Friday this letter was received in my inbox from a very young sister, and I saw it today:
Hello,
I discovered your blog, and could not agree with you more regarding the need to put everything down to come to the aid of our fellow brothers andsisters in Darfur. I am inspired by your actions, and am painfully aware that time is growing shorter and shorter for Darfur.
So I come to you with a question. I want to organize a very big march. I must admit to you that I have never organized a march or protest before...I am on the younger side of being a teenager. Anyway, I was thinking all the way from the U.N. in NYC down to Washington D.C. Obviously this would take a lot of people, and a considerable amount of time depending on daily mileage. It would also require places to spend the night for participants, along with many other requirements. But an event such as this would recieve a great deal of media coverage, which would hopefully prompt action.
What do you think? I know that the idea is big. But, here is what I think, let us at least do something...a lot of people probably have ideas like this but do not act on them. In your experience, could this work? could something similar work? If not, what will work??
Thank you and take care,
Ms. H. D.
------ Start Loving's response:
My dear sister,
Oh how wonderful it is to hear from you. An honor and a blessing it is indeed.
Beyond question or dispute it will take a "miracle" (however you define that - a totally unexpected, unlikely "something," unforseeable," "impossible") to Save Darfur. Genocide has never been stopped and NOTHING done for Darfur so far shows any likelyhood of doing anything more than killing time, killing Darfuries. Most people that stop and talk with me about what I am doing at the Sudan Embassy ask, "Do you think it will help?" With respect and love I tell them that the question in the face of year five of the Darfur Holocaust is: "Is it my best chance!!!!!!!!!, NOT will it help." Strangers think about "success" when helping another. "Family," which is what we must become with Darfur, family in an emergency TAKES THEIR BEST SHOT! Right? Among the most inspiring writing of what it means to be "Human" in the face of genocide is the site Holocaust Rescuers. See what the young people did.
Miracles come from TOTALLY unexpected, unlikely places. Always, by definiton. Right? In the face of human rights abuses they more likely than not come from humanity's YOUTH. This was true in the ending of Apartheid with the Sowetto riots (elementary school students), ending the horrible Vietnam War, gaining southern U.S. Civil Rights.... "And the children will lead them..." is ancient and correct Truth.
What history asks of every human being in the face of Genocide is "do what is in your heart;" "do what you would do if your dearest loved one was in a Chad camp and only could be saved by stopping the genocide." DO THAT, ATTEMPT THAT, NOW! FRANKLY, IT IS THE ATTEMPT, FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE HEART, THAT CAUSES MIRACLES THAT TOTALLY SURPRISE EVEN, ESPECIALLY THE ONE THAT INITIATES THE ATTEMPT.
Your chance of pulling off the plan you propose as you propose it? It would take a miracle. Save Darfur tried, with a multi million dollar budget to have big rally in NY City and it was 10% what they needed it to be, and they are a large, sophisticated organization - with little or no heart, that will never be the source of miracles, until they fall in Love, become "family" with Darfur.
My sister, work hard to see what is in your heart, and attempt it WITH ALL YOUR HEART. If 1000 of us found the courage to find and do what is in our hearts, as though our lives, like our loved one's lives depended on it (and they they do depend on it), one of us would spark the miracle. I pray, you do it' NOW!
I'm your brother. If you find that I can help in any way, let me know.
History will NOT ask you or I if we stopped the Genocide. History will demand to know of each of us alive today if we behaved with all the passion, commitment, abandon, Love and courage that genocide demands of us. Go for it.
With Love and respect, your brother, Start Loving
ps: Sometimes I have to be asked several times before I "get it." If I can help further, ask me again! :-)
pps: Out of respect for you I will disguise your name, no email address, etc, but later today I'll post our dialog on Jesus, Good, God-Father, Alfred Adler, n Start Loving.
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