The Rumble
Darfur Activism: I'll See Your Rumble, and Raise You a Challenge
Published February 18, 2009 @ 06:14PM PT
Last week on the ENOUGH blog, David Sullivan and John Norris added an excellent analysis to the multi-blog "rumble" over the utility of human rights activism:
"Within their own communities, activists, academics, and aid workers are all fairly mindful of the vexing ethical dilemmas involved in their work. If you talk with almost anyone in this line of work over a beer, you will get a frank acknowledgement of some of the hard trade-offs on issues such as the use of force, maintaining access for relief workers, or accountability versus justice. Equally true, when the debate is cast into the public sphere, lots of folks retreat to an unhelpful moral high ground rich with absolutes. Questioning the effectiveness of humanitarian aid is off limits. Academics, steeped in specialized discourse, maintain that only they can possibly grasp the complexities of any given conflict zone. Activists take umbrage at anyone who questions the utility of pointing out that a burning building is indeed on fire."
(I will take umbrage with anything, often just for the sake of umbrage-taking itself. Which, come to think of it, sounds like it might make an excellent game show. But anyway...)
Rumbling On: Opportunity, Responsibility, and Another Defense of Activism
Published January 29, 2009 @ 10:25PM PT
On Monday, Michael Kleinman responded to my response to his post on the value and impact of the Save Darfur advocacy movement. Earlier today, David Sullivan at the ENOUGH Project joined in.
Let the rumble continue.
I take serious issue with many of Michael's points, and as this blog has my (partial) name and (obscured) picture at the top, feel entitled to share why...point by point, blow by blow. Indulge me, and follow the jump.
