The Sudanese government is preparing to hold peace talks with rebels in Darfur. The six-year-long conflict has killed an estimated 600,000 people, and Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir faces genocide charges.The Sudanese government is preparing to hold peace talks with rebels in Darfur. The... more
It’s been a few years now since we decided that it was a Good Idea to check out some camps for Darfur refugees to try to figure out what exactly was going on in that particular slow-motion apocalypse, so we begged for money, shopped for body armor, got an impressive array of immunizations, bought a bad-ass first aid kit, hit up anyone we could for advice and headed out to Darfur (or at least right next to Darfur) to make a movie and figure this whole thing out.
So, now that we’re back and we’ve finished our movie, it’s time to ask what the rest of the world has accomplished in Darfur in the meantime. As far as we can tell, it looks like just about everyone has decided to be Very Deeply Concerned about Darfur. In a surprisingly effective global effort, the international community has produced copious amounts of concern, circumspection and caring. So much, in fact, that roughly 14.8 metric tons of concern per day is being produced for each refugee camp, along with more than 140 liters of circumspection and 6.7 bushels of caring per annum for each and every refugee, war widow, internally displaced person, and so on.
Just kidding!!! The international community has produced nowhere near that amount of caring or concern and, in any case, even if the world were that concerned, it still wouldn’t matter a single bit.
Even with the avalanche of press attention, celebrity public-service announcements, diplomatic notes, Congressional junkets, international condemnation, well-intentioned and occasionally baffling protests, heady conferences, solemn books and magazine articles, and a bewildering array of conflict resolution efforts, negotiations, and peace talks, it doesn’t look like much of anything has actually been done to actually stop a murderous tinpot dictator with an inexplicable desire to acquire some exceedingly desolate real estate using a impressive collection of remarkably brutal genocidal tactics.
(Click the link to read the rest of G. Ryan Faith's piece)It’s been a few years now since we decided that it was a Good Idea to check out some... more
A Sudanese man, Mohammed Alsary Ibrahim has been convicted of spying, criminal conspiracy and passing on confidential military documents about a Sudanese minister.
Mr Ibrahim, now serving 17 years, was found with papers linking the Sudanese government officials and the Janjaweed together in allowing / causing the Darfur atrocities.
One of the Sudanese government officials linked with the document is Ahmed Haroun. He is wanted by the ICC who issued an arrest warrant for him on 51 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity including rape and murder of civilians, but Sudan have refused to hand him over.
It is thought that the evidence would be enough to get him handed over to the global court.
To add to the tensions, the ICC are currently considering whether to indict President Bashir on 10 counts of genocide and other charges in Darfur, after prosecutors asked for an arrest warrant in July 2008.
The UN estimates that up to 2.7 million people have been forced from their homes in Darfur and some 300,000 have died during nearly six years of conflict.
How can we help? And why does the process of negotiations take so long when atrocities are happening right now?A Sudanese man, Mohammed Alsary Ibrahim has been convicted of spying, criminal... more
A Sudanese man has been jailed for 17 years for passing on sensitive files about a Darfur war crimes suspect to the ICC.
Mohammed Alsary Ibrahim was found guilty at a trial in the capital Khartoum, of spying, criminal conspiracy and passing on confidential military documents about a Sudanese minister.
The suspect in question, Ahmed Haroun is wanted by the ICCfor alleged war crimes in the region.A Sudanese man has been jailed for 17 years for passing on sensitive files about a... more
Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000, which is bad enough, but I think a bit short of the real death toll. International experts say it's more like 200,000, which sounds about right.Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000, which is bad enough, but I think a bit short... more
It has been observed that the up-and-coming generation of young people are more socially conscious than their spoiled Baby Boomer parents and their SUV-driving, yuppified older siblings.
This new generation is keyed into world affairs and world suffering and is doing something about it. They march against the War in Darfur; they do fund drives for AIDS Orphans; and they largely vote for candidates who pledge to recruit the government (i.e. the taxpayer) to solve these problems.It has been observed that the up-and-coming generation of young people are more... more
How long before justice? Darfur is the forgotten genocide. It's people part of a conspiracy to deny them land, food, water, and freedom, all once again for the sake of geo-political gain. Their villages pillaged and burned to the ground. Their women raped. Children dying of starvation, malnutrition and other diseases. Warlords ruling the land at the behest of those political leaders who use them as pawns in securing oil for foreign countries like China.
And yet, where is the media coverage of this horror? Over 2.5 million people displaced and most people don't even bat an eye. Hundreds of thousands murdered, and the media is now silent.The term genocide has been used to describe what is being done there and yet it seems to be accepted now.
The only justice we can see now is for Al -Bashir to be arrested for crimes against humanity. There does not seem to be a military solution to this and politically those who have too much of a $$$$ stake in his continuing on as president cannot be objective.
