New York Times' Columnist Nicholas Kristof
As part of my internship at the Save Darfur Coalition, I was asked to listen to the Voices on Genocide Prevention podcast by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. To my surprise, the interview for this particular session was with my activist idol, Nicholas Kristof. His articles have been a consistent source of information about the unrest in Darfur and have, in many ways, been a beacon of hope. Having attended many of his lectures, I expected this podcast to be similar; however, this interview took an unusual twist.
Rather than discussing the importance of individual voices in the fight against genocide, he spoke mainly about Darfur’s media attention. He admits that the media absolutely oversimplified the issue and perhaps created unrealistic expectations for the Sudanese about Western intervention. Kristof explains that though the media is responsible for the simplification of the issue, the attention that this crisis received saved many lives in both Darfur and Chad. Though Kristof has interacted with the victims of the most brutal crimes, particularly against women, his message seems neither jaded nor pessimistic. Though he can’t deny the Western media’s mistakes, he sees the Darfur movement as a huge milestone in human rights activism.
It is undeniable that the international community has far from mastered its reaction to genocide. The devastating loss that Darfur, Sudan has experienced cannot be undone and, as an activist community, we must critique our own response to genocidal regimes. But, to me, Kristof’s responses in this podcast were extremely encouraging. For someone so revered in the human rights world, it is reassuring to hear him acknowledge that strides have been made. Kristof’s travels to the Congo and Darfur have put him in contact with both perpetrators and victims. His insights and understanding of this situation are immeasurable. To hear him say that the Darfur movement has actually saved lives affirms my own motivation to continue to work for a free and fair Sudan. Listen to the podcast here.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
Tags: Act Now for Darfur, Activism, Darfur, Nicholas Kristof
