Living on an island, it’s easy to forget that there is a world out there in need of our care and continued consideration. As part of the Dream for Darfur torch relay event in Honolulu, Camp Darfur was able to bring that sense of reality to the participants of the event, as well as many curious students at the University of Hawaii campus. Through the use of powerful visual images, personal stories from victims and historical accounts of five genocides including Darfur, guests were able to learn and gain a better understanding for the continuing violence that occurs globally when we forget the past and ignore the present. The tents, which were designed to illustrate the simple living conditions of the displaced victims of the Darfur genocide, were covered in signatures from past Camp Darfur participants, and guests of all ages were able to send their own personal message to the victims, creating a more personalized experience. Participants were so pleased, and many thanked us for giving them the opportunity to truly see the violence that too often seems to have become background noise in the news media. Several students were so affected by what they experiences that tears welled in their eyes, and all they could do was ask, “how can I help?” Katie-Jay and Gabriel, thank you so much for sharing your incredible vision and stories from Chad and giving the people of Hawaii the opportunity to feel what they only have had the opportunity to read about.

Shahrzad Nouraini
Hawaii Coalition for Darfur

Despite agreeing to a United Nations/African Union joint peacekeeping mission, Sudan has continued to put obstacles on the deployment of the force. We have started a petition urging President Bush to use the last year of his presidency to push for a stronger UNAMID protection force in Darfur. Lend us your voice by signing our petition!

Gali Slayen from the STAND chapter from Lincoln High School, Portland OR writes to us:

Camp Darfur was an incredible experience to bring to my high school. It gave over a thousand students the opportunity to learn about past genocides and the current genocide taking place in Darfur. The students were really affected by the tents and found it to be a really meaningful learning experience. It opened eyes to the atrocities taking place in Sudan. The other Dream for Darfur events were also very meaningful. Seeing “Darfur Now”, listening to a refugee speak, and attending a candle light vigil to remember all that have passed have empowered me to become more involved and fulfill my duty to help stop the genocide.

Dee Homans shares with us the excitement of Camp Darfur in Santa Fe

Camp Darfur came to Santa Fe at the beginning of December. Set up on the historic downtown plaza, it contrasted strangely with the first signs of Christmas; The large trees overhanging the tents were already festooned with multi-colored lights and people paraded past, their shopping bags filled with gifts. In the center of the Plaza is an obelisk on which there is a description of the Spanish conquest of the Native Americans from which the word /savage / has been chiseled out. Calling to mind the genocide of the Indian peoples, it was a powerful place for Camp Darfur. I remember particularly the individuals who wandered in at surprising moments–in the cold and in the dark–and expressed their thanks for the exhibit being here. Construction workers came down off their scaffolding at the Palace of the Governors to look and a policeman came by to say it was a great event.

As the weekend approached, winter storms were predicted, and our small group was anxious that the weather would work against us. But, thankfully, aside from some drizzle and violent winds that flattened three tents during the first night, the weather cooperated! The nearly constant greyness set the mood for the exhibit which included displays on Rwanda, Cambodia, Armenia, the Holocaust and Darfur. In addition, we set up an “action tent” in which we had petitions and ideas for ways people could get involved as well as /Voices from Darfur /running constantly on a TV monitor. A great group of volunteers of all ages helped collect hundreds of signatures on the petitions over the course of the weekend.

On Friday more than 200 students representing five different schools visited. Katie-Jay and Gabriel gave excellent introductions to the exhibit including a challenge to the students to engage in on-the-spot-activism by pulling out their cellphones and calling 1-800-GENOCIDE. Some of the students were visibly uncomfortable given that they weren’t /supposed /to have their phones on them, but when given special dispensation from their teachers, tried it. Later on in the day and on Saturday, groups of students returned, pen and paper in hand, and took notes for projects they’d been assigned. And a young man from a local youth radio program came by with his microphone. A couple of teachers expressed interest in inviting Cam Darfur back to their schools! Students from the Rotary Club had constructed a shelter next to Camp Darfur with the intention of showing how refugees live–who are not so lucky as to have been given standard U.N. canvas tents. They camped out for two days around a partially filled bowl of grain, with a “fire”( flashlight and red tissue paper) glowing weakly in the corner. One of the more striking moments was when Ibrahim Adam–who is from Darfur and came to speak at the Olympic Torch Relay–arrived. He squatted inside the shelter and told the students about his family who all are living in similar structures in Chad and Darfur.

