Today thousands of people marched all across the U.S. to protest the genocide in Darfur that has lead to the death of 400,000 people and displaced at least 2 million. This comes in the midst of news that the UN has cut food supplies in half as well as the news of a possible peace deal being signed today. Up here in Toronto one of the planned rallies was under the title of “Scream for Darfur” where people came together in front of Queenâ??s Park in downtown Toronto; the historic site that is home to The Ontario Legislature and Canadian freedom of speech.
The rally was headed up by a few high school students who created the organization: Project Equity. It hosted a few Canadian speakers, amongst them was NDP leader Jack Layton. Usually a moment of silence would be observed for all the victims lost but I suppose it was in part silence which caused so many of their deaths. So instead it was replaced with a few seconds of screaming. I went down there to participate after feeling rather depressed about the whole Darfur affair this past week in particular.
It didn’t change the world but it was cathartic to say the least and hopefully it helped spread some awareness, the only cure to fighting the virus that is apathy.
I took some pictures and a short video of “the scream”…
(Click on Images to Enlarge)
Pleast Check Out:
– A Million Voices for Darfur
– What You Can Do About Darfur
– ICNA Donations
– The Victims are Not Nameless (interesting flash animation)
nice to protest, but, what is the solution proposed?
I’m yet to find a good explanation of the problem (just read Wikipedia to see the confusion). And I even find less talk about productive solution. What exactly are these protests asking for?
ya Naseem. You seem interested in the subject. Please shed some light.
Muhammad, these protests are to ask for governments to intervene, for governments (especially countries of influence) to put some political pressure on the government of Sudan to put a stop to all of this. Also you’re looking at a problem that (in my opinion) can be stopped by the Sudanese government, however even if it is there becomes the problem of displacement and homelessness and poverty which needs to be addressed asap by the international community. The UN is essentially being forced to cut the food rations due to lack of global support.
I have been to Southern Sudan, way back in 1973. Even then, as young as I was, I could easily notice how once ethnicity or tribe, decided a person’s place there. In Juba, almost all the shops and government offices were run by those from the North; the Southerners, who were mainly non-Muslims, were marginalised in all ways.
The Southern tribes, themselves do not agree with each other; even if/when Sudan is seperated into North and South – there will still be problems in the South. In Darfur, the problem is the same: Northerners trying to run everything. The difference: people from Darfur are almost all Muslims; staunch Muslims, infact.
But there is the strong foreign interference too; way back in the seventies, America and Europe supported the North against the South, who were aided by the Soviets. When one studies the problem and conflict in Sudan, and Chad – it is foriegn meddling that have always, mainly, fuelled that. And now with oil in both Sudan and Chad, that will be even more so.
Some sights that can halp:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/darfur.htm
http://www.southsudan.net/gatran.html
http://www.sudan.net/government/history.html
http://www.sudaneseonline.com/en/