Adam Abdallah's Speech

Before Section II left Bat Yam, Adam, the English teacher at the Darfuri family center, passed along a speech he was about to give about the background of Darfur and his own personal story.  In the past several months, all of Garin Tzedek in Section II felt inspired by working with Adam, and it's only fitting that everyone should know why:

If you want to know what it feels like, ask a patient not a doctor. (Arabic Proverb)
My name`s Adam Abdallah and I belong to Fur tribe; the largest tribal group in Darfur.
Darfur ,which means the house of Fur, was named after the Fur tribe. It was a kingdom until 1916. It lies in the extreme west of Sudan. The Republic of Chad, Libya, and Central Africa are the neighbouring countries. The area of Darfur is approximately 196,404 sq miles and it occupies one fifth of the area of Sudan. It is larger than Egypt and it equals the area of France. So many tribes live there such as Fur, Masalit, Zagawa, Borno, Dajo, Arabs, etc..
There are some tribes intermixing with Chad, Libya, and Central Africa . Darfur Region has never been known to refuse people from outside Darfur. Thus it became an intermixture of different tribal and ethnic groups. These inhabitants, with all their different Arab and African roots, are 100% Muslims. This made the region more colourful.
Some experts describe the Darfur conflict as a tribal war, saying that it is just between the farmers and the cattle breeders. If it is just as they say, why is the government involved in that fight ?
Since I was a child, our parents in the village often told us not to leave the village while they were away for fear that we might be kidnapped. That was in early 1960s. In the country, it is quite usual that adults do not stay at home during the day. They either go to the farms or to the neighbouring villages for one reason or another. Children were kidnapped by the above mentioned nomads. Soon after that, it was in early1980s, another phenomenon emerged: Armed Robbery. People in military uniforms, from cap to boot, robbing on the roads, attacking and burning homes and villages, raping women and girls, even burning children alive, looting animals and killing these simple and traditional peasants in the cases of resistance. There was also a deliberate destruction of crops and cattle. Community leaders, merchants, teachers, and the most outstanding people were targeted. They have been detained, tortured, and killed. It`s been six years since the war started, and Darfurians have become either displaced or refugees in other countries. Despite the international demands to end the brutality, the government of Sudan and its Janjaweed continue restrictions on humanitarian assistance, attacking aid workers and expelling aid organizations. Diseases spread and the situation is totally worse.
My personal story:
I was born in a small village called Sulo.This village no longer exists. My father died when I was a primary school boy of 7. It was my mother alone who brought me and my seven sisters up. When I graduated from Khartoum University in 1988, I went back home to work as a teacher and support my family. I was appointed as a community leader. The same year, in november 1988, a war started between the Arabs and the other tribes in Darfur. On 25/11/1988 my village was attacked. It was early in the morning while we were fast asleep. The Arab miltia surrounded the village and set fire to the houses. Of course, houses in Darfur are huts. They`re made of grass and straws, so they are easy to burn. 154 people were killed and dozens of them were injured. My mother was killed that day and I was wounded. Others ran away to the mountains and other villages to seek protection. Everything was taken from the village: goats, sheep, camels, cows, horses, donkeys, all possessions and even hens. Farms were burnt. Nothing was left. In a couple of days the people of the village came back and rebuilt it. Some of the people are still missing. There were a lot of widows and orphans. The third and last attack was on 29 January 2004. It wasn`t only my village which was burnt this time, but also the other ones. The government did this systematically. All the villages in the region were burnt down to ground. I decided to leave Darfur. I set out for Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. I thought it would have been safer for me. As soon as I got there, I was empolyed as a teacher for high schools. But suddenly, the government began arresting Darfurians, imputing that these Darfurians supported Darfur rebel groups. I felt that my life was in danger. I fled to Egypt. I started my journey to Cairo on 8 March 2004. I got my travelling documents by bribing the police officer. I arrived in Cairo on 11 March 2004 and I immediately went to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for protection. The date was set for the first instant interview: 25/7/2004. By 1/6/2004 the UN announced that there would be no more interviews for Sudanese claiming that Sudan and the Sudan People Liberation Movement /Army (a rebel movement in southern Sudan) have signed  peace agreement. But I made an appeal explaining that Darfurians have not been concerned with that peace accord. I stayed in Cairo for four years waiting for the first instant interview. Finally I decided to come to Israel. My wife and I and our two children started the journey from Cairo to Israel through El Arish. On 4/7/2007 we came to the Israeli Egyptian border. The journey took us four days. At the border we faced a very high barbed wire fence. I managed to climb it, but it was too hard for my wife and the children to climb. While I was trying to help them get in, the Egyptian troops arrived and caught them. They were taken to prison in El Arish. They stayed in prison for twenty five days. My wife was pregnant. She was tortured and she lost her baby due to that. Eventually she joined me. In conclusion, I would like to thank the government and the people of Israel for hosting us.

