The Quadrangle

Issue date: 9/27/06 Section: Opinions

Darfur rally moves students to tears and action

Parents from another generation and culture raised me to believe university students are the voice and muscle behind social change. Though they were never involved in rallies and protests, they have taught me to take a stand against injustice. Through their teachings and the influences I felt at Manhattan College, I have learned the power of the mighty pen. This semester, however, I also felt the power of my own presence.
To experience my first rally, I decided to join my fellow peers at the April 2006 rally to save Darfur in Washington, DC. To hear about the genocide and the absolute madness happening in our time was mind-boggling. To know that we were letting a cowardly and lunatic leader such as Omar al-Bashir play God with the lives of innocent victims was enraging. The worst realization was that I probably would have not known about this genocide if a friend did not present the information to me.
When the opportunity came to participate in another rally to save Darfur this semester, I jumped at the chance. Selfishly, I thought back to my participation in the rally in DC, and how positive I felt about myself for being there. Thoughtlessly, I was also eager to see the celebrities who would be present. Of course, my objective was to help save Darfur and thought participating at the rally again would show that I still cared. I doubted how much of a difference it would be if I did not attend. To me, I was just another student, another body at the rally. Nevertheless, I went and experienced a personal transformation.
There were stories and testimonies of the genocide that is still sizzling in Darfur. Then again, there were people dressed in green, to show support for Darfur, and blue, to show support for sending UN peacekeepers to the region, coming together to comfort and end the circumstances. As the day went on, the partnership of the rally and the genocide started to evolve even more. While guest speakers gave their speech, pictures from rallies around the world were projected on a large screen.
Suddenly, I was not just a body. This was not just another rally. This was a big deal. A young, American reporter named Ethan spoke about his imprisonment. He was not just another speaker; he could have also been one of my friends. When Mira Sorvino first took the stage, to me she was just another celebrity. When she spoke about watching Sudanese mothers lose their babies to the Janjaweed's hatred. The words she spoke were so passionate, and the tears she shed were so heartbreaking.

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