I just finished posting my comment for International Blog for Darfur Day.  The comment was the essay I wrote.  You can view it here.  I enjoyed this project because I felt like I was really making a difference.  It felt good.

Remember to leave a comment here to help stop the genocide in Darfur. (You can comment anytime before 12.00am March 8, eastern Standard Time.)

Part of the Job
An essay about what the next president must deal with and what they need to in Darfur.
By Rafi, Mr. Mayo, Pd. 1

As the presidential primaries proceed, all of the candidates are promising to do something about the war, or jump-start the housing market. These things are all well and good and necessary, but what about Darfur? The rebel groups in Darfur recently attacked the capitol of Chad, a neighbor to Sudan. The rebels were unsuccessful in their attack, and were forced to pull out. But they have vowed to attack again. This new conflict has added another layer to an already confusing situation.  Focusing all our power on homeland security and economic issues alone is not enough. We, as the richest and most powerful nation in the world, have a global responsibility. And the next president needs to recognize that and do something about it in Darfur.
All the candidates need to focus on what they will do about Darfur if they are elected. I believe, as a country, we need to take immediate action against the Sudanese government. Whether that means imposing sanctions, or refusing to trade with them, or any of their allies, we need to make it clear that we will not allow a genocide to take place for so long. George Bush has ignoring this pressing issue. So I think that the next president, whether it is Mr. Obama, Mr. McCain, or Ms. Clinton, must take a stand.

The next president needs to work with the UN and the African Union to provide support and troops for peace keeping forces to send into Sudan to protect the victims in Darfur. We need to be careful not to take to much control in the policy of other countries, but as the most powerful nation in the world, we have a global responsibility to do something about a genocide that has lasted much too long.

For this reason, I urge the next president, regardless of party affiliation, to provide peace keeping forces for Darfur. In addition, we need to bestow sanctions and economic pressure on the Sudanese government and China, being Sudan’s biggest customer in the oil market. The candidates have done a good job of indicating what they will do for America, but what about the world? The next president needs to know that is is their responsibility to do something about a genocide that needs to end.

For More Info, visit The Truth About Darfur.

As you probably already know, on March 6th and 7th, Mr. Mayo’s class is sponsoring a 48 hour Blog for Darfur Marathon. We are trying to get as many people from around the world to leave comments at the Many voices for Darfur Blog. So far we have over 20 teachers and over 300 students who are going to be leaving comments at This Blog.

We are sponsoring this blogging marathon to raise awareness about the crisis in Darfur. If we can get enough comments I am sure we can get some attention and maybe even change some policy. WE NEED YOU to log in on March 6th and 7th and leave thoughtful, well written comments about ideas and plans to help end the genocide. Please tell everybody you know. We need as much support as we can get.

It is our responsibility to do something about this horrible genocide! The time for action HAS COME!

For more information visit the Many Voices for Darfur Blog and the Many Voices for Darfur Wiki.

Also visit The Truth About Darfur Blog, by some of Mr. Mayo’s students.

Recently President Bush explained his plan to equip soldiers in Africa to Be able to defend the people of Darfur. He has taken $12 million out of the $100 million Darfur Budget and given it to Rwandan soldiers in order to train, equip and supply them so they can help out in Darfur. But $12 million will only get so far and I believe we need a longer term plan to stop this genocide, instead of just forking over a few million dollars every few months. Perhaps employing negotiators or sponsoring peace talks would be more effective in the long run.

But even more upsetting then this is the fact that with less than a year left in his presidency, Bush has chosen now to act. He was there when it started five years ago and he was there when it became apparent it was not going a way. And yet here we are, five years later and still, hundreds of thousands of innocent lives are destroyed right before our eyes. The time for action is not now and it will not be tomorrow. The time of action was five years ago!

I appreciate that Mr. Bush has taken it upon himself to try and fix this crisis in Darfur, but he needs to take a more pro-active approach instead of just throwing cash into it. Because money burns. And we don’t need to fight fire with fire. We need to bring the water and right now the best water to douse this fire is negotiation and peaceful intervention.

I read this article about Steven Spielberg and his resignation from the 2008 Olympics. He claims it is because he does not agree with China’s unwillingness to allow aid in Darfur.

China responded defensively saying that they have don’t have and unacceptable human rights record.

Spielbergsaid China “should be doing more to end the continuing human suffering” in Darfur, where fighting between rebellious African tribes and government-backed Arab militias has led to the deaths of as many as 450,000 people and displaced 2.5 million others.

China buys two thirds of Sudan’s oil export so it makes sense that they would not want to upset the current system. They have also blocked most of the UN resolutions to send aid into Sudan. They have been under pressure to allow aid and to stop being so stubborn.