Faith Communities Mobilize for Darfur Action
The Save Darfur Coalition announced yesterday the slated launch of a ''Week of Prayer and Action for Darfur'' for Apr. 2-9, inviting communities of all faiths to participate.
Evangelicals are increasingly rising to the cry of the millions who have fallen under the horrendous crimes committed in Darfur and in the upcoming month, faith groups will have the chance to not only spread the buzz but to take action.
The Save Darfur Coalition announced yesterday the slated launch of a "Week of Prayer and Action for Darfur" for Apr. 2-9, inviting communities of all faiths to participate.
The Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, chairwoman of the Million Voices for Darfur Campaign, said the planned week will provide the structure to help mobilize churches that have an interest in the Darfur humanitarian crisis. Following two months after the launch of the Million Voices campaign, the prayer and action week is aimed to generate one million postcards to be delivered to President Bush. The postcards urge Bush to use the power of his office to fulfill his pledge to support a stronger multi-national force to protect the Darfuri people.
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On Monday, the coalition met the 100,000 mark in electronic and written postcards from across the nation.
"We've only just begun," said White-Hammond, also co-pastor of Bethel AME Church in Boston, Mass.
The Darfur coalition members have shifted from an eight-hour work day to 12-16 hour days in preparation for the month of action in April.
"It's a lot of work," White-Hammond said, "but we have some very dedicated people. We're in the crutch now. It's an exciting time."
Churches are being invited to show the same dedication during the first week of April with suggested services and sermons, which are provided according to the respective faiths, including Christian, Jewish and Muslim.
"The decision of whether or not to stop the genocide in Darfur may be one of the defining moral questions of our time," said Fr. Michael Perry, coordinator of the Africa region for Franciscans International, in a released statement. "When the cost of failure is thousand lives lost for every month the conflict continues, responsible nations of the world have a clear ethical and religious obligation to act."
Three in five likely voters say the United States has a responsibility to end the killing in Sudan, according to the latest Zogby American poll.
White-Hammond indicated the historic impact of grassroots mobilization. Noting the diverse participation among faiths and people groups, she called it a "signature moment in history."
"And we need people to say their voices were counted."
Preparations are underway for the Apr. 30 Rally to Stop Genocide in Washington, D.C. Collected postcards from the Million Voices for Darfur campaign will be delivered to Bush on the rally day.
