Saving Darfur

Saving Darfur

  Something has always rubbed me wrong about the rallying to the Darfur cause. I do not doubt that there is large scale
tragedy occurring in the form of genocide and famine. Nor do I doubt that something should be done as soon as
possible by someone to attempt to slow, or even stop, what in no uncertain terms can be considered a human rights
disaster. In fact, I completely agree with what every call to arms in the name of Darfur says. Something needs to be
done. Still, when I see the wave of support massing around Darfur, I see something I don’t much like.   Objectively, I
support what is being done. The raising of awareness is always important and someone needs to do it. I wouldn’t say
that all the facebook groups, rallies, fliers, websites and other socially conscious media should stop. Darfur is very real
and the scale of tragedy is beyond true comprehension.
  Still all this activism doesn’t feel right. I know what is being done is right but it rings so wrong. It is almost as if Darfur
has become just another symbol of cool. The trendy move is to be socially conscious. Apathy is not what it once was
for today’s coming of age generation. Yes, people are still apathetic to a great degree but the awakening to the world
has also become socially desirable. Perhaps this is why Darfur has become such a movement. Darfur is easy to
support. As I just said it is impossible not to support the end of such a tragedy. There are no political implications when
you say you want to save Darfur. The complexities, the grey areas, of the situation in Darfur are easy to get around. To
simplify to black and white is, well, simple. Save the people who are dying. Where is similar outrage about the Iraq
War? A lot of innocent people are dying there too and our country is doing a lot of the killing. The problem with Iraq is
that it is so messy. There are so many value judgments being made when you talk about the war and so much is
attached to being pro-war or anti-war. Of course, it is now easy to be anti-war but it doesn’t quite have the same broad
appeal as Darfur. You have to deal with all the associations to political parties, current administrations, religions, sects
of religions, international law, foreign policy doctrine and the philosophical hurdles associated with each. It is easier to
quietly murmur no, or better yet no comment, to war, wait for someone in power to do something and hope your best
friend doesn’t make the mistake of being a hero by heading abroad for a stint with our overextended and
underprotected army.
  In a way the shortest route from apathy to the coolness of making a difference is to go from not caring about anything
to caring about Darfur. On a college campus you can’t miss the fliers, the meetings, the speakers. It makes it really
easy to join in the fun of caring without actually knowing anything. This bothers me a great deal. I love the fact that
people care and Darfur is getting publicity. I hate the fact that Darfur has just become another brand of cool, a status
signifier, a symbol that has forgotten the meaning that started it. It has become the new Livestrong bracelet. I know for
a fact that there are a lot of people who care deeply about what is happening in Darfur just like a lot of people cared
about that yellow bracelet and everything it stood for. I’m also willing to bet that there a lot of people who don’t care
about Darfur, and probably don’t know where Darfur is, just like a lot of people didn’t know what that yellow bracelet
stood for beyond trendy accessory.
  Yet the movement rolls. Hundreds of thousands of voices have united behind Darfur to save it from its ills. Hundreds
of thousands of voices screaming to stop the killing, stop the famine, stop it all. Hundreds of thousands of voices that
may actually number in the millions if you include all the petitions signed, rallies held, facebook groups created and
charitable drives of all kinds. That’s a lot of voices. Unfortunately, in this particular case that’s like having a thousand
people standing outside a burning apartment building pointing and screaming that the building is burning, wondering
where the fire department is as people burn to death. It’s good to know there’s a fire but someone needs to actually put
it out. I don’t mean to discount those who have given for Darfur. Every little bit does count and is good. People should
be commended for the positives they have done. The problem is that raising awareness activities only take you so far.
That’s the easy part. Signing the petition is easy. Joining the facebook group is easy. Attending the guest speaker’s
lecture is easy. The hard part is learning what actually needs to be done to really change things. The people who
organized all this awareness raising have gotten things rolling, very impressively I might add. I just doubt that most of
the people who are aware won’t go that extra mile to help be a part of the solution. To really help be a part of the
solution, or the finding of a solution, or at least the lessening of the problem. Even Darfur isn’t that simple. Even Darfur
isn’t black and white. If the problems there were as easy as saying “stop”, as easy as saying “that petition was right”,
then the problem wouldn’t exist anymore. I guess what really bothers me is that I don’t have a lot of faith that many of
those millions of screaming voices are prepared to put their money where their mouths are. That makes me wonder
what the point is other than trying to look good for your peers with the proper amount of self righteous guilt and
corrective activism. Before you ask, I admit, I do not know enough to propose any questions and I have done nothing.
Of this I am not proud but when I do something I hope I will be ready to make it mean something, to make a difference.