Thursday's forum on the Sudan conflict, hosted by the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program and the Kennedy Political Union, was an incredibly insightful glimpse into one of Africa's most devastating crises.
Although a last-minute no-show left the panel without a representative from the Sudanese government, the forum's talking points were still incredibly relevant. Panelists spoke at length about the failings of the international community at creating sustainable peace and the importance of student involvement in combating the genocide.
But if there was single, resonant point during the forum, it was this: Sudan is not a conflict to be marketed to faux activists, many of whom believe purchasing a T-shirt or wearing a rubber wristband is tantamount to lobbying their congressman or coordinating humanitarian aid. Of course, every little bit helps; students should not be discouraged from helping out because they do not have an infinite amount of time or money to devote to the cause. But the disturbing paradox of marketing the tragedy - "Darfur chic," as the panelists dubbed it - seems both unethical and antithetical to enforcing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and ending ethnic violence.
By that same measure, we should be conscious of other, equally distressing African conflicts. Although Sudan doubtlessly receives the most media coverage, it is neither the longest standing nor the only current violent conflict raging inside the continent. These humanitarian disasters deserve equal attention - from students, governments and nongovernmental organizations alike.
Nevertheless, we hope students who attended the forum translate what they heard into action; that is, after all, what AU students do best. But their activism, however, does not have to be exclusive to ending strife in Sudan, nor do students need to single-handedly attempt to change the world. As the forum demonstrated, sometimes disseminating information and educating people is the most effective kind of activism available. Accordingly, we hope for similarly insightful discussions at AU in the future.
