Turning
the tide
If,
like me, you’ve heard about Darfur on the evening news,
know that very bad things are happening there and want to know
more then Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in
Darfur and Beyond is a book you need to read.
Co-written by actor Don Cheadle and human rights
activist John Prendergast, Not on Our Watch paints a
comprehensive picture of the history of Sudan, its civil conflicts
and the current tragedy unfolding in Darfur, a region of western
Sudan.
Cheadle became involved in the movement to end genocide
after starring in Hotel Rwanda, a film in which he played
real-life hero during Rwanda’s genocide, Paul Rusesabagina.
Prendergast has worked at the frontline of the human rights movement
in Africa for several years and is a director of the ENOUGH project.
The authors avoid getting bogged down in historical
detail whilst providing the reading with sufficient background
information about present-day Darfur. In sharing both their own
experiences whilst visiting Darfur and refugees camps as well
as the stories of refugees they have met Cheadle and Prendergast
succeed (as much as is possible with the written word) in conveying
the true horror of genocide.
In raising awareness of this tragedy Not on
Our Watch also raises consciousness. Knowing what’s
happening carries an obligation to do something about it. From
a practical standpoint, Cheadle and Prendergast offer strategies
for readers to effect change for themselves whether it’s
as simple as donating money or in a more hands on way like writing
a letter to an elected official or starting an organisation to
raise awareness.
What this book really brought home for me is that
there is no single organisation that has the mandate, resources
or desire to prevent an act as so fundamentally wrong as genocide.
I find this both heartbreaking and confounding. Like most people,
I imagine, I used to think that writing a letter to a politician
or participating in a demonstration rally were well-intentioned
but ultimately ineffective methods of instigating change. However,
having read Not on Our Watch I now realise that these seemingly
minor acts can and do make a difference. In fact, if individuals
don’t take it upon themselves to make a difference then
nothing will change.
The key messages of the book are that if we, as
a community, do nothing to stop genocide then we must bear the
responsibility for it; and that one person can and must make a
difference.
Not on Our Watch is a highly accessible
treatment of a tragedy that, unbelievably, is still taking place.
If you want to be informed about what’s happening in Darfur
and learn what you can do to help then this book is a must read.
Karin van Heerwaarden
Read more of Karin’s reviews and author interviews
at her blog, pages
et cetera.
