Today marks the halfway point in our 16 Days campaign. On this day we have chosen to highlight the role of the creative community in educating and advocating for an end to genocide and violence against women. I’ve always considered myself to be a creative person and a dedicated activist. In college I put these two together for a project. I chose to combine painting, photographs I’d found and quotes from various world leaders to express my frustration at continuous pattern of genocide followed by declarations of “Never Again.” It proved to be a great and unique way to educate my classmates about this topic. 
Despite this, I hadn’t really thought about how others might be using art to raise awareness until I found out about a choreographer in Philadelphia, Rebecca Davis. Rebecca had sent Save Darfur information about a ballet she’d created about the genocide in Darfur. I was immediately interested. Dancing has always been one my greatest passions, I studied ballet for years, and even taught it in for a period of time. I knew that dance had often been used to make statements about social issues but had no idea anyone had done a piece on Darfur.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a performance of excerpts from Rebecca’s Ballet Darfur. I was extremely impressed with what I saw. Not only was she able to put together a beautiful, technically exceptional piece of dance, but was also able to depict issues such as sexual violence and genocide on stage in a way that was very emotionally moving for an audience. The best part was of the evening was getting to talk to audience and the dancers about how this work of art had inspired them to learn more about the genocide and its effects on communities, families and the women in the Darfur.
I am so happy to see Rebecca Davis being honored today for both her talents as an artist and an activist. I encourage everyone to follow her example today and use their individual talents to help educate and inspire those around them. If creating art isn’t your thing, you can still learn about and enjoy the creative things others in your community are doing to help raise awareness.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
Tags: 16 Days, Activism, Darfur, Violence Against Women
