I’m watching ER right now – yes, I’m one of the few people who still watches, I’ll admit it – and the episode is all about Darfur. I know it is a fictional TV show, but this time it is about something very real. In fact, I would guess that the reality is worse than what they’re showing on ER. Life has been relentlessly unkind to the people living in Darfur for quite some time now. Since 2003, more than 400,000 people have been killed in the Sudan, 2.5 million have been displaced, and 3.5 million people are already hungry and facing the very real possibility of famine. The civilians are mistreated by the government and the Janjaweed militias. Women and children face an almost constant threat of rape and beatings.
It certainly puts my petty concerns in perspective. I doubt the people of Darfur have time to waste being insecure. And if a woman there is infertile, she may well consider it a blessing. Even if she doesn’t, she certainly doesn’t have the options that are available to me as an American. So instead of whining and worrying and feeling sorry for myself, I think I’ll take some time to be grateful for what I’ve got. And work on doing something positive.
Here are some links where you can learn more about what is going on in Darfur, and what Americans can do to help:
Save Darfur Coalition
Human Rights First
Doctors Without Borders
Unicef
