The holidays are approaching. Everyone is creating their naughty and nice lists. Next Friday, the day after we celebrate Thanksgiving, Americans will hit the malls and big box retailers to buy iPods and clothes, DVDs and stuffed animals, for loved ones and the Secret Santa exchanges and our children. Some see it as a secular holiday, others celebrate the holiday in a religious context.

We are a lucky people. By the accident of our birth in this great nation, hope of a better future is always on the horizon - even in the darkest circumstances.

Twenty-four years ago Bob Geldof and Midge Ure drafted Bono, Sting, and other music industry luminaries to come together as “Band-Aid” to raise awareness of the famine in Ethiopia. I was twelve. At the time, I had already spent many a Halloween with my little orange box from UNICEF - collecting the change of my neighbors and watching my mother roll it up, then turn it in to my teachers. I knew there were children without food, without water, without homes, without families to love and protect them.

I remember the first time I heard Geldof and Ure’s creation for the artists that combined forces to be Band-Aid. It was just after Thanksgiving - my family and I were in the car, on our way to a school holiday program, when it first rang through the airwaves: ”Do they know it’s Christmas?” I remember telling my mom to turn it up, we listened to the last half just sitting in the parking lot. Our beautiful school, in the suburbs of Atlanta, was so clean, so perfect so fortunate were all of us. Hearing that song fixed in my heart what the UNICEF box meant.

That as a human being - I had a responsibility to make the world around me a bit better place than it was when I arrived. The famine that inspired a news report, that moved Bob Geldof to write the song year in Ethiopia has passed… but since then, Africa has seen more tragedy. Genocide in Rwanda. Uganda’s child soldiers, the unknown children. Blood diamond mines, across the continent where women and children are beaten, tortured, enslaved and mutilated. Widespread preventable diseases like malaria kills thousands and thousands of children every year. Somalia faces a crisis, again - famine is creeping in and Islamists threaten to end what little life there is to sustain. Kenya has been ripped by violence. More than a million people have died at the hands of Islamist butchers, the Janjaweed - who use Rape and Genocide in the name of Allah.

In 1984, I was the same age my daughter is now. We do the same things I did with my mother. The little orange boxes on Halloween from UNICEF. And more: raising awareness and pointing kids to ONE. Encouraging folks to wear RED clothes from The GAP and buy RED products, like the awesome U2 filled iPod. Consuming info from DebtAidsTradeAfrica, Save Darfur, and especially The IRC.

I belive in the full funding of PEPFAR. Truthfully, it is far cheaper - and has a long term upside - compared to another Bailout for the Big 3 Automakers. I believe in the full funding of the Millennium Development Goals. Earlier this year, the Pentagon launched AfriCom - and looking at the increased activity of pirates off the coast of Somalia, and remembering my friends who served in The Mog - and others who served in Rwanda… I wonder if our generation, Gen X, will get the opportunity to set right the mistakes and catastrophic failures recognized by some who came before us. Not many.

Most dismissed “Do they know it’s Christmas?” as a self-indulgent, ego-satisfying step of some in the music industry. The truth is, I remember those voices. When the single hit the stores, it charted at Number One. It sold eight million copies world wide. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher did not want to waive the VAT (tax) because why should the government give up it’s share? Public outrage grew so quickly, Lady Thatcher acquiesced. And every cent of the three million copies sold in the UK went to famine relief in Ethiopia. Many of us in Generation X were affected. We remember the end of Apartheid too. We also know that many of the problems in Africa have worsened. The people neglected. We are old enough now to take up that charge anew. And we are, thanks to the leadership of folks like George W. Bush, whose legacy in Africa is unparalleled. And Bono, Geldof, and few others.

Geldof went on to organize Live Aid - which harnessed I remember as well. July 1985 - they raised roughly the equivalent of $245 million for famine relief. They held a similar event Live Aid 20, in 2005. There are so many avenues to help - there can be no more excuses. No more waiting out the clock. If we believe, as a people, that we should be our brother’s keeper - then we don’t have a moment to waste. The government can’t fix this. Real men and real women - in government, in public life, and all of us that are private citizens, must reject the Starvation of Hope for Africa and her people.

We must all works toward liberating Africa from its image, and reality, as the forgotten continent.

—Media Lizzy

(David Mdzinarishvili/REUTERS)

Misery. A mother and child in the ravaged Georgian city of Gori, where at least 17 people were killed at the weekend when Russian jets bombed apartment blocks.

This is not good. Russia has attacked the democratic country of Georgia, brutally devastating that small nation of 4 million, it is believed, to show the world and the former Soviet republics that they’re next. And to grab hold of the precious gas pipeline that feeds Europe.

Lt. Gen. W. “Jerry” Boykin and I spoke briefly about it Sunday evening. He is scheduled to be with us Monday night on my radio program to talk about his career (see post below) and his book Never Surrender. Gen. Boykin has Pentagon contacts and will tell us what he knows about Russia’s invasion of Georgia, and what it portends.

