Who Are You to Think?

Sudanese activist Omer Ismail issued a challenge to those of us present for his talk about Darfur yesterday. He said, “History will judge us one day. And not only history . . . somebody, your grandchildren or children will ask you one day, ‘What have you done when genocide was declared in Darfur?’ I want you to look them straight in the eye and say ‘I was there, and I’m proud to report I have done something about it.’”

It was a great honor for me to meet Omer while he was here at GA, and deeply moving to learn of the way he has given his entire life to do the work of his heart: seeking peace and justice for the people of Darfur.

We can’t all do that, to be sure. But I think if there is one message that has really resonated throughout this GA is that we should each respond in the ways that we are individually and personally moved to respond. For some people, it’s signing a letter to the International Olympic Committee, urging them to push China to take action on Sudan. For others, it will be taking part in our community event on Sunday.

Charlie Clements, UUSC’s president said, “[Sudanese President] Bashir wants you to feel helpless, he wants you to think you can’t do anything about it. We have to prove him wrong.” Ismail said, “For evil to triumph, it only takes one person like me or you to stand on the sidelines.”

Last night, at UUSC’s annual meeting, I was deeply inspired to hear the stories of those UUSC volunteers and supporters as they received UUSC’s top awards for social justice leadership. One of them, Rev. Richard Gilbert, the recipient of the Social Action Leadership Award, recalled an old UUSC poster with the slogan, “Who are you to think you can change the world?”

Gilbert and the others who were honored last night don’t seem to be asking themselves that question, though, and neither is Omer Ismail. Rather, they seem to be asking another question, one that leads more to action, that is, “Who are you to think you can’t change the world?”