On April 30^th, a bright Sunday afternoon, tens of thousands of people gathered on the U.S. Capitol Mall to draw attention and stand as a witness to the genocide that is taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Although those gathered created a rainbow of the human family, it was stunning to see the number of young people of the Jewish faith that were present.  The children of survivors of the Holocaust joined with survivors of Rwanda, Cambodia, and Kosovo to shout to the world, “Never Again” and “Not On Our Watch.”  It is important to note that people of good will from every religion and many nations were present.

Five Good Shepherd Sisters drove down from New York City to join the Sisters from the Silver Spring Community and the staff of the National Advocacy Center who came to listen, to pray, and to call for an end to the suffering of our brothers and sisters half a world away.  Especially in our thoughts were our Sudanese Good Shepherd Sisters who are working in the region.

We are united with over 2.5 million people who have been displaced from their homes fleeing a special kind of madness in which rape has been used to wipe out a race of people, and children have been made to commit horrendous acts against humanity in order to ensure their participation in the army.

On Sunday we gathered on the mall to condemn the perpetrators of this violence with our voices and by our presence shine a light on this evil that is the first genocide of the 21^st century. Please join us in prayer and action to continue this witness and help bring an end to the violence and death in Darfur.

-Reflection by Sr. Gayle Lwanga Crumbley, National Coordinator

What You Can Do

Get the facts about the situation in Darfur and what our government can do to help stop the violence.

• Fact Sheet and Action Request (PDF) – U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Situation in Darfur – Save Darfur Coalition
• How to Stop Genocide in Darfur – Africa Action

Action Ideas

• Join the Million Voices for Darfur Campaign and send an e-mail or postcard to President Bush urging him to take stronger action to protect innocent civilians in Darfur. 
• Write your members of Congress calling for action to stop the violence, provide aid, and resolve the conflict. 
• Send a letter to the editor demanding greater attention to the crisis in Sudan. 
• Educate your agency, community, family, and friends about the situation in Darfur:
  • Resources for Students and Teachers – Save Darfur Coalition
  • PowerPoint Presentations on Darfur – Save Darfur Coalition
  • Multimedia Resources – Genocide Intervention Network 
• Organize a prayer service/vigil:
  • Prayer Service for Sudan (MS Word)– Catholic Relief Services
  • Resources for Communities of Faith – Save Darfur Coalition
  • Sudan Church Materials – Developed by United Methodist lay people 

Additional Information

Remembering, Responding, Rebuilding – Catholic Relief Services’ website on Sudan

Save Darfur Coalition

Committee on Conscience – U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

Darfur Peace and Development