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OF UNIVERSAL RIGHTS AND CONFLICTS THAT THREATEN HUMANITY
continued
GENOCIDE IN DARFUR
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Simon Deng, former child slave in Darfur |
Simon Deng, who was abducted at the age
of 9 in southern Sudan and given away as
a gift, began his session on the genocide in
Darfur by saying, “Today I am standing
before you as living proof of slavery. Slavery
still exists today in Sudan, and it will
continue to exist after today.”
Deng, who has served as an adviser to
President George W. Bush, went on to explain
the many atrocities occurring in the
Darfur region of Sudan, and why audience
members should get involved to stop them.
“When the Rwanda genocide was going
on, the United Nations turned its back
on those people, and I think the situation is
similar to what’s happening today,” Deng
said. “We’re living in a world today in
which we cannot turn a blind eye to atrocities
that are happening to our fellow human
beings. We are living in a world today
where we are all in it together.” He ended
his speech by saying, “I am asking you to
stand up and speak up for those who cannot
speak for themselves.”
“We are living in a world today where we are all in it together.”
— Simon Deng |
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Zeinab Eyega, a Sudanese refugee and founder of the Center for African Women |
Zeinab Eyega, a Sudanese refugee and
founder of the Center for African Women,
described the impact of the conflict on
women and how public officials have
downplayed the crisis in the media. When
one student asked, “What are three things
that we can do to feel like we are making
a difference?” Eyega replied that students
should rally for public support and pressure,
fund health-care resources for women
and children and support the arrests of the
people responsible for human rights violations.
Next …
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©Copyright 2007 Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved.
For a print copy of FDU Magazine, featuring this and other stories, contact Rebecca Maxon, editor,
201-692-7024 or maxon@fdu.edu.
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