Federal Politicians Comment on Canada’s Ability to Lead in Darfur
Author: anne | Date: December 12, 2007 | Please Comment!People on the street are busy on errands and Christmas preparations and many of the them stop and encourage me – believing in the importance of our solidarity with the poorest and most desperate people on earth.
My hunger strike is really a quiet protest that such atrocities go on, but especially that we, in the most privileged country in the world, are not extending ourselves more actively to get the peace-keepers on the ground. It is only then that our food and material aid get through and peace talks between the government of Sudan and the many rebel groups begin in earnest.
We owe a huge debt to Africa for hundreds of years of exploitation. it’s time for the western countries to pay it back and Canada could do so with generous contributions of equimpment and training and money to the UN Mission in Darfur now.
Thanks to all who are writing and fasting in solidarity with these basic human values
David
PS – Please read this wonderful article published in Embassy Magazine (a foreign affairs weekly that is popular in Ottawa). You can check their website online: http://www.embassymag.ca/
Federal Parties Discuss Canada’s Ability to Contribute Resources to UNAMID
3:05 pm on December 12th, 2007
Hi, David;
Good luck! I hope that your hunger strike is successful in raising awareness of the horrors of Darfur.
I should observe though, that you may be in the wrong arena of politics. As a Provincial MLA, you have a great platform for Provincial issues — things like social issues, and environmental matters. However, much of your discussion regards the Federal level: you are proposing we send (Federal) troops to Darfur, and you have criticised the Federal government for its stand on Kyoto and other international dealings on the environment. Right now, you are on a hunger strike — which I take as a definite sign of commitment — in Ottawa, on a Federal matter.
David, I think you need a national platform. Whether this is as a Member of Parliament (hard to accomplish from a Liberal base) or as leader of a federal-level NGO, matters little. Provincial politics, however, may not be the best use of your time.
Regards,
John Hilton-O’Brien
9:20 am on December 18th, 2007
Thanks for the comment, John.
I am a provincial MLA but some of my constituents are Darfuri refugees and their distress at conditions in their homeland are not being addressed adequately by our Federal Government. I must do all I can, as a citizen, to press the Government to stop ‘dragging its feet’ and increase our contribution to the UN forces in Darfur. It’s desperately urgent.
Day 10 and more people are coming over to introduce themselves and support the need for prompt Government action to get troops on the ground in Darfur. One young man – Matt – wants to engage young people through Facebook and will work with my office staff (Mike Fotheringham) to move this forward quickly. Another young man (U of C Philosophy student) engaged me for some time on how to make our democracy more effective and attractive for people. Several people expressed resentment at what I am doing and called on me to work for our First Nations people and poor children here. These are vitally important also – but Darfur calls to us urgently; there could be hundreds of thousands of people dead within months if we fail to provide the resources for the UN Peace-keeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
Please call your MP and PM Harper today!
David