The Darfur Heroes program is a way for the Save Darfur Coalition to honor individuals and groups who have done inspiring and important work in an effort to end the violence in Sudan. This January, Save Darfur Coalition is proud to Honor A.J. Fay, the co-founder of the Idaho Darfur Coalition and a member of the Idaho Student Chapter of Amnesty International.
A.J. Fay recently helped organize the Sudan365 program in Boise, where activists from several cities within the United States and 15 other countries stood in solidarity with the people of Sudan and rose awareness of the possible return of all out violence in the country. A.J. has been a longtime activist in the Sudan movement, and below are his own words about his passion for the people of Sudan.
I first became involved in the Darfur campaign when I was in high school. I joined an Amnesty International chapter and worked on various campaigns, realizing I had a strong interest in human rights advocacy. One day, the ongoing crisis in Darfur came up, and it immediately sparked my interest. I thought, “how genocide could still be occurring systematically in the 21st century?” I yearned to learn more, and Save Darfur Coalition served as a resource for my research. I also visited Amnesty International to strengthen my knowledge base, and I was smitten by the resilience of the Sudanese people, their rich culture, and immediately I knew I wanted to be of part of the movement to act as a voice for the people of Sudan. So, through the Save Darfur Web site I found a few people that wanted to meet and discuss how Idaho could create a movement, and it was clear for us all in our hearts that we couldn’t remain idle.
What fuels my passion to continue working to help bring sustainable peace to Darfur and all of Sudan is the personal and working relationships I enjoy with the Darfuris and Sudanese refugees in my community. Boise is a major refugee resettlement and home to three resettlement agencies in town. Truthfully, the Darfuri and Sudanese people give me hope; their strength is inspiring and their stories gripping. I could never give up on the Sudan movement, because I am vested in the long race. This truly is a part of me, and I will work on their behalf until we bring an end to the genocide, rebuild the country, and restore Sudan to a peaceful state and to its citizens.
I wish every activist could get to enjoy the first hand experience of living and working with Darfuris who experienced the genocidal regime of Al-Bashir and can also tell the stories of their agony and those of Sudanese people. I love this movement, the Sudanese people, and the leaders of the movement. I will follow this through the end.