Despite Adam's warm regard for Israel, it's important to remember that the Darfurian refugees who arrive here are not necessarily treated well: many people in the society don't want them here, and the government often takes actions that impede their moving here, such as the IDF's previous policy of "Hot Return," which allowed border patrols to immediately return any Darfurians who have crossed the border within the last 24 hours and haven't gone farther than 50 kilometers into the country.  The government also makes moves against their staying here, such as the infamous "Gadera-Hadera Law," which prohibited African refugees and foreign workers from living in the central area bound by Gadera in the south and Hadera in the north, essentially blocking out Tel Aviv.  Thus it's clear that, while Darfurians have found a shelter in Israel, it is not necessarily a cooperative one.  Israeli society is very conflicted about the issue.

A Bittersweet Goodbye to Bat Yam

This past week Section II moved from Bat Yam to Arad. Last week we went to the center for the last time and said goodbye to our friends we have made in the Center. Adam was sad to see us go and really appreciated us coming for the past 2 months.Cera, Nathan, Ittai, and Emilie also had to say goodbye to the children's house and the families. It was sad.
Over the past 3 months Section II has done a lot in Bat Yam. We raised awareness by having a movie night with Adam's story as well as other Sudanese refugees highlighted in the film. Adam and Nick from ARDC also came to speak to us one Dessert and Discuss. We raised a lot of money from the Shabbat Dinner and selling snacks in between classes every day and attending the fundraiser at the Dancing Camel. And we hopefully made a difference, even if it was only a small one, in the lives of the Southern Tel Aviv Darfuri community. Section II Garin Tzedek also had a couple events to build kehila such as Rikud Night and a Tiyul.

Now we are in Arad and there is a lot of potential here. Currently we have Ittai and Laura working in Ganim, and David working in construction for their volunteering. Cera and Emilie are going to do social work for the Sudanese and work with the families trying to help them with specifics needs. Also the Business Track hopped on the Garin Tzedek train by making their business project in Arad helping Sudanese set up a business for themselves. At this moment it is projected that the Business Track will help them set up a coffee shop, so they can help employ themselves and gain some entrepreneurship.

Altough as a section we are sad to leave Bat Yam, Arad is full of great opportunities for the Garin and we are already on the path to taking advantage of them.

So Long Arad!

The end of Sections three’s chapter in Arad is now in sight.  The volunteers here for Garin Tzedek are very sad to leave their friends from the Sudanese Community behind. Though Noah and I will be back every now and then to make sure everything is running smoothly, we will miss the day to day connection that we have held so close to our hearts these past three months. Though we are leaving we truly believe that we have made a magnificent contribution to the community, both on a personal and physical level.

 

Our first day Noah and I knew not what to expect walking through the doors of the first daycare, but now after three months, the Sudanese have become what we all  might refer to as our second family. Their accepting hearts and warm company drove us to work to great lengths to start figuring out how to jumpstart their community.

 

We are very proud to say after three months with two volunteers, young Judaea has decided that two volunteers is just not sufficient enough. Next semester there will be ten volunteer placements for the Sudanese. It’s hard to believe that two people could muster up enough energy to be the glue that their community needed to run smoothly. Though I (Sean MacDonald) must confess my thanks and undying love for Noah Berman. He has not only put his heart completely into this work, but has dedicated every moment of this program to be available to help. I would not have asked for a better person to work with, and Garin Tzedek would be nowhere today without him. As his reign in Arad ends, he will forever be irreplaceable to the community here.

 

Check frequently for updates in the Arad community and the work that section two is doing.  We are excited to see what ideas the new group will come up with, and to see the education system we have implemented grow.

Interesting Article On the Save Darfur Organization

The following is from Middle East Online, a far left news website that is often unfairly critical of Israel. While they have an extreme bias this article is still the beginning of a dialogue on how we engage in resolving the crisis in Sudan. Do not take the sweeping generalizations of the article without a grain of salt, but please post comments in response, we want to know what you think.


First Published 2009-10-29


'Conditions on the ground have changed'

Have US activists actually helped Darfur?

Analyst sees actions of US Save Darfur movement have had negative effect on people of Darfur.

NEW YORK - After months of deliberation, the Obama administration unveiled a new strategy for Sudan last week.

The White House plans to offer the Sudanese government a mix of incentives and pressure to urge Khartoum to end the crisis in Darfur and implement the 2005 peace deal between the north and the south.

"The US policy, I think, is first and foremost an acknowledgement that conditions on the ground have changed. It’s as Hillary Clinton said in her speech, the level of mortality in Darfur declined dramatically after 2005," professor Mahmood Mamdani from Columbia University, and author of Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror, told Democracy Now!.

"Second, it’s an acknowledgement that the US needs an integrated Sudan policy, not a separate policy for Darfur and a separate policy for the south of Sudan," he added.

The new policy appears to be a shift in how President Obama regarded the crisis during his election campaign.

Obama then "was responding to the domestic constituency in the US, particularly the Save Darfur movement," said Mamdani.

