February 02, 2006

Letter to the editor on Darfur

For a long time, I have wanted to write a letter to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle to raise awareness on Darfur. I wanted to write a letter that was concise, moving, analytically flawless, and timely. I couldn't do it because I was too wrapped up in my own process rather than the very pressing issue at hand. Over the last few days, I have worked on a simple letter, which I include (with some minor editing) here:

    As an ordinary citizen of this world, I have felt helpless and hopeless as the global community has failed to stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur, in which at least 180,000 have died and 1.8 million have been displaced from their homes. The exact mechanisms by which we should use to stop the violence are up for debate. Though I reflexively disagree with many of Debra Saunders' columns, her call ("UC out of Sudan" -- Tues, Jan 24) to the Regents of the University of California to divest from funds tied to business in Sudan seems sensible to me. On the individual level, I have resolved to continue praying for the people of Darfur, to join in A Million Voices for Darfur (http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/) and other efforts to put pressure on our leaders, to keep myself informed, and to tell friends about the situation. Let us work together with hope and determination to bring peace to Darfur.

After I sent the letter, I realized that I neglected to mention the role to be played by church groups such as the Justice Task Force at my own church, which has been instrumental in my knowing what little I know about Darfur.

Let me add links that are mentioned above or which support the letter:

Let's see whether my letter gets published.

Posted by rdhyee at February 2, 2006 10:45 AM