2008 Woodie Awards
Hoosiers speaking out and stepping up to stop Darfur genocide
Courtney Essett
Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: College News
- Page 1 of 1
In all, about 2.3 million people have fled Sudan's western region of Darfur, some of them winding up in Indiana. With approximately 300 immigrants, Fort Wayne houses the state's largest population of Darfurians.
Refugees fleeing rape, murder and forced exile began settling in Indiana in the late 1990s, but with the ongoing conflict that has killed more than 200,000, their presence has increased over the past four years, spreading to South Bend, Elkhart and Indianapolis.
"There are still way too many people who say, 'What's Darfur?,'" said Terri Cuellar, head of IT at the law school at IUPUI. "After four years of vicious genocide it is appalling to me that the media coverage of this carnage is so minimal that intelligent, informed people in this country still do not know what is happening in Darfur."
Hoosiers across Indiana are speaking out and stepping up to do their part. Efforts on behalf of Darfur include organizations that work to help those who are forced to flee, as well as rallies like the Oct. 14 event held at IUPUI to show support and spur further action.
Nearly 300 people gathered at IUPUI's Pyramid Fountain Plaza for the "Bring the Olympic Dream to Darfur" rally to hear guest speakers and victims of genocide give firsthand accounts of their persecution.
The rally, organized by the Indianapolis chapter of Save Darfur, is part of an international symbolic torch relay, urging China to cut ties with Sudan before the 2008 Summer Olympics. China is Sudan's strongest political and economic ally.
Marking its debut Aug. 9 in Chad, the relay was scheduled for 65 national and five international stops before ending in China this December. Indianapolis and IUPUI were among those selected to play host.
"The Olympics are supposed to promote goodwill for humankind," said Carol Collins, rally organizer and chairwoman of the Indianapolis chapter of Save Darfur. "But China gets 70 percent of its oil from Sudan and supplies arms to the Sudanese government."
The Indiana legislature has also weighed in on the Darfur situation with a new law that could serve as model for others around the country. The Indiana Coalition to Save Darfur and the Fort Wayne-based Darfur Peace and Development are local branches of organizations that attempt to raise awareness and urge Hoosiers to action.
In March 2006, Brian Steidle, a former U.S. Marine who served as an observer with the African Union to monitor Darfur, stopped in Fort Wayne to deliver a somber message.
"It's another African problem," Steidle said during a 22-city speaking tour for peace in Darfur. "People just roll their eyes. It's a genocide. We wake up in the morning. We eat our bowl of cereal. We go to work. We watch our silly sitcoms at night. If it doesn't affect us, we don't care about it."
Some Hoosiers, including state lawmakers, have demonstrated that they do care.
In May 2007, Gov. Mitch Daniels signed Sudan divestment legislation into law. This requires the $16.3 billion Indiana Public Employees' Retirement Fund and the $8.8 billion Indiana State Teachers' Retirement Fund, both in Indianapolis, to cut business ties with companies in Sudan; unresponsive companies would be divested.
Indiana is the eleventh state to enact such legislation.
Other Indiana efforts include fundraisers such as Dollars for Darfur, sponsored by Save Darfur. This national campaign has raised more than $306,000 dollars through donations from high school students using social networks like Facebook and Myspace. Many churches, like Fellowship Living in Fort Wayne, have started relief programs for refugees.
If this seems like a lot of effort for people in a far away, remote region, Collins puts it all into perspective. "Some people ask why people in Indiana should care. If we don't care about what's going on over there, we are saying that our lives are more important than theirs."
According to a report from the Pew Research Center, nearly half of Americans believe the United States has a moral obligation to do something about the genocide in Darfur but about as many either say the U.S. has no responsibility to act or offer no opinion.
Groups like The Indianapolis Coalition to Save Darfur and the Enough Project are attempting to do their part. If the grim reality and statistics aren't enough to incite action, what will?
"I believe that the media has a huge responsibility and can be a catalyst for ending the genocide in Darfur," said Cuellar. "Accurate, current information is vital to ending this crisis. People everywhere need to know what is happening. As a member of the human race, each of us must recognize what humanity is doing to humanity in Darfur."
