Darfur and the great physics experiment

By REV. JAYNE WEBB
Published: April 13, 2008

In simple terms, when a star exhausts itself into a black hole, the void begins to suck in more and more. Scientists believe dark energy in space is expanding, spreading light sources farther and farther apart. In contrast, space contains “white holes” that actually generate or dole out matter.
Southside Virginia used to be a leader in the commonwealth, yet now we often lag behind the rest of Virginia’s progress. We in Danville have been battered by manufacturing plant closings, soaring gas and utility prices, incomes about half the statewide average, frequently the highest unemployment in the state and long-term joblessness, persisting racial divisions, troubled schools, a health care crisis, a fleeing population, huge drops in home values, a sluggish real estate market and crime. Our hurting town sometimes seems very much like the dark energy in space, with the lights of opportunity for regeneration and sparks of hope often seeming further and further apart. It is very much like the chain reaction of atomic explosion fallout — bad events set off other bad events, destroying the path ahead and the harmful energy lingers.
But for every action, there can be an equal and opposite reaction.
As the Last Capital of the Confederacy and a city filled with the faithful, we now have a distinct opportunity to demonstrate that we can love our neighbors as ourselves, make a uniquely poetic statement against a grave racial injustice, decry the unfair trade practices that cost lives and livelihoods and make a start in reclaiming the nation’s mantle as a global moral authority.
On April 19 at 11 a.m. at the Family Life Center at Bibleway, people from diverse racial, religious, political and economic backgrounds will join in an interfaith prayer, education and humanitarian event to activate the all-volunteer Danville Darfur Project.
By way of background, the Sudanese government in Africa armed the Arab Janjaweed to clear the Darfur region of those suspected of being a part of a rebellion. But the government also released criminals from prison, paid fighters the equivalent of $100 if they would take up arms against non-Arabs and recruited mercenaries from neighboring countries. The descent into genocide included children thrown into fires, people burned alive in their homes, crude bombs dropped on civilians as they slept, mass executions and gang rapes, rape survivors branded with scalding irons, looting of livestock and destruction of precious food supplies, dumping bodies down wells to pollute drinking water and cutting off humanitarian aid such as vital medicines.
The senseless destruction of human lives continued despite a 7,000 member African Union peacekeeping force deployed in 2004. At least 400,000 have died and there are millions of suffering refugees. The issue has united even very conservative Republicans like Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and liberal Democrats such as Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. Although the victims are Muslim, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel has been one of the most outspoken activists about ending the tragedy, as has the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
China depends on oil from the southern portion of the Sudan, and is the nation’s major trading partner. Last summer, China finally bowed to international pressure, voting with the rest of the U.N. Security Council for one of the largest peacekeeping forces ever assembled. The UN-AU hybrid force is comprised mostly of representatives from African nations, but also was to include Jordan, Scandinavian countries, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Netherlands. Unfortunately, stonewalling by the Sudanese government has blocked the full deployment of the force, it still lacks 24 tactical and transport helicopters vital for mission support and things are now rapidly unraveling.
The horrors have started up again. Government helicopters were stealthily painted to appear like UN helicopters, only they are dropping bombs on civilians instead of supplies. Violence spread to Chad, threatens the neighboring Central African Republic and now the promised peacekeepers are growing hesitant because the conflict is expanding like dark energy.
We have a window of opportunity: President Bush has just committed $100 million to the mission. China — the key nation that could force the Sudanese government to end the genocide — is anxious about its world standing because it wants the upcoming Olympics to be successful. The U.S. is a leader in the effort to put the pressure on, partisan politics have been abandoned by our Congress in demanding an end to the atrocities and grassroots action can make a huge difference.
It is shameful that the news media seems more concerned hounding every move about Britney Spears rather than informing us about what is going on with this massive horror. Many are still completely unaware of the crisis. News attention is crucial, because when people turn away or don’t know what’s happening, that enables the perpetrators to expand their atrocities. Only when the world is closely watching can they no longer get away with their crimes.
Grammy-winning musician and Nobel peace prize nominee Bono once said that people don’t have to agree on everything — just one thing. At minimum, if we can collect our minds, hearts, and prayers to fight a genocide, we will likely forge new alliances and find fresh common ground for working on community problems. But, we’re going to conduct an experiment to see the possible size and scope of chain reaction we can set off. Please join us on April 19 for the exciting launch of the Danville Darfur Project.
Webb is an activist on social change, human rights, environmental and other faith-based issues and is the chair of the all-volunteer Danville Darfur Awareness Committee.