'Voices from Darfur' speak at University

Called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today by the United Nations, the conflict in Darfur of Western Sudan has resulted in the death of roughly 400,000 civilians since 2003, according to a pamphlet from the Save Darfur Coalition.

Voices From Darfur, a national speaking tour featuring personal accounts from survivors of the genocide in Darfur took place last night in College Hall in the Livingston Student Center.

The event was hosted by Rutgers Hillel and co-sponsored by College Avenue Campus Dean Matt Matsuda, Livingston Campus Dean Lea Stewart and a diverse group of University organizations.

The evening opened with a presentation of a short documentary of horror and survival stories from those who have endured violence in Sudan.

"Our own government is trying to kill us," said a voice in the film.

Human rights activists in the film discussed the ethnic cleansing and extermination of the indigenous African people and expressed concern for those dying from lack of nutrition in camps.

They urged viewers to pressure their governments to aid the people of Darfur. International forces with a strong mandate will be the only way to help because they can be an effective method in stopping oppressive governments, they said.

"Every time I see that film…it really pains me," featured speaker Abu Asal Abu Asal said, "It is just very hard to accept the reality that we're undergoing a genocide, especially when I think of my early memories of being a child there."

Abu Asal recounted his experiences growing up in the city of Al-fashir in Darfur and said as a child he was told the people of Darfur were not meant to go far with their education.

But Abu Asal defied the odds and attended the University of Khartoum's School of Veterinary Medicine. As a student he joined the Darfur Students Association and was involved in activism. He was taken by the government and punished for his activism, but years later, fled to Egypt in 2003.

He worked with organizations to help stop torture and assisted interpreters for American University in Cairo, according to the Voices from Darfur pamphlet.

"In the span of the last 30 years we have had three other genocides in Darfur," he said. "In my opinion, very little has been done to change the situation. It's so disappointing but we still have hope."

The other guest speaker, Suad Mansour, worked to help women's development in Sudan after graduating from universities in Sudan and Ireland. In 1995 she helped form a Community Development Committee to serve displaced women, but was forced to flee Sudan.

Mansour said she found rape is difficult to talk about with the women she worked with because it is more than just physical torture, but also causes emotional pain.

She said the husbands of the victims often feel shame in their communities because they have not been socialized to accept victims of rape.

"I try to address that and tell international communities that the women need more than just food and shelter, but counseling, and someone to be close to them," Mansour said.

Abu Asal said college students have the power to do something, and encouraged those in attendance to speak about the atrocities in Darfur in their own communities. He urged everyone to contact politicians and ask them to respond to the crisis.

"This is one of our biggest community service events and we're really excited to have it happen," said Rutgers Hillel President and community service coordinator Avi Smolen, a Rutgers College junior. "In Judaism it's a virtue to cure the world, so not only do we want to better our own community, we also want to better the world, and this is part of that.

Save Darfur Chair of the Rutgers Hillel's community service wing, Jessica Starkman, said she decided to create her position at Hillel after attending a rally in Central Park hosted by the Save Darfur Coalition.

"I hope this event raises awareness about stopping the genocide in Darfur," Starkman, a Rutges College junior, said. "It should inspire people to help make a difference."

Smolen said the Save Darfur Coalition has been one of the premier organizations fighting against the genocide in Darfur and they are excited to be working with them.