In Honor of UN Peace Keepers Day

Yesterday was the International Day for UN Peace Keepers. A day designated for honoring the 65 years of service and sacrifice of UN Peace Keepers serving in missions around the world. Missions that seek to bring stability to conflict zones, give protection to civilian populations, and pave the way for transitions to peace and prosperity; and while it’s absolutely important to recognize the sacrifices of men and women from all over the world, embarking on these missions, often in dangerous places and contexts, I also want us to recognize what happens when peace keepers are sent into a region or country with a weak mandate and without the true support from the host government. I want us to recognize how this circumstance impacts the safety of those Peace Keepers. How it derails other meaningful progress on comprehensive peace by giving the ones truly in control, the genocidal government, time to continue doing what it does – kill people and retain power.

Take the African Union/United Nation Hybrid peacekeeping operation in Darfur – UNAMID. Established in 2007, with the overall objective of protecting civilians. UNAMID has largely struggled to do so, and instead continues to operate within a weak mandate and among a hostile and dangerous environment that lacks sufficient infrastructure and support from local stakeholders. Why? Well, the Government of Sudan (GoS) remains resistant in allowing their effective deployment and operations. Under the influence of the GoS, the UNAMID mandate was designed to dilute and diminish the peacekeepers’ role and their ability to move around the region. In reality, UNAMID is under control of the GoS. The GoS actively prevents UNAMID from visiting certain areas in Darfur, which considerably reduces its ability to assume its function effectively and to generate the required change and protection on the ground in Darfur. In turn, war-affected populations and IDPs in Darfur are losing confidence and trust in UNAMID. UNAMID has been subject to angry encounters, demonstrations and victims of violence. Nevertheless, the UN Security Council continues to mandate the extension of its operations in the region, all the while the GoS remains in power and in control.

Yes, we can all agree that the presence of a robust and capable UNAMID would have a hugely beneficial effect on the vast amounts of victims of the armed conflict in Darfur, but the GoS does not allow them to be robust or capable. Therefore, as we honor the UN Peace Keepers, let’s also reflect on the reality that a force has been deployed that has not made a difference, that does not have the capability to defend itself and that carries the risk of tragic failure for the people of Darfur. And when will we stop allowing the Government of Sudan to continue to control and manipulate the situation and the deaths of a people?

Loving You

I write this blog about Darfur to my three children, Boston 6, Capri 3 and Cayman 2. My desire is that through my writing they can know me, know the world and learn how they can achieve anything in order to change it. To the reader, I hope by giving you a transparent look into our lives, that you may learn something about yourself in order to help heal the world.

The last blog I wrote was about healing, self-healing and the opportunity for humanity to be healed. On a very personal level, a great amount of healing can come to us – and through us to others – as we truly learn to love who we are.

Personally, I spent many years not loving who I am and spending that time telling myself that I was simply not good enough. Even at the age of 37, I am still learning to have an appreciation and respect for all that I am. Not in an egotistic way, one that is boosted up by the material and earthly things, but in a deeper, spiritual way.

Your mother and I are always sharing our love with all of you and reminding you to love who you are. Despite this, there will be chances to practice self-forgiveness, self-healing and self-love.  Besides, it seems to be some sort of right of passage for humans. At first it may seem difficult, it may take time as it has in my case, but it is a focus worth pursuing.

So why I am writing about self-love on a blog that is concerned about ended the genocide in Darfur and healing our African brothers and sisters? Well our love towards humanity, towards others, is limited by the amount of love that we have internally. If we can learn to remember who we are, to deepen our love and respect for who we are, then we can share a greater love towards others. Loving ourselves is loving others.

Learn to love who you are and create a deep respect and appreciation for who you are and the go and spread that love towards all of those around, to all of humanity.

I love you so much. You have taught me so much. Because you have come into my life, my love has not only deepened towards who I am, but towards all of humanity. Thank you, thank you, I love you!

In April, Jeremiah and his wife, Jessica, took  Boston, Capri, and Cayman to help make bones for the One Million Bones project. Their art pieces will be laid on the National Mall in honor of victims of mass atrocities everywhere.

Healing Hearts

I write this blog about Darfur to my three children, Boston 6, Capri 3 and Cayman 2. My desire is that through my writing, they can know me, know the world and learn how they can achieve anything in order to change it. To the reader, I hope by giving you a transparent look into our lives that you may learn something about yourself in order to help heal the world.

As I write this, I wonder where you will be when you read it, how old you will be, and what your lives will be like. I wonder what the state of the world will be when you read this. One thing I know for certain, you are reading this at a perfect time and place. Even if it isn’t your first time, you are being called to read it, and there is a reason why.

One of my deepest desires is that this can be a real positive source in your life; a place where you can come for learning and healing.

Healing has been on my mind lately. I know for me personally, I have had a lot to heal over the years. The last four or five years have been actually quite challenging. Definitely the most challenging and trying times in my life; however, I am so grateful for the wonderful forms of healing that have come my way. Boston, when you were 5, I went through one of these difficult times, and I decided to spend every morning walking and watching the sunrise. I don’t know how it happened, but you wanted to come with me every morning. It was cold and it was early, yet you came with me, helping me heal – you saved my life.

