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E-mailToday’s story does not deal with HIV/AIDS, the topic you know AIDSfreeAFRICA volunteer Jessica Kim is passionatly writing about. I, Jessica, wrote this because sometimes we need to hear amazing stories in order to keep fighting. Today, a friend told me about Lopez Lomong. She remembers Lomong from Tully High School in upstate New York, where she used to help him brush up on his English in the school library. This past Sunday, he finished third in the 1,500, qualifying for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.
Lopez second from left. Picture from www.Lopezlomong.org
Lomong is not American by birth, though having just recently gained his citizenship, he certainly has the right to call himself one. He was born in Sudan, and at 6, he and his family had to flee Sudan to avoid being killed. He was eventually separated from his family, but ran for three days until he reached the Sudan-Kenya border. He lived for years in a refugee camp and at 16, he was one of 3,800 Lost Boys of Sudan. When Lopez Lomong ran his way into the hearts of the people of Tully, he opened their eyes to a world beyond theirs, just as they did for his. He continues to do so today; as a member of Team Darfur , he hopes that China can use its influence on the Sudanese government to alleviate the suffering in Darfur.
Lomong’s life is certainly an extraordinary one. But to know that he uses his past to change the future is anything short of inspirational, and not unlike the many that use their HIV status to empower and educate others. If Lomong can use his running to make a change in the world, then we can certainly do our part as well.
RSS 
For now, China continues to remain as the Sudanese government’s primary supplier of weapons and fighter jets, in its attempt to obtain oil and gas in the country. China also happens to be Sudan’s largest trade and foreign investment partner.
http://gracieb.instablogs.com/entry/darfur-when-war-means-business/
West has done little and a single move from China of stopping supply of arms from back door to conflict ridden African countries while eyeing its resources can change all equations.
Will China act as peacemaker for a change and go for image makeover in coming years?
Grace B, your article was very informative, and you’re absolutely right in that China is the wrong party to influence the Sudanese government.
And Madhuri, you brought up the point that hopes are being pinned on China. You’re right, China has become somewhat of a scapegoat in what has amounted to the international community pointing fingers at each other. As long as we point fingers at China, we’re forgetting that the West has been unwilling to do very much in fighting for normalcy in Darfur.
This article addresses both your concerns: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3847
Team Darfur’s mission is to bring awareness to the Darfur situation in the world because of their role as international athletes. Unfortunately though, a lot of their attention has been on China. Hopefully, as more and more athletes join Team Darfur, they can redirect their concerns.
Hope world will be a better place. Hope all countries of Africa heal...Africa has bled and suffered for too long...
It has gifted the world with best athletes, best music, much resources,
yet it suffers...
Please, step up and solve this for us or just go there and straighten it out.
Thank you.
West has just been doing the same, putting all the blame squarely on ’nuclear armed China’.
West too has much weaponary and has managed to hang Saddam(according to Bush, he too was hiding nuke bombs somewhere)and has challenged terrorism with ’War on Terror’. Why can’t it intervene here? They were not invited to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq either.
Also UN has been unable to provide even proper aid in Darfur...
And ”according to Bush” and every other politician and intelligence source on the planet prior to our liberating Iraq, Saddam was actively pursuing to obtain more weapons of mass destruction then he had ( and used in genocide of his own people ) which certainly included nuclear weapons, however, this was only one of the many reasons he left us no choice...but, why don’t you know this?? You have the internet, don’t you use it for anything except your opinion??
The U.N. has failed to live up to their charter in so many ways. If you want to know their situation read John Bolton’s opinion, he knows what he’s talking about via education and experience.
The answer to your questions is within research. I’ve done mine, please, do yours.
But China is not the right party to influence the al-Bashir government in Khartoum, to alleviate the suffering in Darfur, because it’s China that precisely has the vested interest in the war being waged by the al-Bashir government in the name of ethnic cleansing.
Are they misinformed or underinformed? Because if they are, that’s another layer to their oppression. Don’t they know that it’s China that supplies Khartoum with its fighter planes and ammunition?