Camp Darfur Returns to Idaho

Last week the University of Idaho Center for Volunteerism and Social Action got in touch with Stop Genocide Now in hopes of bringing the Camp Darfur tents back to the campus as it was such an eye opening event last year.  We arranged a FedEx pick-up and within a couple of days five large boxes arrived.

I felt a bit overwhelmed at first as only a couple of us arrived in the morning to set the tents up between classes.  However, I was quickly inspired by the number of students who stopped to ask us what we were doing which led into several great conversations about the hundreds of thousands of Darfuri people who have been murdered and the millions that have been driven out of their homes.  I was even more inspired by the fellow students who stuck around and volunteered their time to help us set up the tents.

One thing that really stuck out and I keep going back to is the reaction one girl had after she went into the Darfur tent.  She was astonished that this was going on and she had heard nothing about it.  It really took me back that after five years people are still having this big surprise.  I started to realize that it had been only a year ago that I knew nothing about the genocide in Darfur.

The few minutes of coverage the media provides on the lives being destroyed in Darfur is not early enough.  It is up to people like you and me to let others know.