This past week, the Students for Peace and Justice held a demonstration in support of the Darfur refugees. In this demonstration, a mock refugee village was set up to convey the plight of the victims of the Darfur Genocide.

For those who do not know yet, the plight of the refugees in Darfur revolves around a revolt against the government of General Bashir. Government supported militias, the Janjawiid, have taken on a policy of ethnic cleansing: attacking, robbing, massacring, raping and burning entire villages.

The ethnic group targeted is the Furs. The United States government has referred to this event as the Genocide of our time.

Despite this fact, the West has not intervened. The United Nations remains impotent and laconic, unwilling to intervene, despite multiple pleas from non-governmental organizations and celebrities.

Western Peacekeepers are not being dispatched, African Union peacekeepers are being recalled, and the Furs are left with no options but to wait and hope. This is not good enough.

We can try and make excuses for non-intervention, but that is for another article and another time.

As to the SfPJs actions, while heartfelt and undoubtedly well intentioned, was not entirely effective. Instead of a refuge village, there was simply a tarp strewn between two trees and someone sitting at a desk for information.

Rather than treated to an informative model, students were treated to a poor substitute. One wonders if the intended effect was made.

However, the activities conducted by SfPJ and like-minded organizations have previously garnered a great deal of support, mobilizing the entire campus, most notably in efforts to increase awareness of the Darfur genocide. These efforts are led to campus-wide involvement as well as increased awareness. These efforts have largely supported by the university, inviting key speakers who are involved or affected by the genocide, as well as requiring freshmen to read the memoirs of an escaped slave from Darfur.

We are left wondering, months later, where is this sentiment? Where are the organized rallies, speakers or discussion sessions? Where is the fervor that we saw a short time ago? Was our outrage so transient?

These questions bring to mind consideration of how that fervor, that mobilization was used.

What was done with the petitions that we signed? What happened to the donations we gave?

Where was the follow up to the initial success that the awareness phase was able to achieve? Was simple awareness the end?

One prefers that the awareness is a means, rather than an end. The achievement of creating a high level of campus awareness about the Darfur genocide, as was done, should then be transformed into action.

The Furs deserve action, not heartfelt words. No matter how genuine or rage filled these words are, they will not protect the Furs from the Janjawiid militia.

How can we, as university students, be able to let the high level of mobilization and awareness simply desintegrate, without an effort to take some direct action against the atrocity and injustice being perpetrated, expect our government to take action.

Despite previous calls of Never Again! whether it be from those remembering the Holocaust or other atrocities, we dont remember. In fact, we forget far too easily, after an astoundingly short amount of time.

Who remembers the Bosnian towns of Gorazde or Zepa, the Armenians or the Burmese?

That genocide was only 15 years ago, yet it is relegated to the archives of history, merely footnotes in the desintegration of Yugoslavia.

Those who make a practice out of increasing awareness need to make a practice out of increasing action.

If we are to simply call upon others, or to lament their inaction, are we no worse than they, expecting others to do the work for us?

Staff: - 03/15/07