The women of Darfur are being raped while collecting firewood. Thousands have been victims; often repeatedly. They now sing a song:
"This is our land ... They rape us and they kill us. Who can we depend on to help us?"
Darfurian girls prepare to leave a refugee camp to look for firewood.
What can you do? Plenty! Read on...
We know about this song thanks to the audacious reporting of Ann Curry, who -- in a recent report for NBC -- recounts the story of 17-year-old Aziza, who was raped by a Janjaweed militiaman. The man "bit her arm and neck to 'mark' her as a rape victim" and told her that, "You are black. You have no place here. We will push you out of here. This land will remain for us."
These armed marauders, funded by the Sudanese government and supported by the Sudanese army, have been terrorizing the people of Darfur for over three years and now lurk outside of refugee camps preying on women and girls who must leave the camps to collect firewood.
As the political process in Darfur drags on -- the agreement "in principle" by Sudan to a UN force was denied almost as soon as it was made -- the violence continues. As world leaders argue over the appropriate nature of their response, rape is being used systematically as a weapon of genocide in Darfur.
Today we head into Thanksgiving. We will spend time with our friends and family and we will give thanks for the blessings in our lives.
In the meantime, however, we must not forget the continuing genocide in Darfur and the anguish felt there by the women and girls who face the daily specter of rape. The emotional goal of these thoughts is not guilt. Guilt helps no one. We should instead feel moved. We should feel stirred to action.
The Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net) believes that civilian protection should be the top priority in the fight against genocide. In this way GI-Net is unique. We are exclusively committed to civilian protection in Darfur.
Help us to protect women like Aziza.
TAKE ACTION FOR DARFUR
1. Make a donation this Thanksgiving to support GI-Net's efforts to protect women from rape in Darfur through ensuring that the African Union peacekeepers are funded and that they coordinate with refugees to organize firewood patrols.
2. Send this message to five friends or family members and add your thoughts about why you think this is important during the Thanksgiving season.
3. Add a banner that shows your support for the cause to your blog or website!
4. Want even more things you can do? Check out our list of ten things you can do right now!
You can have a hand in stopping genocide in Darfur.