Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Samantha Arnold [Click to enlarge]

True accounts of murder, rape, displacement and genocide were shared by two Darfuri Refugees in a presentation Thursday night in the Great Hall.

The national speaking tour, Voices From Darfur, was brought to SUU by the Student Activities Board in an effort to inform students of the ongoing situation in Darfur, Sudan, and to possibly inspire them to take action, said Ashley Greenburg, STAB event director.

"Being aware is important," she said. "However, even more important is taking action."

The presentation began with a documentary revealing some of the atrocities that have occurred in Darfur for the past four years like the mass killing of civilians, raping of women and children and burning of villages.

According to the documentary, these violent actions are the responsibility of two major groups, the Sudanese militia, and the Janjaweed, a tribal organization supported by the Sudan government.

Following the documentary, each of the refugees took turns speaking about their experiences living in Darfur.

Daoud Hari, former resident of a village in northern Darfur, spoke about his time as a translator for international journalists.

He shared his story of being falsely arrested on espionage charges along with a Chicago Tribune reporter and tortured.

Since arriving in the United States, Hari has traveled throughout the country speaking on behalf of his fellow Darfurians to raise awareness and inspire action.

Speaking about his time as a translator, Hari said he was surprised at the courage of the journalists he worked with.

"A lot of them were really brave," he said.

Ibrahim Mousa Adam spoke about his work as a farmer and volunteer teacher in Darfur before coming to the United States. He left Darfur after the Sudanese army destroyed his entire village.

The massacre resulted in the killing of 80 people, 20 of which were close members of his family, Adam said.

"The government sent their helicopters and chased the people," he said. "They had to run to hide themselves."

The only people that were able to survive the incident were those like himself that left the village just before the militia's invasion, Adam said.

Although he is now living in the United States, Adam said he would like to one day go back to Sudan to see his family, friends and help rebuild Darfur.

"We may need a long, long time to rebuild," he said.

Carly Owens, a senior elementary education major from Brigham City, said she heard about the presentation from her sister and decided that she wanted to attend to find out more about the situation in Darfur.

"It's mind baffling the kinds of things that happen over there," she said.

Owens said she learned a lot from the presentation and is now inspired to do her part in informing others.

"You really can take action," she said. "Even if it is just one person."

To find out more information regarding the situation in Darfur, check out www.savedarfur.org.

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