DARFUR: Stanford University OpEd and Response

Op-ed: Darfur Fast 2006-Stand Against Genocide Stanford Daily, CA "Student activism at Stanford suffers from crisis fatigue... I appeal to The Daily’s readers to resist this temptation and to participate in this Thursday’s DarfurFast. " Mr. Vaughan goes on with great eloquence and passion. Please read the article.

DarfurDyingForHeroes response:

I praise and applaud Mr. Vaugan's passion, compassion, perseverance and determination regarding the Genocide in Darfur. Having lived the Darfur crisis as a full time volunteer activist for many months now gives me a perspective that I wish to share with Mr. Vaughn, a man of such promise.

Mr. Vaughan, if you had approached your education with the relative force implicit in a one-day-fast from luxuries, the STAND October 6th, 2006 fast, you would not be attending Stanford University, and probably not be attending even a community college. Let us take the approach of giving up Darfur to Genocide explicitly, or let our approach be realism and honesty about what it will take to stop the Genocide.

A third approach is the one that has been followed by the vast majority of Darfur activists thus far. This third approach is to do what is convenient, to do what others might likely "sign up" for, that is, to confine ourselves to activities we could "succeed" with instead of pursuing activities that although more risky and demanding, have the potential of stopping Darfur Genocide. This approach of convenience that we have been taking is worse than taking no action at all. It is worse because it squanders what energy is potentially available, and incorrectly communicates to the onlookers and participants alike that the actions being proposed will be sufficient. This third way becomes a killing campaign of misinformation, almost certain to result in Genocide "Again and Again," insuring a future filled with regrets like Rwanda.

Let us squarely face and admit to our abandonment of Darfur, or let us become realistic about what is required to stop the Genocide. Several of us have chosen this second course and are calling the world to Rescue Darfur Fast-Till-Genocide-Stops http://darfurdyingforheroes.blogspot.com/2007/09/rescue-darfur-fast-til-it-stops.html