dr. King's greatest enemy and horror. We are fast depleting the energy that was so valiantly raised by so many of you by April 30th.

Nonviolent wars are not started with tricks and manipulation, emails, four hour demonstrations, letters or phone calls (although, brilliantly, the efforts by many of you thus far have set the stage). We can now win the war if we unleash the masses. Now. ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WARS OF THE MASSES are ALWAYS STARTED by a small group of NONVIOLENT "MARINES", fully acting out their anguish, agony and horror at the suffering of others (In APPENDIX below: Gandhi in India, Civil Rights Movement...). When these "Marines" do so and sufficiently pay an honest price, it is an irresistible media spectacle. The radical self-sacrifice of these "Marines" ignites the hearts of the masses – possessing less vision, imagination and information. Here is the idea:

STAGE #1. IGNITE THE ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR - DEPLOY THE NONVIOLENT "MARINES" to Rescue and Restore Darfur. Nonviolent campaigns need to be started by the few on the nonviolent side.

I pray that anyone that passionately wants to join will emulate the Gandhi/India campaign (APPENDIX) as follows:

We will begin a long, drawn out series of rolling arrests. Where? The White House. Alternate targets could be the Sudan Embassy, Chinese Embassy, Russian Embassy, United Nations in NYC, or one of the network headquarters for their profound non-coverage of Darfur. If it is the White House, this is not a protest aginst the White House, or President Bush. Why?

WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM AND THE ONLY SOLUTION. WE MUST DELIVER A MANDATE THAT 20-30,000 PEACEKEEPERS (preferably African Union and non-Western UN) BE ON THE GROUND IN DARFUR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, with sufficient empowerment/funding/support. With an unmistakable outcry from the masses, the administration and congress have given every sign that they will happily comply. They need a "win."

PHASE A: A minimum of 20 people are required for us to enter this phase. We need to dramatically demonstrate and HONESTLY EXPRESS the despair we feel over the agony of our Darfur family.

Every 3 hours (so it stretches over days) one of us nonviolently violates the rules at the White House President's Park so as to get arrested. The law is that for the first arrest there is likely to be a 12 hour or less holding period, a $50 fine, and then release.

Phase B. If by the end of this cycle of arrests (3 days elapsed?) we do NOT see the beginning-of-the-end of Hell for Darfur in sight the same group immediately goes through the process a 2nd time, knowing full well that 6 MONTHS IN PRISON may well be the price. This phase goes on until 1. all of us are in prison, OR, 2. the end of Hell for Darfur is assured.

Obviously numbers count for this initial action. If instead of the example of 20, it is 200 or 2,000 people, the impact goes up astronomically. Maybe "prison" will be avoided, but this CANNOT be our goal.

Those involved must fully accept responsibility for staying the course and make certain over the months and years ahead that US Imperialist Tendencies do not come to bear, and that we Rescue, AND Restore Darfur.

STAGE #2. THE MASSES OF NONVIOLENT WARRIORS BECOME ENGAGED, ORGANIZED AND DEPLOYED IN THE FIGHTING.

For every one of the initial "Marines" (just one riding alone across the battlefield in "Dances with Wolves"/100's walking into swinging clubs in Gandhi's India/100's facing the fire hoses down South - APPENDIX) the numbers multiply: 1,000, 10,000, 100,000. The masses become warriors too. National organizations (Africa Action, Save Darfur Coalition, STAND, Genocide Intervention) and other vehicles exist to register this 2nd tier of 100,000's, 1,000,000's of nonviolent fighters and to effectively utilize and deploy them; radically for the Save Darfur Coalition 9/17 event at the United Nations for example.


HOW TO ORGANIZE THE INITIAL STAND? Some thoughts:

Let's not care whose idea or what idea we implement. Instead, let us care that it is the best possible shot at raising the mass army THAT FIGHTS TO WIN, immediately. We must "be" the Truth Force that Gandhi so powerfully weilded. We must be the Truth of Darfur’s desperate need at the White House, at the United Nations, and wherever we go.

