Hundreds take part in Global Day for Darfur

ctvtoronto.ca

Several hundred activists, artists and politicians gathered at Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square on Sunday to take part in the fifth annual Global Day for Darfur.

This year's event focused on the plight of children in the troubled Sudanese region that has been torn apart by civil war. Many nations and agencies describe the conflict as genocide.

"Since the genocide began five years ago, more than 1 million children have been tortured, raped, wounded, displaced, and/or traumatized," stated a press release from STAND Canada (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur), which organized the Toronto rally.

"UNICEF reported in their Child Alert Report that 'The children of Darfur have little prospect of a decent, independent future for themselves ... (as the majority of them) live beyond the reach of current international relief efforts, leaving them exposed to malnutrition, illness, violence and fear.'"

More than 200,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced in the ongoing conflict between the Arab-dominated government and African rebels.

Waterloo Regional Police Sgt. Debbie Bodkin was brought to tears as she spoke of her trip to the country a few years ago, when she worked as an investigator.

"I know there are horrible things going on all across the world and it's easy for us to get overwhelmed and want to shut it all out, but this is just like the Holocaust again, it's just like Armenia again, this is just like Rwanda again and we're letting it happen, again," Bodkin said.

Among the politicians in attendance was London Liberal MP Glen Pearson. He and his wife adopted three Sudanese children, seven-year-old twins Abuk and Achan and their 10-year-old brother Ater.

While Canada has pledged money for relief in Sudan, Pearson says Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government need to do more.

"I'm challenging him to put together a committee of two members from each party to go to Darfur, come back and then he works with all parties to put something forward that's really going to have teeth," Pearson said.

Several motions on the issue have been introduced in Ottawa, including one last week by Montreal Liberal MP Irwin Cotler called the Sudan Accountability Act.

Several other Canadian cities also participated in the day of demonstration on Sunday. The international events, in which more than 40 countries participated, were arranged by the organization Globe for Darfur.