As humans, we always have opportunities for healing. In this moment, I am sure there is an opportunity to heal internal wounds for you. I hope these words can help be a catalyst for your healing and that you can take the steps to be healed.

With Darfur, there is a serious amount of healing to be had. They are such harsh circumstances and even after visiting half dozen camps, meeting many refugees and knowing so many stories, I still can’t even comprehend the healing that must go on.

On a global level, the world is in much need of healing as well. The fact that this genocidal conflict has gone on for ten years shows the state of pain that the rest of the world must be in. It’s in such a state of pain that we are paralyzed in our efforts to help end the genocide in Darfur.

A Buddhist monk named Thich Naht Hanh has written that with true service, it difficult to see who is serving whom. During this exchange of service, both of the parties are being healed and being healers. You can’t have one without the other. Whatever your pains, whatever your sorrows, I invite you to become a conscious healer and allow for your own self-healing.

My trips to Darfur have always come at the heels of my biggest struggles in life, and both trips gave me incredible strength and healing. And as I’ve been healed, I only hope I have made a difference for one of my brothers or sisters there.

The world is in an interesting place. Millions of people are suffering from the most extreme horrors that can ever be imagined and here in the western world, we have our own sufferings. Yes, they are remarkably different, but healing that is needed nonetheless. If only we could see how in this cosmic dance of humanity, how these two parties could come together, heal one another, and create such a cosmic shift that it actually does change the world.

I love you. During those dark moments of your life, take a deep breath, look around and be a healer and your heart will be healed.

Everyone Deserves Comfort

I write this blog about Darfur to my three children, Boston 6, Capri 3 and Cayman 2. My desire is that through my writing, they can know me, know the world and learn how they can achieve anything in order to change it. To the reader, I hope by giving you a transparent look into our lives that you may learn something about yourself in order to help heal the world.

My last blog was about the infectious disease of the indifference that is affecting humanity. There are so many reasons why this happens, and maybe we can touch on many of those, but one reason is due to our desire to remain comfortable.

“The world is full of miserable places. One way of living comfortably is not to think about them or, when you do, send money.” – Tracy Kidder

I came across this quote this week, and for me it truly sums up the Genocide in Darfur and the world’s reaction to it. Darfur is a miserable situation and one that is extremely difficult to even think about. Maybe at times this is due to our selfish desires to remain in or own comfortable bubble, maybe others it is due to our fear or the doubt of our inability to do something about it.

As a parent, I will always try to make your life comfortable. To give you the things that you need to learn and grow in this life. Most importantly, I hope to give you a foundation that is needed so that you can go out and make a difference for humanity. At the same time, my focus and desire is that this is possible for all children around the world.

Though I strive to give you the comfort that you deserve, I also hope to give you a real sense of the world and what is going on. I hope by looking at situations such as Darfur that it makes you so uncomfortable, that it actually moves you to do something about it.

The reality is, whatever sense of comfort we may have about life, there is an illusion about it. Our lives can never fully be complete and whole while genocide is happening on the planet. We can never fully achieve greatness as individuals, or humanity while genocide is taking place. These false senses of comfort will eventual catch up with us if we don’t extend our hands to give basic human rights to humanity.

I read a quick story of Suad Ahmed this week, a 25 year-old Darfuri refugee that was out collecting firewood with her sister Halima. Upon seeing the Janjaweed militias close by, she told her younger sister to run while she created a diversion that drew the attention to her. She saved her sister, at the cost of being captured, beaten and gang-raped by eight men.

The story pulls at you, a reality that is sure to make you feel uncomfortable. Our choices are to ignore it, as the world has, or realize that we can do something about it. This isn’t happening to a person on the other side of the globe, this is happening to us, humanity. Don’t allow these atrocities to happen to the collective us.

The quote is from author Tracy Kidder – the book Mountains Beyond Mountains  – and it is the story of Dr. Paul Farmer a Doctor of diseases who has labored with people whose lives are lived in poverty.  His philosophy is “the only nation is humanity.”

The story of Suad Ahmed is from Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book, Half the Sky.

Guisma’s Darfur: 10 Years is Enough

During the last 10 years, Guisma went from living with her brothers and parents in their village in Darfur, to seeing two older brothers killed during the brutal attack on their home, another younger brother die during the escape to Chad, and a little sister die in the refugee camp that is now Guisma’s home. She became a refugee during the Bush Administration and is now still a refugee, as Obama begins his second term. Both Presidents promised to make Darfur a priority and find a way to help stop the violence, but Darfur continues to burn, as we commemorate its 10th anniversary. We’ve seen Guisma grow up over the years. She is a beautiful girl, but her eyes have seen much more than what any girl should have seen. 10 years is enough for her and Darfur.

To honor Guisma and her famiy, i-ACT is launching the 100-Day Fast for Darfur. It will begin on April 6, the anniversary of the day the Rwandan Genocide started, and end July 14, 2013. We hope people will join by fasting water-only or refugee rations (1,000 calories or less) for a day or more.

To see Guisma’s full story, please go to: https://vimeo.com/24404833

The SGN Team