Sands and Sorrow

 

            The video Documentary “Sands and Sorrow” about the atrocities in the Dar Fur region of Sudan, Presented by the Institute for the Study of Intercommunal Conflict, was a strong moving film following horrific suffering in the region. To my surprise there were more students in attendance than I first envisioned there would be. This was a pleasant surprise. The opportunity to have an ever-increasing educated and interested population and captive audiences, to such horrible crimes of humanity around the world, is a good opportunity to encourage action for help. Having some knowledge of the situation in Dar Fur already at my disposal, the documentary film presented the information in a way that conveys the lack luster approaches governments around the world have had for failing to act, and the efforts of the community and scholars to bring about the changes needed in government policies through protests and spreading awareness.

            The one concept that is continually heard from members of society at this university and around America is “I didn’t even know this was happening” or “why would a government do these terrible things to their own people” . Comments such as these and the lack of a true understanding in government processes are some of the reason why atrocities against human rights persist around the world and why nothing is done to stop the bloodshed early, if at all. The film, while trying not to say people are apathetic in their judgment of situations around the world, do convey this message, by inferring that it is the lack of support for these ventures to act, that leads to little to no legislative and executive action.

            A criticism of the film is that there was not a strong line drawn between outside actors that could do more or have quite a bit of control of the area and situation to influence change within the Sudanese government. Over the last couple of decades with the discovery of oil in the region, and the end of the civil war between the north and the south there has been heavy investment from countries around the world with a need to secure a supply of oil. China and its deals with Sudanese government in sector Nine of the oil fields that reaches into the Dar Fur region, could pressure the government to take actions to stop its support of the Janjaweed and their systematic slaughter of the Black Arab tribes of the Dar Fur region. Because this film does not draw a clear distinct line between these strong interconnected issues of global economics and human rights, viewers are left missing an extremely important concept and fact of the current situation and world politics.

            The Comodification of senseless killing and violence towards the Dar Fur inhabitants is encouraged by the every increasing demand for oil, and the trade off for continued industrializations and “advancement” of other cultures and counties.

            As the suffering of the Dar Fur people continues with senseless violence and rapes, the refugees in Internationally Displace People (IDP) live in IDP camps with inadequate food and water supplies creating an ever-increasing death toll and human misery. The insidious nature of intercommunal conflicts now has created and is exacerbating starvation and using the aridity of the area to carry out the final objectiv