Students Taking Action Now: Darfur wants to make sure that the battle-worn region of western Sudan stays in the public eye. Clashes between government-backed militia and rebel forces have displaced 2.7 million Darfuris, according to 2009 Human Rights Watch estimates. Amnesty International reports that malnutrition and disease claimed the lives of over 200,000. Another 90,000 died in fighting. Despite public awareness of the conflict, the numbers only seem to be growing.
“People are uncomfortable with the topic of genocide. And if it doesn’t affect us directly, we don’t want to bother with it,” said Aviva German, a member of STAND. Founded in 2005, the student-led group has satellite chapters around the world.
STAND Canada has launched a campaign called Stand For The Dead, selling T-shirts bearing the names of victims on the front and their stories on the back. This method of raising awareness aims to reverse the desensitizing effect of casualty statistics, said Shauna Keddy, another member of the U of T chapter. “If you’re passionate at a young age, that generally carries on into adulthood,” German said.
Additionally, the group has the support of filmmaker Uwe Boll. On Monday, Feb. 1, the group will screen his film Darfur in 10 cities across Canada.
Darfur will screen at the Scotia Bank Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.standcanada.org/darfurfilm. T-shirts are available for purchase at the screening, or online at standforthedead.com for $30.
