2008 Woodie Awards
"Sudan/Darfur Divestment in Iowa" about power of the people
Iowans try preventing more bloodshed in Darfur
Serena Collins
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News
Many people feel that situations such as the genocide in Darfur seem helpless. But there is help and one by one Iowans are making a difference in this war-torn country. Tim Gannon of the Sudan Divestment Task Force explained the problem in Darfur at Kirkwood Community College in "Sudan/Darfur Divestment in Iowa," April 19 in Benton Hall. Gannon showed students how they can contact their nation's leaders to gradually change the situation. The talk was highlighted by power-point.
The African country of Darfur is located directly below Egypt. It is the largest country-roughly the size of Texas-and is home to over six million people of various tribes, religions and ethnicities. Gannon explained that there is clear dispensation in Sudan. He displayed a picture of the first five-star hotel built in Khartoum, Sudan compared with the scant materials that made up the tents in a refugee camp to show this distribution of money.
For the past 20 years Al Bashir has governed Sudan. Gannon said that the Sudanese government has taken control of the air by dropping bombs and they are using their power to hire herders and nomads called Janjaweed to kill Darfur Africans although both groups are Muslim. This is the first genocide in history that has been named while it is still occuring. Since 2003, 400,000 people have been killed by rebel attacks and Arab militia. To this day 2,500,000 Darfurians have been displaced.
Although the situation looks bleak, Gannon explained how Iowans are combating genocide by taking away money from corrupt leadership. Through divestment, Iowans withhold money that would otherwise be given to the Janjaweed in order to kill the innocent. Gannon said Iowa is the eight state to enact a divestment law before the year 2007. Other states included California, Illinois, Vermont, Oregon, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maine. Over forty Iowa colleges and universities have passed divestment law. "Iowa has taken a stand against genocide in its public dollars," said Gannon.
Fabrice ChaCha, president of United Nations Student Alliance Group, and attendee at the talk said "It's important for students to know what's going on around the world and what actions they can take to make a change in their community."
The African country of Darfur is located directly below Egypt. It is the largest country-roughly the size of Texas-and is home to over six million people of various tribes, religions and ethnicities. Gannon explained that there is clear dispensation in Sudan. He displayed a picture of the first five-star hotel built in Khartoum, Sudan compared with the scant materials that made up the tents in a refugee camp to show this distribution of money.
For the past 20 years Al Bashir has governed Sudan. Gannon said that the Sudanese government has taken control of the air by dropping bombs and they are using their power to hire herders and nomads called Janjaweed to kill Darfur Africans although both groups are Muslim. This is the first genocide in history that has been named while it is still occuring. Since 2003, 400,000 people have been killed by rebel attacks and Arab militia. To this day 2,500,000 Darfurians have been displaced.
Although the situation looks bleak, Gannon explained how Iowans are combating genocide by taking away money from corrupt leadership. Through divestment, Iowans withhold money that would otherwise be given to the Janjaweed in order to kill the innocent. Gannon said Iowa is the eight state to enact a divestment law before the year 2007. Other states included California, Illinois, Vermont, Oregon, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maine. Over forty Iowa colleges and universities have passed divestment law. "Iowa has taken a stand against genocide in its public dollars," said Gannon.
Fabrice ChaCha, president of United Nations Student Alliance Group, and attendee at the talk said "It's important for students to know what's going on around the world and what actions they can take to make a change in their community."
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Jeremy Brigham
posted 5/03/07 @ 3:22 PM EST
Thanks for the article on this important topic.
A couple of corrections are needed. Darfur is a region in the western part of Sudan. It is not a country by itself. (Continued…)
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