Research Paper

Riley Pavelich
Research Paper- Darfur
Advanced Comp.
16 April 2008


The average person on the street recalls the holocaust or the slaughter in Rwanda, but it is shocking how few realize that those types of situations are occurring at this very moment in Darfur. Most people know something about the situation in Darfur; however, very few really understand it. In order to fully comprehend the state of affairs, one must first know the background of Darfur, the history of the conflict, possible solutions, and why it has spiraled out of control.

Some people are under the misconception that Darfur is a country. It is actually a region in Sudan, an African country that borders the Red Sea. Although rich in natural resources, the country suffers from “overpopulation, desertification, and drought” (“War” par.2). In 2003 Sudan’s population density was 34 people for every square mile (Nations Encyclopedia par. 1). Since 1998 there has been a drought in Sudan and it has shown no signs of stopping.

Sudan enjoys a rich and vibrant culture, though it has always seemed to be plagued by war and unrest, especially the region of Darfur. Since February 15 2003, Darfur has been engaged in a bloody dispute. The two main factions involved in the disagreement are the African tribes and local Arabs. Conflict initially arose because of the supposed or actual favoring of Arab citizens above others by the Sudanese government. The government responded to these accusations by supporting the Janjaweed, an Arab militia. The non- Arab population countered the Janjaweed by forming the Sudanese Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement (“War” par. 1).

The Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) has several different factions headed by different people. The group headed by Minni Minnawi has now sided with the government and is generally hated among Darfurian citizens because he is now aligned with the group he was initially fighting against. Abdulwahid Mohamed Nour, another leader of the SLA continues to fight the government and is supported by the public (“Sudan Liberation Mov.” Par.2).
This situation has many small parts and underlying causes. Another piece of this confusing and bloody puzzle is China. The Chinese government has frequently opposed economic sanctions against Sudan. Also, a Chinese company, Petrochina, is in command of about 2/3 of Sudan’s oil (Darcy par. 18). There is evidence that the Sudanese government bought about 100 million dollars worth of weapons from China (“War” par. 20). Many experts suspect that China is against economic sanctions because of their oil interest.

As of September 21, 2006 the official United Nation death count was over 400,000 (“War” par. 32). It is important to consider that the death rate in Darfur is seven times greater than what is expected (WHO pg. 5). The majority of those dead are of African lineage. Also, as many as two million refugees have been driven from their homes. Many of them seek shelter in Chad; however most of the refugee camps in Chad are surrounded by the Janjaweed and under their authority. They are much like concentration camps. According to a World Health Organization report, the main cause of death in these camps is diarrhoeal. Deaths of diarrhea are “likely to reflect poor environmental sanitation,” reported the same study. Why has Darfur garnered so much international attention? One possible answer is the Janjaweed’s tactics. They use murder, rape and torture as weapons of war. After pillaging a village, they poison wells with the bodies of the dead (Kayla par. 7). In a country where water is scarce, poisoned drinking water is just as deadly as bullets or knives.

A surprising effect of this conflict is the avoidance of the term genocide. Genocide, as defined by the Random House Unabridged Dictionary is “the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.” This term could apply to Darfur because of the Janjaweed’s frequent mass murders, rapes, and other terrorist actions against the African tribes people. However, many countries and organizations avoid using the word genocide when discussing Darfur. The United Nations has not yet used the term. Surprisingly, the United States has called the situation genocide. Countries stay away from saying the word because doing so would require them, by international law, to aid Darfur (UN art. 3). It is against the law to be “complacent in genocide.”

Why would a country not want to aid Darfur? One reason is that it might anger China, who has become a world power and is very wealthy. Also, the conflict has been so bloody, many countries do not want to send troops into such a dangerous area. Because they believe that some organizations that sent troops that claim to be neutral actually support the government, the SLA has staged attacks against peacekeeping forces sent into their country. The very people the forces were sent into aid sometimes retaliate against them!

So far, the UN has done little to prevent the war. Although they have pledged to provide up to 26,000 troops, only about a third of that number were deployed. The UN has also passed more than a dozen sanctions against the Sudanese government, but have not followed through with them. Some blame the UN’s lack of action on China and Russia, both members of the group. According to the Human Right’s Watch, those two counties do not support drastic measures taken against Sudan because of “ideological commitments (non-interference in internal affairs of member states) and both have economic interests in Sudan” (“Q and A” par 26-27). Although most nations agree that the way to lasting peace in Darfur is a peace treaty, not an increase of forces, many countries are weary of stepping up their pressure on Sudan until the US has done so.

