This past week we took in a lecture on a current political topic of great unrest in Sudan.  My professor - Bwana Jon - and his wife lived as anthropologists with the Murle people of southern Sudan for 8 years and now Bwana is being looked to as the only person who can speak in defense of the Murle as they suffer in  Sudan.
Here's the situation unfolding:
The Murle tribe is being attacked by other south Sudanese tribes - the Nuer and the Dinka.  The Murle are seen as traitors because they aligned themselves temporarily with the North before Sudan split into north and south.  (The Murle did this, however, because they were being unjustly ruled by the Dinkas.)  In South Sudan, the Sudan People's Liberation Army, comprised of Nuer and Dinka, run the land and want to annihilate the Murle.  In just the last 3 weeks, in a Nuer attack, 300-3000 people died and 96000 Murle temporarily fled their land.  But no where is safe for them - in the last hospital the Murle were in, Murle patients were killed in their beds by machine gun fire. 
These attacks are being led by Nuer youth who have created the White Army.  These youth have never known peace - they grew up during civil war - and have organized into an army with no proclaimed leader, have distributed radical memos, and are designed to annihilate the Murle.  The youth are refusing to listen to anyone, including the church, and have even threatened the Sudan government that if they don't back them, they will take down the Sudanese president and kill him.
The international community is only hearing the Nuer side, which has portrayed the Nuer as warriors and on the defense, and the Murle as traitors.
No one is speaking up for the Murle.  Only one man knows Murle history and culture enought to speak for them.  Jon Arensen - Bwana as we call him - has been contacted by the UN to present the Murle side to a council in Nairobi in March.
While he can speak for them, we can pray for them.
Pray for the Nuer youth, that they would learn war no more.
Pray for the Nuer Christians who have remained silent (both Nuer and Murle believers are Presbyterian)
Pray for the Sudan Council of Churches
Pray for Bwana Jon as he prepares and presents
Pray for Bwana's son as we works directly with Nuer youth in his homeland of Sudan

When I step out of my hut, I often look in the direction of other countries and pray against their sufferings
to the North West, Rwanda healing from genocide
turning to the far North East in Somalia with their political unrest
and a bit to the North West is Sudan...and it is in this direction that I direct my prayers.  This suffering is closer to me than it has ever been, but this situation has shown how powerfully anthropology can be used in reconciliation.
And, we serve the Prince of Peace, who one day will bring about ultimate reconciliation.
'there was a great multitude, from every nation, from all tribes and people and languages, standing before the throne...'