Ever since the 1973 discovery of oil in Darfur, a region in the African nation of the Sudan, the Sudanese government has engaged in what former Secretary of State Colin Powell has determined to be genocide against Darfuri people. To combat the atrocities, Christ Church Cathedral, in partnership with Jewish World Watch, based in Encino, California, formed an ecumenical coalition on human rights.

“We will bear witness,” said the Very Reverend James A. Diamond, Dean of the Christ Church Cathedral, “We will not stand silently by.” The cathedral is located at 318 East Fourth Street at the corner of Sycamore in downtown Cincinnati.

Comprised of churches, synagogues, mosques, civic groups, human rights activists, educational institutions and others believing in justice, the coalition engages in project activities and events to implement the educate, advocate, refugee relief mission of the alliance.

“We have quite a commitment from other organizations to do solar cooker fundraisers,” says Julieta Simms, the director of the cathedral’s solar cooker project. Solar cookers preclude women’s need to search for cooking firewood outside the safety of desert camps. There will be a solar cooker display at the cathedral’s Darfur fundraiser booth during Cincinnati’s 2009 Black Family Reunion at Sawyer Point on August 15 and 16.

The cathedral kicks off its portion of the effort officially on September 13, 2009, Darfur Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral. The featured preacher at both 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. services is Xavier University’s Rabbi Abie Ingber. Imam Ilyas Nashid of the Cincinnati Islamic Community Center will read from the Quran and other Scriptures will be read in Hebrew and a Sudanese language. There will also be a “Conversation with the Rabbi” at 9:00 a.m. with Rabbi Ingber speaking about his recent visit to Darfur.

“We are marching in the light of God,” says Merilee Atkins, a member of the committee that helped organized the coalition, speaking here about the music possibilities for Darfur Sunday services. This South African hymn captures the essence of coalition efforts to stop decades of child-starvation and the rape and murder of women in Sudan Africa, the Biblical land of the Cush region.

Amnesty International, BRIDGES for a Just Community, Xavier University’s Center for Engaged Learning, Isaac M. Wise Temple, Cincinnati Islamic Community Center, Rockdale Baptist, St. James AME Zion, Interfaith Hospitality Network, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and others have already added their support to the coaltion. And local offices of Alpha Kappa Alpha; Delta Sigma Theta; The Links, Inc.; the National Organization of Women; Women of the Word and other women’s groups have sent out information about the effort in their recent newsletters.

“Moral religious voice added to political and international peace negotiations as solutions for ending the war is crucial,” says Dr. Marcia Irving-Ray, D.D.S, co-chair of the coalition

The coalition is supported by Christ Church Cathedral’s Mission and Reconciliation & Social Justice Ministry. For more information, go to www.christchurchdarfur.org or call 513.621.1817.