So what are doing to help Georgia which is outnumbered and overpowered by Russia? What can we do to come to answer its cries for help? Not a damn thing. ThreatsWatch reports:

“Given the stakes, the United States has called for a moratorium on all armed hostilities. In a statement issued by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. urged “an immediate ceasefire to the armed conflict in Georgia’s region of South Ossetia” and for Russia “to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and missiles.”

[…]

“Georgia’s status as a U.S. ally further complicates matters. Approximately 130 American military trainers are presently stationed in the country, and upwards of 1000 Marines and soldiers had billeted at the Vaziani military base in July to train Georgian troops. Meanwhile, a contingent from Georgia is currently serving alongside allied forces in Iraq.”

What are our presidential candidates saying? Not surprisingly, Zero-Bama wants to negotiate and mediate. McCain is flexing rhetorical muscle.

Is this a history replay? Stalin? Hitler? 1938.

Will Congress return to Washington to address this dangerous development? What will the media report? What’s the United Nations planning on doing?

As THIRDWAVEDAVE put it, “The whole world is on fire. And where exactly is our Congressional leadership? Eating ribs at an election BBQ fundraiser or partying in Beijing?”

Or trying to hawk “Know Your Power”, a book whose author is expert at abusing hers.

Stratfor Intelligence wrote the following report two days ago:

Given the speed with which the Russians reacted to Georgia’s incursion into South Ossetia, Moscow was clearly ready to intervene. We suspect the Georgians were set up for this in some way, but at this point the buildup to the conflict no longer matters. What matters is the message that Russia is sending to the West.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev summed this message up best: “Historically Russia has been, and will continue to be, a guarantor of security for peoples of the Caucasus.”

Strategically, we said Russia would respond to Kosovo’s independence, and they have. Russia is now declaring the Caucasus to be part of its sphere of influence. We have spoken for months of how Russia would find a window of opportunity to redefine the region. This is happening now.

All too familiar with the sight of Russian tanks, the Baltic countries are terrified of what they face in the long run, and they should be. This is the first major Russian intervention since the fall of the Soviet Union. Yes, Russia has been involved elsewhere. Yes, Russia has fought. But this is on a new order of confidence and indifference to general opinion. We will look at this as a defining moment.

The most important reaction will not be in the United States or Western Europe. It is the reaction in the former Soviet states that matters most right now. That is the real audience for this. Watch the reaction of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Balts. How will Russia’s moves affect them psychologically?

The Russians hold a trump card with the Americans: Iran. They can flood Iran with weapons at will. The main U.S. counter is in Ukraine and Central Asia, but is not nearly as painful.

Tactically, there is only one issue: Will the Russians attack Georgia on the ground? If they are going to, the Russians have likely made that decision days ago.

Focus on whether Russia invades Georgia proper. Then watch the former Soviet states. The United States and Germany are of secondary interest at this point.

We’re keeping a close watch on what’s happening in Eastern Europe. The news reporting has been minimal over the weekend, but a few sites with good info can be found at:

The Belmont Club
Threats Watch
Counterterrorism Blog

*****

“Team Darfur is an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about and bringing an end to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan .

“A campaign leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, Team Darfur aims to educate the global public through the unique voice of elite athletes. Team Darfur brings together the world’s Olympic and professional athletes to put international pressure not only on Sudan, but also on those countries that support the policy of inaction in the face of this dire humanitarian crisis.”

I would urge everyone to visit the Team Darfur site - to get involved, to purchase an arm band, to support the athletes, to reach out to help these people.

Team Darfur was started by Olympic Gold Medalist Speed Skater, Joey Cheek and UCLA water polo player Brad Greiner. In 2006, Joey announced that he would donate his Medal bonuses and encouraged other athletes and sponsors to do the same. He raised over $1 million for the relief effort.

Joey Cheek had planned to travel to Beijing for the Olympics and to show support for the 72 Olympic athletes who are part of Team Darfur, but the Chinese revoked his visa today without explanation. A list of the 360+ athletes of Team Darfur can be found here.

Joey’s statement:

“I am saddened not to be able to attend the Games. The Olympic Games represent something powerful: that people can come together from around the world and do things that no one thought were possible. However, the denial of my visa is a part of a systemic effort by the Chinese government to coerce and threaten athletes who are speaking out on behalf of the innocent people of Darfur. Team Darfur’s main efforts have been to advocate for an Olympic Truce for Darfur, and to raise awareness about the crisis and ask for lasting peace on behalf of the children of Darfur.

“The Olympic Truce captures the spirit of the Olympics: around the Games, the world should come together to work for peace and speak out against conflict. The Chinese government’s efforts to suppress athletes, even those who are competing in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, who speak about essential human rights issues, is a violation of that core Olympic spirit.

“I still remained convinced of the great role the Olympics can play as a force for promoting peace around the world, including in still raging crisis in Darfur. Yet, despite the fact that I’ve always spoken positively of the Olympic ideal, and never called for a boycott or asked an athlete to break an IOC rule, my visa was revoked less than 24 hours before my scheduled departure.”

Meet Lopez Lomong. He was one of the ‘Lost Boys’ of the Sudan. Eight years ago, he came to the United States. Thirteen months ago, he became a citizen. He runs the 1,500 meters. He is a member of Team Darfur. Friday night, he will carry the flag of the United States of America in the opening ceremony in Beijing.

