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Activist Steven Krieger challenged an audience of about 50 students to take action Monday night to confront the crisis in Sudan.
The talk, which aimed at education about humanitarian aid efforts in the African region plagued by genocide, preceded a Day for Darfur on Tuesday in which students set up signs and loud speakers in Kogan Plaza. Students Taking Action Now: Darfur also hosted John Prendergast from the humanitarian organization International Crisis Group to discuss the genocide Tuesday.
"The youth have an unbelievable amount of untapped potential to influence lawmakers about the genocide since we will be voting for the next 60 years," Krieger said in an interview after his presentation. "The question is: what are you going to do to stop it?"
Taking place in the Marvin Center's Grand Ballroom, the event was sponsored by STAND, College Democrats and the College Republicans.
Krieger, who is an activist for Darfur: A Genocide We Can Stop, first learned about the issue in 2003 by reading newspaper articles about the crisis and looking out for new developments. He said he was amazed at how the situation persisted.
"(You should not) leave here tonight and take no action - otherwise I should have stayed at home," Kriger told the audience. "The entire night was a waste if you do nothing."
Civilians in Darfur, a region of western Sudan, have been under attack by the armed gunmen called the Janjaweed since July 2003. The Janjaweed have destroyed farming communities in Darfur.
The Sudanese government says they have no affiliation with the Janjaweed, but "it is apparent to the international community that they are involved," Krieger said.
Krieger cited statistics that more than 400,000 people have been killed, while 4.3 million are dependent on humanitarian aid and 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes.
