On the road from Passover to Shavuot, from Egypt to Sinai, Jews have most recently passed through a period of mourning and celebration. Yom Hashoa brought us to a place of darkness, Yom Hazikaron to a place of sacrifice, Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, to a place of hope.

Darkness, sacrifice, hope. Three words that could stand as watchwords for anyone who sees suffering in the world and feels compelled to do something about it.

This period on the Jewish calendar also coincides with the third Global Days for Darfur, an international effort to draw attention to the ongoing genocide in Sudan. The massive mobilization will take place in more than 30 countries around the world, with almost 350 events in the United States alone. The concrete goals include a call for immediate deployment of UN peacekeepers in the violence-torn region and to urge America and the rest of the world to press both the Sudanese government and rebel groups to negotiate an end to the conflict.

Organizers are also hoping President Bush will follow up on his tough rhetoric about Khartoum to enforce targeted sanctions against Sudan's leadership. Activists want to see a deadline for implementing "Plan B" sanctions on Sudan's vicious dictator, Omar al-Bashir. Delays in implementing the sanctions will allow al-Bashir to backtrack and renege, as he has time and time again.

These are dark times in Darfur, and halting the murder and helping the refugees may demand diplomatic, military, and economic sacrifices. But unless we are to give up hope, a desert people will need the help of all of us to travel from persecution to freedom. Sound familiar?

To learn more about Global Days for Darfur, visit the Web site of the American Jewish World Service.