Students call for Darfur action

Seven hundred students signed postcards to ask for progress in Sudan.
by Addi GistNovember 14, 2005
Armed with leaflets, poster boards, and booming voices, student demonstrators marched through the South Oval Monday to raise awareness of the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan in northeastern Africa.
Students were shouting “Save Darfur” and “Don’t hide the genocide” and holding signs saying “Make love, not genocide!” As the group approached the Bizzell statue, they were gaining fervor and a tangle of curious pedestrians.
The group, Students for Action in Darfur, had a clear purpose — raising campus awareness about the genocide. Hossein Maymani, the group’s leader, is aware of the worsening conditions and is quick to explain the desperate need for action.
“History has shown us that if we don’t take a stand, we’ll end up looking back at the situation and regret not taking action,” he said. “We’re trying to promote action through action — we want students and congress to get involved.”
Carlo Romero, letters senior, used a loudspeaker to relay facts and statistics, making an appeal for student involvement.
“Over 300,000 have been killed by their own government,” he said “We must stop the genocide, and we need your help.”
According to savedarfur.org, the movement’s national Web site, the nation’s conflicts are becoming increasingly violent. In the past year, the Janjaweed militias — armed Arab tribal militias on horseback — have received support from the Sudanese government to exterminate any civilians who are not wholly loyal to the government.
Lack of humanitarian aid has bred malnutrition, disease and rape. The Janjaweed often intercepts the aid that comes to the region. Despite the United Nations’ knowledge of these conditions, the international community is in gridlock about how to handle the situation.
Students for Action in Darfur’s primary goal is to pressure senators and representatives to pass Senate bill 1462 and House of Representatives bill 3127. Both give President Bush permission to provide assistance to the African Union Mission in Sudan and call for the suspension of Sudan’s membership in the United Nations.
Similarly, on the state level, the Oklahoma state legislature is considering Senate bill 495, which would attempt to prosecute those responsible for the genocide in Darfur as well as encouraging humanitarian aid and a presidential-appointed envoy to the region.
The purpose of Monday’s protest was not only to raise awareness about Darfur, but also to encourage students to write to government officials.
Their efforts are working. Earlier this year, Romero sent a letter to 4th district Rep. Tom Cole. Cole not only wrote back, but also assured Romero that he would be listened to.
“I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind,” Cole said in the letter. “We have much to do to reduce suffering in this troubled region.”
At the Bizzell statue, students huddled around a table where Students for Action in Darfur members passed out postcards to be sent to representatives asking them to consider the legislation concerning Darfur. Seven hundred students took the time to sign a postcard.
Barry Goepfert, junior aerospace engineering major, was one of many who decided to contact government officials.
“I had some friends in [Students for Action in Darfur] who educated me about the genocide,” he said, “We don’t want what happened in Rwanda to happen again. Hopefully something will change this time around.”
Ryan Zwilling, mechanical engineering senior, did some research before committing to the cause. After looking at the current legislation, he decided to contact his representatives and join Students for Action in Darfur.
“This is a complicated situation, but with some effort, we could make a difference,” Zwilling said. “The legislation shows that we don’t approve of the Sudanese slaughtering their own people.”
Students for Action in Darfur’s biggest obstacle is student apathy and ignorance.
One student was heard talking on his cell phone saying, “I don’t even know who Darfur is.”
Russell Whitney, industrial engineering freshman, admitted that he isn’t really educated on the issue.
“I’d like to hear more, but Africa is really remote,” he said. “It’s not that easy to relate to.”
However, at least one student not involved in the demonstration was aware of and passionate about the cause. James Cooper, film and video studies senior, said he believes there is an unknown and inexcusable reason for the lack of U.S. involvement in Darfur.
Cooper also believes that the United States is using a weak excuse to explain its inability to aid the region.
“It’s a shame that we’ve actually labeled this genocide, yet we still do nothing about it,” he said. “The excuse is that we’re waiting for U.N. permission to go in, but we didn’t have U.N. permission to go into Iraq, so what’s stopping us from going into Darfur? What’s the difference?”
Maymani and Romero believe demonstrations and a grassroots campaign are the keys to combating the lack of awareness.
“We have to show students that it’s OK to care about something that doesn’t directly affect them,” said Maymani.
He said he has never encountered a person who remains apathetic after understanding the atrocity in Darfur.
Chris Schafer, math, philosophy and Spanish senior, said he believes that the strength of the Students for Action in Darfur movement lies in its diversity. The group of protester is indeed a mixture — many different ethnic groups and religions are represented.
“The great thing about this is that we’re all different people,” said Schafer. “We’re all of different nationalities and political persuasions, but we’re here to unite in this one cause.”
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© 2005 The OU Daily