The Los Angeles Trip

The field trip to Los Angeles in the pursuit of genocide prevention was an amazing experience. The LA Holocaust Memorial reminded us of times when nothing was done and tells us what may come to be if nothing is done. The brutal images of chemical testing, Nazi death camps, slave labor and torture are horrific reminders so that we can never let this happen again. And yet, somehow “never again” seems to be ignored in many existing genocides, notably in Darfur. The second part of our trip involved the attendance at a Darfur Conference addressing the need to stop the mass murder of a people in Africa. Along the way, I also had one on one conversations with average Americans and their knowledge of the genocide in Darfur. Amazingly, more than half the people I talked to did not know anything about Darfur. This shows the indifference among the people, the media and our planet. This trip was one step in the right direction.

I will admit that the LA Holocaust Memorial was frightening – it showed us of a systematic attempt of the annihilation of a people. Where the Nazis employed gas chambers, crematories and starvation at the death camps. In this memorial, mock gas chambers, cattle cars and crematories were all present. It was not too long ago that this happened. Personally, I felt extremely disturbed at what I saw. I also witnessed several models of the concentration and death camps at the site. This place is to come and see what true evil is like. A very intense place indeed.

The Darfur Conference presented by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast was also very educational and fundamental in understanding what you can do and what is going on within the Darfur region. Being of a select few, I received a free copy of their book, entitled Not on Our Watch, a book dedicated to revealing the truth of the Darfur genocide. During the conference, they addressed key talking points, including: President George W. Bush’s “Plan B”, the specific actions that are conducted throughout the region, who is supporting the Sudanese government and why and the United Nations involvement. Their goal that night was to reach out to people and tell the stories of those who are silenced and cannot speak for themselves. They are on a mission to end this genocide through means of diplomacy, economic restrictions and punishment.

I truly found this experience unlike any other; it was a means to meet passionate activists, educate the voices of America and express our vision to battle indifference and subdue the killers. By being part of this event, we are saying enough is enough. If military force is required to stop the mass murder of the non-Arab Africans, then that is what must be done. With such powerful countries supporting the Sudanese government, it is necessary that we also incorporate multilateral or bilateral talks among the countries. When Sudan is providing China and Arab-countries (radical Islamic as well) it will be difficult to end it peacefully. Not many students can say that they are actively involved to stop genocide across the globe. However, the more people that we talk to, the easier our objective becomes.