I read an interview with Tony Lanzer, the head of the UN Human Rights Commission in the C.A.R. recently. When asked why the CAR has been ignored for so long, his response reminded me that even while we are here in North America, we have an important job to do on behalf of the people of the Central African Republic. He says:
"You can't ignore something unless you know it exists. In spite of its name, nobody knows where the Central African Republic is. Very few people know it is a country and even fewer have time to worry about it. Also, it is surrounded by bigger, more complex countries... Until we inform people of why CAR matters, it never will."
So it isn't so much that CAR has been ignored, it is that nobody really knows that is exists. CAR matters, not only in political terms but more so because of the four million people who call it home, who are suffering from lack of clean water, sufficient food and constant insecurity. The people of CAR matter.
