Sudan Sunrise
Encyclopedia
Sudan Sunrise, Inc. is a non-profit organization
based in Lenexa, Kansas
, USA
, whose aims are to
Sunrise was incorporated in December 2005. It was founded to expand an endeavor begun under the name "Sudan Mercy", started in 2004 as a project of Christ Church Anglican, Overland Park, Kansas
, USA, which helped Southern Sudanese Christian
s deliver aid to Darfurian Muslim
refugees in Chad
. Christ Church Anglican Overland Park is part of the Anglican Church in North America and the Anglican Mission in the Americas, the latter of which is a missionary outreach of the Anglican Church of Rwanda
which in turn is a member of the Anglican Communion
.
In January 2005 the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended a 22-year war between the Muslim North and predominantly Christian
and animist Southern Sudan. It is estimated that 2.5 million Southerners were killed, and 4 million were displaced in this war. As peace was taking shape between the Sudan’s North and the South, a new conflict was heating up as rebels in the Darfur region of Western Sudan
demanded greater benefits and autonomy from the central government. The population of Darfur is black Africans, similar to the Southern Sudanese, however Darfurians are almost entirely Muslim. As news spread of the killing in Darfur, Southern Sudanese immigrants in the United States identified with the suffering of Darfurians and in November 2004 organized an emergency effort to take a small shipment of medicine to Darfurian refugee
camps in Chad
in November 2004.
Darfurian soldiers were used by the Government of Sudan against the Southern Sudanese in the 22-year civil war, making up one half or more of the Army. "Use a slave to kill a slave," was the justification for mobilizing Darfurians against Southerners. Darfurian refugees in Chad were surprised by the Southern Sudanese efforts to bring them aid, and asked for Southerners to stand in solidarity with them so that peace might come to Darfur. A video appeal from Darfurians, asking Southerners for forgiveness and appealing to them to stand in solidarity with them was filmed by Sudan Sunrise and distributed widely in the US.
A July 2–4, 2007 meeting sponsored by Sudan Sunrise in Kansas City, Missouri called for Sudanese of all tribes and religions to work together for peace, towards a democratic and just Sudan.
On January 1, 2008 Sudan Sunrise co-sponsored with the with former slave and activist Simon Deng
, activist Nathan Kleinman
and Manute Bol
a rally in Des Moines, Iowa
of Darfurians, Southern Sudanese, Nubians and participants from all over Sudan who came together to hear representatives from various presidential campaigns state their position regarding Sudan prior to the Iowa presidential caucuses.
In March 2008 Sudan Sunrise, in cooperation with the Darfur Human Rights Organization, took a team of four Darfurians with Francis Bok
, (author of Escape from Slavery) on his first return to his home village since his family was killed and he was abducted into slavery. There they filmed a (not yet released) grassroots call for all Sudanese to stand together for peace in the face of what appears to many to be a steady slide towards widespread war.
Sudan Sunrise’s current projects include a school which will be built in Francis Bok’s home village of Gourion, and a school in Manute Bol’s
home village of Turalei. As examples of the reconciliation Sudan Sunrise endeavors to further, Darfurian Muslims will be helping to build the school in Francis Bok’s home village, and once completed the school will welcome Muslim Darfurian refugee children to study along with the Christian Southern Sudanese returnees.
Mo Ibrahim
, a spokesperson for the Darfur Alert Coalition was quoted as saying "(Sudan Sunrise) says it is looking for reconciliation, and they are actually creating a conflict by spreading the false claim that the perpetrators of the violence in southern Sudan were from Darfur." Human Rights Watch
estimates that 50% of the Army of Sudan during the 22 year war in the South was from Darfur. Also Sudan Sunrise’s statements regarding the role of Darfurians in the war were direct quotes from Darfurians.
The article implied that the objective of Sudan Sunrise is to convert Darfurian Muslims to Christianity, based upon a reference to "friendship evangelism" on Sudan Sunrise’s website. Sudan Sunrise replied that its work was to convert former enemies into friends, and that the text on the website had just been uploaded by a new employee unfamiliar with the field work of Sudan Sunrise, without being reviewed by the Executive Director. Sudan Sunrise states that their work is not to evangelize Darfurian Muslims, but to partner with Southern Sudanese who endeavor to follow the Christian mandate to "love your enemies".
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Lenexa, Kansas
Lenexa, Kansas
Lenexa is a city in the central part of Johnson County, located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,190. As a satellite city of Kansas City, Kansas, Lenexa is included in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, whose aims are to
- facilitate the efforts of South SudanSouth SudanSouth Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
ese ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s to aid and stand in solidarity with DarfurDarfurDarfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
ian MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, - endeavor towards further reconciliation among all Sudanese, and
- work in Southern Sudan to facilitate education, health, community and church development projects.
History
SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
Sunrise was incorporated in December 2005. It was founded to expand an endeavor begun under the name "Sudan Mercy", started in 2004 as a project of Christ Church Anglican, Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, USA, which helped Southern Sudanese Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s deliver aid to Darfurian Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
refugees in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
. Christ Church Anglican Overland Park is part of the Anglican Church in North America and the Anglican Mission in the Americas, the latter of which is a missionary outreach of the Anglican Church of Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
which in turn is a member of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
.
