Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of conflict in Darfur (which I can't believe I left off my list of tragedies in April). Activists and a handful of celebrities observed the anniversary by holding a Global Day for Darfur and calling on the international community to do more to stop the genocide.

Like other pleas to end the conflict that has resulted in between 200,000 and 400,000 deaths and 2.5 million refugees, Global Day for Darfur was barely a blip on the radar in the U.S. media.

From the Independent:

Though thousands of people across five continents will today urge their leaders to "do something" about Darfur, few leaders can agree on what that "something" is.

The US, which is alone in labelling the conflict "genocide", is preparing to increase its sanctions on Sudan. Britain is talking up the idea of a no-fly zone, but one non-British Western diplomat in Khartoum was quick to point out that this was being suggested only by Mr Blair.

So far, though, the outside world is just talking - not acting. Numerous UN resolutions urging action remain unenforced. A no-fly zone was even agreed in 2005, but was never implemented.

Towards the end of last year, the US envoy to Khartoum, Andrew Natsios, told Sudan that if it didn't allow a hybrid force in by 1 January, the US would invoke "Plan B". He didn't specify what it was - because it didn't exist. Nearly four months into 2007, Plan B has not materialised.

After the Holocaust, the world vowed, "Never again" and drafted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Yet it keeps happening. It happened in Rwanda, and we ignored it until after the fact. It's been four years in Darfur and still George Clooney and a handful of celebrities are the most vocal advocates for stopping the violence.