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Presidential candidate Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) took time off from his campaign to address Throup's students and call them to action regarding the crisis in Darfur. He spoke as part of the mtvU program, "Stand In," which brings famous personalities into college classrooms and surprises students.
"I find a lot of passion and willingness to do things in your generation," Brownback said.
He told students to travel close to oppressed areas, arguing that this is the best way to learn about a region and its problems. He discussed places such as Chad, which neighbors Sudan, and China, which borders North Korea.
Brownback also spoke about the conditions in Darfur, a region in Sudan where genocide has killed an estimated 400,000 people and where women are often raped.
Internationally, many have accused the Sudanese government of arming and supporting the insurgent Janjaweed militiamen responsible for rapes and murders, Brownback said.
"We would provide food, but in order to cook, (the Darfurian refugees) needed wood," Brownback said. "When they went out (of the camps, the refugees) were attacked by the Janjaweed."
Brownback encouraged students to write to their legislators requesting support for federal divestment from companies that invest in the Sudanese economy. Brownback cautioned that a change would not occur overnight, especially because of heavy Chinese investment in the region, but he said he still has faith in eventual change.
"What happened in South Africa over a long time is what makes me believe (divestment) can work," Brownback said. He also said that divestment by Americans has a "decent chance of spreading to Europe."
Students in the class did not know Brownback was speaking until he showed up midway through the session.
