Gov't and rebel cease fire in Sudan

[kristadb]

A step in the right direction. The question is - how many people even knew there was a war going on there?


http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1100862691537_191?hub=topstories

[Bankruptor]

Well I sure knew it. Our church sponsored a group of young men that were allowed to immigrate into the US and several hundred were settled into our area. They were part of a group of children that were called the "Lost Boys". Basically they were out working in the fields one day and when they returned home to their village it had been set ablaze and their parents who were still there had been murdered by Islamics. They wandered around in the Sudan for over two years, children as young as 5-6 as well as older ones, being eaten by lions and crocodiles and fending them off in packs, scraping for food and water, it was really terrible. Finally they were rescued by a humanitarian organization and Clinton got the INS to pick up the pace and allow them to come to the US. They had never used a can opener, seen ice at all, or watched television. Nevertheless they are working hard here and thanking God every day for rescuing them from the attrocities doled out by the Islamics in the Sudan.

http://www.redcross.org/news/in/africa/0108lostboyspage.html

[kristadb]

Thanks for sharing that Bank :up: Right now, I have two sponsor children in the Congo, where the political climate is slightly more stable but nonetheless fragile. I'm happy that they get to go to school, their parents are getting tradeskill educations, and that both girls are able to live in their own countries somewhat protected.

[Walter]

A step in the right direction. The question is - how many people even knew there was a war going on there?

http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1100862691537_191?hub=topstories
Do you really think that question is the most important part of your original post?

[kristadb]

Yes, in some ways I do. International pressure and intervention only comes when people are aware and passionate about something. People were passionate about Ethopia in the 80s and as a species, we were able to get some short-term help for those people. People are passionate about bringing democracy to Iraq. Why aren't people passionate about situations like this in other countries?

No, in the other ways. Who cares who knows where or what is going on there as long as there is some peace and people stop killing each other? As long as there is peace. Peace is a good thing.

I wonder if the not knowing and not caring is what allowed the issue in Sudan (and Uganda, and Argentina, etc etc) to continue.

[ug333]

Yes, in some ways I do. International pressure and intervention only comes when people are aware and passionate about something. People were passionate about Ethopia in the 80s and as a species, we were able to get some short-term help for those people. People are passionate about bringing democracy to Iraq. Why aren't people passionate about situations like this in other countries?

No, in the other ways. Who cares who knows where or what is going on there as long as there is some peace and people stop killing each other? As long as there is peace. Peace is a good thing.

I wonder if the not knowing and not caring is what allowed the issue in Sudan (and Uganda, and Argentina, etc etc) to continue.

I think awareness is of massive importance. Like you said, this country can't/won't act unless its citizens are aware and interested in helping. I think what Bank said is wonderful, but his Church wouldn't have been able to help if they didn't know of the problem.

I would say awareness is an accurate point of view (vs. tainted/false point of view or unawareness). Only awareness allows us to encourage our government to do the "right" thing (or do it ourselves, in Bank's case).

[Bankruptor]

Well, ug, I don't think we'd be able to help them out if the government didn't help put them here in the first place for us. We had a group of 12 of them that was under the watchcare of a leader in our church, and they farmed them out to us for more individual attention and assistance. One of them was near my son's age and he took a liking to him so he stayed with us some and we got him clothes and school stuff. We were eating dinner one night and he just matter of factly told us that he had a brother that was a year older than him but that he was snatched out of their group by a lion at night and eaten. Man, what incredible hardship they endured. After finding their parents murdered and their entire villages burned to the ground, they were on the run from the Islamics who were chasing them for a few weeks. They finally got cornered against a big river and were being slaughtered with AKs which compelled them to jump and try to swim to the other shore. Almost half their number either drowned, were shot, or eaten by crocodiles in just that incident. It makes me feel quite guilty when I sit around and get pissed off about things like the cell phone bill. :rolleyes:

As an aside, they've all gotten good jobs now and moved closer to their work. They don't drive so they live near economical mass transit (which means downtown) or they ride bikes. I gave "our" kid a Schwinn Continental that I had stored in the basement after I sent it to the shop and got it refurbed with new tires and chain. The look in his eyes was more appreciative than I would have gotten out of my son's if I had given him a new BMW.

[kristadb]

It goes both ways, Bank. We need everyday people to help - just as your community. But we often need governments to help with the administration of getting past governmental borders.

[IamJen]

Do you really think that question is the most important part of your original post?

Agreed. I've seen a couple of other posts from you about this, krista, where you've implied that people just don't care. I don't think that's fair. I've long been watching the news from Sudan...women in particular are meeting gruesome fates there. However, there is little that I can do. Write my Congressmen/President - yep. Send some $ to aid agencies (that might not even be able to get near enough to help) - yep. Overall, it's going to take action from people a lot more important, and a lot nearer to the situation than I, to make a difference.

[kristadb]

Jen, the average person does not care beyond a "tsk tsk" and the effort to change the channel. People on VB, including yourself, are not representive of the average western world population. The average VBer pays more attention then the average non-VBer (evidence: people I know, work with, have contact with through my job - I talk to ~80-100 people daily from all over western canada).

[IamJen]

<<<must hang out with really cool people. :)

[kristadb]

Jen, I think you do :)