On Saturday people were “called” to the beginning of the Olympic Torch Relay by the African Chorus of the United World College who processed singing, dancing and clapping on to the gazebo where the speakers were seated. Previously Ibrahim had greeted the chorus who introduced themselves and their coutries of origin, and he’d referred to the numbers of Darfurian refugees in many of those countries. Following the chorus and prior to the speakers, Gilbert Sanchez, a former governor of one of the Native American Pueblos on the Rio Grande, gave an invocation and the mayor read the proclamation declaring December 1st, /Act for Darfur Day./ After the speakers, the 150 or so participants made a circle around the Olympic Torch which Ibrahim lit, and as the African Chorus sang, the clouds opened and the sky, for a moment, was blue.

The Oregon Daily Emerald, student newspaper of the University of Oregon, made a wonderful video of the Dream for Darfur event in Eugene, Oregon.

Gabriel, Mohamed Yahya, and I trekked all over Oregon with Camp Darfur and the Olympic Torch! Months of planning, phone calls, emails and almost weekly meetings in Portland culminated last week with 5 days of events in 3 cities! Gabriel and I kicked off the week with Camp Darfur at Lincoln High School, which was attended by well over 1200 students! Survivors from Armenia, the Holocaust and Cambodia spoke and petitions, lots of petitions, were signed. Thursday was a busy day – we facilitated 3 workshops at the Oregon Peacemakers Conference, did one presentation and screened Darfur Now. Mohamed, Gabriel and I sat on a panel afterwards and almost everyone in the packed theatre stayed. I strongly urge you to see this film, its one of the most powerful I have seen about the genocide. Saturday the three of us drove to Eugene and back for their torch lighting ceremony to pressure China. Sunday the team split up – Gabriel headed up and over Mt. Hood to Bend for their torch lighting and Mohamed and I stayed in Portland for our Interfaith Service: Never Again and candlelight/torch vigil. All in all it was a great week! One participant who drove all the way from Moscow, Idaho said:

“… I have heard people speak now in three of the cities and then different speakers from STAND and no one spoke as loudly as you. No one was able to get me as fired up as you did and so I thought that was important to share. I know I am not the only one that stood out there today and felt so inspired and ready to take action!”

It was a busy but highly successful and inspiring week of events in Oregon!

Read about it in the news

Rachel Utesch from Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne writes:

Camp Darfur was like nothing I have experienced before. Right in front
of me were 5 tents where I could learn all about our world’s genocides
in the 20th century. After each genocide, humanity would say “Never
Again.” But it happened again. And again. And again…. not only did my
heart break, but it also grew fierce with determination to not let
these people down again. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “It isn’t enough to
talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to
believe in it. One must work at it.” I do not want to be a part of a
generation that stands aside. Thanks Camp Darfur for coming–you made
a difference in a lot of people!

Jenny Byelick from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Action Darfur wrote to us about their experience bringing Camp Darfur to campus their campus!

I was extremely moved and motivated by the Camp Darfur exhibit. It really illustrated the history of past genocides, and how “never again” continues to happen again and again. Yet in addition to the horrific images of death and destruction, Katie-Jay and Gabriel brought a sense of hope and optimism. In the online video clips from the refugee camps, I saw the bright, beautiful people of Darfur; their smiles and laughter, their colorful clothing and most of all, their human emotion. I saw the joy and sadness of an elderly woman as she caught a glimpse of her grandson via the webcam, an emotion any person, anywhere, could relate to. These people, in all their despair and desperation, have not at all given up hope to a future without genocide, and neither should we.

– Jenny Byelick :)

UI bustled with activism during our stay in Moscow, ID. Camp Darfur participated in a week long series of events dedicated to raising awareness about genocide and increasing student activism. Seventy-five body bags covered the lawn and 600 letters were signed to demand action by Idaho’s Senators, Representatives, and President Bush. A brand new STAND chapter, only a week and a half old, gathered over 50 new members while we marched loudly through campus by candlelight and students camped out all night. Camp Darfur will be returning in the spring of 2008 as part of a challenge to get other nearby colleges involved.

Camp Darfur participated in the kick-off event for the national Dream for Darfur campaign in NYC on the day Colin Powell, four years earlier, declared Darfur a genocide. Survivors from Armenia, the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur spoke about the impact of genocide and the need to end the violence in Darfur immediately. The New York Coalition of Darfuri had an impressive presence. Words from Joe Madison and Gloria White-Hammond encouraged the crowd to remain engaged and stay active in their fight to bring the Olympic Dream to Darfur, “One World, One Dream.” The Olympic torch was passed by all survivors around the crowd then carried to the Chinese Embassy as community members followed with lit candles.

