Global responsibility:

Never Again.

The words illuminated from the slideshow screen at the Open Visions Forum Monday night as Mia Farrow, actress and international activist, explained that after the Nazi Holocaust the world declared that never again would something of such disastrous proportions occur.

Yet, genocide has captured over a half million lives in Darfur, a region in Sub-Saharan Sudan, and the world has left them to fend for themselves.’ It seems, according to Farrow, that the once highly accepted view that never again will genocide occur has simply been forgotten.’ ‘No adequate protection has come for the people of Darfur and shame on everybody,’ she said.

In 2004 when Farrow first found out about the genocide through an article in the NY Times, she said, ‘It was one of those knee-buckling experiences, I had not known,” adding that her first thought was, ‘Oh my god, not again.”

Once Farrow found out about the slaughtering, she used her position as a UNICEF ambassador, active humanitarian, and actress, to travel to Darfur.’ She repeatedly said throughout the lecture that ‘with knowledge comes responsibility.” She has used her experiences in Darfur to contribute to social responsibility, saying, ‘I will tell the world what is happening to them.’

Farrow showed photos from her experiences in Darfur.’ Members of the audience stared teary eyed at the photos as she explained their meanings.’

One picture showed a woman with obvious grief in her eyes who Farrow explained had lost three of five children and her husband when the Janjaweed militias attacked their village.’ She quoted the grief stricken woman as saying, ‘Tell people what is happening here, tell them we will all be slaughtered, tell them.’

She showed a picture of a village from her trip in 2004, which according to Farrow, ‘is notable for the fact that it existed because most Darfur villages are ash.” She then showed the same village in 2006, nothing but ash.

The next picture that appeared on the slideshow was of a refugee camp filled with over 90,000 people and completely abandoned of any trees or grass.’ Farrow said that agriculture, healthcare, basic education, and hope are ‘insufficient to nonexistent’ in these camps.’ She also said that a reputable source told her that in these camps, ‘100 percent of females over the age of eight have been raped.’

Farrow then showed a few drawings by the children of Darfur.’ The pictures portrayed men shooting women, helicopters dropping bombs on villages, rape, and men on trucks with guns.’ ‘The only message we have sent them is that they are completely dispensable,’ she said.

When asked how she has gotten to where she is today, Farrow said, ‘I’ve just been really lucky.’ She has been a successful actress, performing in such popular movies as Be Kind Rewind, The Omen, The Great Gatsby, and Rosemary’s Baby.’
Farrow is also the former wife of actor Woody Allen and has been a good friend to The Beatles.

After the lecture, the audience reacted favorably as they stood in applause.’ ‘ Most students were in awe of her speech and felt incredibly moved.’ It seems that Farrow’s mission to tell people about the situation in Darfur, to be a voice for the muted, and to do her part for social responsibility has started to take hold in the minds of the youth, or according to Farrow, ‘the future inheritors of our world.’

One audience member, Kristen McManus ’09, said, ‘I think Mia Farrow is exactly right when she said that responsibility is inherent in knowledge.’ Too many college students think that life in their bubble is life as the world knows it.’ I hope that others are inspired to act just like I was.’

Senior Emily Janis said, ‘I thought it was very eye opening and wants me to make a difference.’ But it is also kind of depressing because you feel helpless just sitting here in the auditorium.’ It’s inspiring to know there are people out there who can help.’

Farrow said that, ‘things are as bad as ever they were,’ adding, ‘the government of Darfur is denying this is happening, but I am a witness.’