To learn about the genocide and efforts to help Darfur, visit www.savedarfur.org
Click here to go to forum
Refugees fleeing rape, murder and forced exile began settling in Indiana in the late 1990s, but with the ongoing conflict that has killed more than 200,000, their presence has increased over the past four years, spreading to South Bend, Elkhart and Indianapolis.
"There are still way too many people who say, 'What's Darfur?,'" said Terri Cuellar, head of IT at the law school at IUPUI. "After four years of vicious genocide it is appalling to me that the media coverage of this carnage is so minimal that intelligent, informed people in this country still do not know what is happening in Darfur."
Hoosiers across Indiana are speaking out and stepping up to do their part. Efforts on behalf of Darfur include organizations that work to help those who are forced to flee, as well as rallies like the Oct. 14 event held at IUPUI to show support and spur further action.
Nearly 300 people gathered at IUPUI's Pyramid Fountain Plaza for the "Bring the Olympic Dream to Darfur" rally to hear guest speakers and victims of genocide give firsthand accounts of their persecution.
The rally, organized by the Indianapolis chapter of Save Darfur, is part of an international symbolic torch relay, urging China to cut ties with Sudan before the 2008 Summer Olympics. China is Sudan's strongest political and economic ally.
Marking its debut Aug. 9 in Chad, the relay was scheduled for 65 national and five international stops before ending in China this December. Indianapolis and IUPUI were among those selected to play host.
"The Olympics are supposed to promote goodwill for humankind," said Carol Collins, rally organizer and chairwoman of the Indianapolis chapter of Save Darfur. "But China gets 70 percent of its oil from Sudan and supplies arms to the Sudanese government."
The Indiana legislature has also weighed in on the Darfur situation with a new law that could serve as model for others around the country. The Indiana Coalition to Save Darfur and the Fort Wayne-based Darfur Peace and Development are local branches of organizations that attempt to raise awareness and urge Hoosiers to action.
In March 2006, Brian Steidle, a former U.S. Marine who served as an observer with the African Union to monitor Darfur, stopped in Fort Wayne to deliver a somber message.
"It's another African problem," Steidle said during a 22-city speaking tour for peace in Darfur. "People just roll their eyes. It's a genocide. We wake up in the morning. We eat our bowl of cereal. We go to work. We watch our silly sitcoms at night. If it doesn't affect us, we don't care about it."
Some Hoosiers, including state lawmakers, have demonstrated that they do care.
In May 2007, Gov. Mitch Daniels signed Sudan divestment legislation into law. This requires the $16.3 billion Indiana Public Employees' Retirement Fund and the $8.8 billion Indiana State Teachers' Retirement Fund, both in Indianapolis, to cut business ties with companies in Sudan; unresponsive companies would be divested.
Indiana is the eleventh state to enact such legislation.
Other Indiana efforts include fundraisers such as Dollars for Darfur, sponsored by Save Darfur. This national campaign has raised more than $306,000 dollars through donations from high school students using social networks like Facebook and Myspace. Many churches, like Fellowship Living in Fort Wayne, have started relief programs for refugees.
If this seems like a lot of effort for people in a far away, remote region, Collins puts it all into perspective. "Some people ask why people in Indiana should care. If we don't care about what's going on over there, we are saying that our lives are more important than theirs."
According to a report from the Pew Research Center, nearly half of Americans believe the United States has a moral obligation to do something about the genocide in Darfur but about as many either say the U.S. has no responsibility to act or offer no opinion.
Groups like The Indianapolis Coalition to Save Darfur and the Enough Project are attempting to do their part. If the grim reality and statistics aren't enough to incite action, what will?
"I believe that the media has a huge responsibility and can be a catalyst for ending the genocide in Darfur," said Cuellar. "Accurate, current information is vital to ending this crisis. People everywhere need to know what is happening. As a member of the human race, each of us must recognize what humanity is doing to humanity in Darfur."
To learn about the genocide and efforts to help Darfur, visit www.savedarfur.org
Click here to go to forum
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