It's a shame that I didn't get to go to the event today at college. I wish my parents got paid enough money to buy a second car and teach me to drive. I'm 19 and I still rely on my parents to take me to college! It sucks! I hate this. I can't even get a hold of someone to give me a ride there and back again. Anyway, here's what I've written for The Montage at college-
On Wednesday, April 16th, the Essex Student Government held an event covering the genocide in Darfur, Sudan at 12:20pm in room J208, which 450,000 people have been murdered and over 2 million displaced due to attacks on the area for a number of years. Student Government presented a film of what is happening in Darfur though it was announced at short notice.
Corinne Mauricio, SGA President, has had this event in mind since the beginning of the year. She has been and still is planning the event to take place on the sixteenth. "I want to be able to educate people on the genocide in Darfur," Mauricio said. "I want them to be able to take the action that they feel is necessary to create change in that region whether it's donating money or going down to D.C. and asking our officials to donate money to them. I think that they can take the appropriate steps necessary for that change."
It's clear that not many people, including the majority of CCBC Essex students, are well aware of this situation. According to a refugee from Sudan who was interviewed by Kalamazoo Gazette writer Sara Waisanen, "People are still unaware of the genocide that's been going on in Darfur since 2003, and countries are not doing enough to assist the innocent people whose lives are threatened every day."
With that, many have misunderstandings with what is happening there. "You have different groups of militia trying to take power," says Derrick Bullock, Director of Multicultural Affairs. "And what they're doing to take power is killing and destroying the homes people who have different beliefs or maybe from a different tribe- if you want to call it that. So, many people are being displaced because they're homes are being destroyed and family members are being killed. So, they have to seek refuge in different areas."
However, this was not the first time something like this has occurred. "Certainly, we have enough international students here on campus who have experienced similar catastrophes as to the genocide in Darfur," Bullock said, referring to other students that have experienced the same events in other countries such as Liberia.
In an article by Muralikumar Anantharaman in the Washington Post, Fidelity Investments company's stockholders have rejected proposals for fund managers to block investments with companies doing business with governments implementing genocide. Not only is this occurring with those shareholders in that company, but it's happening with other companies in the nation. Some of these financial companies include Vanguard, American Funds, and Franklin Templeton, according to one article by the associated press in the Cape Cod Times.
"I think it's our responsibility as human beings to care about what's going on in our world," says Bullock. "We as human beings have a responsibility to help out any way we can."
Corinne Mauricio was one of those people who could see Bullock's point. She had learned about Darfur in the past and eventually came up with an idea to raise awareness. "I wanted to do something about the people in Darfur. I didn't know what, but I wanted to do something to help them."
Mauricio and the Black Student Union screened the documentary 'Sand and Sorrow', produced and narrated by George Clooney, at the event. The movie covered the crisis in Darfur as well as information on how to help with the issues at hand such as providing contributions to organizations that will end the situation in Darfur. It also covered the lack of help and involvement from the United States and other countries that could have assisted in resolving the conflict.
I wish I added more to that- more about the film and what other students thought about it. It would have been even more brilliant. But I'm stuck with this thing. Oh god. Why can't I...
