The Manichean Paranoia Patch

So today I received an email asking for help on the creation and distribution of a Stop the Genocide in Darfur petition at my college.  Being the student body president, I politely declined any sort of official involvement because Student Government exists to deal with the issues of the students, not world concerns.  (I did give her some useful tips on how to start a campus organization and get some funding for advertising and possibly an awareness event.)

However this raises another question: should we even bother with petitions that won’t accomplish anything.  Let me explain.  A petition has a noteworthy chance of success in one of the following two situations:

1.)  The petitioner is working within a democratic society within the constituency of the recipient and concerns an issue about which recipient has some direct or indirect control.  For example, a petition to raise the state minimum wage which contains the signatures of 20% of the state’s adult population could directly effect state policy on that issue.

2.)  The petition is directed at a cooperation, industry, or interest group and concerns, again, an issue or policy that this organization has some degree of influence over.  For example, if I petition Target to stop testing their namebrand nasal spray on rabbits and I can get 1,000,000 signatures, Target may well comply because all the negative press and angry costumers is hurting their business or giving them bad press.

Unfortunately, in the Darfur situation, a petition on a college campus to “stop the genocide” is rather ineffective.  The people committing the genocide to not have an interest in keeping American college students happy.  In fact, I feel confidant that they are quite indifferent to the sentiments of our student body.  Now, a petition calling for U.S. military intervention in Darfur is a little bit more likely to provoke some change.  However, this too, I think, exists somewhat outside the effectiveness of a petition.  Not to mention the fact that it may not be an appropriate or practical policy for the US to pursue.  Maybe if we can get the UN to do something, but their peacekeeping (or rather, peace-making) record is pretty poor at this point.

The counter argument is, of course, that a petition may raise awareness on an important world issue, thereby irradiating ignorance  and increasing the likelyhood of a broader movement which could prove more effective than the petition itself.  Education is definitely important and is probably the most persuasive reason to promote a Stop the Genocide in Darfur.  However, a petition is probably not the most effective way to educate people or raise their awareness.  Especially at a college campus, a prominent event or publicity stunt such as a skit or someone in a costume (the Darfur equivalent of bringing a wrecked car on campus to raise awareness of the dangers of DWI) probably be the wiser course of action.

Maybe I’m wrong though.  Do you think a “Petition to Stop the Genocide in Darfur” is more than just an exercise in futility?

(Oh, and if you do want to do more to stop the genocide in Darfur, please check out this site.)