ESPN has a story about Lopez Lomong - http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/news/story?id=3521480

While Joey Cheek will not be there to give support to the Team Darfur athletes, the athletes will be visible to the Chinese government, especially when Lopez Lomong leads the United States contingent into the arena.

Next week, Athletes from around the world will compete in a myriad of events. President Bush will attend the Opening Ceremonies, as will many other foreign leaders, despite the moniker “Genocide Olympics” entering into global consciousness.

Few dispute the complicity of China’s government in propping up the Khartoum regime. Organizations like Save Darfur, to the Enough Project, and Dream for Darfur, along with President George W. Bush have declared the situation in Darfur a genocide.

But tomorrow’s leaders have opinions too.  Both Senators Obama and McCain have spoken out forcefully regarding the ongoing genocide in Darfur.  Both have spoken in defense of the Dalai Lama and decried oppression of the Tibetan monks.   The ‘Genocide Olympics’ issue is one laden with political beacons that must be navigated precisely.

Senator Barack Obama, despite his reported $5 million purchase of air time during the Olympics, declared on July 7th, via the Hindustan Times:

“I would have wanted to see serious progress by the Chinese government before I make a commitment to attend the opening ceremonies. In the absence of some sense of progress, in the absence of some sense from the Dalai Lama that there was progress, I would not have gone,” the senator from Illinois said.

Obama said that Washington failed to exert serious pressure on the Chinese government to arrive at a solution during its talks with Tibetan spiritual guru the Dalai Lama.

“We were not aggressive in encouraging the Chinese government to make serious concessions in its talks with the Dalai Lama,” he said at an interactive session in St Louis, Missouri.

However pure Senator Obama’s intentions regarding the Olympics - the purchase of air time during the Olympics begs questions about just what sort of message he’s sending.  Does Senator Obama seek a standard for himself, that applies to no one else?  Will his campaign’s direct purchase from NBC - which, coincidentally is owned by GE - another corporation with ties to state sponsors of terror, utilize the time to inform the American people about China’s complicity in the Darfur Genocide, or talk about the Dalai Lama?  Or will the Obama campaign simply play standard bio ads - as he did during the Superbowl?

The Obama campaign has not returned a comment for the record, despite acknowledging the request.  So, that’s a ‘no comment.’

Senator John McCain also discouraged President Bush’s attendance at the Opening ceremonies.  To be clear, I have placed repeated calls to his campaign for commentary on the propriety of Senator Obama’s ad buy.  On Monday, I expect to have a statement for the record - but we shall see.  The obvious follow up question, beyond what the campaign thinks about the Obama ad buy is this: Has the McCain campaign purchased air time during the Olympics as well?  From NBC?  Or a cable buy that would include NBC’s Olympic coverage?

Senator John McCain has gone on the record about Darfur, previously - in an Op-Ed he wrote with former Senator Bob Dole in 2006.

Throughout the world, people of conscience were shocked by and ashamed of our failure to stop the genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda. We must not repeat these mistakes. In Darfur, the moment of truth is now.

Senator McCain’s wife, and potential First Lady Cindy McCain recently returned from Rwanda - her first visit since 1994, when she was in-country during the slaughter. She has spent a lifetime devoted to human rights issues - and the uplifting of women and children in third world and war-torn countries. Unlike other political figures, Cindy McCain has done much of her work without notice or a phalanx of enthralled media and adoring fans. When Doctors without Borders ( ou, en Français -Médecins Sans Frontières - MSF) called Mrs. McCain in 1994, she went herself. Dubbed The Quiet Humanitarian by The Wasington Post, Cindy McCain - and her husband, have demonstrated a lifetime of service in this arena.

Their record contrasts greatly with Senator Obama’s recent foray into international affairs. Surely, his supporters are not suggesting Senator Obama’s five hours in Paris, and a couple of meetings with Sarkozy and Kouchner (founder of Doctors without Borders/MSF) imparted Jeffersonian-level knowledge of Human Rights intricacies. By purchasing the air time directly from NBC, Obama’s campaign demonstrated a blatant hypocrisy, or perhaps it is as simple as being ill-prepared to serve.

The perspective of folks within the Human Rights arena should also be taken into consideration. I have spoken with senior representatives from ONE - whose focus is on the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals. I have also spoken with senior representatives at Save Darfur, and am regularly speaking with folks from the Genocide Intervention Network, Dream for Darfur, and other human rights experts around the country. Many of the folks were in absolute agreement on one thing: they are drawing a distinction between the Opening/Closing Ceremonies and the Games themselves. They wish to be supportive of the athletes - but be very clear that the spectacle being staged by the Chinese government is not an appropriate venue for our leaders to support.

On Thursday, August 7th at 3PM Eastern - I will be joined by M. Allyn Brooks LaSure, of the Save Darfur coalition, to discuss the urgency in Darfur - and the importance of being informed about the facts on the ground. We’ll discuss Mia Farrow’s amazing work, and her activities in Eastern Chad and in Darfur during the Olympics.

The stakes for our nation are very high this November. Vote wisely.

—Media Lizzy