Yesterday hundreds of 2008 Olympians visited Washington, DC to meet with President Bush at the White House. Two Team Darfur athletes – Cheri Blauwett and Mike Altman – stuck around to meet with some of the people making real change for the people of Darfur.
Cheri, a 3 time Paralympian and gold, silver and bronze medal holder in wheelchair racing, and Mike, a 2 time Olympic rower, first visited USAID’s Office of Sudan Programs and Africa Bureau for a briefing on American aid to Sudan.
Officers at USAID informed us that since the beginning of 2008 the humanitarian indicators, which include malnutrition and disease rates, have significantly worsened. They said this marks a departure from the past few years, when humanitarian agencies had been able to reach affected populations with more consistency, so there was less disease and malnutrition. We learned, however, that the US provides over 1/2 of the food (or money for the food) distributed by the World Food Program in Darfur. US humanitarian aid to Darfur in FY 2008 totaled over $830 million. While of course the US, like all countries, can do more for Darfur, it was refreshing to hear how much our tax dollars are doing to save lives.
At the State Department, Cheri and Mike helped the Bureau of African Affairs celebrate their 50th birthday. At the small celebration, we learned about intiatives that the Office of Public Diplomacy is engaged in throughout Sudan. We also heard from members of the Sudan Program Group, who talked about the US government’s emphasis on protection, especially the deployment of 4,000 new peacekeepers by the end of the year.
At both meetings people emphasized the importance, and challenge, of the upcoming elections in Sudan. With so much energy focused on the US’s presidential elections, it was a good reminder that elections hold promise and risk around the world.
It was an incredibly informative day, and inspiring to to see how yet again the energy and commitment of Olympians adds so much to the fight for the people of Darfur. And, don’t forget to sign a postcard to Obama and McCain asking them to make Darfur even more of a priority in the next administration!
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
