Genocide: Crisis in Darfur

Genocide: Crisis in DarfurOur lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.-Martin Luther King Jr.

Together we stand. Divided we fall.

How can one person make a difference?On December 9th, 1948, at the National Genocide Convention, The United Nations promised never again about the horrors of Genocide.

Yet every month over 15,000 people are killed in Darfur, SudanWhat happened to that promise?

What is Genocide?The term genocide was derived from the Greek word for race or tribe, geno, and the Latin term for killing, cide, literally meaning the killing of a specific people. The murder of an entire ethnic group.

One of the most well-known genocides was the Holocaust. Over 6 million Jews were slaughtered, as well as Poles, Homosexuals, Afro-Europeans, Gypsies, the Disabled. However, atrocities like the Holocaust still occur today, mainly unnoticed.

Genocides and Mass Murders in the 20th Century

Congo Free State- (Estimated 3- 30 million)Armenian- (1.5-2 million)Bosnia- (200,000+)Cambodia- (1.7- 3 million)Darfur- (ongoing)East Timor- (300,000)GuatemalaIndiaThe Holocaust- (6 million)NamibiaRwanda- (500,000- 3 million)The Serbian genocideThe Ukraine

Darfur is located in Sudan, a large country, south of Egypt, on the eastern side of Africa.

Darfur is a region on the west side of Sudan, on the border Chad.

Population of Sudan: 38 million

Population of Darfur: 6 million

Life Expectancy: 58 yearsNearly 400,000 people have died, about 7% of the population Thats equal to 60% percent of the population of North Dakota, 75% of the population of Wyoming2.7 million people are internally displaced, Half of them children About 120,000 refugees have crossed the border into Chad, a neighboring countryWHERE IS DARFUR?

This is not a matter of African starving because of climate or poor crops

This is genocide because a government is literally attacking a group of people with the intent of wiping them out.

And, they were poor and starving to begin with

Since 2003, in order to consolidate its power, the Sudanese government has been fighting various rebel groups based in Darfur, especially the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). The government responded by hiring groups of Arab bandits and training them. They were called the Janjaweed

which means Devil on horseback. The government gave them free reign to get rid of the SLA by any means necessary.

Rape (Gang and Public)Violent BeatingsMurder Abduction Stealing cattle, personal possesions, food, clothingDestroying homes and townsBurning homes and townsDestroying water sourcesSeparating families, shooting children, Close-range executionsany means necessaryThe means included:

Another tactic commonly used by the Janjaweed was trickery. They would call out to people claiming that they would do them no harm.We were afraid and wanted to run away, he said, but they said: No, no. We dont want to hurt you. We are the government. Dont be afraid. We are coming to save you.

This map shows the number of villages the Janjaweed Destroyed or Damaged in Sudan

Celebrities, and Their steps to help DarfurGeorge Clooney and father Nick Clooney- UN Peace Envoy, and Activist journalistMia Farrow- Activist, Unicef ambassador, currently on a 21-day hunger strike to bring attention to DarfurElie Wiesel- Speaker on Genocide and advocate for DarfurDon Cheadle- Co-Author of the book Not on Our WatchSteven Spielburg- Resigned as artistic adviser in 2008 Olympics in Response to Chinas failure in helping DarfurAngelina Jolie- Ambassador for the UN refugee agencyMatt Damon- Main supporter for Day for DarfurBrad Pitt- Ambassador for the UN refugee agency

However, Things may be turning around. Just recently the ICC (International Criminal Court), brought forth charges on the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir for crimes against Humanity. If this man is persecuted, the lives of millions will change and this conflict could end.

Although the conflict would end, 2.7 million people will still have relocated, away from their homes, their families, their friends, and neighbors. They will still have been forced to start new lives, with little more than the clothes on their backs

400,000People would still have died

These are the people we need to help.