You don't need to invade a place or install a new government to help bring about a positive change.
There seems to be this sense among even well-meaning Americans that Africa is this black hole of murder and mutilation that can never be fixed, no matter what aid is brought in.
I have often tried to tell the story of a place through people there.
Random violence is incredibly infectious
You will be judged in years to come by how you responded to genocide on your watch.
I think it's dangerous to be optimistic. Things could go terribly wrong virtually overnight
A little bit of attention can go a long way.
The U.N. Population Fund has a maternal health program in some Cameroon hospitals, but it doesn't operate in this region. It's difficult to expand, because President Bush has cut funding
Just a little help, a small security force, a bit of food, can save lives
While Americans have heard of Darfur and think we should be doing more there, they aren't actually angry at the president about inaction
Neither Western donor countries like the U.S. nor poor recipients like Cameroon care much about Africans who are poor, rural and female
There are other issues I have felt more emotionally connected to, like China, where I lived and worked for some time. I was living there when Tiananmen Square erupted
It really is quite remarkable that Darfur has become a household name. I am gratified that's the case.
The bulk of the emails tend to come after a column. I can get about 2,000 after a column.
Abortion politics have distracted all sides from what is really essential: a major aid campaign to improve midwifery, prenatal care and emergency obstetric services in poor countries.
I try to be careful about wording. One of the things I've tried to combat in my blog is the notion that journalists are arrogant and unconcerned with the readership.
