Realize Darfur: Dishy Duds Designs owner, Jennifer McMullen, launches Darfur Awareness Campain

Jennifer McMullen, owner/designer of Dishy Duds Designs, is launching an awareness campaign to petition stronger political backing from the US and other western leaders, and further UN involvement with peace negotiations for the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Portland, OR (PRWEB) March 15, 2006 -- Jennifer McMullen, owner/designer of Dishy Duds Designs, is launching an awareness campaign to petition stronger political backing from the US and other western leaders, and further UN involvement with peace negotiations for the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. The campaign will involve providing updated information weekly on the situation in Darfur, via the company blog (www.dishyduds.blogspot.com), 10% of monthly sales will be contributed to Mercy Corps (specifically to the crisis in Darfur fund), and awareness information will be distributed with all orders through the online webshop (www.dishyduds.com).

Darfur is located in the western region of Sudan, the largest and most diverse country in Africa. It is comparable in size to the state of Texas. Two distinct cultures exist in Sudan: Arab and Black African. In 2003, conflict broke out led by two non-Arab African rebel groups. In response, the Sudan government permitted, as well as armed, the “Janjaweed” militia which enabled massive attacks upon civilians in small villages. Often supported by the Government of Sudan, the “Janjaweed” have been responsible for nearly 400,000 civilian deaths, nearly 2.5 million displaced persons, and massive rape, destruction, and chaos within the region of Dafur (US Department of State). There are now 220,000 refugees residing in neighboring Chad, which is becoming more and more corrupt and prone to frequent attack by the Janjaweed.

President Bush stated “the violence in the Darfur region is clearly genocide” in a speech given in June 2005, and has stated that this would not be tolerated on his watch. The House of Representatives passed the “declaration of genocide (H.Con.Res.467)” on September 7 2004. Peace talks were instigated over a year ago but failed to congeal. Currently, the UN and many non-governmental agencies have decreased aid in the area due to heightened security issues and safety concerns for field workers.    

Although the large scale genocide attacks have ceased, Darfur remains in a major state of corruption. Families are forever separated and displaced, living in structures crafted of sticks and cloth or whatever can be fashioned together as shelter. Rape and violence are daily occurrences and children are not spared. The only protection afforded to small villages are the members of the sparse African Union Army. The AU consists of about 7000 soldiers and the group seems to have very little authority under the current peace mandate. There are simply not enough soldiers to protect this devastated land of lawlessness.

During an NPR interview in early March 2006, Linda Mason, board member of Mercy Corps group, describes a recent trip to Darfur. She states that the situation had deteriorated significantly since her last visit, one year ago.
“There is no traditional rule of law, no one there to stop the violence against civilians.”

Journalist Nicholas Kristof recently vistited Darfur and met with a man, that just the day before, lost his wife and infant son. This man said the Janjaweed militia attacked his village, beat his wife, checked to see if his infant was a boy and then proceeded to shoot him. Mr. Kristof wanted to go further, into the areas where violence was occurring but the man warned that Janjaweed militia had “already seen them speaking from the trees” and “they must leave immediately.” In a recent column titled “A Village Waiting for Rape and Murder” (Koloy,Chad), Kristof writes:

“Politely but insistently, the people in this town explained that they were about to be massacred.”

"The janjaweed militias have already destroyed all the villages east of Koloy," Adam Omar, a local sheik, explained somberly. "Any moment, they will attack us here.”

"When they see you, they shoot you," said Adam Zakaria, the sheik of a nearby village, Gindeiza, that had been attacked the day before. Mr. Adam had one bullet wound in his foot and another in his thigh.”

In summary, the people of Darfur are in absolute dire need of robust support from the United States and other western nations. Maha Makki, a student in Sudan, said :

"I don't think the (Sudan) government can solve the problem, nor can the African Union.
"I want America to come in," she said, before being drowned out by shouts of "no, no to foreigners".

Jennifer McMullen, owner of Dishy Duds Designs states: “It appears that there are many many things that need to happen to resolve the conflict in Darfur but we, as Americans as well as other western world countries, need to take a major step which is simply caring. We need to make this an issue and let the world know that this situation will not be tolerated. Our president and other western leaders need to talk about the crisis in Darfur, and talk about it often. In order to do this, they need to know that the the crisis in Darfur is important to the people. We have the resources necessary to bring peace and ultimate stability to this area and it is our responsibility as nations that profess democracy and freedom, to do just that. We need to make this the important issue that is and stop the violence. We need to start today.”

Jennifer recommends voicing your support for the civilians in Darfur by writing to President Bush as well as other heads of state throughout the western world, and increasing awareness by spreading the word. “Tell the story of the people in Darfur. Make a difference.”

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