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Thursday, September 14, 2006
Helping Darfur
Tonight on "360" we'll look at the human catastrophe that is taking place in Darfur, Sudan. Earlier today, John Roberts interviewed George and Nick Clooney after George spoke to the UN Security Council. We'll bring you that interview tonight.

We'll also feature an on-the-scene report about Darfur, where more than 250,000 men, women and children have been killed (some put the number closer to half a million). If you are interested in doing something about the situation in Darfur, here are a few organizations you might want to contact:

- UNHCR
- MercyCorps
- CARE
- World Food Program
Posted By CNN: 9:35 PM ET
  20 Comments
I am about to deploy with the 1st cavalary division into the Iraq theater of operations. I joined shortly after 9/11 to fight terrorism. Now I fear that all I am helping to do is facilitate a terrorist attack on American assets namely US soliders. We have not helped anything or made anyone safer. All we have managed was to catalyze a civil war.
Posted By Anonymous Jackson, Ft. Hood, TX : 9:58 PM ET
Hi. Thanks for posting the contact info. I always appreciate it when you do a story of importance and give us ways we can help financially, through volunteering, and/or by contacting politicians.

BTW, there was an ad in the New York Times for a Rally to Save Darfur. It is this Sunday (the 17th) from 2-5 pm in Central Park in New York City. If you can attend, it is in the East Meadow (enter the park at 90th Street and 5th Ave). The Web site is www.ajws.org/darfur. The goal is to raise awareness about what the UN should do. I probably can't go, but FYI for those who can.

Also, anytime Anderson Cooper is off and you need a substitute to interview someone as passionate (about a cause), smart, and, yes, good looking as George Clooney, I'd be happy to oblige. Although it is sad that it takes a celebrity like him to bring attention to a genocide that should be on the front page and in the news regularly, but I guess whatever will get people to pay attention is a welcome thing...
Posted By Anonymous Norah, West Chester, PA : 10:26 PM ET
Thanks for covering this story and keeping it from being forgotten. In addition to the websites listed, you can go to the following website and sign up for email updates on the situation in Darfur. Sorry I couldn't make it a hyperlink where you just click on it, I don't know how.

http://www.savedarfur.org/content
Posted By Anonymous Christina, Windber, PA : 10:28 PM ET
I'm really glad to see that CNN has decided to produce an update on the Darfur crisis. Bravo.

It saddens me though, that it has to have a hollywood star attached to it in order to make it on my television here in the US.

I TRULY thank Mr. Clooney for what he is what he has done, is doing and I know will continue to do for the people of Darfur. Without him, I'm afraid inform about Darfur would be limited to humanitarian aid sites such as alertnet and reliefweb.

