Sam Davidson: How Do You Measure Success?

How Do You Measure Success?

In hopes of raising awareness about the reality of genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, Sam writes every Monday about a key issue in an attempt to stop the atrocity. Doing so may not bring about a wave of change, but it is a small ripple that represents the tide that needs turning.

The milestone was reached last week. In a ceremony on Capitol Hill, 2 very unlikely allies came together to focus on Darfur: Senators Bill Frist and Hillary Clinton became signatures number 999,999 and 1,000,000 in the Million Voices for Darfur Campaign.

Now that the target has been reached, will the US put more pressure on Khartoum? Will the President (who will soon be receiving a copy of each signed card) pool more resources to help end the genocide? Will Washington leverage its relationships with other nations in order to save innocent lives?

Meanwhile, at the African Summit meeting in Gambia, it appears that AU troops will stay in Darfur in order to keep the peace until the end of the year. This is a revised date from their earlier plan to vacate at the end of September. Again, this is a great achievement, as their presence is badly needed in a place that continues to deteriorate.

However, the peace deal that was signed recently continues to disintegrate. Lacking the full backing of everyone in the conflict, it now looks as if everyone needs to go back to both the drawing board and the negotiating table in order to provide the innocent civilians of Darfur with even a sliver of hope.

Success in catastrophes like this are rarely marked on the front end. No matter how many peace deals are signed, we don’t know how workable they are until we can touch the peace on the back end. Hopefully, 1,000,000 concerned citizens will be enough to start action, and hopefully an extension of African troop deployment will result is a safer Darfur. But we’re standing on the scary precipice and won’t know the results until we come out on the other end of this long, dark night.

Comment (1)

James McGinley

5:58 AM

CALL TO BATTLE: LAUNCH ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR IN JULY TO RESCUE DARFUR. Fast Day #8; Vigil Day #59 - A CONCRETE PROPOSAL

www.standwithdarfurwhitehouseii.blogspot.com

We are years, YEARS behind in stopping this Genocide; a tragic, inexcusable failure of will and humanity on our part. We must bring this to an end. Bashir's Genocide is exterminating 500 people per day, more than one 9/11 per week. We are giving crystal clear signals to Bashir that he has the time to exterminate, NOW, the remaining 3,000,000 people. Oxfam is pulling out, and the other aid groups are on the verge of following – too hostile on the ground. We are training ourselves to the "gradualism" that was Dr. King's greatest enemy and horror. We are fast depleting the energy that was so valiantly raised by so many of you by April 30th.

Nonviolent wars are not started with tricks and manipulation, emails, four hour demonstrations, letters or phone calls (although, brilliantly, the efforts by many of you thus far have set the stage). We can now win the war if we unleash the masses. Now. ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WARS OF THE MASSES are ALWAYS STARTED by a small group of NONVIOLENT "MARINES", fully acting out their anguish, agony and horror at the suffering of others (In APPENDIX below: Gandhi in India, Civil Rights Movement...). When these "Marines" do so and sufficiently pay an honest price, it is an irresistible media spectacle. The radical self-sacrifice of these "Marines" ignites the hearts of the masses – possessing less vision, imagination and information. Here is the idea:

STAGE #1. IGNITE THE ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR - DEPLOY THE NONVIOLENT "MARINES" to Rescue and Restore Darfur. Nonviolent campaigns need to be started by the few on the nonviolent side.

I pray that anyone that passionately wants to join will emulate the Gandhi/India campaign (APPENDIX) as follows:

We will begin a long, drawn out series of rolling arrests. Where? The White House. Alternate targets could be the Sudan Embassy, Chinese Embassy, Russian Embassy, United Nations in NYC, or one of the network headquarters for their profound non-coverage of Darfur. If it is the White House, this is not a protest aginst the White House, or President Bush. Why?

WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM AND THE ONLY SOLUTION. WE MUST DELIVER A MANDATE THAT 20-30,000 PEACEKEEPERS (preferably African Union and non-Western UN) BE ON THE GROUND IN DARFUR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, with sufficient empowerment/funding/support. With an unmistakable outcry from the masses, the administration and congress have given every sign that they will happily comply. They need a "win."

PHASE A: A minimum of 20 people are required for us to enter this phase. We need to dramatically demonstrate and HONESTLY EXPRESS the despair we feel over the agony of our Darfur family.

Every 3 hours (so it stretches over days) one of us nonviolently violates the rules at the White House President's Park so as to get arrested. The law is that for the first arrest there is likely to be a 12 hour or less holding period, a $50 fine, and then release.

Phase B. If by the end of this cycle of arrests (3 days elapsed?) we do NOT see the beginning-of-the-end of Hell for Darfur in sight the same group immediately goes through the process a 2nd time, knowing full well that 6 MONTHS IN PRISON may well be the price. This phase goes on until 1. all of us are in prison, OR, 2. the end of Hell for Darfur is assured.

