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IS THERE HOPE FOR LIFE AND PEACE IN DARFUR?
Former Congressman Mark Siljander is heading a proposed peace initiative for Darfur, Sudan that has teeth in it.
Instead of merely asking all sides to simply “get along”, Congressman Siljander’s plan contains tangible efforts to dig 200 water wells, build a dam to bring water to remote agricultural people and to build medical clinics, schools, and police stations.
Congressman Siljander, spokesman for Bridges to the Common Ground, contends that in order to have peace, you have to be alive and in order to be alive, you have to have provision.
Congressman Siljander is available for Talk Show interviews to discuss this fragile, yet possible, plan for peace and provision for the people of Darfur, Sudan.
Further information is at: www.gsi.cc
B. DARFUR Initiative
Preface: Action now in Darfur is critical. The Darfur Peace Agreement is fragile and will not hold unless the people see that there are benefits to them from the accord.
BRIDGES* TO THE COMMON GROUND’s, an organization working to bridge the Muslim-Christian divide, first hand observations in June 2006 suggest that little tangible results can be seen.
BRIDGES* TO THE COMMON GROUND has received a license from the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) in US Dept of Treasury to proceed with well-digging for indigenously displaced people within Sudan.
The Governor of South Darfur, where nearly two-thirds of the Darfur population resides, has a sound plan of grouping 3-5 Villages together in 120 locations. Community development, both in “hard” structures of schools, medical clinics, etc.
Non-profit Organizations (NGO’s) need to be recruited as allies of the work to be done rather than critics of what is not being done. BRIDGES* TO THE COMMON GROUND has proposed to do that by coordinating the work of the NGO’s motivated by grants to work on substantive projects that improve the situation on the ground.
BRIDGES* TO THE COMMON GROUND proposes to provide an umbrella of coordination and support in South Darfur State and then, in West and North Darfur States.
PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION: Darfur
1) Building a dam to assure life-supporting water supply, permitting new agricultural development that provides food and jobs, is essential.
2) Digging 200 new desperately needed wells and renovating an additional 200 worn-out wells for the Village Clusters can be a way of having people of the East and West work together and highlight positive developments to the West in the Sudan.
3) But South Darfur’s plan for 120 clusters of 3-5 villages requires more than wells. They will need villages to be rebuilt with a medical clinic, school, police station and Youth and Family Centers for the families and their children.
Village life needs to be restored, nothing less. And these Village Clusters require community development work which is sensitive to the Islamic culture and efficient in its delivery. The Government of Sudan needs a private not for profit sector partner to enable the work to get done quickly so that the Darfur Peace Agreement will hold and loss of life ended.
A grant of funds is requested to initiate the work, establish working relationships with the Sudan Government and the NGO’s as well as the international community. BRIDGES* TO THE COMMON GROUND can help the government of Sudan do what would otherwise be complicated for them to do by themselves and by delivering positive results can help create a climate and process which encourages the Western world to establish closer relations with the people of Sudan.
About Mark D. Siljander…
Congressman Mark Siljander has served 15 years in public office, including three terms as a Member of the United States Congress where he served on the Middle East Subcommittee. He was appointed by President Reagan as a US Ambassador (Delegate) to the United Nations in New York, where he served as a member of the Middle East strategy group of permanent representatives.
He is a student of many languages, including Arabic, Aramaic and Hebrew. Semitic linguistic studies have led him to a unique paradigm for building bridges among warring factions and in particular between East (Islam) & West (Christianity).
Ambassador Siljander has traveled to 120 countries/territories and continues to lead Congressional and business delegations abroad. These trips are frequently in coordination with the US House and Senate Leadership Breakfast Groups, consisting of nearly 1/3 bipartisan members of each chamber.
Dr. Siljander, a recognized speaker, previously produced two radio commentaries, entitled It’s Your America, heard regularly over 260 US radio stations and the other, Asia In View, broadcast throughout Asia.
Congressman Siljander has been President of Global Strategies, a strategic planning, marketing and public relations company, since 1986.
Throughout his career, Dr. Siljander has been honored through the receipt of various leadership awards, including the 1996 Mohandas K. Gandhi International Peace Award, for “recognition of his courageous statesmanship in international reconciliation” and then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright honored Ambassador Siljander, at the United Nations, for “His efforts toward a more just, humane and peaceful world”. He has Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science, a Ph.D. in International Business, a Doctorate in Humanities, and advanced doctoral studies in education.
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