And while I am outraged about what is happening in Gaza, I wish that what is still happening in Darfur was given as much media attention now. So many people all over the world being subjugated by greed, religious intolerance, political expediency, and the quest for control of resources at any cost. I say we erect a very long table at the International Criminal Court and seat them all together. The leaders of Sudan, Israel, Hamas, Al Qaeda, the U.S, and any other country or group involved in or supplying weapons to these places to continue the horrors we now see for their gain. Now that would be justice.How long before justice? Darfur is the forgotten genocide. It's people part of a... more
The United States announced today that an immediate airlifting of vehicles and equipment would be sent to Darfur to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis that is rapidly deteriorating.
President Bush waived protocol for a 15 day wait mandated by Congress due to what Stephen Hadley, national security adviser quoted saying, "because failing to do so would pose a substantial risk to human health and welfare."
More "direct" military involvement by the United States is viewed by the Bush administration as a bad option. It would only worsen the situation for the very people we are trying to save," said Hadley.
I support support for Darfur and the genocide and the coexistence between Sudanese Christians and Sudanese Arab-Muslims, but I have to ask- The U.S. is having a rocky time with our own economy and well-being, where does the funding come from for operations such as this? Maybe we should allocate more for our own infrastructure?
Thoughts.The United States announced today that an immediate airlifting of vehicles and... more
What can three guys from Chicago do about the crisis in Darfur?
Good question.
In this film, a waiter, an IT guy, and a policy wonk head to the Chad/Sudan border in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the conflict in Darfur. Featuring interviews with members of the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), the International Medical Corps (IMC), the Associated Press (AP), the United States Congress, and the Genocide Intervention Network (GI Net).
So... what do you think it will take to really "Save Darfur?"What can three guys from Chicago do about the crisis in Darfur?
Good question.... more
While some consider global warming a cautionary tale of things to come, its effects are already being felt all over the world, reports Scientific American. The worst-hit:
Darfur: the deserts have been crippled by a decades-long drought, and can no longer support farmers or their grazing herds.
America's Gulf Coast: multiple hurricanes are sending scary signals of what we can look forward to.
Northern Europe: right now warmer temperatures are ideal for wine production, but wineries will have to move to cooler regions if temperatures keep rising.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef: going, going, and before long, completely gone. “As the reefs vanish, the fish will surely follow.”
Island nations: the nation of Kiribati became the first to declare its land uninhabitable, and is planning to evacuate the entire population.While some consider global warming a cautionary tale of things to come, its effects... more
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In Sudan's Darfur region, where violence and genocide are rampant, women risk their lives every day performing tasks as seemingly mundane as seeking out firewood.
But, from his suburban home, one Maryland teen has dedicated himself to making life a little safer for those women.
The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have been slaughtered in the ongoing violence in the north African country. Countless others have been forced out of their homes and are living in refugee camps.
People living in the camps are relatively safe, but there is danger for the women and young girls who leave the compounds in search of firewood to cook meals. Firewood in the desert is scarce, and the women often have to walk up to seven hours to gather enough wood to bring back to their camps. Some women have been targeted, sexually assaulted and killed.
Spencer Brodsky, 17, learned about the violence and decided to raise money to purchase fuel-efficient stoves to send to Darfur. The stoves burn 75 percent less firewood.
Brodsky reasons that if he can do something to keep Sudanese women in the camps, this would decrease the likelihood of violence.
"We need to be able to benefit them in any way that we can so they don't have to be out as many times of their compound," he saidWASHINGTON (CNN) -- In Sudan's Darfur region, where violence and genocide are rampant,... more
A Maryland teenager has started a project to send efficient stoves to women in Darfur. Woman spend hours searching for firewood and are often raped and murdered on these journeys. The new stoves will hopefully reduce this danger by reducing the amount of tinder a woman must find.A Maryland teenager has started a project to send efficient stoves to women in Darfur.... more
My name is Spencer Brodsky. I am 17 years old. In the summer of 2007, I began a project to help women and families in Darfur, through the donation of fuel-efficient stoves.
Why Fuel-Efficient Stoves?
Even though there is a shortage of fuel wood in the desert, families still must rely on this resource to cook their food. Many women and children leave the relative safety of their relief camps and spend up to seven hours a day gathering fuel wood from farther and farther away. They travel to remote areas, imposing great risk upon themselves. Fuel-efficient stoves allow families to use 75% less fuel wood to cook the same amount of food. This reduces the number of wood collection trips, and also lessens the environmental degradation and deforestation.