SGN joined with Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), American Jewish Committee, Amnesty International Group 48, and the Portland Coalition for Genocide Awareness for a rally and the first symbolic Olympic Torch lighting in Portland, OR. The event hosted Camp Darfur, African drummers from a local high school, and a banner where community members could make a handprint pledge to end the genocide as part of an Africa Action campaign. Speakers included Marty Fromer and I from the Portland Coalition for Genocide Awareness, Gabriel from SGN, Al Weiner, a local Holocaust Survivor, and Charlie Clements, the President of UUSC.

We’ve been to so many wonderful places already, and there’s more to come! These are the places that have hosted Camp Darfur this year already:

• Feb 22: University of Hawaii–Honolulu, HI
• Feb 24: Run for Darfur–Honolulu, HI
• Feb 26: Maui Community College–Maui, HI
• Mar 3-4: Castro Valley High School–Castro Valley, CA
• Mar 6: Beaverton High School–Beaverton, OR
• Mar 10: Crossler Middle School–Salem, OR
• Mar 13-14: Bellarmine College Preparatory–San Jose, CA
• Mar 17-18: Chaska High School–Chaska, MN
• Mar 13-14: Bellermine Prep School–San Jose, CA
• Mar 27: American University–WA DC
• Mar 31: Innovation Academy Charter School–MA
• April 14-18: Human Rights Student Task Force–various high schools–Los Angeles, CA
• April 13-20: University of Southern California–Los Angeles, CA
• April 21-22: UC Berkeley–Berkeley, CA
• April 25-26: Black Is…CultureFeas–Denver, CO

Communities who hosted Camp Darfur in 2007

• Jan 15: Washington, DC. Sudanese Embassy—I Stand with Darfur
• Jan 23: Wildwood High School
• Jan 24: Portland, OR—3 Presentations (high school, elementary school, marketing firm)
• Jan 28: Boca Raton, FL
• Feb 4: Berkeley— at STAND Conference
• Feb 12-13: Crossroads High School
• Mar 1: Cornerstone Middle School
• Mar 5: UCLA
• Mar 7-8: U of Delaware
• Mar 21: New Roads High School (LA)
• Mar 23: Notre Dame High School (Belmont, CA)
• Mar 26-27: Cal State Long Beach (Cambodia Genocide survivor guest speaker)
• Mar 29: UC Davis
• Apr 2-4: UC Berkeley
• Apr 11-12: Monmouth University (NJ)
• Apr 17-19: Tennessee: Volunteer State CC (World Food Day: rice, beans and water meal)
• Apr 23: USC (Senator Boxer staff member meets with students)
• Apr 25: Los Angeles—Malborough High School
• April 26: Beverly Hills-Global Days for Darfur (John Prendergast speaking)
• Apr 29: San Francisco Global Days for Darfur Rally
• May 4-5: Brattleboro, Vermont
• May 22: Western Washington University
• May 23: University of Washington
• May 24: The Evergreen State College
• June 1: Stanford University
• June 3: Jewish World Watch Walk for Darfur, San Fernando Valley
• June 4-5: Duarte High School
• June 6-7: High Tech High School, San Diego
• June 17 Die-in at High Tech High
• June 7: Protesting Sudanese Ambassador Speech, San Diego
• June 20: World Refugee Day Demonstration—Federal Building, Los Angeles, CA
• June 24: Portland, OR
• August 12: Santa Clarita, CA
• September 9: New York, NY—Torch Relay
• September 12: Occidental College—Los Angeles
• September 15: Songs for Darfur—Topanga, CA
• September 19-21: University of Idaho—Moscow, ID
• October 9: Shasta High School—Redding, CA
• October 12: University of Minnesota—Minneapolis, MN
• October 13: MN State Capitol—St. Paul, MN
• October 15: University of IL at Urbana-Champagne, IL
• October 18-20: Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, IN
• October 22: Cal State Northridge—Northridge, CA
• October 23-25: Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles, CA
• October 30-31: University of the Incarnate Word—San Antonio, TX
• November 4-5: Stephen S. Wise Temple—Los Angeles, CA
• November 4: Dream for Darfur Torch Ceremony—Seattle, WA
• November 7: Lincoln High School—Portland, OR
• November 10: Dream for Darfur Torch Ceremony—Eugene, OR
• November 11: Dream for Darfur Torch Ceremony—Bend, OR
• November 18: Dream for Darfur Torch Ceremony—Los Angeles, CA
• November 27: Nowalk High School–Los Angele, CA
• Nov ember 30-December 2: Dream for Darfur Torch Ceremony–Sante Fe, NM
• December 4: Portland Community Colleg, Sylvania–Portland, OR
• December 5: Ackerman Middle School–Canby, OR
• December 6: Waldorf High School–Portland, OR