Human rights activist John Prendergast spoke at the University Thursday night before a packed crowd in 180 PLC. The author, journalist and professor focused his lecture on ending the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
Prendergast currently works for the ENOUGH Project, a campaign to help prevent genocide and mass atrocities, and co-authored the New York Times bestseller “Not on Our Watch” with actor Don Cheadle.
When Oregon Hillel Executive Director Hal Applebaum learned Prendergast would be in Portland later in the week, he jumped at the chance to invite the inspirational speaker to Eugene.
“It’s not often we have a chance to bring someone with name recognition,” said Applebaum. “It was an obvious choice to bring him here.”
Prendergast spoke on behalf of “a group of people threatened with extinction halfway across the world.” He stated that 2.5 million people are now rendered homeless while the country continues its ethnic cleansing.
When he shared his experiences with a young Sudanese woman named Amina, Prendergast looked stricken, lost in thought and spoke carefully. The mother of four became a mother of two when the Janjaweed, Sudan’s armed militia, killed two of her children. The Janjaweed rebels flung her 7-year-old son into a burning hut, and Amina was forced to decide whether to run after her screaming child engulfed in flames or to continue on and protect the remaining three.
Prendergast compared Amina’s dilemma with Sophie’s Choice.
“It’s a decision I hope you never have to make,” said Prendergast, clearly disturbed. Ultimately, Amina chose to protect the other three children.
Not long after, the Janjaweed caught Amina’s other son, Adam. The rebels shot him twice, and the 5-year-old died instantly.
“Amina made it to the Chad/Darfur border and was living under a tree, waiting to be placed in a refugee camp with her two children when I met her,” said Prendergast. The two talked for a while, and when Amina was finished with her story, she said something he would never forget.
“She looked at me with fire in her eyes and said, ‘now that you know, you must do something,’” Prendergast recalled. “She’s right. We need to do something. That’s why we’re here.”
Prendergast educated the audience by explaining terms and clearing up misconceptions.
“The Sudanese government arms the Janjaweed to fight against the Sudanese people,” said Prendergast. “And they do it with deadly efficiency.”
While the Sudanese government publicly denies an alliance with the Janjaweed, many say that it has financially aided the rebellion group.
Prendergast frequently addressed audience questions regarding the civil war in Darfur, such as why the world hasn’t done anything to stop it.
“It’s not that easy,” Prendergast said. “There are significant and insidious reasons why the world hasn’t responded yet like it should have.”
Prendergast said the United States’ efforts in Iraq have been occupying much of our time, energy and money all throughout the Darfur crisis. Other reasons included counter terrorism – Osama Bin Laden used to live in Sudan – energy security, China’s protection of Sudan and the perception that Africa is hopeless.
Prendergast said if we were to just go by Hollywood’s rendition, we would think it is a savage, hopeless situation in Africa.
“I like to compare the portrayal of Africa on the silver screen with reality,” he said. Movies like “Blood Diamond,” “Lord of War” and “Hotel Rwanda” fail to include postscript after the movie to update the viewer on the current state of affairs.
“Blood Diamond” portrays the situation in Sierra Leone in an unrealistic light, Prendergast said.
“You only see the drug-crazed kid soldiers hacking the limbs off people,” said Prendergast. “And without a postscript, you don’t see that the country’s at peace now, or that the child soldiers abducted during the war are now in re-socialization programs.”
“Now, there is great hope for the future,” said Prendergast. “But you wouldn’t know it by watching these movies. You’d have no idea.”
Prendergast encouraged students to write to their senators and to the Chinese president – the event’s organizers provided stamped postcards to President Hu Jintao. Prendergast said it is crucial to put pressure on China to support Sudan, because the 2008 Olympic Games’ host country is not helping to end the genocide.
Luba Yusim, a University junior who helped organize the event with Oregon Hillel, said the lecture was good timing because of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, which will take place in Eugene this summer.
Yusim said she knows how easy it is to be apathetic, but she hoped people felt empowered after the lecture.
University senior Emily Leuning attended the event and said she learned a lot from the talk.
“I’m glad he didn’t just focus on the negative aspects,” Leuning said. “He was hopeful that we actually can make a difference.”
Leuning and her friends said they want to start a weekly potluck dinner letter-writing campaign to help end the genocide and to put pressure on China before this summer.
Yusim and students from the Amnesty International and students from the School of Law met Prendergast for dinner before the event, and Yusim said she learned a lot from him before he even began his formal speech.
“From him I learned just how far passion can take you,” said Yusim.
“Overall, I was pleased with his message to students that everyone really can make a difference,” Applebaum said. “He spoke very eloquently to students tonight – community members, too – but especially the students. He inspired students to really do something.”
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