The Indifference of the World

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 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.

It is February of 2013 and we are hitting the 10-year mark of the genocidal conflict in Darfur. It is easy to say that atrocities like this begin because of evil men doing evil things in the world. It is much more difficult to say that they go on for 10 years because the world simply does not care.

For the most part, the world rests in a very large state of indifference.  Darfur is a huge manifestation of this indifference. How else can you explain humanity allowing genocide to happen, with millions of our brothers and sisters continuing to suffer from these atrocities?

This indifference arises because humanity, as a whole, fails to realize how powerful we truly are. When it comes to Darfur, we see how governments are failing, hence the question arises, if they can’t do anything about it, how can I? Such thoughts create a lack of responsibility, because if we think we can’t do anything about it, then we no longer have the responsibility to do so.

Whatever the excuses, please remember to be mindful, be responsible. The world is your responsibility. Not more so than anyone else, but equal responsibility inside the whole.

Boston, Capri, and Cayman, I really love talking to you about Africa and especially telling you stories and showing you pictures of the children of Darfur. There is such a simple and powerful understanding that you hold in your minds. You say things like, “Dad, shouldn’t we get them food” or “Dad, why can’t we just build them some schools.” In short, you accept the responsibility. You get that it is our responsibility to do something.

Your minds don’t let things get in your way yet. You haven’t had enough life experience that you use as stories or excuses to why things can’t get done.

As you get older though, things happen in life. They always do. You may have some struggles, or “failures” that you hold on to. As you do this as an adult, this actually starts to hinder your progress and really begins to cloud your mind as to what is possible in the world. Instead of seeing life and obvious solutions to helping others, like in the case of Darfur, you begin to look at all the reasons why it can’t happen. All the reasons to why it is too hard, we don’t have time, or that we simply aren’t powerful enough to do anything about it.

These things quickly lead to indifference in the world. We often complain, blame, point fingers, but rarely do we really care about something. Rarely, do we focus the time and energy to the things that are truly important in this world.

As you grow older, I ask you to be mindful of these things. Love what you do. Love life like you do now and love humanity in such a way that you take the responsibility to make the world a better place. It only takes a little time and attention from each of us.