Darfur Fast for Life

He did not have a choice. We do

Today is the first day of my hunger strike. I have never undertaken anything remotely like this and so I have little sense of what to expect and although I have set a goal of three weeks, I really don’t know how long I will be able to continue. I will be drinking lots of water.

Despite the fact that for six years the world has taken no effective action to protect Darfur’s people it seemed that the expulsion of the aid agencies, the severance of the lifeline to more than 4 million people would surely trigger a response. But while the US Envoy Scott Gration said, “We need to come up with creative ways immediately, and when I say immediately I mean in the next weeks, to be able to compensate (for the expelled aid agencies) “ The weeks are passing and word from the camps is that people are already suffering; the water pumps at well sites are breaking down because there is no one to repair them, latrines are overflowing, food stockpiles are dwindling and there is no medical assistance. How can this be??!!

Hussein Abu Sharati, spokesman for a network of refugee-camps leaders sent a letter to President Obama.

“Mr. President,” Abu Sharati wrote, “We need quick and immediate intervention to save us from the imminent death:… (the expulsion of humanitarian organizations ) is the regime’s final goal and the deadly blow to accelerate our death by slow motion through starvation and diseases.”

Non-action is an act of acquiescence

I’ve been told that over 60 people are fasting with me today, including fellow advocates Ruth Messinger, Pam Omidyar, Gabriel Stauring, Nell Okie and John Prendergast.

I will try to blog every day. Honestly I have only the vaguest idea of what to expect since I’ve never done it before. I woke up a half hour ago, earlier than I normally would because I feel either excited or nervous-I cant tell which. I said prayers for the refugees and prayers for those who are responsible for their suffering. I’m hoping this whole fast can be a prayer.