2008 Woodie Awards
Rocking rally to save lives in Central Park
Brittany Price
Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: News
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On Sunday, Sacred Heart students attended a rally in the East Meadow of Central Park in New York City from 2:00 -5:00 p.m. to make a statement in the campaign to stop the genocide in Sudan.
The rally and concert event was planned to overlap the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations in NYC. Numerous students from universities in the New England area were united in representing a global pledge to protect the people of Darfur.
The rally was entitled "Save Darfur Now: Voices to Stop Genocide" and featured a free concert series with performances by O.A.R., Big and Rich and Suzanne Vega.
Speakers at the rally included Olympic Gold Medalist Joey Cheek, former Secretary of
State, Madeline Albright and BET personality, Jeff Johnson, along with many others.
Brian Germain, Vice President of the class of 2009, Wallingford, began a Facebook group entitled "Save Darfur...The Rally in NYC to Stop Genocide" he also sent global emails throughout the Sacred Heart community to make students and faculty aware of the genocide and rally.
"After I made the [Facebook] group, people started getting in contact with me, sending me posters, wristbands, flyers and much more, showing their support for the rally," said Germain.
Darfur, Sudan has been in the news since 2003, when deadly conflicts broke out in this African nation. Celebrities, like actor George Clooney, have made it their mission to stop this horrific modern day genocide that is eliminating the natives of Darfur.
"[The violence in Darfur] is the first genocide of the 21st century. And if it continues unchecked it will not be the last," said Clooney to United Nations on Thursday September 14th.
According to CNN, "over 400,000 people have been killed and more than two million innocent civilians have been forced to leave there homes and live in refugee camps in Chad, which neighbors Sudan." These civilians that have been vacated from their homes rely on international assistance for food, water and everyday needs to insure survival.
Natives that have escaped Darfur are forced to live in a small tent for an indefinite period of time where military presence is overpowering and the horrendous violence is never ending. The Sudanese government has exercised its power to rape, enslave, kill and plunder the people and villages of Darfur.
The Sudanese methods to carry out the genocide in Darfur include sending armed troops into villages and flying helicopter gun ships overhead, firing at will. The government begins firing at civilian's everyday in the early morning, when patrol units are sent out to count bodies.
"When was the last time anyone heard of people being mercilessly gunned down, burned alive, and tortured? It just builds up until you feel as though you must take some action," said Germain. "This is something that just shouldn't happen in the 21st century, which is why we have to do something".
But this type of primitive genocide continues. It happens everyday in Sudan. Life at Sacred Heart and in America is an extremely different world than the war zone of Sudan.
CNN describes Sudan, specifically Darfur, as an area in Africa that is 'depressed' and is a land where the Arab and African worlds clash.
The Arab population in Sudan is mainly nomad, whereas the African people remain on their farms and stay in one place. CNN explains that the conflict has erupted due to claims on different parts of the land. Instead of the government dividing up the land peacefully, the Arab government has stepped in and chose the side of the Arab nomads, instigating relentless attacks on African civilians.
The genocide is blamed on the "Janjaweed," Arab militia groups. The government of Sudan fights side-by-side with the Janjaweed, but places the all of the blame for the violence on the Arab militia
Prior to attending the rally, many students from SHU were unaware of what the genocide in Darfur was.
"I was walking down the hall and I said 'Save Darfur' and someone came up to me and asked 'Who is Darfur?'" said Germain. "Students do not know enough, which is why I started this Facebook group.
"Facebook is a really important tool for online networking and it is also the fastest way to spread a message. Walking by signs in the hallway is not the same as being able to read about it online. People join no-name groups all the time, so why not make a group that has a purpose for a cause?"
After attending the rally, students like Ryan Simpson, sophomore, New Hartford, N.Y. better realize that the events in Darfur portray the destruction of a nation.
"We attended the rally to help the people of Darfur," said Simpson. "If it was the people of my nation, I would want someone to do something. We must let them know we are not abandoning them."
Speakers at the rally, like Ethan Rafal, made strong points and their messages are ones Simpson will remember most poignantly.
"Rafal was a very powerful speaker," said Simpson. "He was a captive of the Janjaweeb and he thought he was getting executed for taking pictures of civilians being killed. While he was in jail he spoke with a man who had been there for two years. The rally really brought awareness to the uneducated about Darfur."
The musical performances rocked the rally and called greater attention to the genocide.
"O.A.R. played songs that really met the tone of the rally," said Germain. "Just listening to the lyrics of the songs Big and Rich played, I think they really got through to a lot of people."
The violence in Darfur is thousands of miles away, therefore so many people wonder why should they care? For Jane Li, field organizer for Save Darfur, Brooklyn, N.Y. the answer is simple.
"For more than three years over 400,000 innocent people have died in a place roughly the size of Texas," said Li. "I am one of the field organizers and my task was to reach out to students for this rally.
"Preceding the rally, I was in contact with well over 80 campuses and students were a significant part of the makeup of the crowd. Thank you to the Sacred Heart students who attended".
Germain saw the Sacred Heart turnout at the rally as a great exemplar of student awareness making a difference.
"It was everyone on the east coast coming together to bring about change," said Germain.
Students will wait out the U.N. decision to send peacekeepers to Sudan's Darfur region and hopefully the deadlock will be broken.
Saving Darfur will not happen overnight, but the rally is a small step to the salvation of Sudan.
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