According to the UN, more than 300,000 people in Darfur have lost their lives since the conflict began back in 2003. A further four million have been displaced, many of whom are living in makeshift camps, where they endure hunger, disease and regular attacks by armed militias.
And despite the UN declaring the situation in Darfur as ‘the worst humanitarian crisis in the world at present’, governments are failing to act. Time is running out for the people who are at risk of being forgotten. They need your help to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Student voices
Students have long been involved in campaigning for social justice and the campaign to end the suffering in Darfur is no different. As part of its mission to promote, defend and extend the rights of students, NUS is working with Aegis Students (an international anti-genocide movement), the Union of Jewish Students and Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) to raise awareness of the atrocity and support students who wish to campaign on global issues.
One student who is raising awareness of genocide is third-year business student Grace Walker.
“I volunteered with Aegis Trust on my gap year, during which time I read through many reports from people from Darfur. I knew from then on that I couldn’t go off to university without letting other people know what was happening.”
Student society
Following on from her work with Aegis Trust, Grace signed up with Aegis Students and set up a society when she started university.
“It was difficult at first,” Grace recalls. “Presenting genocide to people is not easy and so I had to find ways to engage people in a way that they would understand and feel moved to get involved.
“I found a Rwandan Drama group to help me launch the society. Their performance portrays their suffering but also their hope for the future. You need to be creative when trying to capture people’s interest and art and drama are effective ways to do this.”
Grace has more than 30 members of the society and has just returned from Rwanda, where Aegis Students is working with survivors of the 1994 genocide. She says it’s important that young people are aware of what is happening in the world.
“Aegis Students encourages young people to see the world as their responsibility. If people are more informed, they are more likely to want to make a difference. The genocide in Darfur hasn’t stopped but that doesn’t mean we should turn our backs on it. The more people who campaign, the more people’s attitudes will be changed.”
Get involved
Setting up a society at university is a great way to get people involved but there are many other ways to show your support. In fact, Aegis Students has Ten things you can do to help.
Facts about Darfur
• The war in Darfur started in 2003 when a rebel group began attacking government targets.
• Darfur means land of the Fur. It has faced years of tension over land and grazing rights between the mostly nomadic Arabs, and farmers from the Fur, Massaleet and Zagawa communities.
• Rebels say the government is oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs but the government denies any links to the Janjaweed, accused of trying to ‘cleanse’ black Africans.
Have your say
Have you been affected by the crisis in Darfur? Perhaps you have set up your own event to raise awareness. Whatever your views, we would like to hear from you.