Many of you have probably seen the green “Save Darfur” banner hanging up in the campus center. Those who have missed it may have noticed the green “Live Strong” look-a-like bracelets on the wrists of many students around campus. Many of you are also probably wondering what Darfur is and if it is some type of lame spin-off on Save Ferris Bueller.
The “Save Darfur” campaign is in recognition of a genocide that is currently occurring in a region of Sudan. Open warfare began in early 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attacked military installations. Shortly afterwards, “Janjaweed” militias acquired government approval and support to eliminate civilians who were from areas considered disloyal to the Sudanese government.
It has been close to three years since warfare began and according to reports by the World Food Program, the United Nations and the Coalition for International Justice, “3.5 million people are now hungry, 2.5 million have been displaced due to violence, and 400,000 people have died in Darfur thus far.”
In addition, according to a New York Times article dated Feb. 28, the Darfur conflict had spread across the border of Sudan and into neighboring Chad, “deepening one of the world’s worse refugee crises.”
The woman behind the campaign here at Fairfield is English professor Gail Ostrow. As a student of hers, I was lucky to be a part of one of the first groups of people to learn about Darfur on campus.
However, it was her Introductory English class which set the project into motion. One student in particular, Lauren Loomer ’09, took matters into her own hands. She suggested participating in the sale the Save Darfur Web site was having and selling wristbands, magnets, lawn signs, postcards and the big banner that was hung up in the BCC.
“After hearing that there was a genocide going on that I had no idea about, I knew that I needed to somehow spread the word,” said Loomer.
Because of delays and shortages, the materials were not ready at Thanksgiving, as hoped, but instead in December after the semester had concluded.
Ostrow was able to raise $149 selling the items at congregation events during winter break.
When the spring semester began, Ostrow brought the items here to school to sell to the student body, and while students have made purchases, there have not been enough. She still has plenty of items available.
Ostrow realized that hanging the banner in the BCC for a couple of weeks would not be sufficient to raise awareness and money for Darfur. She has composed a letter to all of the churches and synagogues in the Fairfield/Bridgeport area, as well as the Fairfield Clergy Association, requesting that each of the houses take a turn hosting the banner. She also intends to contact two mosques in the area.
On Jan. 30, Reverend Brockman from St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fairfield has taken the banner to be displayed in his church.
“If you are wondering why I do this, it is because I can’t not do it. I already slept through The Killing Fields of Cambodia, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Bosnian ethnic cleansing. And I’m one of the good people,” said Ostrow. “The lesson for me about Darfur is that after growing up asking how the Holocaust could have happened, I now know the answer. It doesn’t take much indifference for evil to triumph.”
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