Photos from this event will be added to the Gallery soon!
The Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Education Center at Brookdale Community College invites the community to join on the evening of February 11 from 7:30 9:30 p.m. to press for an end to violence against Darfur women. The free event will be held in the Warner Student Life Center, Navesink rooms I & II, on the Lincroft campus.
Featured will be a viewing of the nationwide premier of a Save Darfur Coalition-produced short film titled Violence Against Women and the Darfur Genocide. Following the showing, participants will take part in a live-streamed panel discussion featuring celebrity and expert voices on gender-based violence. Panelists will include Reverend Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, My Sister’s Keeper co-founder and Save Darfur Coalition board chairwoman and moderator. Actor and Darfur advocate Maria Bello will be joined by additional panelists.
The Sudanese government and its allied janjaweed militias continue to conduct a targeted campaign of sexual violence against women and girls in Darfur. International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in his request for an arrest warrant for Sudanese President al-Bahsir that “rape is an integral part of the pattern of destruction” in Darfur.
One Night, One Voice seeks to engage activists in advocating for specific steps that will help halt this endemic violence. These steps include securing U.S. funding for gender and sensitivity training for Darfur’s civilian protection force, and fully implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1820 which works to protect civilians from the use of sexual violence in armed conflict and post-conflict situations.
The Save Darfur Coalition an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations raises public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of people throughout the Darfur region. The coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur. For more information on the coalition, visit www.SaveDarfur.org. To obtain footage from the Darfur border region, coalition events, various interviews, and more, visit the Save Darfur Coalition media gallery at http://media.savedarfur.org. All footage may be previewed in non-broadcast quality and may be purchased in broadcast quality by filling out the purchase request form provided on the site.
As the presentation discusses the physical and sexual violence against women in Darfur, it may not be appropriate for younger audiences. More information on One Night, One Voice can be found at www.savedarfur.org/women. For more information about the event held at Brookdale Lincroft main campus, call 732-224-2769 or e-mail to: holo-center@brookdalecc.edu.
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Darfur conflict fought through women
The voices of Sudani women, usually silenced by the violence and aggression of a war that ravages their country a world away, resonated loudly last night (Feb 11th) in Mississauga.
Eden United Church took part in “One Night, One Voice,” an event designed to raise awareness of the victims of genocide in Darfur. Last night’s event linked Eden United to a global effort that was hosted by SaveDarfur.org.
The Meadowvale event began at 7:30 p.m. with a video presentation that graphically depicted the violence and hardships that have become a daily ritual for the people of Darfur.
“I recognize that this is not an easy thing to watch,” said Eden United Minister Barry King. “But if even one person leaves this room and talks to someone else about it, maybe something will change.”
An online discussion began promptly at 8:30 p.m. in the form of a live-streamed video that aired across North America, featuring a discussion panel that included actress Maria Bello, human rights activist Niemat Ahmadi and Rev. Gloria E. White-Hammond.
The panel focused their attention on the sexual violence that many Sudani women endure.
“The Sudanese government and its militias continue to conduct a targeted campaign of sexual violence against women and girls,” said Ahmadi. “This is a war being fought in women’s bodies.”
Along with literature, fact sheets and a petition urging Prime Minster Stephen Harper to take immediate action in Darfur, an Action Guide booklet was also made available for the night’s attendees. In it was a phone number (1-888-476-7885) for people to call and leave personal messages of hope and support. These messages will then be collected and played over the radio in Darfuri camps for the women to hear.
Joe Veit, a member of the United Church who attended the night with his son Josh, was especially struck when he learned how victims of sexual assault are often ostracized by their own communities.
“To be left behind by your own family because you’re ‘damaged goods,’ along with the shame that comes with it, it leaves me with a great sense of sadness,” said Veit. “Learning more and spreading the word can only lead to better things for these women.”
The Action Guide listed other ways to get involved, such as collecting more signatures for the petition, contacting your local MP and fundraising for relief programs.
