Not on Our Watch: Summary and book reviews of Not on Our Watch by Don Cheadle, plus links to an excerpt from Not on Our Watch and a biography of Don Cheadle.
Not on Our Watch The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond
by Don Cheadle, John Prendergast
Paperback: May 2007,
192 pages.
While Don Cheadle was filming Hotel Rwanda, a new crisis had already erupted in Darfur, in nearby Sudan. In September 2004, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell termed the atrocities being committed there "genocide" -- and yet two years later things have only gotten worse. 3.5 million Sudanese are going hungry, 2.5 million have been displaced by violence, and 400,000 have died in Darfur to date.
Both shocked and energized by this ongoing tragedy, Cheadle teamed up with leading activist John Prendergast to focus the world's attention. Not on Our Watch, their empowering book, offers six strategies readers themselves can implement: Raise Awareness, Raise Funds, Write a Letter, Call for Divestment, Start an Organization, and Lobby the Government. Each of these small actions can make a huge difference in the fate of a nation, and a people -- not only in Darfur, but in other crisis zones such as Somalia, Congo, and northern Uganda.
Not On Our Watch's combination of practical information and instructions blended with memoir, history and tales of success from past activism should provide inspiration whether the reader is taking his or her first baby steps towards getting involved in any form of activism (or simply picked up the book because it's cowritten by a movie star), or is already convinced that the pen truly can be mightier than the sword and is looking for specifics on this particular conflict. (Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
Publishers Weekley
The book is a pastiche of practical information, instructions, memoir and history. As a handbook for budding activists, it's informative and, at times, inspiring.
Booklist - Vanessa Bush
After a brief history of the tensions behind the genocide, Cheadle and Prendergast detail how they each got involved in the campaign to end genocide in Darfur.
Kirkus Reviews
A persuasive and authoritative call for action with an engaging personal touch.
George Clooney
Don and John are two of the great champions of ending this genocide. With this book they remind us that the individual can change the world for the better. And they also remind us that we all bear responsibility in this crime against humanity. I'm proud to call them my friends.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Jolly My Thoughts on "Not on Our Watch" This book was an excellent book. It really opened up my eyes to what has been occurring in Africa for over two hundred years. I was very clueless to all the pain, hardship, and struggle that still remain in Africa. It’s insane to know that people... Read More
Rated of 5
by Samantha Fox Do Not Sleep Excellent book! It has encouraged me to make my community be aware of what is going on.
Rated of 5
by Marnita Kidd-Love Exilerating! I met John 20 years ago, an utterably nice person through in through..
I knew he was bound for a life made up of great things.. Keep up the wonderful work, you're what this world needs.....
I never had the opportunity to say thanks, for... Read More
Rated of 5
by Triniti Thomas
This is a great read! As an African-American with a voice, I commit to a vital role in efforts of ending the genocide in Darfur and beyond. Given the current situation in Darfur, I hope that you too will seriously consider... Read More
About the authors: Don Cheadle has appeared in a number of movies including Rosewood,
The Family Man, Boogie Nights, Out of Sight, Traffic,
and Ocean's Eleven. In 2005 he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his
portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda. John Prendergast is
Senior Advisor to the International Crisis Group and Co-Founder of the ENOUGH
Campaign. Previously he worked at the White House and State Department during
the Clinton administration, where he was involved in a number of peace processes
throughout Africa.
Also recently published: The Devil Came in On Horseback
(website): A memoir by former U.S. Marine Brian Steidle who began work in Sudan in
2004 as a military contractor and ended up as an unarmed military observer for
the African Union's cease-fire coalition. Written with his sister, an
activist and founder of Global Grassroots, in conjunction with the documentary
and lecture series of the same name, it provides a first hand...
The devastating story of war through the eyes of a child soldier. Beah tells how, at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and became a soldier.
The riveting life story of hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina who, as his country was being torn apart by violence during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, sheltered more than 12,000 members of the Tutsi clan and Hutu moderates, while homicidal mobs raged outside with machetes.
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Publishers Weekley
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by Jolly
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