Khartoum announced that it was ceasing all military operations and will begin disarming government allied militias in Darfur, “provided that an effective monitoring mechanism is put into action and observed by all involved parties.” That is a loophole big enough to drive a tank through, or for that matter, fly an Antonov bomber through. (more…)

The Washington Post reviewed Tears of the Desert today.  Here’s what they have to say about it.

“Tears of the Desert” is that rarest of literary endeavors, not just a book you read but a book you experience. Halima Bashir’s story of growing up in the Zaghawa tribe of Darfur is vivid, poignant and brutally candid. It is also, simply, brutal. When she describes (with the expert help of her co-writer) the life of her remote desert village, readers will not want to put the book down. When she turns to the violence that shattered her village, her family and her own life, readers will have to steel themselves to go on.

I urge everyone to pick up a copy.  Let us know what you think.

It’s official. The U.S. has decided who its next president will be.

The inauguration of a new president promises to provide new opportunities to bring protection and peace to the people of Darfur. Even better, these promises are supported by strong statements of commitment from President-elect Obama:

“I will make ending the genocide in Darfur a priority from Day One. It is a collective stain in our national and human conscience that the genocide in Sudan, now starting its sixth year, has gone on for far too long.” (April 2008) (more…)

The School of the Month for November is Homer Junior High School of Homer, New York!

The Humanitarian Club of Homer Junior High is a group of 8th grade students raising money for charities around the world. For the past two years they have focused on the Save Darfur Coalition.

Each year, before they begin fundraising, social studies teachers at Homer play the eight-minute video “The Promise” for their classes and discuss the situation in Darfur. The video touches many students and encourages them to help.

This year, the Humanitarian Club organized a school-wide Hat Day, when students can pay $1 to wear a hat in school (they are not allowed to normally). They also hosted a school dance, charging admission and donating all the money they collected. In addition to these events, the club sells green Save Darfur wristbands to raise awareness and funds.

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It’s no secret that high school students are busy. Classes, friends, sports, applying to college – it’s enough to occupy anyone. What is extraordinary is that all across the country, students are dedicating their time to bring peace to Darfur.

The Dollars for Darfur program is proof of how generous and effective young people can be, and how importantly they view the crisis in Darfur. The students who devote their time to this cause remind us of what each person can achieve, and recently, several have been acknowledged for their hard work.

This month Ana Slavin and Nick Anderson, aged 18 and 19 respectively, were honored with a Global Action Award by Mercy Corps for founding the program as juniors in high school. Their enthusiasm and commitment kindled a nationwide effort that has engaged thousands of students and inspired them to speak out for the Darfuri people.

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Here’s a new way for Darfur activists to get engaged online: Check out our new channel on friction.tv.

Friction.tv is kinda like YouTube for debates. Users can check out videos, comment on them, or respond to them with their own videos. You can also respond to others’ comments. If you disagree with someone, let them know!

The point is to get as many people as possible to talk about Darfur and to take action to help end the crisis there.

We’ll continue to add videos to the channel as we produce them. If you have any ideas about videos you think we should produce, please let us know by commenting on this blog or by posting a video on our friction.tv or YouTube channels