The Arab militia, with the help of the Sudanese government, has become very powerful. To help counter this threat, the African Union and United Nations has sent troops to try to establish peace. Many countries are pressing the United Nations to send more peacekeeping troops into the country. Thousands of Americans are calling for President Bush to increase the pressure on Darfur. Several countries, including France, are calling for a boycott of the Chinese Olympic Games. New organizations, entirely devoted to aiding Darfur, have sprung up, including “Save Darfur” and “Darfur is Dying.” “Save Darfur” claims that its goal is to “encourage global advocacy on behalf of Darfur.”

So who is to blame in this mess? Could one accuse the international community for not intervening? Maybe the guilt lies with the Sudanese’s government for supporting the Janjaweed. Perhaps China’s supplying weapons to Sudan entitles them to some responsibility. Regardless of who could have stepped in to help or who abetted Sudan, one begins to understand why the situation is so complicated. Resolving the situation would take the cooperation of several different nations and a massive amount of resources.

It is interesting to note that a similar event occurred in Africa in 1994, which is known as the Rwanda Genocide. In both situations an enter-country dispute ended in many deaths. The genocide lasted only 100 days, but between 800,000 and 1,000,000 people died (“Rwandan Genocide” par. 1”). In contrast to Darfur, Rwanda’s genocide was committed by the smaller, less powerful ethnic group. Rwandan’s situation was eventually resolved by a peace treaty. Many have called Darfur “Rwanda repeating itself.” So why was this situation resolved in only 100 days? Darfur’s war has been dragging on for four years. Maybe it is because in four years there has only been 400,000 casualties as opposed to 800,000 in 100 days. Also, the Rwandan government allowed other countries to help them resolve the situation, unlike the Sudanese. Far more nations have economic interests in Sudan than in Rwanda and it seems as if the relief effort for Darfur has been stalled, wrapped up in red tape and political apathy.

The situation, bleak as it may be, will hopefully be resolved soon. If more people knew the history of Darfur, the background of the conflict, potential resolutions, and why it has become such a disaster, Darfur would be one step closer to being saved.

Works Cited

Darcy, Ailbhe. “Darfur is a right mess-but that does not absolve us.” Taking it Global:
Panorama. 18 December 2007. 1 April 2008. <http://www.takingitglobal.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=17671>


Kayla. “Devastation in Darfur.” Taking it Global: Panorama. November 16 2007.
April 1 2008. <http://www.takingitglobal.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=17035>


“Q. & A.: Crisis in Darfur.” Human Rights Watch. 25 April 2008. 14 May 2008. <http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/05/darfur8536.htm>.

“Rwandan Genocide.” Wikipedia. 14 May 2008. 14 May 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide>.


“Sudan Liberation Movement.” Wikipedia. 19 April 2008. 14 May 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan_Liberation_Movement>.


United Nations General Assembly. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. 27 January 1997. 30 April 2008. <http://www.hrweb.org/legal/genocide.html>.


“War in Darfur.” Wikipedia. April 11 2008. April 11 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict.com>.


World Health Organization. Retrospective Mortality Survey Among the Internationally Displaced Population, Greater Darfur. 15 September 2004.
<http://www.who.int/disasters/repo/14656.pdf.com >.


Zaaimi, Sarah. “The Darfur Crisis: An African Apocalypse.” Taking it Global: Panorama. 25 December 2006. 1April 2008. .
<http://www.takingitglobal.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=9883>

Taking it Global

Taking It Global didn't have too much information on the genocide in Darfur, the topic I will be reaserching. I did find one site, however. TIG had a link to Save Darfur Canada, a group devoted to spreading info and involving normal people in Darfur's struggles. The site was more aimed at getting people involved in the situation than actually teaching about it. I didn't learn very much, except how to join the program.

Child's Story

| View | Upload your own

Found Poem Text

Shine Perfect

Are you comfortable being woman

Bornze beauty burden

why not discover sunshine

top-to-bottom miracle

reveal your talent for life

Found Poem

Major Poet Essay

Riley Pavelich
Major Poet Essay
Advanced Comp.
24 January 2008

Biography


Perhaps one of the most prolific and widely read poets of all time, Emily Dickinson has finally earned fame. During her lifetime, her poems, on the rare occasion one was printed, were edited almost out of recognition. She was heavily criticized because she did not use conventional techniques, and her poems usually did not have titles. She would occasionally throw in a comma, a capital letter, or a period which caused more traditional writers confusion.


Emily was born in Amherst, Massachusetts were she spent her entire life. Her family was rich and respected. She was a brilliant student. As Emily grew older she left homeless, until eventually she never did again. She was known in her town as being odd, and she added to this notion by only wearing white clothing. Frequently, she would write poems without telling anyone. In 1886 she died from a stroke. After her death, Emily's younger sister was shocked to find thousands of untitled poems which she later published.