Got any ideas you think are good? Better? AWESOME! Contact me or tell me how to contact YOU! Want me to come and talk with you or your group? Want me to join and follow your group? Let's do it. Contact your friends, associates, acquaintances who might be interested.

Let's make this happen. We're killing time. Lets stop the Genocide This Summer, while there is life in Darfur to save.

Sincerely, Jay McGinley
email: jymcginley@cs.com
phone: 484 356 6243

………………………………….

Appendix: ADDITIONAL RATIONALE AND PERSPECTIVE

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the scene from "Gandhi" when for days, man after man after man walked headlong into swinging British clubs? Well, so did the millions of India, and the entire civilized world watch and remember, and ACT.

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the beginning scene from the movie "Dances With Wolves," when, impossibly, the hero rode across a Civil War field raging with gunfire, both sides behind stone walls, totally in stalemate? His insane ride miraculously shocked his side out of passivity and denial to follow him across the field and rout the opposition. (Yes, this was a violent war but it still illustrates the dynamic that radically committed leaders cause the masses to fight; no other way does it as well. Ever.)

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the TV images of the Civil Rights marchers getting fire-hosed, beaten, and attacked by Police Dogs then doing it all again? And how only then did the MILLIONS of US Citizens go to war? And, on, and on....

Harvard’s Samantha Power’s Pulitzer Prize winning Genocide study of the last 100 years presents a clear conclusion: “the battle to stop genocide has thus been repeatedly lost… [because] Americans outside the executive branch were largely mute….” From "Problem from Hell."

Isn't God/Goodness/Justice/Humanity/History asking us: "WHY DON’T YOU GO TO ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR FOR YOUR FAMILY IN DARFUR?" We must start BEING THE ANSWER to this question by July’s end.

I am open to any appropriate way to go to nonviolent war as long as it equates to fighting to win and doing the very best that we can do.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Win Darfur Fast day 5; Vigil day #56; 12 WEEKS TILL AU PULLOUT

No Protection for Darfur from 30 September - AU to Pull Out Aegis Trust (Retford, UK) PRESS RELEASEJuly 7, 2006 Posted to the web July 7, 2006

Because World leaders cannot make a decision on Darfur, the little protection there is for civilians in this western region of Sudan will be gone in three months.

Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, Head of the African Union Mission in Darfur, confirmed yesterday that contrary to widespread media reports, the AU will pull its troops out of Darfur on 30 September unless Sudan gives its consent for a transition to a UN force.

"The African Union Peace and Security Council did take a decision that the mandate of the African Union forces would be ended on the 30th of September," he stated in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute, London. "There is no change to that date."

Addressing mistaken reports that the AU had now decided to stay on to 31 December, he added, "What could have been misunderstood as a change of that date to the end of the year is the address given by Kofi Annan, in which he requested that the African Union should consider extending its mandate to 31st December. But at the end of the day, 30th of September was retained."

Speaking to the Aegis Trust, Ambassador Kingibe stated, "If the Government of the Sudan gives its consent for a UN deployment, we will be willing to hold the fort until such time as the UN is ready and able to come in." (Aegis' interview with the Ambassador can be viewed online at www.aegistrust.org)

Aegis calls for UN intervention with or without Sudan's consent
In the wake of Ambassador Kingibe's comments and recent developments, the Aegis Trust is calling for a UN force to be sent to Darfur under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, with or without Sudan's consent, comprising troops from middle powers.

Aegis is calling for the objectives of this UN force to include securing humanitarian access to the three million people dependent on international aid; providing protection for the women, who are daily attacked and raped; and securing the safe return of the 2.5 million displaced people back to their land across Darfur.

To meet these objectives, Aegis recommends that the force be authorised to neutralise the Janjaweed militia, facilitate implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and arrest anyone indicted by the ICC.

"We said that the situation in Darfur is going from bad to worse, and the AU pull-out scheduled for 30 September is the worst news possible," says Dr James Smith, Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust.

