Hope was evident in many forms that day and it started with seeing so many people, including high school and college students, caring deeply about something beyond their own corner of the world. Our buses were met by friendly, energetic people from the Save Darfur Coalition who efficiently transformed us into a “fleet of green beanies on a mission!”
It was cold, lines were long, and crowds were thick but people all over the city treated each other with patience and kindness. Many people already knew of the unimaginable suffering in Darfur and were eager to sign our petition to President Obama. For others, we were able to increase awareness about a situation new to them. Amanda Tyson, Joan Marshall, and I made our way through the streets of D.C. with a large Darfur postcard. People actually stopped us to sign it which prompted others passing by to do the same. School-aged children explained what they knew about Darfur to their parents and vice versa. A man from New York said he had participated in a fashion show there and the proceeds went to Darfur. People waiting in lines would talk to others in their group about Darfur. Because of the volunteer effort, people like those I met from Mozambique, Australia, U.K., Iceland, Puerto Rico, and countless other parts of the world heard about Darfur that day. Hope for Darfur is renewed with every person that knows and chooses to get involved even in the smallest of ways.
By the end of the day, I looked and felt every day of my almost 50 years but if that bus was leaving again tomorrow I would enthusiastically be on it. To experience hope not only for tomorrow in America but also for people living in Darfur was nothing short of a gift.
To all of my new friends at PDEC, it was an honor to “serve” the people of Darfur with you on Inauguration Day. Individually and collectively let’s keep doing what we can to secure peace in Darfur
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
