Darfur Diaries

At our last movie night, a friend handed me a book, Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival. It works a tricky balance as part adventure log, part history lesson and part activist investigation. Brutal.

While not covering the details of systematic burning, pillaging and raping, the reader still gets a sense of the desperation and hope. It was interesting to read the sentiments of the displaced people; some wanting revenge, others just wanting to return home. All wanting peace, someday.

One item on the author’s agenda list is to convince the reader that the general media has over simplified the conflict into a North/South, Arab/African, Islamic/Christian dichotomy. Instead, the author believes that the government is using divisions between groups to cause chaos, keep it in power, and obtain the resources it desires. Thought provoking.

Now I want to watch the documentary—Darfur Diaries: Message from Home.