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Jenny Maxwell

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Leading the Nation (in a good way)

Somehow it surprised me to learn that South Carolina is taking a leading role against genocide in Darfur.  But after meeting Jo Read with Darfur Action SC, I can see how her intensity could motivate people.

Jo is from Wales and came to South Carolina during the lead up to the presidential primaries last year. Her goal was to get the attention of the candidates, to get genocide in Darfur on their agendas. 

She and a group of South Carolinians put together the third largest event for Darfur in the US.  Five thousand people attended their rally at the Statehouse.  The only rallies to attract more support were held in New York and Washington DC.

Jo says she feels at home in South Carolina, that in many ways it’s not that different from her native country.  She’s still working on behalf of Darfur and helping to keep our state in the forefront of US action:  her latest update is that the South Carolina House of Representatives voted yesterday to withhold state funds from any companies funding genocide in Darfur.

Mystified by how our legislature could influence genocide with our money?  I was.  Jo patiently explained it to me when we met for coffee at Immaculate Consumption last week.  I think I have it right:  The Sudan government funds genocide in Darfur with oil revenue from Chinese oil companies.  By getting the state to agree not to invest in these Chinese companies (by way of the SC Retirement fund), we’ll help push the Chinese to find new oil suppliers.  And that’s how we can help end funding for genocide.

Jo is also traveling around the U.S. and Canada to collect the stories of women refugees from Darfur—because she found that these women’s stories are largely undocumented.   

There’s information on the Darfur Action SC website, and you can read about some of the projects she has going with local high schools too.  If you’d like to get involved, you might volunteer to help Jo keep that website updated—it’s one of the things she mentioned she could use a hand with.