June 13, 2008
by Carly Stern
Genocide: the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political or cultural group.
Look at this word. What does it mean to you? Yes, it means being judged and hurt because of how you look, what you think or how you are. But how does this word truly affect us? The fact is, this eight letter word for some people means having families torn apart. It means having whole villages burned to the ground. It means fleeing into the desert without water, food or supplies. It means being chased out of your home. Shot. Murdered. Raped. Imagine living World War II and the Holocaust all over again. The fact is, we say imagine like this isn’t real. It’s impossible for us to picture this in our lives. But for some people, this is their reality.
The people of Darfur, Sudan, are being attacked, killed, raped and kidnapped by the militias. They are forced to flee into neighboring countries like Chad. The Sudanese government fully supports and aids these attacks. The people of Darfur are displaced, wounded and dying. They are crying out for help, but it seems like the rest of the world is simply too busy to listen.
We can all make it a point of duty to not ignore those cries. We can open our ears when no one else is listening. We can all take small steps: raising awareness, participating in walkathons, donating money. Anything and everything helps. Together, we can contribute to making a difference.
I have organized a run/walkathon for Darfur for this Saturday, June 14. It will take place at the Greeley track in Chappaqua and anyone can come between 12 noon and 3 p.m. People can run or walk and get sponsored, sponsor someone else or donate directly. The proceeds will go to Save Darfur.org. To donate money online, go to http://www.active.com/donate/carlysrunfordarfur. For additional information or questions, please contact . We can all help the people of Darfur, and it is our job to help support those in need and let them know that their cries are being heard.
Carly Stern is a student at Robert E. Bell Middle School.
Copyright 2008 NewCastleNOW.org