"It will be better if the Sudanese Government agrees to an orderly transition to a UN force, but provision of international protection for Darfur's civilians cannot be left at the mercy of Khartoum. Far from protecting its citizens, Khartoum has already demonstrated its readiness to systematically destroy them.

"Whether or not the nations of the UN Security Council move beyond reliance on Khartoum's consent will show quite clearly whether or not the international commitment to the "responsibility to protect" - made at the World Summit in September 2005 - is worth more than the paper it's written on. Twelve weeks are left. It's decision-time - today."
Copyright © 2006 Aegis Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Day #2, July 5: WIN DARFUR FAST / HUNGER STRIKE

I must, I want to Hunger Strike until:

A. I see indications that on top of ALL THE WONDERFUL ACTIVITIES OF THE COALITION, WE ARE STARTING TO PLAN AND FIGHT TO WIN, just like I would want us to fight if they were white Americans, or as I've always believed we should have fought for the German Jews;

... OR ...

B. It becomes clear to me that the Coalition is not going to PLAN AND FIGHT TO WIN.


I BELIEVE THAT THE TIMING AND STRATEGY OF A MASSIVE NYC/UN 9/17 EVENT IS BRILLIANT! BUT UNLESS IT IS COMPLEMENTED WITH HIGH IMPACT/HIGH STAKES/HIGH COMMITMENT NONVIOLENT ACTIONS it will be just fighting to fight, not FIGHTING TO WIN.

By the way, I have no illusion that I have the corner on ideas, let alone GOOD ideas. However, my entire career has been dedicated to turning situations around, and I am certain that unless and until the Coalition starts fighting to win, or a sufficient component does so in cooperation and support, the battle is already lost.

Sincerely, and with prayers for Rescue and Restore Darfur,

Jay McGinley
White House



MY ENTIRE HOPE IS IN THE COALITION of - SAVE DARFUR. DUH. THERE IS NO OTHER HOPE.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Day #51, July 3: If FIGHTING TO WIN we would be planning...

Yesterday's post, Day #50, July 2: If we do not Rescue, IT IS BY CHOICE, explored the type of "no holds barred" actions various parties would take "IF IT WERE THEIR/OUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY, IF IT WERE AMERICANS."

THE QUESTION IS: HOW DO WE CAUSE KEY PARTIES/FACTIONS TO ACT AS THOUGH THESE WERE IMMEDIATE FAMILY / AMERICANS?!?!??!?!

When I tried brainstorming this (why are there not rooms full of us brainstorming this??!?!) what occurred to me was:

To unleash Bush as though it were his family, to help him connect with the pain…
• I could:
– Vigil in front of the White House round the clock
– Hunger Strike
– Lobby the Nonprofits
– Lobby the faith leaders
• Save Darfur Coalition could:
– Engage Org. leaders/followers in Hunger Strike/Vigil
– Rolling arrests at Wt House to cry for Peacekeepers
– Mass demonstration / Arrests at the UN 9/17 including faith leaders


To unleash US (We the People) as if it were our American family, to help us connect with the pain…
• I could:
– Vigil 22/7 at the White House
– Hunger Strike
– Support/radicalize nonprofits
• Save Darfur Coalition could:
– Threaten to shut down the UN
– Mass Hunger Strike / Vigil
– Shut down Congress until resolution
– Risk Mass/Rolling Arrests
– Self-sacrificial mass exhortations by Faith Leaders
– Radical Demonstrations at Chinese Embassy - rolling arrests/BAD PRESS


To unleash Congress as though it were their family; to help them connect with the pain…
• I could:
– Vigil/Hunger Strike at the Capital
– Daily: Fax, Call, Email, Letter
– Support/Radicalize nonprofits
• Save Darfur Coalition could:
– Mass Hunger Strike / Vigil
– Rolling Arrests at Capitol
– Direct Action by Faith Leaders
– Camp outside residences of Capitol leaders
– Mass 9/17 Civil Disobedience event at UN


