I know there’s a lot to worry about at home, but Sudan-watchers are worried that that ravaged land is on the brink of more violence, of the worst kind. Southern Sudan is holding a vote on independence in January, and the region needs all the moral, material, and political support it can get.

Meanwhile, Bishop Macram Gassis continues helping people help themselves in the most impossible of circumstances. I had chance to spend some time with him recently, and was mightily impressed by the grace he displayed. Gassis talks about the same issues we debate here, such as the religious identity of schools and quality of textbooks, as if he were talking about them here — as if he weren’t planting the seeds of a civilization.

Joe Biden recently said on This Week last week that we will do what we can to make sure Sudan has a legitimate election. But the Obama administration needs to get a little tougher. Sudan is currently run by a genocidal maniac. A strong, independent South would offer the prospect of a U.S. ally in a volatile region filled with radical Islamists. We need a little backbone from our administration here. Courageous men and women like Macram Gassis — who are doing their part to build infrastructure and give people real hope — deserve it.

My column on Gassis is here.