Last night, some former housemates of mine went with Laura and me to
hear people recount their experiences with relief efforts in
Mississippi and Louisiana. At first, I did not want to look at still
more pictures of the disaster area but found myself emotionally
immersed in the muck and destruction. (I plan to take a look at Flickr: Photos tagged with katrina for further local coverage of the recovery efforts.) I learned that a major part of the volunteer effort has gone to "mud-outs"
the stomach-wrenching and labor-intensive process of removing the
furnishings from houses damaged by flood waters. Seeing pictures and
videos of workers wearing respirators, boots, and gloves and standing
beside walls covered with the biggest mold spots I had ever seen
brought home how hard the work was. There are more students heading
down to New Orleans in March.

I've been pondering things Laura and I can do to help in the relief efforts. We can certainly give money to the American Red Cross.
We can also support the students who are going on the trip directly. I
need to remind myself not to forget prayer, which is often the last
thing in which I engage, alas. Finally, I'm part of a community of
folks who care about issues such as the ongoing relief efforts around
the hurricanes. I can do my part to keep them informed and motivated to
work together.

Two days ago, I submitted a letter to the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle to bring more attention to the "ambiguous genocide"
in Darfur. Since I have yet to see the letter in press, I suspect that
it won't be published. I am trying to keep myself from speculating too
much on why my letter might not have make the cut.
I hope that others will be able to write punchier, wittier, catchier
letters that will make people pay attention to the dire situation in
Sudan.

For me, writing the letter is naturally much more important than
getting it published because it was the writing itself that forced me
to decide and commit to some action. I'm pleased that one of my usual
dear readers followed some of my links I posted, including the Darfur conflict - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Last night, by telling friends that I had submitted a letter to the
editor, I was granted the opportunity to explain the Darfur conflict
around a dinner table, prompting some thoughtful reflections on the
efficacy of divestments. This morning, remembering my promise to pray
for Darfur, I spent some time in quiet asking God to intervene, to
bring peace and justice to the region, to grant those in power wisdom
and courage. As I sit down to study the Wikipedia article so that I can
do a continually better job at telling others what is happening in
Sudan, I consulted the BBC New's "in depth" coverage on Sudan: A Nation Divided
to corroborate the Wikipedia. I also need to answer an email from the
Justice Task Force at my church on what actions we should take in the
coming months. One baby step at a time for me as I try to be faithful.

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:

• UC out of Sudan

• A Million Voices for Darfur

• Save Darfur.org ::

• SAN DIEGO / Regents to create panel on Sudan divestment / Students urging action over genocide in African nation

• SF Gate: Chronicle: Feedback Submission Guidelines for those of you who want to write to the SF Chronicle yourself.

• Darfur conflict - Wikipedia

Let's see whether my letter gets published.