This afternoon the State House grounds were crowded with South Carolinians who turned out for a three-hour rally in an effort to end the ethnic cleansing in Darfur.
Speakers included politicians – Mayor Bob Coble, US Rep Jim Clyburn, former Gov. Jim Hodges, Sens. Joel Lurie and David Thomas and Rep. Joe Neal – USC President Dr. Andrew Sorensen, Darfuri refugees Mohamed Yahya and Mary Komy, and activists Coby Rudolph, Brad Phillips and Sam Bell.
The crowd was entertained by hometown favorite Danielle Howle, USC’s marching band, Brian Conner, Big Kenny, Djole African Dance and Drum Company, and a drumming team led by Mohammed DeCosta. The music was inspired, at one point prompting an impromptu line dance.
All of them turned out in an effort to prevent further carnage in Darfur, where an estimated 400,000 people have died in the genocide. More than 3 million more have fled to refugee camps, where thousands die each month of deprivation and disease.
Last month, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1769, which authorizes a multinational force to provide security for the refugees and protection for truck convoys trying to deliver humanitarian aid. Previous such resoutions ahve been ignored by the government of Sudan.
While the SC Darfur Action Group had invited presidential candidates to speak, none accepted the offer, nor did they send surrogates. That snub no doubt affected the turnout, which was lower than anyone expected. Even with massive exposure in the local media, including several days of promotion by The State newspaper (usually unmoved to support community action), the event attracted only hundreds rather than the hoped for thousands.
Still, congratulations are in order for the organizers of the rally. For those of us who were there, it was a fine afternoon spent in great company and a rare spirit of solidarity. Thanks to them, and to all the good people who took the time to show their support.
For more information on Darfur and how you can help, visit the SC Darfur Action Group’s web site.
Becci Robbins
For more photos of the rally, click here.
Darfuri refugee Mohamed Yahya, Executive Director of Damanga Coalition for Freedom, urges the crowd to work to end the genocide in his native Sudan.
I was there. It really was a powerful event.
I was surprised by the racial makeup of the rally attendees. Why didn’t this turn out more African Americans? I thought that the Black churches would have made this an issue and turned out people. This makes no sense.
I’m working on an analysis of why this event, promoted to the max by the State newspaper, local TV and leading political figures didn’t turn out more people. I really expected 10 thousand, not 2000.
The Jena 6 rally a couple of weeks ago had NO media promotion -other than black radio – and drew a bigger crowd. Mostly black, as opposed to the mostly white crowd for the Darfur rally.
Could it be that mainstream support supresses turnout? It’s not cool if the Governor and football coach wants you to come?
Your thoughts on this are appreciated.
Brett
Could it be that South Carolinians are unwilling to commit their young people to another indefinite intervention into a multi-sided civil war? Or is that giving “our dumb state” too much credit?
I had no idea that this rally was going on at the Statehouse or I would have been there. This genocide of Africans unfortunately has been going on for hundreds of years which makes it no less easier to deal with on any level. One tribe killing off the other for land, leadership or whatever. Part of it I see as a cultural issue, the other part is just damned disgusting. We as Americans and as foreigners look at it as pretty much this way, but what are we to do from here? That is the question of the day and any day. I as a woman would like to take up frikkin arms and go and play mercenary on those bastards that are raping, enslaving and killing women and children. Yet I sit here and type a letter to who? What did I just do that would change anything for them over there? I can and will send a letter to my congressman asking for them to wage a political war from here to the UN and also the Sudan Programs Officer, Joan Mower to push for “mercenary” peacekeepers to go in there and “try” to help the people of the Darfur Region. My other part is to pray like I have never prayed before that those who are inflicting these terrible hate crimes will be punished far worse than what they did to those who are inncocent. To think we as Americans and our noble elected politicians knew this was going on before 4 years ago but we have to be “careful” because of the Muslim religion and what they think of us. Please do we care? No, they are the ones killing these innocents in the name of religion, oil, land and just pure greed. Praise Allah.
Pat: the problem is that the situation in Darfur is a lot more complex than Arabs oppressing and killing Africans, even though that is how it is usually portrayed in the US media. In fact, there are as many as 15 factions in the civil war in Darfur, all of whom have dirty hands. There is no peace to keep, no well-defined sides to keep separated.
This NYTimes article, while pro-intervention, does talk about some of the problems. But this article from Reporters Without Borders suggests that armed intervention is likely to make things worse, not better. In these times, we need to be very wary of claims that we need to send soldiers to occupy another country, even in what seems like a good cause.
I apologize for cursing and being so angry about what is happening over there. I am sickened and hurt by it so much that. It almsot seems surreal to me but I know it is not. Thank-you for letting me vent. Yes I will write my congressman and send a letter to Joan Mower I promise.
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I think this man should get the Nobel Peace Prize for all of his work.
This is not just a nice read. These are people’s lives.
When you are a mother and you have to watch your own baby starve to death because someone stole all of your cattle, and you live under a tumbleweed hut filled in with mud and covered in plastic, maybe you will all stop reading and act! Look into the eyes of the people and think about what you would do if this was your family, and then start moving.
I suggest you look up what happens to a person when they starve to death. Their organs shut down one by one, and their brain starts to deteriorate. What happens to a woman who is raped by 6 or 7 men at the age of 9 or 10 years old and can no longer walk right. What happens in her tribe if she has a rape baby at the age of 10, and what happens to her if the men who raped her gives her HIV?
Rape is a form of torture.
The women are stolen and taken as sex slaves, and young boys as child soldiers. What happens to their innocent lives and souls? Is that a good read, too?
We must act. The UN peacekeepers have been authorized to enter Darfur but do not have all of the equiptment they need to accomplish their mission. We must ACT NOW! Give them what they need, if we have to raise the funds ourselves. This is an albatros around our necks! The hope is that the peacekeepers will save lives, and prevent any more bloodshed. It can not get any worse.