This Sunday, January 9, the people of Southern Sudan will begin voting in an historic referendum on whether to create their own nation.  For two decades, they fought a civil war with northern Sudan, and it has ravaged the county.

In 2009 I narrated ‘The New Sudan,’ a documentary which introduced, to most of us, the abundance of both horror and optimism in post-civil war southern Sudan.  The filmmakers have posted an interview with me here.

For perspective, Sudan is 1/4 the size of the United States.  Some overview information on Sudan is in Wikipedia, the New York Times, and CNN.

If you’re able to donate to the southern Sudanese, there are numerous ways to do so, including some mentioned in the interview and through various non-govermental organizations.