GO Brody GO
stovrsforthecongo next? (for the biggest human and gorilla genocide of our times sake)Background:
My name is Spencer Brodsky. I am 17 years old. In the summer of 2007,... more
Many boys coming of age in the refugee camps in Darfur, Sudan, constitute a rising political force referred to as the "shabab," which is Arabic for "young men."(NYT Video)
Many boys coming of age in the refugee camps in Darfur, Sudan,... more
Scientific American article with photos and description of the places already hit hard by climate change. Shows the effects of global warming from the deserts of Darfur to the island nation of Kiribati.
Up to 6,000 child soldiers, some as young as 11, have been recruited by rebels and government forces in Sudan's Darfur conflict, the United Nations said.
Youngsters have repeatedly been seen carrying weapons, even though Sudanese law and international agreements banned the use of children in conflicts, the head of the U.N. children's fund (UNICEF) in Sudan Ted Chaiban told reporters late on Monday.
Chaiban said UNICEF had evidence that all of Darfur's main rebel groups used children, including the powerful Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the faction of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Abdel Wahed Mohamed Ahmed al-Nur.
Government forces, including the army, the police, Darfur's Central Reserve Police and state-allied militias had also recruited under-18s, Chaiban said.
"All the armed factions and groups in Darfur have used children ... We have seen children in uniform and children carrying weapons with virtually all the forces," he said.
"An 11-year-old in this sort of situation basically looses their childhood. It dehumanises them."
No one was immediately available for comment from Sudan's armed forces or Darfur's rebel groups.
U.N. agencies estimate more than four million people have been affected by almost six years of fighting in Darfur.
UNICEF says about half of those people are children.
"Of those roughly 700,000 were born since 2004, so all their life they have lived in an area that has been in conflict," Chaiban said.
One former rebel group had agreed to demobilise its first 16 child soldiers in January, after a campaign by local children's agencies and UNICEF, he said.
The faction of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Minni Arcua Minnawi -- the only rebel leader to sign a 2006 peace deal with Khartoum - had also identified another 100 to be released from military service later next year, he added.
Children's rights groups were now hoping to sign similar demobilisation deals with insurgents and had already secured agreements from the government to release children from service.
Most of the child soldiers identified by UNICEF and other groups were aged between 15 and 17, although some were as young as 11, said Chaiban.
Not all of them were directly involved in fighting, but international agreements banned all use of under-18s in conflict situations, even if they were only used as porters and in other support roles, Chaiban added.
UNICEF estimates there are a total of 8,000 child soldiers in Sudan, 6,000 in Darfur and the rest in southern Sudan -- which ended a two-decade civil war with the north in 2005 -- and the east of the country, the site of a low level insurgency against Khartoum.
Mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against Khartoum in 2003, accusing the government of neglecting the remote western region. Sudan's government mobilised mostly-Arab militias to crush the Darfur revolt.
Sudan denies accusations by activists that state-backed militias carried out mass killings and rapes during the counter-insurgency.Up to 6,000 child soldiers, some as young as 11, have been recruited by rebels and... more
Innovations in photonics and solid state lighting will lead to trillions of dollars in cost savings, along with a massive reduction in the amount of energy required to light homes and businesses around the globe, the researchers forecast.Innovations in photonics and solid state lighting will lead to trillions of dollars in... more
Now this sickens me. Many know me on here for yelling about Palestinian right and otherwise responding to inane commentators who basically are anti-islamic. But this, this sort of abuse disgusts me entirely. the Sudanese gov and their 'janjaweed' mercs should be systematically annihilated.
That said, if the US were truly concerned about ending dictators and being moral authorities we'd have stopped this a long time ago (we've even acknowledged that genocide is taking place). That's why I'm as disgusted with US as I anyone. Shame on America, for letting this happen and hiding behind our facade of moral superiority. Shame on America for forgetting and turning its back on Darfur. Saddam had NOTHING on what is happening in Darfur.
Darfur is the precursor to a world where war and environmental devastation strips it bare of its very soul. Our environment reflects the character and soul of its people. From the looks of this world currently we have no soul. What has been done to the people of Darfur as well as people around the world in the name of "progress" and war shows a species that cares nothing for the consequences of its actions. Take a look at what is unfolding in Africa now regarding its environment and you will see the same behavior taking shape from East to West. And it is not confined just to Africa, but to South America, North America (tar sands specifically) and Asia. We have forgotten why we are here.
This morning I read that this meeting in Poznan put off any real targets until next year. How utterly outrageous. Now we will sit another year waiting for the rich politicians with their "slogans" to get their heads out of their asses long enough to try to understand that another year without pervasive action brings us one year closer to the tipping point. Darfur has already reached its tipping point, and thousands of people have died and been displaced to make many people richer as our Earth continues to slide precariously towards the abyss.
Perhaps one day there will be a catastrophic event that will be the culmination of all of the destruction the human species has wrecked upon this planet. However, would we survive it, and if we did would it teach us anything? If present behavior continues, would we deserve to?
IDarfur is the precursor to a world where war and environmental devastation strips it... more
