South Sudan's independence is on the line and worse - human lives. As border disputes and struggles for power start new wars in the area many innocent people are caught in the crossfire.
What can we do 1/2 a world away?
Should we do anything?
What right do the Western countries have to interfere in local boundary issues?
There are so many questions to ask, and many people feel helpless to do anything so they do nothing. Is nothing really going to help those living in refugee camps, those who are running from areas of conflict?
South Sudan has been in conflict off and on for the last 50 years and the world has ignored their cries. I grew up in the 80s when millions of South Sudanese were being slaughtered and thousands of orphans were fleeing into refugee camps yet there was no aid song for them. Teenagers participated in 30 hour famine events for the starving Ethiopians while the country next door didn't make a footnote in the media. Now 20 years later we have a choice, ignore their plight again or do something.
Our Lame Excuses for Inaction:
We negate the issues and turn the news off when it is too much for our sensitivities, we have our own problems of crime and terrorism. We think of ourselves and thank God that we are not over there - wherever the there is. We expect our leaders to do something, but not too much, maybe wave a finger of shame at the aggressors. If it costs us anything then we don't want to get involved, after all we deserve life and liberty - they don't.
We claim that the problem is too big and too foreign for us to do anything about - we are way to busy in our day to day lives and just don't have time to care about others. We are guilty of consumerism and we continue to gobble up the resources of this world without a thought to the consequences for others. I count myself amongst those guilty of this.
These and many other lame excuses or justifications for doing nothing while others die are examples of our own inhumanity. Now is the time for action not lame excuses, what can you do to help change the world?
Our Actions for Change:
We can change the world by writing letters to our Governments asking them to step in and mediate.
We can write letters to our media and ask for more information, more coverage of South Sudan.
We can join with other organizations working toward a better Sudan.
We can be ethical consumers and stop buying items that enhance the bank accounts of warlords.
We can buy fair trade.
We can talk to our neighbours and friends about South Sudan
We can organize a petition, a protest, a sit in, or any form of event to get the word out.
We can join organizations for Sudan on Facebook and post about Sudan on our facebook walls
What else can we do? Leave your ideas in the comments section of this post.
