Note the power of one

Editorial

When, after the Holocaust, world Jewry adopted the mantra "Never again," it was an affirmation of universal human security, not a narrowly Jewish imperative. What Jews worldwide have struggled against for the past six decades is not solely that our people never be put through such genocidal inhumanity again, but that no people suffer that way again.

Sadly, all the mantras in the world have not been able to staunch racial and other forms of intolerance. In various places, at various times, horrific inhumanity has been visited upon various communities. Perhaps nothing stung our own sense of vigilance (and failure) as much as the 1994 massacre in Rwanda, during which 800,000 civilians were murdered in a 100-day racially motivated bloodbath. Canadian Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, who was the United Nations force commander in Rwanda, pleaded with the world to send assistance to prevent the impending doom, but to little avail. The massacre proceeded before the eyes of underequipped international observers.

The world community's horrifying inability or unwillingness to stand up to inhumanity in Rwanda has haunted the conscience of the world ever since. Yet, when a comparable ethnic-based genocide appeared imminent across Africa, this time in the Darfur region of Sudan, again the world seemed slow to provide the protection necessary to save the Darfurian people from the murderous grip of "janjaweed" militias with the complicity of the Sudanese government and army. Already, 500,000 Darfurians have died. Two million have been displaced from their homes. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, still face starvation or worse. These series of catastrophes will haunt our consciences too.

But if there is a ray of hope in this grisly scenario, it may be the reminder that a small group of committed individuals can effect change and alter the fate of hundreds of thousands.

What the Rwandan experience proved is that people cannot wait for their governments or international bodies to act on their behalf. Sad though it may be, governments and the United Nations only prioritize issues based on the will and voice of the people with enough power to be heard.

The Canadian government announced last week that it will provide as much as $198 million for increased humanitarian aid and added diplomatic support for the African Union Mission in Sudan. That decision to commit a large sum of money – and to increase the global sensitivity to developments in Darfur – can reasonably be said to trace directly back to one individual member of Vancouver's Jewish community.

Mark Weintraub, the chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region, saw a clear parallel between the fate of the people of Darfur and the historical experience of the Jewish people. He prioritized this issue and, joining with Nouri Abdalla of British Columbia's small Darfurian community, began a long struggle to raise the profile in Canada of this international cataclysm. From his regional work, which was aided by the proximity and admirable efforts of B.C. Sen. Mobina Jaffer, the prime minister's special envoy for this issue, Weintraub succeeded in mobilizing his entire national organization in support of Darfur. From there, the lobbying expertise of CJC was directed toward the federal government, media and other opinion leaders, who have done what they can, in their various capacities, to raise awareness.

Though there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of people whose influence has been brought to bear on this issue, much credit has to be laid at the feet of Weintraub and CJC.

Perhaps most interestingly – and of relevance to everyone – is that although Weintraub's influence was assisted by his role as head of this region's CJC, this is really a story about the impact one individual can have. With the good name and the pre-existing apparatus of Canadian Jewish Congress behind him, Weintraub was instrumental in raising national and now international awareness of this horrible conflict.

Of course, all this will not bring back the 500,000 souls who have been lost nor the well-being of those millions left behind. This is not, by any means, a happy ending. Alas, it may not even be an ending. But the story does suggest that wilful individuals can still have an impact in this world. On behalf of those for whom it is not too late, we need to all join together in the refrain, "Never again."

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