BBC NEWS | Africa | Google Earth turns spotlight on Darfur. (More coverage of the use of Google Earth at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Google Earth, Google Earth Blog: Crisis in Darfur - The Google Effect, Ogle Earth: Darfur)
I finally got to take a look at the "Crisis in Darfur" layer in Google
Earth. I'm reminded once more of the need for prayer and advocacy on my
part and the part of those around me. Following the list at What Can I Do to Help Prevent Genocide? is a start; engaging with | Save Darfur is another.

I'm pondering Nicholas Kristof's words in Driving Up the Price of Blood - New York Times:

All this makes genocide easier to stop than people
imagine. Where it arises from a weighing of costs and benefits, then it
is possible for outsiders to impose additional costs and change the
outcome. That’s what we need to do. The U.S. should lead other
countries in pushing hard on all sides for a negotiated peace agreement
among the warring factions, for that is ultimately the best hope to end
the slaughter in Darfur and in neighboring areas in Chad and the
Central African Republic.

I find President Bashir’s ruthlessness pretty easy to understand. What
is harder to fathom is President Bush’s refusal to stand up to the
genocide for four years. Why not impose a no-fly zone, why not hold an
international conference on Darfur, why not invite survivors to the
White House for a photo-op, why not give a prime-time speech about
Darfur?

Perhaps the explanation for Mr. Bush’s passivity is the same as the
explanation for Mr. Bashir’s brutality. Maybe Mr. Bush has made his
calculations, looked at the number of calls and letters he gets about
Darfur, weighed the pros and cons, and decided that Americans really
don’t care enough about genocide to make him pay a major price for
allowing it to continue.

Among the many wonderful things I learned from Roméo Dallaire's talk on the Berkeley campus on March 14, 2007 was the concept of the Responsibility to protect. See also 03.21.2007 - The responsibility to protect.

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.

This morning, I took in the news of the new minority Canadian government to be led by Stephen Harper.
When trying to explain the results to Laura, I realized how out of
Canadian politics I've been. At best, I could parrot what I read on the
CBC website and New York Times (!). One interesting wrinkle for me is the speculation that Michael Ignatieff might contend for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Years ago, while I was a student at the University of Toronto, I went
to a book reading of Michael Ignatieff's. He was just a rising young
star at that time. I had since followed his career, primarily reading his articles in The New York Review of Books.
The jump from young writer to Harvard professor to
Canadian-bigshot-returned-from-USA professor at the University of
Toronto to MP was startling to take in this morning. Read what the CBC writes:

Ignatieff has been called "the new Pierre Trudeau"
and was labelled the "thinking woman's crumpet" when he served as a BBC
commentator and arts program host in the 1990s. His decision to move
back to Canada in the summer of 2005 was greeted by breathless profiles
in national publications, with his future as leader of the Liberal
Party of Canada taken for granted. However, Ignatieff has rejected
suggestions that he was drafted to come home as part of "an anti-Martin
leadership campaign," adding: "I would not have taken part in such
activity."