The Reality of Darfur

By now, most of us have heard about the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, which has been termed an “ethnic conflict” between the Arab and African populations who occupy that region. I spoke of the reason why talking about this situation in such a dicotomy is problematic in my previous post on the humanitarian industry. In that post, I also mentioned the great scholar, educator, and activist, Mahmood Mamdani, who has been very critical of the way the West has positioned the movement for Darfur. The following video is a debate/discussion between Mamdani and John Predergast, a journalist and peace activist who has been heavily involved in the Save Darfur movement. The debate covers some of the main points that I mentioned in my previous post, and is just a great way to learn more about the conflict in Darfur. Please watch!

“It’s a pirate’s life for me!”

Before there was swine flu, there were pirates. But the story goes far beyond much of the coverage around the so-called “barbaric pirates” that have been portrayed in the news. There are reasons why they resorted to “pirate” behavior, as explained in the article below. This is the story you didn’t hear in the major headlines. It’s the story you won’t ever hear because it shows the humanity behind the villain, and the media loves a good villain. For more on how the media manufactures fear, read “The Culture of Fear,” by Barry Glassner.

From the BBC (April 22nd):

A 25-year-old Somali pirate has told the BBC’s Mohamed Olad Hassan by telephone from the notorious den of Harardhere in central Somalia why he became a sea bandit. Dahir Mohamed Hayeysi says he and his big-spending accomplices are seen by many as heroes.

“I used to be a fisherman with a poor family that depended only on fishing. The first day joining the pirates came into my mind was in 2006. A group of our villagers, mainly fishermen I knew, were arming themselves. One of them told me that they wanted to hijack ships, which he said were looting our sea resources…” READ MORE

The Humanitarian “Industry”

I’m reading this book right now called Re-Imagining Rwanda, by Johan Pottier, that attempts to deconstruct the stories and images that have come out of news and humanitarian agencies about Rwanda, Uganda, and the Congo. Something that really struck me the other day when I was reading it, was this point:

“disaster photography forms a specific type of Orientalist discourse in which suffering is universalized to suit the needs of both news and humanitarian agencies. The photographer’s input mostly goes undetected. Instantly readable, visually and conceptually, disaster images appeal to a vast humanitarian ‘industry’ and public who believe they tell a full and objective story.”

This quote is crucial for several reasons.

Literature and photographs create very specific images and understandings of the people they portray, and often, they are used to create those images and understandings for specific purposes. News and humanitarian agencies need to attract audiences. With humanitarian agencies in particular, there is a danger of people assuming that because these agencies are created to “help” people, that everything they say is fact, when actually, they are under similar constraints as news agencies to attract audiences, fundraise, and receive support by key people in power. So just as we must be critical of news agencies and their particular spin, we must use a critical eye with humanitarian agencies. They, just as the news, can oversimplify conflicts, as well as dehumanize in the way that they talk about and show conflicts and problems. Here is a good example: the campaign to end the genocide in Darfur. On the surface, all the organizations involved in this campaign (Save Darfur, STAND, to name a few) all seem to be attempting to do good by raising awareness about the conflict in Darfur and giving people practical ways to get involved. This is all great, but these organizations have also been guilty (especially in the early days of the campaign) of oversimplifying the history around the conflict, as well as vilifying the Arab population of Sudan. Several critiques about this have been made, a great one in particular by Mahmood Mamdani. These orgs (as well as many other involved in other causes) have also used images of starving children, burn victims, and so on, to shock people into getting involved. This may work on a surface level to get people involved, but it also creates an image of the “helpless” African, and that is dehumanizing.

The other point that the above quote brings up, is that humanitarian acts, in a way, have become an “industry” in the western world, infused with consumerism philosophy. To get people involved, especially the younger generations, humanitarian agencies sell t-shirts, bracelets, bumper stickers, etc. They have their brand to sell—”Save Darfur Now,” “Never Again” (referring to the Rwanda Genocide). Becoming an activist has become almost a fad. Many people purchase these products to look like they are involved, many without actually really understanding the cause they are supporting. They attend screenings, fundraisers, concerts, but the involvement doesn’t go beyond that. They think, “if I buy the t-shirt, or I sign a support letter, or I attend the fundraiser, I’ve done my part.” I’m not saying these are bad things to do, I do many of them myself, but what I am saying is that they are not enough. We need to look at our lives and make a conscious effort to make significant changes in the way we live, and encourage others to do the same. We need to do our homework. It takes time and research to understand the injustices in our world. We need to dialogue with each other to create interest and understanding.