But "Obama now is responding to the situation in Sudan and to the realization that the ideological nature of Save Darfur demands has made for an extremely inflexible US response to Sudan," he added.

However, there is also a split in the Obama administration: on the one hand, Major General Scott Gration, Obama's envoy to Sudan; on the other hand, Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN.

"Susan Rice has been very closely related to the Save Darfur movement...The State Department has been hugely skeptical of the claims of Save Darfur movement," noted Mamdani.

There is also a deep division between activists who are much more central to the evangelical lobby, which is attuned to the South, and those organized mainly in relation to Darfur.

"The evangelical lobby is also worried that Sudan policy has been driven too much by a Darfur orientation," said Mamdani.

In addition, the Save Darfur movement has had a negative effect on the people of Darfur.

"The point of view of Save Darfur is that anybody who tries to explain the context of the violence in Darfur and to direct attention from atrocities to the issues that have been fueling the violence is doing nothing but apologizing for the violence," said Mamdani.

"My own point of view is that if you are interested in stopping the cycle of violence, you have no choice but to look at the issues that feed that violence. A focus exclusively on the atrocities is like creating and catering to a pornography of violence, which is what Save Darfur has been doing," he added.

"Save Darfur has no interest in teach-in. It has no interest in education, nor in educators. Its interest is in Hollywood celebrities. Its interest is in name recognition. Its interest is not even in the university students, less and less now, much more so in high school students, explained Mamdani.

"I call them America’s counterparts of the child soldiers of Africa: children led into causes without understanding them. I think there has to be a certain degree of critical focus on Save Darfur-type movements, that they do not really strengthen democracy, they weaken it," he added.

But despite official American rhetoric, US governments have had steady relations with Sudan on the war on terror.

"Relations between the two intelligence services have been strong," said Mamdani.

Videos From Sudanese Cultural Celebration

In Mid-October the Dinka tribe held a gathering at the Hotel Inbar to celebrate the forming of the new Sudanese committee of leaders for the community. There were more than 100 Sudanese in attendance and 20 other guests including 6 Garin Tzedek members. The celebration consisted of tasty foods and drinks, optimistic speeches, and energetic cultural dances. Here are some videos from the festival.

Arad Community Forging Ahead

In recent weeks there has been a lot of activity in the Arad Sudanese Community. As Garin Tzedek finishes construction on the new Community Center in Arad's industrial district English Classes have already begun for elementary school students, taught by Garin Tzedek members. Three days a week Yearcoursers spend an hour of their evening teaching the ABC's, reading, grammar, and vocabulary to 25 Sudanese Children. So far the program has been a great success and we hope to expand it in the near future.

In addition to the Childrens classes and the aduly classes soon to follow in the new center the Garin has been working on a number of other projects. We will be painting murals around Arad with Sudanese volunteers and are openning a clinic in December to deal with minor illnesses, first aid, and pregnancy and neo-natal health and education. Donations have begun to arrive, but we still need your help. Our goal is to have 3,000 NIS, or about $800 by December to pay for two months rent on a new daycare building. Look for pictures from all of our new projects soon and keep following, donating, fundraising, but most importantly TELLING YOUR FRIENDS about the Garin.

Shavua Tov, Noah

It's On!

Garin Tzedek has had an intense week in Bat Yam:

On Sunday, we began an exhilarating game of assassin.  For a meager 5 shekels, any Year Course chanich in Bat Yam could join in the game and help support the Darfuris in Tel Aviv.  In case you're not familiar, assassin is a game where each person has another person assigned to them with a specific task they have to get them to do in order to assassinate them.  For instance, if someone wore a hat all the time, the task to kill them might be to get their permission to wear their hat.  Once a person is killed, they must pass on their task to the person who killed them, until there is one ultimate victor.  In one short week, something like half of the participants have already been eliminated!  The conclusion in the next couple of weeks promises to be thrilling.

On both Tuesday and Wednesday night, many Garin Tzedek members went to the Darfuri family center in Tel Aviv to help teach the adults English.  This was done through personal and frank discussion, that was just as interesting for the volunteers as it was helpful for the Darfuris.  We hope that, through these triadic encounters, we can help the adults improve their spoken English and have more knowledge about their situation.  Many times, the adults have chosen to discuss Darfur, or their journey to and opinion on Israel, or even their future plans.  We also hung up some more signs for the gan!  The experience this past week has been a fulfilling and enlightening one, and we hope to continue it as our time ends in Bat Yam:

 

In addition, Wednesday night, the African Refugee Development Center (ARDC) in Tel Aviv held a benefit party at the Dancing Camel Brewery and Bar.  It was a fundraiser to send several African refugees to college at IDC Herzliya.  Garin Tzedek, along with many Year Course chanichim, attended in good fun:



If you're interested in hearing more about Garin Tzedek activities in Bat Yam, or would like to make a donation, please send an e-mail to ittai.eres@gmail.com.  Shabbat Shalom!