Refugees to speak to UA students

Students will have the opportunity to listen to the stories of three Darfuri refugees and ask them questions tonight at 7 in the Ferguson Center Theater, said Barrett Sullivan, University Programs director of issues and ideas.

The event, which is sponsored by UP, along with the Community Service Center, College of Arts and Sciences, Capstone International, Apwonjo and New College, is a part of the national tour by the Save Darfur Coalition.

The Darfur region of Western Sudan has been submerged in conflict and genocide for the past four years. The area is roughly the size of Texas, and borders three other countries. Sullivan said he wanted to bring the tour to the Capstone so students can learn more about the issue.

"I think in today's time when we focus so much on strife we, as Americans, go through, this can open up our eye to a much greater tragedy right across the ocean," he said.

He said the event will begin with a brief introduction and a 15 minute documentary called "Voices from Darfur" to give students background on the situation. Next, three refugees, Ibrahim Adam, Daoud Hari, and another whose name has yet to be announced, will tell their respective stories about how their lives were touched by the conflict in Sudan.

Adam grew up in Jadara, a village in northern Darfur. He was a farmer and volunteer teacher before his town was destroyed in July 2003 by the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed, a government-supported militia. Eighty people, 20 of whom were Adam's family members, were killed.

Hari is from the northern part of Darfur, in a village called Musbat. He raised sheep and camels for his family before he was forced to flee to Chad in 2003. He returned to Darfur as a translator for several major media companies, including the Chicago Tribune. Last summer he was arrested and tortured on false espionage charges, and was held for a month.

Both have traveled the United States speaking to people about what is going on in Darfur, and Hari is currently in the process of writing a book about the conflict.

After all the refugees talk about their personal stories, there will be a question and answer session, Sullivan said.

He said he hopes students want to take action after listening to the talk.

"I hope the documentary and real life testimony will motivate students to want to know more and want to do more," he said.

Sullivan said the first 50 students will receive Save Darfur T-shirts. Students who come later can get a T-shirt by making a donation. He said all of the money raised will go to the Save Darfur Coalition. He said students can also donate by going to savedarfur.org.

"I hope students will be inspired to take a stand," he said. "The world is bigger than Tuscaloosa. It is bigger than Alabama. It is bigger than the United States."