Students learn about least publicized genocide
06:44 PM PST on Thursday, March 9, 2006
By GARY CHITTIM / KING 5 News
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian <asbed@usc.edu>
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Not many people even know what or where Darfur is, let alone what is
happening there. But human rights groups are trying to change that.

A group of Ballard High School students had their eyes opened Thursday
to Darfur, a section of the African nation of Sudan where entire
villages have been wiped out and burned to the ground.

They learned about tens of thousands of innocent people killed by
alleged government-sponsored death squads.

“They will basically ride into a town, a village in Darfur, on
horseback, on camel, sometimes maybe in airplanes or helicopters and
basically shoot everybody that they can,” explained Aaron Bandler, UW
Save Darfur Coalition.

Those who survive and flee face a slower death in overcrowded and
undersupplied refugee camps.

President Bush and other world leaders call it an unacceptable case of
modern genocide. But so far, the world’s governments have not
intervened and the people of Darfur continue to die at an alarming
rate.

“Now that I found out what’s going on, it’s pretty messed up and we
should be sending troops over there to take it out,” said student Zach
Stump.

Organizers of Thursday’s event hope the Ballard High School students
who suddenly know a lot more about Darfur will help them spread the
word.

The Save Darfur Washington State group, Save Darfur Coalition at UW
and the American Jewish Committee are putting on these presentations.