I worked in South Darfur for a year and plan on returning shortly. Having seen with my own eyes what is happening in Darfur, there is no possible way that I could stay away and live with myself.
Posted By Anonymous Elizabeth Campa Schaumburg, Illinois : 10:35 PM ET
The better you cover such tragic news the better you help so you can avoid the world another Rwanda. I just don't know why we can't just solve problem with easy solution as such. Raising public and political awareness is just the first step towards a final resolution.
Posted By Anonymous Mike, Jersey City, New Jersey : 10:54 PM ET
Thanks for doing this guys. I also urge people to sign up with savedarfur.org to get email updates on how they can help, or at least just check out the site. And don't forget Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a great charity. For more information on the genocide you can go to alertnet.org and there's actually a piece in the recent Rolling Stone (Justin Timberlake on the cover). We need to keep talking about this.
Posted By Anonymous Stacy, St. Louis, MO : 11:29 PM ET
I am so grateful to see this issue being covered in the media. To think that we have let hundreds of thousands of people die for no reason at all other than our lack of caring and involvement is sickening. Thank you for the images from Sudan!
Posted By Anonymous Rebeca, Fulton KY : 11:37 PM ET
The UN Security Council has a job to do and no excuse, that I can think of, will do..No apology should be accepted. Period. The World community needs to step up to the plate..On Darfur and all the other issues they drag their feet on..I thank both Mr Clooneys for their work..
Posted By Anonymous Lorie Ann, Buellton,Calif. : 12:10 AM ET
I'm glad media is finally covering the atrocities in the Sudan. Even with the other crises happening in the world, we are not allowed to ignore this. It is as unforgivable as ignoring the Jews during the Holocaust because we had a war to worry about.
Posted By Anonymous Jessica, Lynnville TN : 8:37 AM ET
Yes we are losing. You can not fight a politically correct war. We are constantly told the "human side of Islam. These TV "news" networks should show the beheadings on tv. Show the 13 or 14 "conflicts" around the world between Islam and the rest of the world.From the fires in France to the attacts in the Philipenes. Let people see the face of the enemy, and call them the enemy.
Posted By Anonymous John Griffin Liberty, NC : 9:04 AM ET
thanks for the links, I can't wait for the show tonight....this area is crucial and in desperate need of help and structure.......so glad we're getting back to this.
Posted By Anonymous tanya, london, canada : 9:10 AM ET
If we ignore this tragedy, how can we as a nation claim any sort of compassionate viewpoint? People are dying and over what? Land? Politics? Are there any good reasons?
Posted By Anonymous Kathleen, Spring, Texas : 10:37 AM ET
Thanks for covering this topic. It is time we in America wake up and see the atrocities taking place in Sudan.
Posted By Anonymous Jamie, Shawnee, Kansas : 10:53 AM ET
I'm so glad that 360 decided to take on this story when no one else in the media will. It truly is tragic that it requires the invovlement of a celebrity in order to gain the attention of normal people, people who have an obligation to try to protect those who have no protection. Every time something like this happens, we say that we will never let it happen again. Yet, here we are, three years into a government supported genocide. Let's not ignore the pleas of George Clooney or Elie Wiesel, like we ignored the pleas of Romeo Dallaire during the genocide in Rwanda. Show your support by wearing a blue hat to signify the blue helmets of the UN on the Global Day for Darfur, September 17.
Posted By Anonymous Chelsea, Halifax, NS, Canada : 11:15 AM ET
What needs to happen before we as a world stop allowing the killing or innocent women and children. We know that it is happening yet, we do nothing about it.Andrew keeping bring it to our living rooms.
Posted By Anonymous Katie, Beaumont, Tx : 11:39 AM ET
Kudos to Nick and George Clooney on bringing this horrific story to light. We are our brothers keeper and these people need us! Please everyone get involved now.
Posted By Anonymous ginger, colby , kansas : 1:07 PM ET
Thanks for the informations about Darfur and posting the organizations on how to help those people. we will try to help thaks Mr. Anderson Cooper and the AC360 staff and crew.
Posted By Anonymous Jemillex Bacerdo Chicago, IL. : 1:33 PM ET
I can not possibly imagine how traumatic life must be for these people in Darfur. Unbelieveable. This makes me physically ill. We MUST not tolerate this genocide. Our government should move on this immediately as well as each of us as individuals. Our lives are so comfortable here in the U.S. that we tend to take it for granted and put on blinders when we hear about others suffering. Thanks 360 for keeping us informed and providing the links so we can help.
Posted By Anonymous Betty Ann, Nacogdoches TX : 2:31 PM ET
Thank you for the links. More than appreciated. It's an issue that concerns the entire world. We need to take action,do wathever we can to help, even a little gesture. We need to put pressure on our leaders to be sure that they do even more than what they have already commited.

I wrote to our Prime Minister about it. Didn't get a response, but hey, I did it! And my 11 years son talked about it in class this wednesday. Kids have a voice too.

Thank you CNN and Anderson and crew for always staying on top of things and always keeping the humanity alive in your reports.

JOanne Ranzell
Laval Quebec
Posted By Anonymous Joanne Ranzell Laval Quebec : 3:37 PM ET
I went to the Darfur Rally in NYC on Sunday, the 17th of September. It was so wonderful to see how many people showed up, so many who recognized the need for more aid in a region devastated by loss. I attend SUNY New Paltz, and me and other students came to the rally through Hillel, an on campus Jewish organization.

I find it disgusting how so many students on campus are unaware of the Darfur crisis. I believe that it is so important to stay informed about everything that goes on in the world, but sometimes it is difficult when the news we receive is ethnocentrically directed and our political figures only speak on what they feel will win elections. The murders in Darfur have been going on for too long, we can't pretend to ignore it any longer.

Although life in the western world may not give us the time to help others, and expenses may not allow us to donate to the causes we wish to, we all still have the ability to give our support. We can all help by writing a letter to the president, our senators and other local officials and argue that this issue needs to be addressed. We can't allow pain to breed in the shadows any longer.
Posted By Anonymous Andrea Brown, Lynbrook, NY : 4:39 PM ET
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