Genocide is raging in the Sudan and the world is sitting by. "The Sudanese Government, using Arab "Janjaweed" militias, its air force, and organized starvation, is deliberately and systematically killing the black Sudanese of Darfur." It is estimated that over 100,000 people have been killed as of yesterday.
Today has been declared Sudan: Day of Conscience by the Save Darfur Coalition. Thousands of people in the United States are fasting to draw attention to this issue. From the coalition web site:
Under the pretext of countering an insurgency in the region, a government-supported militia (called the Janjaweed) is deliberately killing, raping and terrorizing civilians in Darfur on a horrifically widespread scale.To date, as many as 50,000-100,000 civilians have been killed and 1.2 million people have been driven from their homes. Many of these refugees, now in camps in Chad and Sudan, report the raping of women and girls, the torching of villages, the destruction of food supplies and the deliberate poisoning of water sources by the Janjaweed.
In addition to the constant danger of attack from the Janjaweed, the refugees and those who remain in their villages in Darfur must deal with rampant hunger and disease, the lack of water, and the absence of sanitation facilities. The seasonal rains hamper access by humanitarian aid organizations, whose assistance is already drastically reduced by limitations imposed by the Sudanese government.
Please take some time to learn more about the genocide and ways you can act to help stop it. The world said “Never Again” after the genocide of the Jews in Europe, but here we are silently watching another genocide occur.
This prayer is offered for use as part of the Sudan: Day of Conscience.
Peace for the Children of God
O God, all holy One,
you are our Father, and our Mother,
and we are your children.
Open our eyes and our hearts
so that we may be able to discern
your work in the universe.
And be able to see Your features
in every one of Your children.
May we learn that there are many paths
but all lead to You.
Help us to know that you have created us
for family, for togetherness,
for peace, for gentleness,
for compassion, for caring, for sharing.
May we know that You want us
to care for one another
as those who know
that they are sisters and brothers,
members of the same family,
Your family,
the human family.
Help us to beat our swords into plowshares
and our spears into pruning hooks,
so that we may be able to live
in peace and harmony,
wiping away the tears
from the eyes of those
who are less fortunate than ourselves.
And may we know war no more,
as we strive to be
what You want us to be:
Your children.
Amen.
Desmond M. Tutu, Former Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa (adapted)