We are called by God to love and care for each other. We shouldn’t have to be lured into a cause by a cool t-shirt or our favorite band. Yes these are great ways to get the word out, but they only scratch the surface of what it will take to create lasting social change.

FAIL

I was browsing through recent posts on Fail blog a few days ago, (which always cheers me up when I’m feeling a little down) and I started thinking about the irony behind the fact that I was using Fail blog to lighten my spirits when I was the one feeling like the failure.

For the past year and a half I’ve been co-directing a program that partner’s schools in Rwanda with schools in the US. This program was created by myself and 5 other American students and 3 Rwandan young adults during a human rights workshop in Rwanda, in the summer of 2007. We were there to collaborate on ideas for projects that would tackle various human rights issues happening in Rwanda; our issue was education. We decided to create a sister school program that attempted to create friendships, and eventually, alliances between young people in the States and in Rwanda. We wanted the students to educate each other on each other’s country, culture, and issues that were important to them. We also hoped that students in the States would decide to fundraise for their partner school in Rwanda for things like text books, pens and pencils, uniforms, and other school needs. We had a great passion and mission for the program and a great team of people in both countries to put it into action.

Now in 2009, we have been implementing the program in Washington, Wisconsin, and recently, New Jersey, with 4 schools/groups partnered with 4 schools in Rwanda. Several letter exchanges have been achieved, and we have been given many small donations from friends, family and other supporters. We have a great website, newsletter, and even had a short documentary created about the program that aired on KBTC channel 12. On the surface, the program looks great, but what I am starting to realize is so far the depth of the program is lacking. Letter exchanges have been slow to come and very time consuming. The content of the letters has also been somewhat superficial. We have had issues with translation, organization, funding, communication, not enough time to do what needs to be done, and worst of all, lack of enthusiasm among some of the students involved. Myself and my co-director are both in school, and doing this on a volunteer basis, so we have not been able to give this program the time and energy it deserves. The program director on the ground in Rwanda, has also been in school, and has had to struggle with his own financial needs on top of the needs of the program. What we are dealing with is typical of international programs, as well as non-profits in general. We’ve really just been flying by the seat of our pants, just taking one step at a time, dealing with new problems as they come. I’m starting to feel tired though. I’m not sure that it is right of us to get the hopes up of all these kids, when we don’t have the expertise, or resources to follow through with all the promises of the program.

Thus comes the feeling of failure. We’ve all put so much time and energy into this program over the last 2 years, and to end it now seems tragic. I also struggle with my own pride over this. I don’t want to feel like a failure, especially when I see so many other young people around me doing such amazing things with international programs and organizations (i.e. Heal Africa, Project Akilah, etc….check them out, they are awesome).

So there is a part of me that thinks we should just tough it out and not give up, especially since grassroots initiatives like these are always hard to get off the ground. I also don’t want to feel like a failure. But the truth is, I feel like God has something different for me in the coming months (graduate school for instance) and to continue struggling with this program would be going against His will. That in itself is a huge problem for me—giving up my will for His—even if it means giving up a program that is very important to me, not to mention the toll it takes on my pride.

On the bright side, it’s all a learning experience right? And if I am hearing God right, then giving up this program will finally give me peace, which I have not felt about this program for several months.

Did voting for Obama make me a bad Christian? Umm…NO!

Here’s why:

Obama: On Faith and Politics (written version)

Go here for the rest of the speech on video

Here goes nothing…

This blog is an attempt to further my understanding of how faith and social change intersect. The Gospel calls us to pursue social change. Much of my life I have attempted to be a part of positive social change through volunteering, activism, education, and networking, but recently I’ve been convicted that though I truly desire to help those less fortunate, my motivation behind this desire has been somewhat absent of God, His glory, and His greater purpose. I have also been guilty of not thinking about or discussing social change, human rights, and sustainable development in the context of my Christianity. I feel that at this point in my life it is important for me to explore and start a dialogue with others about these connections so that I can be open about my faith with those I meet and work with, in a wise and humble way. Let me be clear that my intention is not to impose my beliefs on others. Discussing one’s faith is tricky and must vary depending on the context. I am very sensitive to the beliefs of others, especially since I am a newer Christian. I simply desire to further the conversation about how faith and social change can work together in a personal sense, and in a global sense.

For those that are curious, the picture in the header of my blog is of a pile of necklesses with crosses on them. These necklesses belonged to the victims at a church in Rwanda where thousands of people were gathered and slaughtered during the genocide of 1994. These necklesses still hang at this church as a memorial to their owners, as well as a reminder that God’s people failed to defend and protect their brothers and sisters in Rwanda.