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.

On March 6th, 2008, Mr. Mayo’s class will be sponsoring a 24 hour International Blog for Darfur Day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about the situation in Darfur and to try and get world leaders and people in power around the globe to realize that the people of the world do care about Darfur and that we need to do something about it. The way to post is to go to the International Blog for Darfur Day website and leave a comment on the page. Our goal is at least 1,000 comments. For more information on how to post, what we’re doing and other general information you can visit the International Blog for Darfur Day wiki.

On March 6th don’t be left out.

Note: Please don’t leave comments yet. We would like to wait till March 6th so we can get a better idea of exactly how many comments we can get in 24 hours.

Also visit stopgenocide.edublogs.org