Spring Break
Students hold die-in to stop Darfur genocide
News | 5/1/07
Posted online at 10:24 PM EST on 4/30/07
/ Last updated at 6:42 AM EST on 4/30/07
Around 25 Brandeis students joined nearly 2,000 protesters Sunday on the Boston Common to rally against the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and to encourage the Commonwealth to divest its investments from companies that do business with the Sudanese government.
Members of the Brandeis chapter of STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, which has over 600 university and high school groups across the country, and others laid on the ground of the Common while wearing white, the African color of mourning, in order to mirror the image of the 400,000 genocide victims of the three-year conflict between the Sudanese government and rebel forces. The conflict has also displaced two million Darfurians, according to the Genocide Intervention Network's Web site.
The protest, called a "die-in," was organized by STAND chapters around Boston and Worcester and the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur. These groups are seeking co-sponsors in the state legislature for a bill written by members of the Sudan Divestment Task force, of which Daniel Millenson '09 is the executive director. The bill calls on Massachusetts to divest from companies who are working with Sudan, such as PetroChina and China National Petroleum Corporation, until the genocide ends.
"What it's supposed to do is create an image," Jake Yarmus '10 said,"make powerful visuals that make people think."
"It's the biggest event ever in New England," he added. "It's exciting to be part of it."
The Brandeis STAND chapter has been active in promoting awareness of the conflict over the last few years: Last May, it successfully lobbied University officials to "disinvest" and agree never to invest funds in companies in business with the Sudanese government while the genocide continues. STAND has also organized die-ins on campus and held conferences to discuss the genocide.
Millenson, Brandeis STAND president, said he felt the event last weekend went "extremely well." He said he feels optimistic that the bill will eventually pass. Sudan has previously proven to be vulnerable to economic sanctions, the proposed Massachusetts bill might be an effective way to stop the genocide.
Yarmus added that the Brandeis chapter has been very active in the effort to end the genocide. "We're huge in this," he said.
Editor's Note: Anya Bergman '10, an assitant news editor for the Justice who took the above photograph, is also a member of STAND.
Members of the Brandeis chapter of STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, which has over 600 university and high school groups across the country, and others laid on the ground of the Common while wearing white, the African color of mourning, in order to mirror the image of the 400,000 genocide victims of the three-year conflict between the Sudanese government and rebel forces. The conflict has also displaced two million Darfurians, according to the Genocide Intervention Network's Web site.
The protest, called a "die-in," was organized by STAND chapters around Boston and Worcester and the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur. These groups are seeking co-sponsors in the state legislature for a bill written by members of the Sudan Divestment Task force, of which Daniel Millenson '09 is the executive director. The bill calls on Massachusetts to divest from companies who are working with Sudan, such as PetroChina and China National Petroleum Corporation, until the genocide ends.
"What it's supposed to do is create an image," Jake Yarmus '10 said,"make powerful visuals that make people think."
"It's the biggest event ever in New England," he added. "It's exciting to be part of it."
The Brandeis STAND chapter has been active in promoting awareness of the conflict over the last few years: Last May, it successfully lobbied University officials to "disinvest" and agree never to invest funds in companies in business with the Sudanese government while the genocide continues. STAND has also organized die-ins on campus and held conferences to discuss the genocide.
Millenson, Brandeis STAND president, said he felt the event last weekend went "extremely well." He said he feels optimistic that the bill will eventually pass. Sudan has previously proven to be vulnerable to economic sanctions, the proposed Massachusetts bill might be an effective way to stop the genocide.
Yarmus added that the Brandeis chapter has been very active in the effort to end the genocide. "We're huge in this," he said.
Editor's Note: Anya Bergman '10, an assitant news editor for the Justice who took the above photograph, is also a member of STAND.
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viviana
posted 5/02/07 @ 7:57 AM EST
this was an awsome story
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