Posted by Jason Kleinman, Legislative Assistant

Last week, the African Union’s (AU) Peace and Security Council met to decide whether or not the AU would ask the United Nations to takeover the peacekeeping efforts in Darfur, Sudan. Unfortunately, the AU, following the Sudanese government’s demands, decided to wait at least another six months before asking the international community to take control of the region. Without UN intervention, the situation in Darfur will only continue to worsen because the AU lacks the resources needed to stop the genocide. They have an insufficient number of troops and equipment, and they still have no mandate to protect civilians or humanitarian operations.

As the genocide in Darfur continues and the international community remains silent, we must focus on what we, as individuals, can do to help end this humanitarian crisis. The greatest thing that each one of us can do is to learn about what is happening in Darfur and share it with others. The more awareness that we are able to create surrounding this issue, the more our government and the international community will feel pressured to act.

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who has been following this issue very closely, just returned from another trip to the region. He wrote a very descriptive article in Sunday’s paper about the village of Koloy, and how its people could do nothing but literally wait for the janjaweed to come destroy the village, rape the women, and kill the men. There is nobody they can turn to for help.

Kristof also videotaped some his interactions with members of the Koloy village. His footage is very powerful.

Ann Curry of the Today Show also joined Kristof on this trip. She will be reporting on her experiences throughout the week. Read her blog and watch a slideshow of the powerful pictures she took on her trip.

We must learn more about this issue and continue to share it with others. The Save Darfur Coalition, of which the Reform Movement is a member, is organizing a rally in Washington, DC on April 30 to raise awareness about this genocide. Register and learn more about the rally. If we continue to apply pressure, we may soon receive the aid and support that is needed to end this crisis.