Coming to Washington in order to work on the international website is indeed a time for “mind-stretching”.  Yesterday this “stretching” took the shape of an opportunity to put my body where my heart is: with refugees and displaced, especially those in the African continent. After my visit to the camps of Eastern Chad for refugees from Darfur, which I repeat, is “the most difficult situation I have ever encountered in all my years with JRS”, of course I follow developments as closely as I can. JRS lost no time in sending personnel in order to assist in the provision of education, and I rejoiced at this prompt response.

An e mail forwarded last week by Clare Pratt pointed me to the website of the Save Darfur Organization and to information on the “Sudan Day of Conscience” to be held world-wide on August 25^th. One of the features was a calendar of events to be held in different cities around the world. Clicking on “Washington” I found the following information:

Washington, DC
Description: Protest at the Sudanese Embassy,
12:00 noon, August 25
Directions: Sudanese Embassy 2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, DC 20008

Here, at last, was something small yet concrete that I could do. A map of the D.C. Metro system was found immediately by the staff of the CEDC, the red line route easily traced to Dupont Circle … and off I went.

It was not necessary to look for the Sudanese Embassy. There was already a sizable crowd in front by the time I reached – a diverse crowd indeed walking side by side: young and old, white middle class couples, schoolchildren, Africans from Africa and from America, adopted children of Africa, like me…. We were there because “there is someone like me in Darfur”, as a woman whose poster brought attention to innumerable rapes told me. A young father pushed his baby’s pram decorated with a sign “Help the children”, “to have a life like my child’s”, he added.

But the windows of the Embassy were shut tight, and I wondered if someone was behind the curtains, watching in air-conditioned silence. It turns out that the Embassy has been closed since Monday, perhaps in an effort to discourage the protesters who have been assembling faithfully from noon to one p.m. since June 29^th. "Their shutting down the embassy doesn't prevent what we're trying to accomplish," said Joe Madison, the president of the Sudan Campaign. "We will be there every day until the president of the U.S. issues a declaration of genocide [in Sudan] or until the Sudanese government reaches an agreement that normalizes the lives of black people of Darfur. They probably feel that they can end the demonstration by closing," Madison said. "We won't stop."

We walked in orderly fashion up and down the block, the line growing longer as more people joined. Cars and trucks driving by honked in support of the demonstration. Chants and posters proclaimed the same message: GENOCIDE. STOP. NOW. Although both God and government(s), as well as oil and race, were often mentioned, the focus was on people, people who are suffering injustice and untold cruelty. The events that took place in Rwanda ten years ago, the genocide that would “never again” happen, as the international community vowed, was very much in our minds.  “We cannot afford more things to repent for”, Rev. Sinkford of the United Universalist Association stated.

The protest included a concrete act of civil disobedience:

“A number of prominent activists were arrested here Wednesday on the steps of the Sudanese embassy protesting the ongoing slaughter in the country's Darfur region and the Bush administration's lack of action in the matter.

At a rally that also highlighted the Aug. 30 United Nations deadline for Sudan's government to rein in murderous militias or face unspecified consequences, the activists join a growing list of protesters arrested in acts of civil disobedience at the embassy in recent days. Charged Wednesday were Salih Booker, executive director of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Africa Action, Bill Fletcher Jr, president of the group TransAfrica Forum, Emira Woods, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus, Rev William G Sinkford, president of the United Universalist Association of Congregations, and actor and activist Danny Glover."

 (from an article by Eli Clifton, posted on allAfrica.com )

One of them said prior to her arrest, “My belief in the power of symbol is greater than the fear of jail. And I am scared.”

I could not help but admire and cheer the belief of so many Americans: our country is not the same as our Government, our voices and actions on behalf of peace speak loudly even though they are not heard. There is – always- something concrete and small that ordinary people can in order do to show what they believe in, what they care about.

As I walked back to the Metro I realized that this event had taken place not too far from a statue of Ghandi. And that tomorrow the demonstrators will be walking up and down the same block, in front of the same silent, shuttered embassy.

Until when?  What else can we – can I – do?