Darfur - a genocide happening right in front of our eyes....

[irir123]

please spread the word around:

yesterday at our university campus, we were given a free show of the documentary "The Devil came on horseback" (http://www.thedevilcameonhorseback.com/)

"THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK" brings forth and exposes the violence and tragedy of the genocide taking place in Darfur (Sudan, Africa) as seen through the eyes of an American witness. Using more than a thousand uncompromising and exclusive photographs taken by former US Marine Captain Brian Steidle during his role as a military observer with the African Union, THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK propels the viewer through the tragic impact of an Arab government bent on destroying its black African citizens. As an official military observer, Steidle had access to parts of the country that no journalist could penetrate. He was unprepared for what he would witness and experience, including being fired upon, taken hostage, and being unable to intervene to save the lives of young children. Ultimately frustrated by the inaction of the international community, Steidle resigned and returned to the US to expose the images and stories of lives systematically destroyed. Haunted by what he has seen and the backlash against his advocacy efforts, Brian traveled to the refugee camps of Chad to reconnect with survivors of the violence he witnessed. This compelling film bears witness to unmentionable atrocities while celebrating the courage of a refugee community desperately trying to survive and poses the question: Why has the West not taken more urgent action to stop genocide this time? Directed, written and produced by award winning filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK is also produced by Gretchen Wallace and Jane Wells.

Every day an average of 300 people are being slaughtered! something like what happened in Rwanda, Cambodia or in Germany under Hitler - and its happening right NOW!

It is time for people like us to do something about it.

the politics behind it is scary: china takes oil from sudan, and the money from this oil is being systematically used by the sudanese dictator govt comprised of Arab African muslims to slaughter the millions of Afro-americans in Southern Sudan, which is where Darfur is located - efforts are on to force the chinese govt to withdraw its funding to sudan, but these efforts are not enough - check out these sites:

www.darfurscores.org

www.sudandivestment.org

www.savedarfur.org

www.publicaffairsbooks.com/steidle.html

www.enoughproject.org

www.globalgrassroots.org

www.threegenerations.org

www.hopeartists.org

the purpose /objective is to spread the word around and reach as many no of people as possible in as quick a time as possible and galvanize them into writing to journals/magazines to publicise this genocide which will hopefully force the UN to take notice and take action to prevent/stop the genocide

 

[pnoom]

Indeed, a terrible situation. It'd be nice if my gov't (US) got out of Iraq and used the money saved to do something about Darfur...

 

[Corno Dolce]

Darfur needs more of the Internatinional opprobrium that can be mustered by the UN than by any single country. Or maybe the UN is really too weak, lazy, and corrupt to do anything about it. Former Sen. Moynihan(D) of New York said it best: The UN is the Theatre of the Absurd!!!

 

[pnoom]

I don't think the UN really has any sort of clout on the matter. Obviously, it would be good if multiple countries would band together, but I am really only able to hold my country accountable, which is what I am doing.

 

[Corno Dolce]

It's not enough to just hold one's own country accountable. We, as part of the global citizenry, are called upon to take action. Where are the massed crowds marching around the UN in support of Darfur? Sadly, I see none. That informs me that it's an issue with low visibilty and weak connection with the common man. What's worse is that there are non-representative governments (who are not duly elected by the people)sitting in the human rights committees. That is so cockamamie screwed-up!!!!!!!

 

[pnoom]

I definitely agree about the last point.

However, I think that if a major country like America would take an interest in ending the situation, a lot more countries would be willing to join in. Chain reaction, you know.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Well, you know what the Muslim Brotherhood would say about that: *There are infidels in Muslim lands* - Surely, we can't have that now - can we? With all the non-elected tyrant governments sitting in the UN, there will be no majority vote to rectify the situation. The UN is a lame-duck. Now, a possibility exists in which a new organization to be called the *League Of Democracies*, in which every member Nation has a freely elected government. Deposed from the *League Of Democracies* will be then the very governments who tyrannize their own subjects.

 

[pnoom]

A good idea, but it won't happen, sadly

 

[Corno Dolce]

pnoom,

Despair not, please. A million man/woman march surrounding the UN for weeks on end will get the message out that the situation is serious and warrants the world's attention to cleaning up the morass that is the UN. Now, coupled with marches, every free citizen must, as a constituency, come down hard on their duly elected representatives, whether they be Prime Minister, Parliamentarians, Congress, or Senators. Democracy is an inherently messy business to work in - most of the time akin to raking out the Augean Stables!!! YECHHH!!! But the alternative to democracy is too frightful even to contemplate.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

 

[pnoom]

But the alternative to democracy is too frightful even to contemplate.

Reminds me of a quote which I'm about to butcher (and I can't remember who said it, to top things off):

Democracy is a terrible form of government, but it's better than the alternatives.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Winston Churchill said: *Never, never, never give up*.

 

[pnoom]

Winston Churchill also said, in response to a woman who called him drunk, something along the lines of:

I may be drunk, but you are ugly. And in the morning, I will be sober, but you will still be ugly.

Wise man.

[/diversion]

I hope things get better in Darfur soon.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Winston also said to Lady Astor who spoke of arsenic in the milk: *And if I was married to you, I should certainly drink of it! :grin::grin::grin:

Yes, we shall be unified for the cause of Darfur and for all other *hot spots* around the world.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

 

[hillelr]

darfur

its terrible what is happening there
in situations like these you want to do something but you don't realy know what and evertything you do seams not to influence a lot
until now all i did is donate money and sign petitions.
i really hope it will end soon and the lives of people there can be
changed for better.

 

[pnoom]

I think it's ridiculous that Pelosi was (is?) trying to push the Armenian genocide resolution, which will do nothing good and a lot bad, and yet is not doing a thing about Darfur.

It'd be nice not to have hypocritical politicians all over the place like we do...

 

[Corno Dolce]

Madame Pelosi is an unbalanced politician who for political expediency rather than for constructive dialogue commits such a dunderheaded snafu.

 

[pnoom]

Pretty much.

 

[methodistgirl]

Do you want to know something? The things that are going on now hasn't
changed in the last 231 years. Talking about hypocrital politics. We had
presidents that said they were against slavery and had some of their own
slaves like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.
If you read the book of Isiah chapter 13 you will find the war in Iraq when
it was called Babylon. Think about it!
judy tooley

 

[pnoom]

I don't believe GW, TJ, and JM ever said they were against slavery...

 

[Sybarite]

This'll be the UN that has been deliberately emasculated by the US in the last decade, will it?