The Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition expressed their outrage with the genocide in Sudan and used last week as an opportunity to raise awareness and encourage action. David Rosenberg, Coordinator of The Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, writes in a letter to the editor, “It’s deeply appalling that in response to this first ICC warrant against a sitting head of state President Bashir has decided to lash out against civilians and aid workers.” This statement mirrors the feelings of activists everywhere, and the Pittsburgh Coalition used last week to raise awareness for the cause.
The week culminated with a powerful and tangible statement on Duquesne University’s Brottier Commons, the Destroyed Villages exhibit. The exhibit consisted of over 600 signs, each with the name of a different village, placed all over Brottier Commons. As the black and white signs were put up the Commons started to resemble a graveyard, but each marker carried the weight of five villages, not just the one named on the sign.
An article in the Duquesne Duke highlighted the weight of this demonstration. Campus minister Luci-Jo DiMaggio reminded people that “when you burn a village to the ground, it’s not just the people that get displaced. That is a community that provided services, not just to each, but other communities.”
Joe Kirik attended an event at Duquesne and later wrote of Mr. Fowler’s lecture, “I have kept up with the numbers and the stories but nothing that I have heard prior to his presentation could have prepared myself for it.”
This exhibit set a somber tone for events later in the week when Jerry Fowler spoke to several audiences ranging from middle school students to adults. Mr. Fowler called citizens to action and his call was heard.
On Tuesday, March 10 Jerry Fowler spoke to high school students, explaining that genocide still happens today. His lecture followed testimony from a Holocaust survivor, an article from The Jewish Chronicle relates the two genocides, “The details weren’t always the same, but the cruelty that gave rise to them was.”
The students were attending the 2009 Holocaust Arts & Writing Seminar/Competition. In addition to the art they had created based on a specific Holocaust Theme, the students also signed postcards asking President Obama to keep Darfur a priority.
The PDEC provided these postcards as part of their pledge to have 20,000 signed postcards by the end of April.
On Wednesday, March 11 the PDEC arranged for Jerry Fowler to address religious activists at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. He spoke about the current humanitarian aid crisis, which “Mr. Fowler believes the Sudanese government banished major aid groups ‘because they are desperate. They believe if they raise the ante [of danger to the refugees], there will be a back-off on the indictment,’ as quoted in an article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Events like this are springing up all over the country, in Los Angeles, Boston and New York City. People want justice and they will be heard.
As Genocide Prevention Month approaches now is the perfect time to express your opinions and to host your own event. Follow the examples of activists across the country and stand up against genocide in Darfur.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
