Today, September 17, has been declared a Global Day of Action for Darfur. dayfordarfur.org tells us that the day “was originally conceived by a group of NGOs working on Darfur and concerned about the slow response of the international community to the crisis”.

It’s also the first anniversary of the signing of the 2005 UN World Summit Outcome Document. Of particular relevance here are paragraphs 138 and 139:

Responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity

138. Each individual State has the responsibility to protect its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. This
responsibility entails the prevention of such crimes, including their incitement, through appropriate and necessary means. We accept that responsibility and will act in accordance with it. The international community should, as appropriate, encourage and help States to exercise this responsibility and support the United Nations in establishing an early warning capability.

139. The international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapters VI and VIII of the Charter, to help to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In this context, we are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, including Chapter VII, on a case-by-case basis and in cooperation with relevant regional organizations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. We stress the need for the General Assembly to continue consideration of the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and its implications, bearing in mind the principles of the Charter and international law. We also intend to commit ourselves, as necessary and appropriate, to helping States build capacity to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and to assisting those which are under stress before crises and conflicts break out.

So what are we doing about it? Damn little. An obscenely small amount. Mary Liddell in today’s Observer summarises the situation:

The African Union’s 7,000 peacekeepers, feeble, underfunded and unwelcome, are leaving in a fortnight. Sudan’s leader, Omar al-Bashir, refuses to accept the 20,000 replacement force mandated by the United Nations. The resulting security vacuum would force out aid workers, condemning to death many of the 2.5 million who depend on them. It would also let Bashir unleash a military solution to a three-year conflict that has killed 300,000 people and left 2 million homeless; 10,000 Sudanese troops are massing to take on the rebels.

A good centralised resource page for information and action about the situation in Darfur can be found at the excellent International Crisis Group website.

As for John Winston Howard, he still registers a nil return for mentions of “Darfur” either in Hansard or in transcripts available on the Prime Ministerial website. But then, he never was big on humanitarian issues, was he?

I’ll post about the Australian political activity in relation to Darfur in a separate item. I’ll finish this post with a prayer, published by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, on Friday:

Heavenly Father,

We pray for those whose lives are lived on the margins of nations and suffer from the wars that others fight around them. We pray for the warring factions, that they may see themselves under the gaze of God and those who suffer for their cause. We pray for the peoples of Darfur who are haunted by fear of violence, hunger and hopelessness, that they may continue to be fed, visited and defended. We pray for the work of peacekeepers, negotiators and the humanitarian organisations that security may prevail. We pray for the Government of Sudan and for her unity. We pray for peace in the name of him who is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Pray for peace in the Middle East.

Pray for an end to the hostilities between the Israeli Defence Forces and the Hezbollah militants, and between the Israeli Defence Forces and the militants of the Palestinian Territories.

Pray for the people of Lebanon, Israel and Gaza who have lost family, lost their homes or their livelihoods or have been injured as a result of the bombings in the current conflict. Pray for those people in Lebanon and throughout the Holy Lands who follow the word of the Gospels as delivered by Your son Jesus Christ, that they may find reassurance in your word in these times of war.

Pray for those military personnel who have been captured by opposing forces, that they may be freed and returned to their homelands unharmed.

Pray for the Australians trapped in Lebanon as a result of the disablement of Beirut Airport, that they may be able to return to Australia swiftly and safely. Pray that their friends and family in Lebanon remain unharmed.

Pray for the leaders of the governments and of the militant groups in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon. Although they may not worship you, dear Lord, in a way that we believe to be the right way, we pray that they will use their faith in You to bring a return to peace, humanity, and reasoned debate of their differences. Pray that they reject the notions of violent revenge and disproportionate attack.

Pray that those groups who stand outside the law and inflict harm in neighbouring countries be restrained and brought to justice by their governments.

Pray for the G8 Summit in St Petersburg, for the United Nations, and for the heads of government of the leading powers of the world, that they may be able to use their influence wisely and fairly to bring a swift ceasefire.

Pray for the missionaries and aid workers in the Palestinian Territories and throughout the Middle East, and pray for the Bishop of Jerusalem and the clergy of all his parishes across these troubled regions.

Amen.