On Tuesday evening the University group Students Take Action Now: Darfur (STAND) welcomed the world’s foremost scholar of the genocide crisis in Darfur. Eric Reeves, Professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College, Sudan researcher, and activist, lectured on “A Long Day’s Dying: Genocide by Attrition in Darfur.”
“Reeves is a crucial figure in Darfur action,” said STAND member Alison Koch ’06, who organized the event. “He has studied the conflict in Darfur for six years and spoken on behalf of victims and humanitarian organizations in Congressional briefings. He is a constant presence in the media and a constant source of pressure on the government.”
Darfur sits in western Sudan, the largest country in Africa. In February of 2003, non-Arab ethnic groups rebelled against the Arab Sudanese government. The government responded by organizing the Janjaweed, Arab militants, who systematically abuse, kill, and block food and clean water from non-Arab groups. Over the past two years, 400,000 Darfurians have died, 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes, and 3.5 million need assistance in obtaining sustenance.
According to Reeves, the present situation in Darfur is the 21st century’s first great episode of genocide. He expressed concern especially for international governments’ response to Sudan’s ethnic cleansing.
“The African Union (AU) is under-equipped, unprepared, and inadequate to protect Darfur,” Reeves said. “The AU is an excuse for international communities to not confront the problems honestly and realistically.”
Reeves explained that members of the international community condemn the grave events, but celebrate the AU’s achievements.
He quoted the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who said, “The AU has the lead in responding. I think that Africans believe this is a problem best resolved by Africans on African land.”
Reeves questioned this reasoning.
“Displaced Darfurians depend completely on international assistance,” Reeves said.
Reeves believes that the global community is playing a minor part in reversing the crisis because of what he calls a wholesale collapse of security in Darfur. Foreign aids in the region are in almost as much danger as native Darfurians because of the Janjaweed’s reign. The United States and other nations have evacuated aid groups from Darfur because of deteriorating security.
Reeves encouraged the student community at Wesleyan to take action.
“Make lots of noise,” he said.
He spoke about the Darfur Divestment Campaign, by which individuals and groups discontinue investing in businesses that sell to the Sudanese government. He warned that citizens may not even be aware that they are supporting these businesses, as many of them trade on the New York Stock Exchange.
“Wesleyan should announce its divestment publicly, following universities like Dartmouth, Harvard, and Stanford,” Reeves said.
Student listeners were also encouraged to make themselves heard by the U.S. government by contacting congressmen and protesting in Washington, D.C.
“We need to move beyond America’s failings and Europe’s overall passivity towards genocide,” Reeves said. “[But] I can ensure only that taking up the task will prove exceedingly arduous.”
Students were grateful for the advice that Reeves offered.
“I’m glad Professor Reeves gave us concrete strategies, like assessing Wesleyan’s investment policies, to make an impact on the situation in Darfur, and I hope that Wesleyan follows through with them,” said Virginia Weihs ’08. “I was impressed by his depth of knowledge and by his clear commitment to waking the world up.”
“Students are not always exactly sure what course of action to take when faced with situations as horrific as Darfur’s,” said Molly Rosner ’08. “Lectures like this help us figure out what effective activism entails. Reeves’ message was passionate, urgent, and direct. Speeches like his are critical to campus life and to our education.”
Reeves accepted donations from Wesleyan students for his efforts, which he will forward to a Save the Children campaign in Darfur. His website can be found at www.sudanreeves.org,
“[His site is] one of the most reliable sources of information and a comprehensive tool for mobilization,” Koch said.
STAND plans to open discussions with Middletown students on Dec. 5 about genocide in Darfur and launch its new website by the end of the semester.
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