The Declaration of Sentiments for Darfur
- by: Amvesty International (UW campus)
- recipient: The Congress of the US, and other leaders (including those who perpetrate the genocide
The Declaration of Sentiments for Darfur
(adapted from the United States Declaration of Independence)
(written by Connor M. Thompson)
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to form new political bands with a people that are being oppressed, and to support the preservation of their lives and liberties by any means necessary, a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to such an act.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women of every ethnicity are created equal, that they are endowed by their creation with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.--That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among the people, deriving all of their just powers from only the consent of the governed,--That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, and more importantly of the lives of the people themselves, and the people do not for whatever reason have the ability to challenge it, it becomes the responsibility of those who have the ability to take up the burden, and be ready to do whatever is necessary to secure the rights of the governed in such a way as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be challenged for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience has shown, that humankind is more disposed to suffer, while oppressions are sufferable, than to right themselves (or ask others to do this) by challenging the institution to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses, with an objective to reduce the people under absolute despotism if not something worse, occurs, and the people cannot right themselves, it is the right and duty of the sympathetic outsider to challenge such government, and to provide new guards for the people's future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of the good citizens of Darfur, Sudan; and such is now the necessity which constrains the international community, the United States and its allies, NATO, the AU, and the UN to challenge Sudan's current institution and provide aid to those who are in need of it. The history of the present Dictatorship of Sudan is a history of repeated injuries, all having been used to achieve the desired objective of establishing absolute tyranny and ethnic cleansing over the people of Darfur. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
When the rebel groups of Darfur have offended them, they have targeted, instead of the guilty parties, the civilians from whom the rebels draw their support. This may seem reasonable to some, but it is still obvious that not all civilians are involved in the support of rebel groups and they should not be treated as such. Already, over 400,000 human beings are dead and counting.
They have organized groups of criminals, nomads, and the like to form the Janjaweed militia as a tool to aid in their destruction of innocent life, some of whom they released from jail for this purpose.
They have sent the Sudanese military itself to murder the innocents, often employing the aid of helicopter gun ships.
They have overrun camps of refugees, who, it would appear, are not involved in any sort of threat against them or their supporters.
They have sent militia across their borders to attack refugee camps located in those vicinities.
They have destroyed, burned, and massacred whole towns and villages.
They have displaced over 2.5 million civilians with the hope that this will lead to their eventual demise.
They have condoned the practice of coordinated rape, and then the mutilation of these women and girls in an attempt to stunt the population growth of the targeted civilians. They do this knowing that it will cause them to be abandoned by their families.
They have, on occasion, allowed their victims to be burned alive.
They have murdered aid workers and peacekeeping troops who are only trying to assist those in need, and in some cases caused such organizations to flee the country.
These and other atrocities, of both their design and that of others, have ravaged the region of Darfur for too long a time and continue to only increase, despite the honest and peaceful efforts of those who care.
In every stage of these atrocities we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury to the individuals oppressed. Even if they have claimed to have agreed to our terms, they have either neglected or disobeyed them. Leaders whose character is thus marked by acts which may define tyrants, are unfit to be the rulers of a free people and must be challenged at least if the people are to survive.
Although we as non-Sudanese have no real say in how their government is run, there are certain conditions that make this an international issue and, as such, give us the right and responsibility to intervene.
2) The Sudanese government has pursued them into Chad and has caused bloodshed there.
3) It has been said that the refugees themselves want the international community to be involved.
4) We as legitimate free people have a moral obligation to human rights and justice that does not allow or tolerate this sort of behavior.
We, therefore, the undersigned, do, in the name of the good people of Darfur, solemnly publish and declare our continuing support for the humanitarian aid, international and institutional peacekeeping forces, economic sanctions, and negotiations that we demand be used to save the lives and the liberties of the oppressed. And in support of this declaration, we mutually pledge to eachother and the Darfur citizens our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
The Declaration of Sentiments for Darfur
(adapted from the United States Declaration of Independence)
(written by Connor M. Thompson)
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to form new political bands with a people that are being oppressed, and to support the preservation of their lives and liberties by any means necessary, a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to such an act.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women of every ethnicity are created equal, that they are endowed by their creation with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.%u2014That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among the people, deriving all of their just powers from only the consent of the governed,--That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, and more importantly of the lives of the people themselves, and the people do not for whatever reason have the ability to challenge it, it becomes the responsibility of those who have the ability to take up the burden, and be ready to do whatever is necessary to secure the rights of the governed in such a way as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be challenged for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience has shown, that humankind is more disposed to suffer, while oppressions are sufferable, than to right themselves (or ask others to do this) by challenging the institution to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses, with an objective to reduce the people under absolute despotism if not something worse, occurs, and the people cannot right themselves, it is the right and duty of the sympathetic outsider to challenge such government, and to provide new guards for the people%u2019s future security.%u2014Such has been the patient sufferance of the good citizens of Darfur, Sudan; and such is now the necessity which constrains the international community, the United States and its allies, NATO, the AU, and the UN to challenge Sudan%u2019s current institution and provide aid to those who are in need of it. The history of the present Dictatorship of Sudan is a history of repeated injuries, all having been used to achieve the desired objective of establishing absolute tyranny and ethnic cleansing over the people of Darfur. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
When the rebel groups of Darfur have offended them, they have targeted, instead of the guilty parties, the civilians from whom the rebels draw their support. This may seem reasonable to some, but it is still obvious that not all civilians are involved in the support of rebel groups and they should not be treated as such. Already, over 400,000 human beings are dead and counting.
They have organized groups of criminals, nomads, and the like to form the Janjaweed militia as a tool to aid in their destruction of innocent life, some of whom they released from jail for this purpose.
They have sent the Sudanese military itself to murder the innocents, often employing the aid of helicopter gun ships.
They have overrun camps of refugees, who, it would appear, are not involved in any sort of threat against them or their supporters.
They have sent militia across their borders to attack refugee camps located in those vicinities.
They have destroyed, burned, and massacred whole towns and villages.
They have displaced over 2.5 million civilians with the hope that this will lead to their eventual demise.
They have condoned the practice of coordinated rape, and then the mutilation of these women and girls in an attempt to stunt the population growth of the targeted civilians. They do this knowing that it will cause them to be abandoned by their families.
They have, on occasion, allowed their victims to be burned alive.
They have murdered aid workers and peacekeeping troops who are only trying to assist those in need, and in some cases caused such organizations to flee the country.
These and other atrocities, of both their design and that of others, have ravaged the region of Darfur for too long a time and continue to only increase, despite the honest and peaceful efforts of those who care.
In every stage of these atrocities we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury to the individuals oppressed. Even if they have claimed to have agreed to our terms, they have either neglected or disobeyed them. Leaders whose character is thus marked by acts which may define tyrants, are unfit to be the rulers of a free people and must be challenged at least if the people are to survive.
Although we as non-Sudanese have no real say in how their government is run, there are certain conditions that make this an international issue and, as such, give us the right and responsibility to intervene.
1) Refugees have fled the country and sought refuge in neighboring Chad.
2) The Sudanese government has pursued them into Chad and has caused bloodshed there.
3) It has been said that the refugees themselves want the international community to be involved.
4) We as legitimate free people have a moral obligation to human rights and justice that does not allow or tolerate this sort of behavior.
We, therefore, the undersigned, do, in the name of the good people of Darfur, solemnly publish and declare our continuing support for the humanitarian aid, international and institutional peacekeeping forces, economic sanctions, and negotiations that we demand be used to save the lives and the liberties of the oppressed. And in support of this declaration, we mutually pledge to eachother and the Darfur citizens our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
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