Review of Critical Essays

When researching Emily Dickinson, it is useful to read Cynthia Griffin Wolff’s critical essay. Ms. Wolff seems to be a feminist who admires Emily more for her gender than her writing. It is true that Emily is praise-worthy for standing up for her art and being brave enough to write poetry; however, her real claim to fame is her poetry. Ms. Wolf acknowledges this when she writes, “Irrefutable ‘Immortality’ resides in the work of art itself” (Wolff 11). When Wolff writes this she means that Emily’s poems will last forever, and her spirit and soul live on through them.

Analysis of One Poem

Emily Dickinson was an individual. She wrote using her own original style, and refused to sacrifice her uniqueness. Although she rarely left home, when one reads her poems she seems worldly and sophisticated. She is admired as both woman and a poet.

Most of Emily Dickinson’s poems have no titles, so most people identify them by the first line of each poem. “Hope is the thing with feathers” addresses Emily’s idea that hope is like a bird that is forever with humanity. It can not be seen or heard, but it is undeniably felt. The speaker in this poem, who seems to be Emily herself, comes off like someone who is very vulnerable. It seems as if she has had to rely on herself for comfort.

The images this poem evokes are very striking. The reader could envision a little robin sitting on every person’s shoulder. A powerful phrase is in the last stanza when Emily writes, “Yet, never, in extremity/ it asked a crumb from me” (11-12). This section is a play on words. The imaginary bird has never asked to be fed, but also hope comes naturally to all humans, and there is no price to pay for it. This poem makes the reader feel as if he will never be deserted by his robin, and together they can get through anything. Also, when others have forsaken somebody, he can count on himself and hope to pull through.

What would a woman who has lived in the same town, in the same house for her entire life know about needing hope? When Emily writes that she has felt hope “in the chillest land” and “on the strangest sea,” the reader must ask himself if this is true (9-10). Her personal struggles with depression, family, and love must have been overwhelming to her.

Emily was often criticized for her unconventional rhythms; however, in “Hope is the thing with feathers,” she uses end rhythms to her great advantage, which makes reading it easier and more enjoyable.

Overview of 3 Poems

In Emily Dickinson’s poem “I’m nobody! Who are you?” she tries to justify her lack of success in the literary world. When she writes “How dreary to be somebody/ How public, like a frog,” she is referring to the fact that nobody knows her name beyond her family and friends (5-6). She says that to be known would, in fact, be more distressing than pleasing.

Among Emily’s many poems about death, “Because I could not stop for Death,” is by far the most famous. She writes about a fanciful situation where Death picks her up in a carriage, and together they drive towards “eternity.” The poem is dark, but yet she does not seem too upset that she is dying. Rather, to her, it appears to be a release from the duty of living.

Emily’s bitterness about not being successful is a reoccurring theme in her writings. In the poem “Success is counted sweetest,” she writes about those people who are frequently successful do not value their achievements. She seems to be alluding to herself when she wrote “To comprehend a nectar/ Requires sorest need” (3-4). Apparently she felt she had the “sorest need.” Her loyalty to her art-form though prevented her from being frequently published. She would have had more success in her life time if she was willing to edit her poems.

Evaluation of Poet

Emily Dickinson was a master of her craft. She is arguably one of the most famous and influential poets of all time. When her poems were finally published, they inspired generations of writers. Her imagery is intriguing and beautiful; not a word or phrase is without meaning. Although, poems she wrote are short and deceivingly simple, they speak to any reader with imagination and appreciation of beauty.

Bog Queen

1. Who is speaking?
In "Bog Queen" the speaker is a dead bog body.

2. What characterizes the speaker? What is the speaker like?
The most important characteristic is that the speaker is dead. I also think the speaker was royalty because it was wearing a diadem.

3. To whom is he or she speaking?
I think the speaker was talking to its family or just to itself.

4. What is the speaker's emotional state?
The speaker sounds a little traumatized and quite sad.

5. Why is he or she speaking?
The bog body is speaking to relieve it's gloom, or maybe just to end the silence of the bog.

6. What situation is being described?
The situation is that this old bog body was found by a person digging peat.

7. What are the conflicts or tensions in this situation?
One conflict is this person digging her up has cut into her. Another conflict is that the bog body was mistreated before she died.

8. How is the setting--social situation, physical place, and time--important to the speaker?
I think the social setting is important to the story because at the time this woman died, throwing sacrificial victims or criminals into the bog was customary.

9. What ideas does the speaker communicate?
The speaker seems to me not to enjoy being dead. Another idea I got from the story was that this person was so undesirable when they died, a cast off. but when the body was re-dug thousands of years later it was considered special and the utmost care was taken of it.