Jewish Review, OR
March 10 2006
Week examines genocide
Genocide Awareness Week: A Call to Conscience will feature a series
of free, diverse events at multiple locations in Portland the week of
March 12-18.
A group of high school and college students, individuals and
organizations have created this grassroots program to respond to the
silence about genocides around the world. For a complete listing of
all of the week’s events, all of which are free, visit
American Jewish World Service President Ruth Messinger returns to
Portland for two workshops on March 15 – one on global responsibility
and one on the crisis in Darfur.
During her last visit, Messinger said, “I urge all of you … to take
action to make a difference against the genocide in Darfur … What
will stop this is our indignation.” Messinger said that legislators
interpret society-wide silence as indifference. She urged people to
write letters to the editor, write congressional leaders, and visit
and to e-mail a letter to your
congressional representatives and for other ideas for action.
This conference was created to encourage Portlanders to end the
silence.
Messinger’s Wednesday workshops are part of a day-long program at
Portland State University’s Multicultural Center in the Smith
Memorial Center, 1825 S.W. Broadway. The days events also include a
panel discussion on Southeast Asia and an evening keynote address by
Mohamed Yahya, volunteer executive director of Damanga, an
organization that works on human rights and advocates for peace and
democracy in Darfur and Sudan.
The week includes presentations from survivors of genocides around
the world.
Benson Deng, one of the lost boys of Sudan, fled his village on foot
at age 7. Resettled with 3,600 other Lost Boys in the United States
three years ago, Deng will speak about this experiences March 17 at
the First Unitarian Church.
Denese Dominga Becker survived the massacre of Mayans and other
indigenous tribes in about 440 villages in 1982 in Guatemala. Adopted
by a couple from Iowa, Becker will be in Portland to speak about her
experiences in conjunction with a film “Discovering Dominga,” on
March 13 at the Guild Theater. The program that evening begins at
6:15 and includes a showing of “Genocide in Me,” the story of the
Armenian genocide.
It also includes films, plays and art dealing with genocides
throughout history. A weeklong exhibit at the Interstate Firehouse
Cultural Center focuses on “Women Betrayed: The Invisible Women of
Darfur,” a series of 10 paintings by Beverly Collins.
For more information about the week’s events, call Sarah Stark at
503-282-1108 or Marti Fromer at 503-246-3347.
?Article06-03-15-2156
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress