Not on Our Watch: Number One.

Before I began to read “Not on Our Watch,” by John Prendergast and Don Cheadle, I thought that I was not going to learn much, primarily because I had already done a great amount of research on this issue. However, the book went far beyond the scope of knowledge that I had acquired beforehand. While reading I came upon an interesting quote, “By ignoring the positive news, U.S. and European media risk fostering a dangerous tendency to dismiss the entire continent as hopeless.” It echoed one of the many themes of the section. I completely agreed with this statement. So often we are convinced that there is nothing we can do to make changes, when in reality it is simply our mindset that we need to change before we can actually do something. The four things that need to change are: apathy, indifference, ignorance, and policy inertia. I feel so lucky that I have the opportunity to read this book because I know that just by doing this I am doing something positive, not to mention the other components of our project. What I also realized is that there is the cycle and these traps that are so difficult to overcome. There are many decisions that are morally complicated. It seems as though we have to choose our battles so cautiously. For instance, there are the complexities involved with the United States’ war on terror and our relationship with Sudan. This means that either we turn a blind eye and risk losing the cooperation of the government for our own purposes or deny innocent civilians their natural right to life. My final thought is the related to the books spirit: “Lets give meaning to Never Again” it says. I was struck by how well the book rallies everyone, makes me want to get more involved. I’m excited for the next section…