During a presentation this past week of the Agohozo Shalom Youth Village created in Rwanda for orphans of the genocide, Sipha Nsengimana emphasized that the term genocide has become a household word, used frequently and casually. She stressed that survivors of the 1994 genocide are still trying to live through the trauma and pain, coping with the knowledge that while their families were murdered before their eyes, the rest of the world looked on.
The Western world's near-apathy during the crisis in Rwanda reappears today in Darfur. The average citizen has heard of the genocide that began in the Darfur region of Sudan five years ago, and many have heard the statistics: International estimates put the death toll thus far around 200,000, and it is estimated that 2.5 million have been pushed into surrounding regions of Sudan and Chad.
But it is easy to forget. It's easy to grow numb to the word genocide. And as governments and UN peacekeeping forces delay in discussions of strategy, the mass murder and rape of Darfur continue.
The horrors that have since become normality began in Darfur in early 2003. The population of Darfur is made up of black Africans and Arabs, co-existing in a region of Sudan that has been severely neglected. In 2003, two African tribal rebel groups initiated an uprising, accusing the government of oppressing non-Arabs, calling for social, political and economic changes and demanding more political influence. They were seen as a threat to the stability of the entire country, and in fear that the rebellion would ignite other regions of the country, mass killings of black Africans began
in Darfur.
The Arab militia known as the Janjaweed has been plundering the region ever since. In their view, to eliminate all black Africans neatly solves the problem of the rebel groups, made up of only a small percentage of these people. They are given weapons by the Sudanese government, which takes great care to keep reporters from entering and information from leaving the region.
The atrocities the Janjaweed commits conjure images that shouldn't easily fade from our minds. They enter villages to burn crops and houses, slaughter civilians of all ages, rape women in front of their loved ones and steal children from the arms of
their parents.
For years now, governments have called for global action, and the United Nations has issued statements declaring Darfur to be "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today." But the African Union (AU) troops continue to find little success in a conflict for which the Sudanese government refuses to claim responsibility. And the bloodshed continues.
Yet while the world's highest leadership stalls and flounder, the Darfur crisis has fueled a charged and motivated international activist movement. Students at universities play an enormous role in raising awareness and ultimately pressuring their schools and governments to take a stand against this massacre. Student groups around the United States raise funds to aid overwhelmed refugee camps. Divestment, the movement to eradicate investments in Sudan in protest, is gaining momentum.
The United Nations has authorized a joint U.N./AU peacekeeping force to be deployed in Darfur with the authority to use force for civilian protection. Very recently, director Steven Spielberg withdrew his participation from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to protest China's economic support of Darfur. Consequently, for the first time, China appears to be taking immediate steps to pressure the Sudanese
government.
Yet this isn't to say that we can stop worrying about Darfur. While action may be on the horizon, the world must act quickly. Violence has increased in the past few months. The Sudanese government is moving Arabs into the cleared villages to cement their ethnic cleansing. Food-shortages are worsening, and refugees and internally displaced people are losing faith in the international community that continues to promise assistance. Now that the United Nations has mandated a peacekeeping force, fears arise that the Janjaweed, knowing about the soon-arriving challengers - will speed up to finish the job.
At Tufts, students are a part of the movement to end the genocide. Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) is a sub-committee of the globally focused club Pangea, but also part of a nationwide coalition. Each week, a devoted group of students discuss, brainstorm and organize. This semester's projected activities include a cell-phone drive, bake sales, divestment petitions, a concert, a symposium, visual displays and awareness-raising events. Money earned by STAND purchases stoves for women in refugee camps so that they don't have to venture past the protected walls for firewood, risking rape and death.
STAND's latest event, "Dance for Darfur," is this Thursday, Feb. 28, at Oxfam Café. From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., students can dance and enjoy time with friends while knowing they are contributing to the change for Darfur. Admission to the event is a $3 ticket or a $5 donation at the door, and all students are welcome.
Tufts is home to a globally aware and engaged community, thriving with political enthusiasm and full of students who want to get involved. STAND's activites are an incredible way to make a difference at the grassroots level, through students, fundraising and awareness. As activists, we must maintain the pace and fervor with which we campaign for Darfur. Until our leaders catch on to what so many are demanding worldwide, student groups like STAND will continue to fight for an end to the horrific violence occurring in Darfur.
Katrina Pennington is a freshman majoring in international relations and Spanish. She is a member of STAND.