Obviously numbers count for this initial action. If instead of the example of 20, it is 200 or 2,000 people, the impact goes up astronomically. Maybe "prison" will be avoided, but this CANNOT be our goal.

Those involved must fully accept responsibility for staying the course and make certain over the months and years ahead that US Imperialist Tendencies do not come to bear, and that we Rescue, AND Restore Darfur.

STAGE #2. THE MASSES OF NONVIOLENT WARRIORS BECOME ENGAGED, ORGANIZED AND DEPLOYED IN THE FIGHTING.

For every one of the initial "Marines" (just one riding alone across the battlefield in "Dances with Wolves"/100's walking into swinging clubs in Gandhi's India/100's facing the fire hoses down South - APPENDIX) the numbers multiply: 1,000, 10,000, 100,000. The masses become warriors too. National organizations (Africa Action, Save Darfur Coalition, STAND, Genocide Intervention) and other vehicles exist to register this 2nd tier of 100,000's, 1,000,000's of nonviolent fighters and to effectively utilize and deploy them; radically for the Save Darfur Coalition 9/17 event at the United Nations for example.

HOW TO ORGANIZE THE INITIAL STAND? Some thoughts:

Let's not care whose idea or what idea we implement. Instead, let us care that it is the best possible shot at raising the mass army THAT FIGHTS TO WIN, immediately. We must "be" the Truth Force that Gandhi so powerfully weilded. We must be the Truth of Darfur’s desperate need at the White House, at the United Nations, and wherever we go.

Got any ideas you think are good? Better? AWESOME! Contact me or tell me how to contact YOU! Want me to come and talk with you or your group? Want me to join and follow your group? Let's do it. Contact your friends, associates, acquaintances who might be interested.

Let's make this happen. We're killing time. Lets stop the Genocide This Summer, while there is life in Darfur to save.

Sincerely, Jay McGinley
email: jymcginley@cs.com
phone: 484 356 6243

………………………………….

Appendix: ADDITIONAL RATIONALE AND PERSPECTIVE

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the scene from "Gandhi" when for days, man after man after man walked headlong into swinging British clubs? Well, so did the millions of India, and the entire civilized world watch and remember, and ACT.

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the beginning scene from the movie "Dances With Wolves," when, impossibly, the hero rode across a Civil War field raging with gunfire, both sides behind stone walls, totally in stalemate? His insane ride miraculously shocked his side out of passivity and denial to follow him across the field and rout the opposition. (Yes, this was a violent war but it still illustrates the dynamic that radically committed leaders cause the masses to fight; no other way does it as well. Ever.)

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the TV images of the Civil Rights marchers getting fire-hosed, beaten, and attacked by Police Dogs then doing it all again? And how only then did the MILLIONS of US Citizens go to war? And, on, and on....

Harvard’s Samantha Power’s Pulitzer Prize winning Genocide study of the last 100 years presents a clear conclusion: “the battle to stop genocide has thus been repeatedly lost… [because] Americans outside the executive branch were largely mute….” From "Problem from Hell."

Isn't God/Goodness/Justice/Humanity/History asking us: "WHY DON’T YOU GO TO ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR FOR YOUR FAMILY IN DARFUR?" We must start BEING THE ANSWER to this question by July’s end.

I am open to any appropriate way to go to nonviolent war as long as it equates to fighting to win and doing the very best that we can do.

James McGinley: CALL TO BATTLE: LAUNCH ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR IN JULY TO RESCUE DARFUR. Fast Day #8; Vigil Day #59 - A CONCRETE PROPOSAL

www.standwithdarfurwhitehouseii.blogspot.com

We are years, YEARS behind in stopping this Genocide; a tragic, inexcusable failure of will and humanity on our part. We must bring this to an end. Bashir's Genocide is exterminating 500 people per day, more than one 9/11 per week. We are giving crystal clear signals to Bashir that he has the time to exterminate, NOW, the remaining 3,000,000 people. Oxfam is pulling out, and the other aid groups are on the verge of following – too hostile on the ground. We are training ourselves to the "gradualism" that was Dr. King's greatest enemy and horror. We are fast depleting the energy that was so valiantly raised by so many of you by April 30th.

Nonviolent wars are not started with tricks and manipulation, emails, four hour demonstrations, letters or phone calls (although, brilliantly, the efforts by many of you thus far have set the stage). We can now win the war if we unleash the masses. Now. ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WARS OF THE MASSES are ALWAYS STARTED by a small group of NONVIOLENT "MARINES", fully acting out their anguish, agony and horror at the suffering of others (In APPENDIX below: Gandhi in India, Civil Rights Movement...). When these "Marines" do so and sufficiently pay an honest price, it is an irresistible media spectacle. The radical self-sacrifice of these "Marines" ignites the hearts of the masses – possessing less vision, imagination and information. Here is the idea:

STAGE #1. IGNITE THE ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR - DEPLOY THE NONVIOLENT "MARINES" to Rescue and Restore Darfur. Nonviolent campaigns need to be started by the few on the nonviolent side.

