Choosing oil over lives

All throughout the history of mankind we have watched kings, emperors, dictators, and presidents choosing power and resources over human life. Being at war is part of our history, that’s how the world as we know it was shaped, the strongest civilizations destroying weaker civilizations, imposing their cultures on dominated populations. It happened in the time of the Viking expansion, the Roman Empire, the Arab expansion, colonization, world wars I and II - it has happened throughout our whole history. That’s why even though I was born in Brazil my first language is Portuguese, and not a local indigenous language. An European citizen told me the other day that I should thank them for our deculturalization… Ignoring the fact that he believes that they did a favor in imposing their culture. I think that he didn’t take in consideration all the slavery, exploitation and murders…

I like to believe that the human race is at a constant state of evolution. The technological evolution is clear to all of us - I am writing this post to you from my laptop with wireless internet. But has humanity evolved at the same pace?

You might argue that society has improved. In most countries we have the trias politica that is the division of state and federal government into three independent branches, Judiciary, Legislative and Executive power. I will say fair enough, we definitely have improved from Middle Ages where the feudal system (that was a hideous system) could not be more unfair to the majority of the population. But I don’t consider ideal a world where 3 billion people – roughly half the world - lives with less than USD 2.50 a day. A world where the rich people live closed up in their gated communities, where the outside world, the real world, where people starve to death, is something inexistent to them.

I am not writing this post to change society, to say that capitalism is bad. I am writing this post to ask for your help. Sudan and South Sudan are almost getting into an all-out war. Since 1983 these two countries have been in a conflict that killed more than 2.5 million people. 2.5 MILLION people…
South Sudan became independent last July. The whole world celebrated their independence and finally, peace for the Sudanese population. But almost one year later the two countries are in conflict again. The conflict once again is happening due to the interest of taking control of resources: both nations want the oil located along their boarder.

As you can see in the picture all oil pipelines belong to Sudan, so South Sudan depends on its northern neighbor to export this commodity. But Sudan accused South Sudan of not paying exporting expenses and supporting rebellious armed groups within Sudan. So they started taking part of the export of South Sudanese oil. Unhappy with the situation, South Sudan sent troops to the region of Heglig, that is a bordering region located in Sudan. In response to this military action,  the Sudanese government sent its army and battled its way into the city, causing thousands of deaths. Since then the government of  Sudan has unofficially declared war against South Sudan. Sudan has been bombing South Sudan everyday, and the targets include villages where only civilians live in.

The fight is over oil, as both countries want to control the region of Heglig. 

The population of these two countries doesn’t know what it means to live in peace. It is a normal day when children lose their father in the battlefield, when they see their mothers and sisters being raped and killed, and the children themselves become soldiers. We in the West don’t know what this means, to live among so much injustice. The feudal system where landowners had much power and the population lived in extreme poverty with basically no rights doesn’t seem to have only existed thousands of years ago.

Omar Al-Bashir, the President of Sudan, was accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was indicted by the International Criminal Court. But he remains in power, bombing innocent civilians even within his own country. Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p89OuPODBMM

If Omar Al-Bashir doesn’t allow humanitarian agencies to get into Sudan and reach the regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and Kordofan in the next few months, 300.000 people are expected to starve to death. 

When we look back at Nazism, we ask ourselves how did the world allow that to happen? 

When we look back at colonization, we ask ourselves how were people able to do that? 

But here, right now, today, we have the option of choosing something different, we have the chance to show that we did evolve as human beings. 

The African Union gave Sudan and South Sudan 90 days to reach a peace agreement (http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/AU-Gives-Sudan-South-Sudan-90-Days-to-Reach-Peace-Deal-148807875.html)

We need a stronger position from the international community, we need leaders and people everywhere to say NO to this war. We, you and I, need to protect the Sudanese children. We need to ensure that in the end of the day they are going to be holding a pencil and not a weapon.

I am a peace soldier: http://wewantpeace2012.org/

I am the social media manager for the We Want Peace campaign in the US: http://www.facebook.com/WeWantPeaceUS

I am doing the difference that I want to see in the world. I am pledging for peace. Will you join me?