U.S. Congress continues posturing on genocide in Darfur
I received a press release this morning in my inbox that attempts to give value to another resolution concerning genocide in Darfur. In the document, Mikulski and Cardin provide passionate quotes about how important they feel it is for the U.S. and the global community to take action on the atrocities taking place there.
So why didn’t I feel better about this situation after reading the press release? Perhaps because it’s just more talk without action. I called Cardin’s office to make sure I was reading it right. I wanted clarity on whether or not the resolution had teeth or if it was somehow a substantive move by Congress that would mean positive change on the ground.
The female voice on the other end of the phone affirmed my fear. The resolution is just a document for the record - not a document of action.
I’ve been attempting to do my part on this issue for a long time. I knew that advocating on this issue would be a marathon, but honestly, I had no idea that it would take this long for the global community to move. I guess I was too optimistic about the global community doing right for the sake of right. I heard all of the “not on my watch” speeches and saw all of the green bracelets and thought that world political leaders would move swiftly. I saw the celebrities. I attended the rallies. I saw the news clips and thought that maybe the Human family will move on the issue of genocide as opposed to watching it from a distance and teaching about our failure to act in some history class many decades later.
I was wrong. really wrong. The inconvenient truth about genocide in Darfur is that the world’s political leaders don’t care enough about innocent people to help them. They care more about oil, money, and political relationships than they do African people.Â
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:41 pm
On the flip side, a lot of people would LIKE to do something, but don’t know what to do.
Typically, someone has to get the bandwagon moving before anyone can jump on.
But in this case, the bandwagon is already built. It’s loaded, it primed, but no one has got it moving.
The problem is too big, too far away, and, well, the media doesn’t seem to be concerned about it, so why should be?
What’s going to get people moving is this.
Find someone who’s got it right. The grass-roots peoples that are on the ground, making changes.
And then go back to the celebrities, the politicians, and the fake non-profits. And put them on blast for not helping out those soldiers. If they ignore you, go to press. If they want to use the press and media to broadcast their commitment to the issue, make them prove it.