Lobbying, Workshops, and Rallies! Oh, My!

It took me a while to get on here and talk about the weekend, mainly because I had to get my daily lesson plans to Steve ASAP. I feel awful for sending them in so late--- there's absolutely no excuse for not doing them earlier. It's so much work that I feel like I'm over my head most of the time, but this weekend has proven to me that I'm doing the right thing with this class.

After this weekend I can honestly say I'm a different person, for the better.

Though I was only in D.C. for three days it feels like I've been gone for three months. We arrived at 2am on Friday and woke up four hours later to recieve Lobby training and listen to speakers (John Prendergast!). The rest of the day was walking around the Senate buildings and meeting wtih reps for Congressmen and Senators. (On a side note, the student group from Georgia was picked to be followed around by a documentary team).

Saturday was devoted to workshops and getting together with people from our respective states/regions to talk about how to reach out to the community and get people involved in the cause. We had this amazing guy that works with companies/firms in doing this very thing. This went into the afternoon, but after that we were free do to whatever. Anja, Kristen, and I went to the metro area and walked down the Nat'l Mall and saw the World War II memorial. We went into the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for about an hour and upon leaving at closing time we vowed to come back tomorrow.

Sunday was the Rally and we were parked and walking around metro D.C. by 9:30. We skipped out on the brunch at Georgetown, mainly because we desperately wanted to get back to the Holocaust Museum (or at least I did). I have never been so utterly moved in my entire life. I was crying by the time we finished Daniel's Story, and the Hall of Remembrance was particuarly hard to deal with. Jodi had to leave the museum after a while because it was getting to be too much, and I don't blame her.

The great thing about the museum though is that it's jammed-packed with so much information you don't know what to do with yourself. I got a lot of great ideas for my class while I was walking through and even picked up several Identification Cards that I can give to my students. The cards are like those the Jews were required to carry during the Nazi regime, but inside it has the picture of the person, date of birth, and hometown. The rest tells the story of the person and what ultimately happened to him/her. Some lived and emigrated to another country, while in others they were murdered and/or died at a concentration camp. I have a great plan for these Identification cards and I know that my students will learn about religious persecution better with this hands-on activity.

I don't want it to sound like I am treating this ID cards as pieces of paper, because that is the last thing on my mind. These cards are people-- stories, families, lives that went through horrible and unimaginable circumstances. Each individual depicted in a card was a real person, as solid and real as you and me. 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust and on top of that the Roma and Disabled too. These cards tell their story, and hopefully each person that walks through those doors at the museum will know the life of at least one victim upon leaving.

Sorry, I'm in a negative mindset at the moment. I've been looking through my human rights books for the past six hours trying to find appropriate readings for class days and it's gotten to me a bit. Thank God for the journal though, right? This way I can get all the negative out and still maintain my sanity. I can only hope my students will feel the same about their journals.

Regardless of this lethargic attitude I have now, my mentality during the weekend was much, much different. Being able to Lobby with representatives and have people actually listen to what I was saying made me feel like I was really doing something. I was providing a voice to the voiceless. I was pushing my government to do something they have the power to do-- to help stop the senseless killing that's occuring in Darfur. To provide aid to the peacekeeping process. No one else is saying anything and people are blaming the UN for dragging its heels.

It's not the fault of the UN. It's the fault of the people, the bystanders. Governments won't act on things of this matter unless they think it's important to its constituents. Great Britain, France, Germany-- no one in the country is speaking out loud enough. The same is occuring here, but the Rally on Sunday was just another step in our push to get the U.S. to do something. In 2004 President Bush and Congress declared the situation in Darfur as "genocide" but they had yet to officially say this to the UN. It is only then---when they announce it to the UN--- that countries will be obligated to do something about it.

As of right now the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act has been passed. This is a great step, but it is not enough. It is only words and a small amount of money. We need action, and we need to give more money.

People are dying. In the time it will have taken me to write this whole post, at least 9 people will have been brutally murdered. By the time I wake up tomorrow families will have been torn apart, women raped and assaulted, and husbands killed right before their very eyes. At least 300 people are dying a day. Up to 400,000 have been murdered already, and 2 million people forced out of their homes with absolutely no where to go.

Yes, I'm preaching. Yes, I'm trying to make you aware. If you feel guilty for reading this or if you feel as if I'm trying to shame you into caring then that's your thing to deal with. I'm hear to make people aware of what's happening and to give suggestions on what people can do. That's what the workshops were all about-- to make the community aware of what's happening, to educate. There are a lot of people (old and young alike) that have no idea where Sudan is, let alone Darfur.

This weekend was amazing and I feel as if I am a better person for going. I think Kristen said it best though-- those that went now carry the burden of spreading the word back home. Not the easiest of tasks, mind you. If you got this far in the post then I appreciate you putting up with me on this.

Sites to visit:
www.savedarfur.org
www.gi.net

Both of those sites (particuarly the first one) is constantly updated on news that's coming out of the region and how to help. It could be as simple as putting your name on a postcard.

I can not wait to teach my class now. It just feels right. Like this is what I was meant to do all my life. To make people aware of things outside their lives, to push for action, to be an active citizen.

The events of a week ago feel as if they were months ago. The party, the weekend-- none of it seems to matter anymore--- it's all so inconsequential. It's amazing, isn't it? How much your life can change in three days.



"Silence condones: once awareness exists, it is unthinkable to remain silent."
Justice Richard Goldstone