Darfur: more than words needed.

DarfurHello Friends and Familia:

I have been trying to think of what to say in this e-mail for a while now, but I'm having a hard time finding something that I have not said about Darfur before. There are new specifics and details, and the need for urgency is even greater, but words seem to not be enough any more.

Every day, I read news reports about Darfur: leaders from around the world condemn the horrible atrocities; more villages are attacked; legislators call for an end to the horrors; the President of Sudan says that no mass atrocities are going on in Darfur; our own President expresses concern about the deteriorating situation. We keep hearing so many words. But, as Adam, with tears rolling down his face, says on Day 3 of this last i-ACT trip to the refugee camps:

"Not talk, we need action, our people are dying. The news we are getting from Darfur: the situation is destroyed; people are escaping; people are suffering; people are asking the international community for help but not yet. They receive nothing."

Adam asks Americans not to give up. A refugee for five years that has lost everything and has seen his people killed, raped, and displaced, is asking us-in our comfortable homes-not give up hope.

2008 has to be the year of action. We need immediate protection for the innocent civilians of Darfur, with or without the consent of the Sudanese government. President Bush must be a leader in action. Calling genocide by its rightful name does not stop genocide.

Please check out the first edition of i-ACTzine since our return from Chad. We were very lucky to have scheduled Camp Darfur in Hawaii, right after the unwanted excitement in the capital. We were again lucky to have John Prendergast form the ENOUGH Project be a guest at the Hawaii Run for Darfur.

Again, thank you for caring about Darfur and for caring about us and helping us to get out of Chad safe. We lived some tense moments during the coupe attempt in N'Djamena. We got out after two days. The people of Darfur are waiting, now for five years, to get out of, as it has been called, hell on earth. I'm looking forward to working next to you, as we stand with the people of Darfur.

Paz,

Gabriel

http://www.stopgenocidenow.org/iact/iact4/day3

http://www.stopgenocidenow.org/iact/iactzine/issue5