Stay-at-home mom tries to make difference for Darfurians

By Daniel R. Gangler

INDIANAPOLIS - Determined to make a difference in the lives of thousands of Darfurians at risk of genocide living thousands of miles from her home in Fort Wayne, Beth Reilly, a stay-at-home mom with three small children, spearheaded the Sept. 21 Interfaith Prayer Vigil in downtown Indianapolis.

The vigil and witness was held in front of Christ Church Cathedral on Monument Circle during a busy downtown lunch hour. Speedway United Methodist Pastor Darren Cushman Wood led the gathering of 36 supporters.

Reilly, a member of Fort Wayne's Aldersgate UMC, also brought the Rev. Joe Johns, pastor of the Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne (who has led missions to Darfur), and six Darfurians to the vigil. Of the refugees, Solomon Giddo spoke on behalf of the refugees who now live in Fort Wayne with 200 other Darfurians. Giddo heads up a group based in Fort Wayne known as the Darfur Peace and Development Organization - a peace group seeking, what United Methodists and other faith groups are seeking - an end to the genocide.

Prayers offered, Senators' offices visited

Prayers were offered by Indiana Area Bishop Mike Coyner, the Rev. Angelique Walker-Smith on behalf of the Greater Indianapolis Federation of Churches, and Marcia Goldstone on behalf of the Jewish Community Relations Council.

Following prayers at the cathedral, 20 participants walked to Senator Richard Lugar's office and Senator Evan Bayh's office, one block west of the circle, to ask for support of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (Senate Bill 1462) now before Congress. Senator Bayh is a co-sponsor. Senator Lugar is not. The group met with Lesley Reser, state director, of Senator Lugar's office and asked that Lugar also co-sponsor the bill. Doran Moreland, regional director for Bayh, met with the group in Senator Bayh's office for a similar exchange of information.

According to the Darfurians accompanying the group, ongoing armed conflict in the Darfur region has left more than 2.5 million people living in camps, 80 to 90 percent of whom are women and children. Worse of all, the Sudanese government is still killing people. More than 400,000 Darfurians have died at the hands of paramilitary allies of Sudan.

Giddo said the African Union, sent in to protect the Darfurians, is not doing anything. He said the government of Sudan needs more pressure, political pressure, from the United States and the rest of the international community. Darfurians need protection and relief.

National support grows

Statement about Darfur.

National support for action continues to grow. This past month in Washington, several hundred activists joined leaders of several faith-based organizations including the American Jewish World Service, the National Council of Churches, Sojourner's Jim Wallis, David Rubenstein, coordinator of the Save Darfur Coalition, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the NAACP, and The United Methodist Church. The movement continues to gain a strong interfaith base.

Church World Service, the relief arm of the NCC, continues to provide food, water, medical supplies, tools and seeds to the Darfurians living in the refugee camps. The World Food Programme continues to supply food to prevent starvation.

For more information about Darfur, log on to www.savedarfur.org and www.umc-gbcs.org click on World Community.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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