I pray that anyone that passionately wants to join will emulate the Gandhi/India campaign (APPENDIX) as follows:

We will begin a long, drawn out series of rolling arrests. Where? The White House. Alternate targets could be the Sudan Embassy, Chinese Embassy, Russian Embassy, United Nations in NYC, or one of the network headquarters for their profound non-coverage of Darfur. If it is the White House, this is not a protest aginst the White House, or President Bush. Why?

WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM AND THE ONLY SOLUTION. WE MUST DELIVER A MANDATE THAT 20-30,000 PEACEKEEPERS (preferably African Union and non-Western UN) BE ON THE GROUND IN DARFUR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, with sufficient empowerment/funding/support. With an unmistakable outcry from the masses, the administration and congress have given every sign that they will happily comply. They need a "win."

PHASE A: A minimum of 20 people are required for us to enter this phase. We need to dramatically demonstrate and HONESTLY EXPRESS the despair we feel over the agony of our Darfur family.

Every 3 hours (so it stretches over days) one of us nonviolently violates the rules at the White House President's Park so as to get arrested. The law is that for the first arrest there is likely to be a 12 hour or less holding period, a $50 fine, and then release.

Phase B. If by the end of this cycle of arrests (3 days elapsed?) we do NOT see the beginning-of-the-end of Hell for Darfur in sight the same group immediately goes through the process a 2nd time, knowing full well that 6 MONTHS IN PRISON may well be the price. This phase goes on until 1. all of us are in prison, OR, 2. the end of Hell for Darfur is assured.

Obviously numbers count for this initial action. If instead of the example of 20, it is 200 or 2,000 people, the impact goes up astronomically. Maybe "prison" will be avoided, but this CANNOT be our goal.

Those involved must fully accept responsibility for staying the course and make certain over the months and years ahead that US Imperialist Tendencies do not come to bear, and that we Rescue, AND Restore Darfur.

STAGE #2. THE MASSES OF NONVIOLENT WARRIORS BECOME ENGAGED, ORGANIZED AND DEPLOYED IN THE FIGHTING.

For every one of the initial "Marines" (just one riding alone across the battlefield in "Dances with Wolves"/100's walking into swinging clubs in Gandhi's India/100's facing the fire hoses down South - APPENDIX) the numbers multiply: 1,000, 10,000, 100,000. The masses become warriors too. National organizations (Africa Action, Save Darfur Coalition, STAND, Genocide Intervention) and other vehicles exist to register this 2nd tier of 100,000's, 1,000,000's of nonviolent fighters and to effectively utilize and deploy them; radically for the Save Darfur Coalition 9/17 event at the United Nations for example.

HOW TO ORGANIZE THE INITIAL STAND? Some thoughts:

Let's not care whose idea or what idea we implement. Instead, let us care that it is the best possible shot at raising the mass army THAT FIGHTS TO WIN, immediately. We must "be" the Truth Force that Gandhi so powerfully weilded. We must be the Truth of Darfur’s desperate need at the White House, at the United Nations, and wherever we go.

Got any ideas you think are good? Better? AWESOME! Contact me or tell me how to contact YOU! Want me to come and talk with you or your group? Want me to join and follow your group? Let's do it. Contact your friends, associates, acquaintances who might be interested.

Let's make this happen. We're killing time. Lets stop the Genocide This Summer, while there is life in Darfur to save.

Sincerely, Jay McGinley
email: jymcginley@cs.com
phone: 484 356 6243

………………………………….

Appendix: ADDITIONAL RATIONALE AND PERSPECTIVE

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the scene from "Gandhi" when for days, man after man after man walked headlong into swinging British clubs? Well, so did the millions of India, and the entire civilized world watch and remember, and ACT.

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the beginning scene from the movie "Dances With Wolves," when, impossibly, the hero rode across a Civil War field raging with gunfire, both sides behind stone walls, totally in stalemate? His insane ride miraculously shocked his side out of passivity and denial to follow him across the field and rout the opposition. (Yes, this was a violent war but it still illustrates the dynamic that radically committed leaders cause the masses to fight; no other way does it as well. Ever.)

EXAMPLE: Do you remember the TV images of the Civil Rights marchers getting fire-hosed, beaten, and attacked by Police Dogs then doing it all again? And how only then did the MILLIONS of US Citizens go to war? And, on, and on....

Harvard’s Samantha Power’s Pulitzer Prize winning Genocide study of the last 100 years presents a clear conclusion: “the battle to stop genocide has thus been repeatedly lost… [because] Americans outside the executive branch were largely mute….” From "Problem from Hell."

Isn't God/Goodness/Justice/Humanity/History asking us: "WHY DON’T YOU GO TO ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR FOR YOUR FAMILY IN DARFUR?" We must start BEING THE ANSWER to this question by July’s end.

I am open to any appropriate way to go to nonviolent war as long as it equates to fighting to win and doing the very best that we can do.

Sam Davidson

How Do You Measure Success?

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