Opinions

The protection of IDPs is an issue that has gotten
increasing attention since the 1990s when the rights of the people displaced in
their own nations have gone from an issue that is not given much attention in
the international community to an issue that is far more profoundly discussed
and their rights more actively protected.
The protection of the rights of people displaced internally is of great
importance since there are more people displaced internally than those forced
to be refugees and since oftentimes there is an unwillingness of governments to
help their internally displaced peoples due to factors such as a history of
conflict. As internal displacement
uproots families and forces people to survive outside of their communities, the
standards of living of these people is very much depleted and it has become
very clear that their rights must be protected.

It came to the attention of the international community that
the protection of these groups of internally displaced people should be made a
higher priority after the Cold War when the superpowers relinquished their
control over the nations of the world.
The United Nations resolved to have unimpeded access to the people
displaced internally and even advocated the use of force to reach these peoples
with aid. This heightened awareness of
the situation of this neglected group of people has been a help to the
establishment of human rights world wide.
The protection of these groups has been the responsibility of the NGO
community more so than the governments and the UN.

Today it is important that the rights of the communities
where internal displacement has hit the hardest, such as Abyei and Darfur be safeguarded and the resettlement and harmonious
reintegration of these groups to their own communities be pursued and
attained. The responsibility for this
has traditionally been an area where the NGO community has had an active role
in defining the law that would protect the individuals that are displaced and
now the NGO community should advance to protect these groups. Programs such as the ARC are important in
safeguarding the rights of these people who have been abandoned by their own
government. Let us work hard to continue
this success.

Economic factors are sometimes cited as the main reasons for civil wars. Development of the economy is therefore the cornerstone of a government’s policy when they are seeking to establish peace. Peace is only sustainable when the people's economic stability is protected; economic stability and not backwards economics where the rights of the minorities are not accepted. The economy is the backbone of the government and in the Sudan there is a great capacity for economic growth. I believe that this economic growth will only be effective when the rights of the minorities are safeguarded in both the North and the South. The next question that arises is how do we get to the root of the problems in Sudan? While a good economy safeguards the physical prosperity of the people. How is one to address the spiritual prosperity? It must come from our identity as a nation. How solidarity is forged. I believe that this is where education comes into play. When I say education I am not referring only in the classroom, I am also referring to the education that we receive day to day. This can be in something as simple as the way we reason, or what we read on the internet. I recognize this fact and hope that this blog can both educate and enrich the spiritual lives of those people interested in Abyei, Sudan, Africa, and ultimately the world. We must spiritually and physically prosper. This means opening our minds to new ideas that will help to shape our views of identity. In order to have peace we must also be so open minded to see people as our equals, a challenge that Sudanese people are taking up to this day and should strive more diligently to embrace in the future.