To unleash the average American/Frenchman/ German/Englishman as though it were his family, to help him connect with the pain…
• I could:
– Vigil/Hunger strike
– Civil Disobedience/Arrest
• Save Darfur Coalition could:
– Mass Event / Arrests at UN 9/17
– Mass Hunger Strike / Vigil
– Mass selfsacrifical action by Faith Leaders
– Shut Down China / Russia / Sudan embassies


To unleash the Pope as though it were his major issue…
• I could:
– Hunger Strike at the Vatican
– Hunger Strike at a Cardinal’s home
• Save Darfur Coalition could:
– Vigil / Hunger strike appeal
– Letter signed by leaders of all faiths


To make it a major issue for Russia / China…
• I could:
– Repeated arrests at the embassy
• Save Darfur Coalition could:
– Letter from leaders of Faith Groups
– Mass arrests
– Mass call for boycott
– Mass vigil
– Shut down embassy’s

BUT WE ARE NOT FIGHTING TO WIN. We are fighting, BUT WE ARE NOT FIGHTING TO WIN.

Bashir is fighting for his political life. That is why he is winning.

WE MUST ENTER THE FIGHT, TO WIN. Hmm... how do I help precipitate this?

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Day #50, July 2: If we do not Rescue, IT IS BY CHOICE

Here's the proof: Distribute 2,000 white, American college students around the Darfur Camps and imagine that the only way they can be saved is by getting 20-30,000 UN Peacekeeping troops on the ground. What do we do? RESCUE AND RESTORE DARFUR. TOMORROW (not 3-6 mnths from now, if ever).

For the sake of exploring more deeply, let's say that we don't just send in the US Marines. What do different groups or individuals do to Rescue these "family" memebers?

If it were Bush’s Family he would…
• Buy Bashir off with an Island or something
• Call on the Saudi’s to make it happen
• Force the UN in immediately
– Support heavily with equipment and expertise
– Press for aggressive funding
– Aggressively promote to the US People
– Excoriate the UN if they were not immediate
– Twist Russian/China arms
• Influence an immediate divestment
– Push legislation
– Twist arms
• Demand international Genocide declaration
• Apply all pressure to Sudan
• Send troops if UN Delayed
• Move toward sanctions on China and Russia

If it were My Family I would…
• Open ended hunger strike at White House
• Open ended hunger strike at Vatican
* Engage everyone I knew if the all-out effort
* Work with and attempt to radicalize any worthy gtoup
* LIVE AS THOUGH THEIR LIVES DEPENDED UPON MY EVERY ACTION (because maybe this is true.)

If it were Our American Family WE would…
• Massively Boycott China / France / Russia
• Threaten to Dismantle the UN
• Civil Disobedience Shut Down of the UN
• Civil Disobedience to Shut Down the White House
• Descend en masse on our President (single point of focus vs the Hill)
– Physically, here in DC
– Face to Face we would demand answers
– STAND FAST until we have SUFFICIENT ACTION
– Tie up traffic until we had the right answers/action

If it were Congress’s Family THEY would…
• Legislate TOTAL sanctions on Sudan
• Move toward Withdrawal from UN if necessary
• Legislate the need for unilateral action if UN too slow
• Be on the ground immediately supporting the AU
• Demand immediate/aggressive action from the UN
• Legislate sanctions on China and Russia
• Institute a No Fly Zone
• Ready NATO as an option

If it were the average American’s/Frenchman’s/ German’s/Englishman’s Family he would…
• Fully exercise whatever personal networks to contribute radically
• Totally commit personally
• Demonstration
• Civil Disobedience?
• Vigil/Hunger Strike?

If it were the Pope’s Major issue he would…
• Direct all priests to preach on the issue
• Make a personal visit / vigil
• Command massive donations

If it were a Major Interest of China Russia they would…
• Immediately stop obstructing Security Council
• Stop arms shipments
• Stop payments
• Back ICC prosecution

The degree to which the above brainstorming has value, it tells us what we could unleash if we stood strongly enough.