Darfur genocide subject of lecture
STAND, the student anti-genocide coalition group Wednesday, welcomed a speaker to CU to educate students about genocide in Darfur.
Carl Tinsman, the former chief coordinator for Operation Lifeline Sudan, gave a presentation to about 100 students.
Beginning his presentation with an overview of historical causes of the conflict, Tinsman said the conflict began in 1956 as a dispute among tribes that has since escalated.
Rebel movements against the government of Sudan heightened the conflict to government involvement. Tinsman said that there is now an estimated 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced in the region.
The presentation also included a video report called, “Searching for Jacob.” The video presentation follows the life a teenager, Jacob, 16, who has been displaced by the violence in Darfur.
Katie Breaker, a freshman open-option major, said she thinks people are not informing themselves about what is happening in Darfur.
“A lot of people don’t know, people need to be more informed and there needs to be more change,” Breaker said.
Katie Brown, a freshman philosophy major, was asked why she thinks people know so little about Darfur’s genocide.
“It’s easier to ignore than to act,” Brown said.
Kelly Bendelow, a senior international affairs major and member of the student group STAND, said the group’s mission is to promote awareness of the genocide in Darfur, raise funds for civilian protection and advocate for political action.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Aaron Musick at aaron.musick@thecampuspress.com.
