Save Darfur Coalition cause on facebook.com is now making a lot of different and calling upon people to raise awarness about the on going Genocide in Darfur. Therefore, if any of you guys have facebook or want to join.. You can add the Save Darfur cause on your page and invite friends to it too..

here is hte link to cause and joining.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/72?recruiter_id=1087068&h=ppn

Dear Friends,

Before I go off to Vietnam for 3 1/2 months I wanted to share a couple resource items I have found helpful. One is the video "Darfur Diaries". It is really a wonderful, profound and insightful look at the difficulties with footage mainly from the people of Darfur. What I saw was the huge burden of this violence on their lives, the mental and physical pain. What I also saw was the lightness and beauty of how they bring themselves together again. What I also saw was the perceptiveness of the mental pain inflicted upon them and what it meant to the children - they were very clear about this - what it was doing to their children and the wounds that were there. And it was clear from the images of the children. The process of schooling and education was of such importance for them to undertake at the first opportunities and with great enthusiasm. How they would appreciate school supplies that we find so easily - I don't know how easy it would be to get these things to the refugee camps, but it is obvious they would be so incredibly useful for the children. Maybe someone here could figure out how we could get school supplies to the children.

The other resource is a bit stronger going, but most certainly an incredible journey for me and something I am finding hard to put down. It is a book entitled "The Problem From Hell - America and the Age of Genocide".
It is written by Samantha Power and is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
It takes a look at the genocides in our history starting from the Armenians being brutalized by Turkey and coming forward. It is a very detailed account of how people do and do not react to these situations especially in the realm of world leaders and nations. It looks at how nations over and over again could not really look at or listen to the suffering straight on and see it. It looks at those few souls who did just that and how they have braved the world or their country to try to save those suffering beings. As years go by, as Presidents go by, as brave souls emerge, as humanitarian organizations gain skill and solidity, there is a little incremental progress made which is something quite great I suppose. I would encourage anyone to read this book who has a very strong desire to understand why our nations do not respond and who has lots of ways to nourish themselves in between reading times.

Dear friends of Deep Listening for Darfur -
As the Holiday season is here for us it is especially painful to contemplate the suffering of Darfur. But I think our mindfulness is very helpful. I always wear one of the green plastic bracelets that reminds me many times a day. If anyone wants one (or several) please just give me your address. It is really a very nice practice.

I am wondering if anyone has knowledge of any good videos on the situation in Darfur they can recommend. Or any books they can recommend.

At Christmas I am going to light a candle and offer my sitting meditation - just let myself sit still for those who are going through so much. I will also sit outside with the beauty of nature to feel the love and wonder of nature so that I may also offer that to myself and to those who are in pain.

Please share your thoughts and feelings on this blog also. It is a way we can communicate.

I was first introduced to the suffering by a short video on the web somewhere where I saw the immense suffering. I saw all the killing and I saw women and children taking the violence also because of their vulnerability. It is quite hard to see all this and know that somehow I am responsible too - that we have not figured out a way to live in a peaceful world or to solve conflicts or to share solving conflicts.
I am hoping we can now share the solving of this conflict on a world scale - that we can offer support through the UN to go there with enough resources to offer stability. If enough of the world were there to help it would help. Our voices and our funding can help alot IF if is sufficient. This is how we can empower the UN to represent all of us to be a stable voice for all of us and a huge presence respresenting the world.
I have some Darfur bracelets for adults and children and if you send me your address in the Deep Listening for Darfur group I could send you each several.
I think we can think of things we can do to help. I can call my congressmen and senators. I can't go out much during this 3 months retreat at my monastery but maybe some of you can participate in a peaceful walk for Darfur in San Diego or Massachusetts.
Anyway, please write also so we can listen to each other - Sr. Susan