Post Cards Sent to the White House to Help Darfur

A recent meeting observing the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan took place at the First AME Church in South Los Angeles. The purpose of this meeting was to try to help end the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Briefly stated, the Darfur conflict started in the year 2003 when the Darfur rebels attacked and captured the capital of Darfur. this conflict is between the Pastoralists (Arab Africans) and the Agriculturalists (non-Arab Africans) over land and water. The Arabs, known as the Janjweed, destroyed villages, raped women and girls, poisoned water supplies, and destroyed sources of food. Millions have been forced into refugee camps where attacks against the people continued.

The meeting at this church was the first of its kind in a major U.S. city. They attracted people of different races and religion, bringing in 750 interested people. The meeting, which took place on a Sunday after services, was developed by two Jewish organizations; The American Jewish Committee and Jewish World Watch. These groups introduced the idea of having this program at the First AME Church because they wanted to spur further action. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also encouraged people to come to this meeting.

The genocide in the northeastern African nation evoked memories of the Nazi Holocaust and slavery in the United States. One attendee stated that she was interested in this meeting because of her African American and Jewish background.

Other groups helped form this meeting such as a coalition of dozens of religious and human rights groups, including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Islamic Center of Southern California and the UCLA African Studies Center.

There were musical performances by the First AME Church Choir and a group known as the Los Angeles Cantors. The program included speeches, photo displays and a video. the main focus on this day was the tragedy of Darfur.

The vast killings, rapes and forced displacement has taken approximately 200,000 lives. Over two million people have been taken from their homes.