Mr. Chair, I appreciate the words of the member opposite. I acknowledge his extensive knowledge of and passion for this issue and that of others he has mentioned, including the Hon. David Kilgour who is with us tonight.
As forcefully as he has made the case, which is the right case, they are words nonetheless. This is not a partisan issue. We can cast aspersions about who has acted and who has acted quickly. I do not need to remind him that he was a member of a government that was in office for 13 years.
This government, in a relatively short time, has taken a great deal of responsibility on its shoulders, has acted to engage very actively with the international community and will continue to do so.
The government has also kept up with important contributions, financial, equipment and otherwise. It has engaged very actively with principal players, like Jan Egeland and Mr. Kellenberger, the president of the International Red Cross. All of these actors and principal players have a collective responsibility. This will not be solved by any one country or any one individual or organization. It will take a mammoth human effort to bring about an end to the suffering.
We can all learn from the lessons and the language of the past. Whether it is called genocide or a massive slaughter of humanity, those are semantics when it comes to getting the job done and ending these atrocities.
Again, the proactive and productive approach is the one to bring about the collective responsibility and collective pressures brought to bear to end this atrocity inside Sudan.