Organizations have been gathering by the masses throughout the nation to raise awareness for the conflicts in Darfur.

For over three years, the ongoing violence in the western region of Sudan has resulted into one of the worst genocides in history. Sudanese forces along with the government-backed militia known as “Janjaweed,” have been battling rebel groups known as the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement.

“They are fighting because their country is underdeveloped, and the rebels are maliciously being killed because they want their government to improve their living conditions. Negligence from the government has caused their severe poverty and that’s why they want a change,” Andrew Padron, Make Peace! activist, said.

According to savedarfur.org, over 400,000 people have been murdered and more than 2 million citizens have escaped to live in refugee camps.

“Many people are well aware of the situation that is going on yet nothing is getting done. We need to get more involved and take more action to pressure countries that have the power to make a difference,” Silvia Zarandy, local Darfur activist, said.

South Floridians seem to be in consensus to raise awareness towards Darfur. Groups throughout Miami-Dade have been petitioning lawmakers and scheduling events to try to make a difference.





College Campuses

Campuses nationwide are creating social clubs dedicated solely to Darfur’s genocide. Last year, Miami-Dade College established “MDC 4 Sudan,” a Wolfson student club under the leadership of Nathalie P. Alegre. So far, it has spread the word through its “A Million Voices: The Power to Protect Against Genocide” campaign. Hundreds of students also tuned in to their college-wide video conference that featured experts on the subject.

“One day, they passed out little handouts that provided general information on the situation,” Norma Lopes, Miami-Dade College sophomore, said.

Religious Groups

The Jewish Community Relations Council along with the Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board have joined the Miami Coalition to Save Darfur.

“About two years ago, we created the Jewish Community Relations Council, which is an interfaith association to educate the community about the genocide in Darfur and advocate an end to the atrocities,” Lonny Wilk, media contact for Jewish Community Relations Council, said.

Both groups sponsored the “Miami-Dade County Rally to Save Darfur.” Residents throughout the county filled the Stephan P. Clark government center to participate in interactive activities and listen to guest speakers.

Local Politicians

U.S. representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen recently traveled to Darfur to witness the damage first hand. With the contribution from churches, college campuses, and community centers, Ros-Lehtinen was able to distribute toys to the orphaned children of Darfur.

“These kids have known nothing but war, disease, hunger, and poverty in their lives. We cannot imagine what these people are going through,” Ros-Lehtinen said to The Miami Herald.

Upcoming events

On April 29, 2007, a peaceful demonstration hosted by Sarah Boucher will take place along the south side of US1. Entitled “Remember Darfur: Global Days for Darfur,” the event is scheduled to bring in hundreds of supporters. Activists are asked to wear black attire and comfortable shoes.

On May 19, 2007, Emily Eisenhauer will host “South Beach Pub Crawl,” where participants will go from bar to bar collecting money to help aid refugees in Darfur.