Wake up call
Hello all, I hope your summer is going well and allowing some well earned relaxation. In a recent update on the situation in Darfur, a read a couple lines of text that really hit me hard. They follow:
"Now, there are growing fears that Darfur's struggle may join the list of long, intractable conflicts on the African continent, including northern Uganda's 19-year war and Burundi's 12-year civil war, in which sporadic fighting has continued despite several peace plans." -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/16/AR2005051601315.html
I would suggest checking out that article, but that is not why I'm writing you today. I'm writing, because I have been following the global situation for several months now and I'm alarmed at the number of people that do not know what is going on.
There are currently civil wars raging all over the planet, from South American, to Africa, to Asia. Even in some of the poorest countries in the world, in fact usually in the poorest countries in the world, war is a daily way of living. I recently saw a picture of a group of Maoist insurgents in Nepal, and it was ironically frightening. In the midst of an average village in Nepal of mud huts with thatch roofs and dirt streets, there is this assembly of soldiers that are well dressed and well armed. Order within chaos always strikes one, but when that order is the face of a killing force, it is all the more alarming. Don't get me wrong, the Maoist's are not exactly the bad guys. Nepal is one of those situations where both sides are fighting for what they believe in, so it is hard to judge what to do. On the one hand you have King Gyanendra and his well known human rights violating and oppressive monarchy, and on the other hand you have a rebel force that will stop at nothing to overthrow him. Who is right? Who should be in power? How can we help?
Those are all great questions, and I hope that some of them occur to you. However, I'm also aware that they are often followed by statements like "there is nothing we can do" and "its not my problem". That second statement is the one that REALLY scares me. Previously I didn't understand how people could think that way, but since 9/11/2001, I think that form of apathy is dangerous. When are we all going to wake up and realize that these countries throughout the world DO effect our every day lives, from the gas we put in our car, to the clothes we buy at Wal-Mart?
So what do I want from you? You have all committed at some level to protect human rights, wherever they may be in danger. Part of that fight is being knowledgeable about your world, and sharing that knowledge with others. You don't have to start a yelling match with your friends for shopping at Wal-Mart, but you can pass along simple knowledge. For instance, did you know that Citgo gets most of its gasoline from Venezuela? That is a South American country that is NOT affiliated with the middle east in any way, and especially not OPEC. So you can protect human rights by filling up at Citgo. That took 5 minutes of reading, but imagine the impact it could have if everyone I told, told their friends, and so forth!
Sometimes it seems frustrating trying to protect something that is being violated all over the world, but as Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." For those of you that want to go that extra step, I recommend reading:
The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach & the Experience by 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai (ISBN 1-59056-040-X)
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ISBN=159056040X&pdf=y
It is an inspiring and highly informative book, explaining the movement that Wangari began in Kenya, Africa. The movement has helped end starvation, disease, and war, by preventing deforestation and desertification. How did they do it? The group has planted nearly 30,000,000 trees. The book shows the power of a simple grass roots movement, and has great advise on how to make one successful. And since the author one a Nobel Prize, I think she knows what she is talking about.
DO SOMETHING
Peace and Compassion to you all,
Sean
"Now, there are growing fears that Darfur's struggle may join the list of long, intractable conflicts on the African continent, including northern Uganda's 19-year war and Burundi's 12-year civil war, in which sporadic fighting has continued despite several peace plans." -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/16/AR2005051601315.html
I would suggest checking out that article, but that is not why I'm writing you today. I'm writing, because I have been following the global situation for several months now and I'm alarmed at the number of people that do not know what is going on.
There are currently civil wars raging all over the planet, from South American, to Africa, to Asia. Even in some of the poorest countries in the world, in fact usually in the poorest countries in the world, war is a daily way of living. I recently saw a picture of a group of Maoist insurgents in Nepal, and it was ironically frightening. In the midst of an average village in Nepal of mud huts with thatch roofs and dirt streets, there is this assembly of soldiers that are well dressed and well armed. Order within chaos always strikes one, but when that order is the face of a killing force, it is all the more alarming. Don't get me wrong, the Maoist's are not exactly the bad guys. Nepal is one of those situations where both sides are fighting for what they believe in, so it is hard to judge what to do. On the one hand you have King Gyanendra and his well known human rights violating and oppressive monarchy, and on the other hand you have a rebel force that will stop at nothing to overthrow him. Who is right? Who should be in power? How can we help?
Those are all great questions, and I hope that some of them occur to you. However, I'm also aware that they are often followed by statements like "there is nothing we can do" and "its not my problem". That second statement is the one that REALLY scares me. Previously I didn't understand how people could think that way, but since 9/11/2001, I think that form of apathy is dangerous. When are we all going to wake up and realize that these countries throughout the world DO effect our every day lives, from the gas we put in our car, to the clothes we buy at Wal-Mart?
So what do I want from you? You have all committed at some level to protect human rights, wherever they may be in danger. Part of that fight is being knowledgeable about your world, and sharing that knowledge with others. You don't have to start a yelling match with your friends for shopping at Wal-Mart, but you can pass along simple knowledge. For instance, did you know that Citgo gets most of its gasoline from Venezuela? That is a South American country that is NOT affiliated with the middle east in any way, and especially not OPEC. So you can protect human rights by filling up at Citgo. That took 5 minutes of reading, but imagine the impact it could have if everyone I told, told their friends, and so forth!
Sometimes it seems frustrating trying to protect something that is being violated all over the world, but as Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." For those of you that want to go that extra step, I recommend reading:
The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach & the Experience by 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai (ISBN 1-59056-040-X)
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ISBN=159056040X&pdf=y
It is an inspiring and highly informative book, explaining the movement that Wangari began in Kenya, Africa. The movement has helped end starvation, disease, and war, by preventing deforestation and desertification. How did they do it? The group has planted nearly 30,000,000 trees. The book shows the power of a simple grass roots movement, and has great advise on how to make one successful. And since the author one a Nobel Prize, I think she knows what she is talking about.
DO SOMETHING
Peace and Compassion to you all,
Sean
posted by Sean at
1:55 PM
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