Leaders are hearing our voice: Take action in Darfur
By Ben Long
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
May 8, 2006

We witnessed something amazing last week. On April 30, tens of thousands of Americans traveled to Washington to tell our government that we need to end the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. This scene was repeated in cities across in the country, including Pittsburgh, over the course of the week.

The local call for action headed up by the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition has been no less impressive. Over 15,000 of our friends and neighbors have signed postcards calling on President Bush to act. Nearly 300 of us traveled to the D.C. rally.

Nothing short of multinational intervention will stop the genocide in Darfur. The United States must do everything necessary to ensure that a U.N. peacekeeping force is deployed in Darfur. This might mean footing part of the bill and it might mean applying some due diplomatic pressure on countries like Russia and China that have interests in Sudan.

And our voice is having an impact. The Bush Administration has been talking about Darfur a lot more lately. Now it needs to turn this talk into action. We need to apply pressure at the United Nations -- let the rest of the world know that we are serious about ending this genocide. If we don't, chances are the world won't act. The violence in Sudan will spread to Chad and could spread across Central Africa. Millions will suffer and Darfur will hold a place next to Rwanda in our collective shame. That is, unless our leaders hear our voice.

BEN LONG
Program Director
Global Solutions Education Fund

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