Comments on: Destination Darfur: A Critique http://toddblog.net/2009/06/25/destination-darfur-a-critique/ It's pretty fun if you say it fast Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:09:17 +0000 hourly 1 By: Emily http://toddblog.net/2009/06/25/destination-darfur-a-critique/comment-page-1/#comment-1452 Emily Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:43:02 +0000 http://toddblog.net/?p=887#comment-1452 <blockquote>There’s not a lot I can do for the women of Darfur, other than buying them stoves and giving money to Save Darfur (I’ve done both, and I feel like it was money well spent). What I can do is respect them by not claiming that their reports of rape are blown out of proportion. I can honor them by not minimizing the atrocities committed against them. I can treat them as fellow daughters of God by not understating the evil they’ve experienced.</blockquote> Extraordinarily well said, Hayley. And thanks for the post & the links, Todd. I wasn't aware of Scott's documentary, but I'm not as well educated about the situation in Darfur, as I should be, either. I'm always suspicious of journalists or ("experts") whose reporting (or "expertise") contradicts well-documented facts or a widely held consensus. One wonders how much attention a Darfur documentary that reiterated what people already know would have received.

There’s not a lot I can do for the women of Darfur, other than buying them stoves and giving money to Save Darfur (I’ve done both, and I feel like it was money well spent). What I can do is respect them by not claiming that their reports of rape are blown out of proportion. I can honor them by not minimizing the atrocities committed against them. I can treat them as fellow daughters of God by not understating the evil they’ve experienced.

Extraordinarily well said, Hayley.

And thanks for the post & the links, Todd. I wasn’t aware of Scott’s documentary, but I’m not as well educated about the situation in Darfur, as I should be, either.

I’m always suspicious of journalists or (“experts”) whose reporting (or “expertise”) contradicts well-documented facts or a widely held consensus. One wonders how much attention a Darfur documentary that reiterated what people already know would have received.

]]> By: Hayley http://toddblog.net/2009/06/25/destination-darfur-a-critique/comment-page-1/#comment-1451 Hayley Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:51:14 +0000 http://toddblog.net/?p=887#comment-1451 The most offensive part of the documentary to me was Scott’s failure to acknowledge the rapes occurring at displacement camps in Southern Darfur and Chad. She went to a couple of camps in Northern Darfur and stated that the women at those camps can go freely about their daily business with no fear of being raped. She didn’t discuss the conditions for women at camps in Southern Darfur or Chad, where women do live in fear of sexual attacks. I understand Scott ran out of time and wasn’t able to visit camps in Southern Darfur, but she failed to even mention reports of violence committed against women at these other camps, giving the impression that the women in all camps are safe and living somewhat normal lives. It’s irresponsible to point to two camps and claim the lives led by the people in those camps represent the lives led at every camp. The Physicians for Human Rights recently published a study on women refugees in Darfur and Chad and found that rape and sexual violence is still common for these women. <a href="http://darfuriwomen.phrblog.org/2009/05/31/medical-study-supports-women-refugees-reports-of-sexual-violence-in-darfur-and-chad/" rel="nofollow">You can read it here.</a> There’s not a lot I can do for the women of Darfur, other than buying them stoves and giving money to Save Darfur (I’ve done both, and I feel like it was money well spent). What I can do is respect them by not claiming that their reports of rape are blown out of proportion. I can honor them by not minimizing the atrocities committed against them. I can treat them as fellow daughters of God by not understating the evil they’ve experienced. The most offensive part of the documentary to me was Scott’s failure to acknowledge the rapes occurring at displacement camps in Southern Darfur and Chad. She went to a couple of camps in Northern Darfur and stated that the women at those camps can go freely about their daily business with no fear of being raped. She didn’t discuss the conditions for women at camps in Southern Darfur or Chad, where women do live in fear of sexual attacks. I understand Scott ran out of time and wasn’t able to visit camps in Southern Darfur, but she failed to even mention reports of violence committed against women at these other camps, giving the impression that the women in all camps are safe and living somewhat normal lives. It’s irresponsible to point to two camps and claim the lives led by the people in those camps represent the lives led at every camp. The Physicians for Human Rights recently published a study on women refugees in Darfur and Chad and found that rape and sexual violence is still common for these women. You can read it here.

There’s not a lot I can do for the women of Darfur, other than buying them stoves and giving money to Save Darfur (I’ve done both, and I feel like it was money well spent). What I can do is respect them by not claiming that their reports of rape are blown out of proportion. I can honor them by not minimizing the atrocities committed against them. I can treat them as fellow daughters of God by not understating the evil they’ve experienced.

]]> By: lkelly http://toddblog.net/2009/06/25/destination-darfur-a-critique/comment-page-1/#comment-1450 lkelly Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:30:23 +0000 http://toddblog.net/?p=887#comment-1450 Correction to my earlier post: that 200,000 # was for refugees just in eastern Chad.... there were more folks who fled to other countries.... Correction to my earlier post: that 200,000 # was for refugees just in eastern Chad.… there were more folks who fled to other countries.…

]]> By: lkelly http://toddblog.net/2009/06/25/destination-darfur-a-critique/comment-page-1/#comment-1449 lkelly Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:26:09 +0000 http://toddblog.net/?p=887#comment-1449 A great resource for unbiased info on Darfur is the UN High Commission on Refugees. It not only helped some 200,000 Sudanese refugees that fled to other countries, it employed former journalists to document their stories. Here is a link to a compilation of info from the Web site: http://tinyurl.com/nxkj26 A great resource for unbiased info on Darfur is the UN High Commission on Refugees. It not only helped some 200,000 Sudanese refugees that fled to other countries, it employed former journalists to document their stories. Here is a link to a compilation of info from the Web site: http://tinyurl.com/nxkj26

]]> By: Tim Davis http://toddblog.net/2009/06/25/destination-darfur-a-critique/comment-page-1/#comment-1448 Tim Davis Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:12:31 +0000 http://toddblog.net/?p=887#comment-1448 I find it funny that a woman who would make a film about Darfur would also have a Glamour Shot. I find it funny that a woman who would make a film about Darfur would also have a Glamour Shot.

]]> By: Kristin http://toddblog.net/2009/06/25/destination-darfur-a-critique/comment-page-1/#comment-1447 Kristin Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:30:43 +0000 http://toddblog.net/?p=887#comment-1447 good post, T. good post, T.

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