Every 'hobby' blog I come across seems to eventually have a lot of posts starting with "sorry I haven't written in so long..." or some such posting. In fact, although I have been absent for a while, I've been actively pondering the direction to take this writing, and the break has been, more or less, intentional.
When I finished my philosophy segment I started out on a tactical approach to organizing. It's not a bad approach, but honestly, it didn't feel right. I wanted to really talk about peace and peacemaking. Tactics can be left for any organization that I find myself in to do this work. I think this blog represents an intangible soap box for me where I can carefully consider the state of peace in the world.
It's been a terrible month for peace, most notably in Syria. Let's hope Kofi Annan's good efforts prevail. I'd prefer to have more to say on the subject, but Syria is a particularly difficult place to unravel. Not that any conflict of that magnitude is going to be easy, but Syria's interconnectedness with the Israel/Palestine, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon make any efforts to unravel a part of the conflict seem to aggravate some other aspect of the region. That makes it all the more impressive that Kofi Annan was able to make headway, albeit frustatingly slow and fragile.
I'm going to spend the next few posts on the potential for war between Sudan and South Sudan. This conflict is also quite complex, and involves quite a few exterior players, but there are several factors making it a compelling topic, including:
1) The independence of South Sudan was less than a year ago, and based on recently forged, albeit flawed, agreements. I feel that there is a fair basis to work with, and
2) The United States is on the periphery of these events. As a US citizen, it should be easier to have a perspective largely unclouded by national debate.
Tonight, I want to direct you to a posting released earlier today in The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-golden/are-we-still-dedicated-to_b_1452039.html
Don Golden gives an excellent summary of where the conflict stand right now, and urges engagement in the process, particularly where he states:
"The events of this past month, and the relative silence by the media on the escalating violence in the region, is a frightening reminder that turning a blind eye to the people of South Sudan could unravel years of peace work. It is then all the more important that the United Nations, African Union, local government and the multitude of international NGOs in the region recommit to furthering peace if a return to violence is to be avoided. "
This particular segment calls for several players to act on behalf of maintaining peace:
1) The media - he feels that inattention around the globe will allow the violence to escalate
2) The United Nations
3) The African Union
4) Local government
5) NGO's active in the region - Here it is important to note that Don Golden and his co-writer Francesco Paganini are executives with World Relief, a US-based Christian sponsored NGO.
Over the next week or so, I will examine the roles that each of the five players listed in the Post should play, and hopefully come to some conclusions as to the responsibility of everyone to keeping (or, perhaps more accurately, restoring) peace to South Sudan.
Thanks. As always, feel free to comment. I suspect the impetus to comment will become stronger as I dive in.
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