In January 2005 the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended a 22-year war between the Muslim North and predominantly Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and animist Southern Sudan. It is estimated that 2.5 million Southerners were killed, and 4 million were displaced in this war. As peace was taking shape between the Sudan’s North and the South, a new conflict was heating up as rebels in the Darfur region of Western Sudan
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
demanded greater benefits and autonomy from the central government. The population of Darfur is black Africans, similar to the Southern Sudanese, however Darfurians are almost entirely Muslim. As news spread of the killing in Darfur, Southern Sudanese immigrants in the United States identified with the suffering of Darfurians and in November 2004 organized an emergency effort to take a small shipment of medicine to Darfurian refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
camps in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
in November 2004.
Darfurian soldiers were used by the Government of Sudan against the Southern Sudanese in the 22-year civil war, making up one half or more of the Army. "Use a slave to kill a slave," was the justification for mobilizing Darfurians against Southerners. Darfurian refugees in Chad were surprised by the Southern Sudanese efforts to bring them aid, and asked for Southerners to stand in solidarity with them so that peace might come to Darfur. A video appeal from Darfurians, asking Southerners for forgiveness and appealing to them to stand in solidarity with them was filmed by Sudan Sunrise and distributed widely in the US.
A July 2–4, 2007 meeting sponsored by Sudan Sunrise in Kansas City, Missouri called for Sudanese of all tribes and religions to work together for peace, towards a democratic and just Sudan.
On January 1, 2008 Sudan Sunrise co-sponsored with the with former slave and activist Simon Deng
Simon Deng
Simon Aban Deng is a Sudanese human rights activist living in the United States. He is a victim of child slavery. A native of the Shilluk Kingdom in southern Sudan, Deng spent several years as a domestic slave in southern Sudan.-Biography:...
, activist Nathan Kleinman
Nathan Kleinman
Nathan Kleinman is a human rights activist and political organizer. He is mainly noted for undertaking two political fasts and for his role as a top aide to former Congressman Joe Sestak during his 2010 campaign for the U.S. Senate.- Sudan :...
and Manute Bol
Manute Bol
Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...
a rally in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
of Darfurians, Southern Sudanese, Nubians and participants from all over Sudan who came together to hear representatives from various presidential campaigns state their position regarding Sudan prior to the Iowa presidential caucuses.
In March 2008 Sudan Sunrise, in cooperation with the Darfur Human Rights Organization, took a team of four Darfurians with Francis Bok
Francis Bok
Francis Piol Bol Bok , a Dinka tribesman and native of South Sudan, was a slave for ten years but is now an abolitionist and author living in the United States. On May 15, 1986, he was captured and enslaved at age seven during an Arab militia raid on the village of Nymlal in South Sudan during the...
, (author of Escape from Slavery) on his first return to his home village since his family was killed and he was abducted into slavery. There they filmed a (not yet released) grassroots call for all Sudanese to stand together for peace in the face of what appears to many to be a steady slide towards widespread war.
Sudan Sunrise’s current projects include a school which will be built in Francis Bok’s home village of Gourion, and a school in Manute Bol’s
Manute Bol
Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...
home village of Turalei. As examples of the reconciliation Sudan Sunrise endeavors to further, Darfurian Muslims will be helping to build the school in Francis Bok’s home village, and once completed the school will welcome Muslim Darfurian refugee children to study along with the Christian Southern Sudanese returnees.
Controversy and Criticism
An April 2006 article in the Washington Post reported two criticisms of Sudan Sunrise:Mo Ibrahim
Mo Ibrahim
Dr. Mohamed "Mo" Ibrahim is a Sudanese mobile communications entrepreneur and billionaire. He worked for several other telecommunications companies before founding Celtel, which when sold had over 24 million mobile phone subscribers in 14 African countries...
, a spokesperson for the Darfur Alert Coalition was quoted as saying "(Sudan Sunrise) says it is looking for reconciliation, and they are actually creating a conflict by spreading the false claim that the perpetrators of the violence in southern Sudan were from Darfur." Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
estimates that 50% of the Army of Sudan during the 22 year war in the South was from Darfur. Also Sudan Sunrise’s statements regarding the role of Darfurians in the war were direct quotes from Darfurians.
The article implied that the objective of Sudan Sunrise is to convert Darfurian Muslims to Christianity, based upon a reference to "friendship evangelism" on Sudan Sunrise’s website. Sudan Sunrise replied that its work was to convert former enemies into friends, and that the text on the website had just been uploaded by a new employee unfamiliar with the field work of Sudan Sunrise, without being reviewed by the Executive Director. Sudan Sunrise states that their work is not to evangelize Darfurian Muslims, but to partner with Southern Sudanese who endeavor to follow the Christian mandate to "love your enemies".
External links
- Sudan Sunrise official website: *http://www.sudansunrise.org
- Sudan Sunrise videos: *http://www.youtube.com/user/SudanSunrise
- DonorEdge report on Sudan Sunrise: *https://www.donoredge.org/viewAnonymousReport.do?organizationId=1015327
- VolvoVolvoAB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
for Life Awards: *http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/heros/hero2004/8864.html, which twice named Sudan Sunrise Executive Director Rev. Tom Prichard a semi-finalist for his work with Sudan Sunrise.