Fuck this, I'm speaking up
Fuck this, I'm speaking up
Originally uploaded by elfinity. I have been trying to keep my Flickr account apolitical, but you know what? Fuck that. I'm sick and tired of having to shut up about atrocities that make so many people squirm uncomfortably. I am still deeply and utterly ashamed that the world did not do shit to help people of Rwanda (800,000 dead).
For those who don't know: open warfare erupted in Darfur in early 2003 when the two loosely allied rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), attacked military installations. In response, "Janjaweed" militias received government support to clear civilians from areas considered disloyal to the Sudanese government.
Nearly three years into the crisis, the western Sudanese region of Darfur is acknowledged to be a humanitarian and human rights tragedy of the first order. The humanitarian, security and political situation continue to deteriorate: atrocities continue, people are still dying in large numbers of malnutrition and disease, and a new famine is feared. According to reports by the World Food Program, the United Nations and the Coalition for International Justice, 3.5 million people are now hungry, 2.5 million have been displaced due to violence, and 400,000 people have died in Darfur thus far. The international community is failing to protect civilians or to influence the Sudanese government to do so.
How do you like them apples?
I've tried participating in various campaigns two years ago, when I found out, but I was very polite about it. I did not rub the conflict in people's faces. I was writing polite letters to US Senate. I was sending links to my friends to information sites. I kept to forums and blog communities that already knew about it and were of like mind to me.
Fuck that. I've been rightfully shamed by Jean Rohe.
I am going to speak up about Darfur anywhere I can. I am going to rub the info in people's faces. I am going to be rude and call people who claim to care about peace and welfare of others to the task.
Go educate yourselves. And then do something to help people in Darfur.