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May 20, 2005
Note the power of one
Editorial
When, after the Holocaust, world Jewry adopted the mantra "Never
again," it was an affirmation of universal human security,
not a narrowly Jewish imperative. What Jews worldwide have struggled
against for the past six decades is not solely that our people never
be put through such genocidal inhumanity again, but that no
people suffer that way again.
Sadly, all the mantras in the world have not been able to staunch
racial and other forms of intolerance. In various places, at various
times, horrific inhumanity has been visited upon various communities.
Perhaps nothing stung our own sense of vigilance (and failure) as
much as the 1994 massacre in Rwanda, during which 800,000 civilians
were murdered in a 100-day racially motivated bloodbath. Canadian
Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, who was the United Nations force commander
in Rwanda, pleaded with the world to send assistance to prevent
the impending doom, but to little avail. The massacre proceeded
before the eyes of underequipped international observers.
The world community's horrifying inability or unwillingness to stand
up to inhumanity in Rwanda has haunted the conscience of the world
ever since. Yet, when a comparable ethnic-based genocide appeared
imminent across Africa, this time in the Darfur region of Sudan,
again the world seemed slow to provide the protection necessary
to save the Darfurian people from the murderous grip of "janjaweed"
militias with the complicity of the Sudanese government and army.
Already, 500,000 Darfurians have died. Two million have been displaced
from their homes. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, still
face starvation or worse. These series of catastrophes will haunt
our consciences too.
But if there is a ray of hope in this grisly scenario, it may be
the reminder that a small group of committed individuals can effect
change and alter the fate of hundreds of thousands.
What the Rwandan experience proved is that people cannot wait for
their governments or international bodies to act on their behalf.
Sad though it may be, governments and the United Nations only prioritize
issues based on the will and voice of the people with enough power
to be heard.
The Canadian government announced last week that it will provide
as much as $198 million for increased humanitarian aid and added
diplomatic support for the African Union Mission in Sudan. That
decision to commit a large sum of money and to increase the
global sensitivity to developments in Darfur can reasonably
be said to trace directly back to one individual member of Vancouver's
Jewish community.
Mark Weintraub, the chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region,
saw a clear parallel between the fate of the people of Darfur and
the historical experience of the Jewish people. He prioritized this
issue and, joining with Nouri Abdalla of British Columbia's small
Darfurian community, began a long struggle to raise the profile
in Canada of this international cataclysm. From his regional work,
which was aided by the proximity and admirable efforts of B.C. Sen.
Mobina Jaffer, the prime minister's special envoy for this issue,
Weintraub succeeded in mobilizing his entire national organization
in support of Darfur. From there, the lobbying expertise of CJC
was directed toward the federal government, media and other opinion
leaders, who have done what they can, in their various capacities,
to raise awareness.
Though there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of people whose
influence has been brought to bear on this issue, much credit has
to be laid at the feet of Weintraub and CJC.
Perhaps most interestingly and of relevance to everyone
is that although Weintraub's influence was assisted by his role
as head of this region's CJC, this is really a story about the impact
one individual can have. With the good name and the pre-existing
apparatus of Canadian Jewish Congress behind him, Weintraub was
instrumental in raising national and now international awareness
of this horrible conflict.
Of course, all this will not bring back the 500,000 souls who have
been lost nor the well-being of those millions left behind. This
is not, by any means, a happy ending. Alas, it may not even be an
ending. But the story does suggest that wilful individuals can still
have an impact in this world. On behalf of those for whom it is
not too late, we need to all join together in the refrain, "Never
again."
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