What if it was Different?

Bianka Janaqi- 10B

It’s simple. At first glance two separate words: what and if have completely different meanings. However, place them together and you have the ability to question every action or thought you've had or done up to this point. Now decide if what you did was worth it. Genocide is a term that is sadly heard too often. It’s a horrific crime against human nature and only causes destruction. So why is it then when a country does go into genocide little aid is sent? We feel such heartbreak when we see images of people lying on the road either dead or injured, but no one does anything. There have been examples of genocide in the Holocaust and in Rwanda. In Rwanda nearly one million people were murdered and slaughtered over a span of three months. Little to no help was sent. This resulted in a massacre that could have been prevented. If aid was authorized by the United Nations one million lives could have been saved. Children would have had the chance to grow up and get married while their parents happily watched them do so. But now young men and women are forced to question society and who they are. They are left wondering about their parents and hoping for a better life in order to escape the pain they feel everyday. But this pain will sadly never go away. So it makes one think. What would have happened if the International Community had done something to prevent that genocide?

Recently, there has been a genocide in Darfur. This has been going on since 2003 when it was believed the government was trying to completely wipe off the non-Arab Sudanese from the country. The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) began criticizing members of the Khartoum government for this horrific situation. Then tension rose in a region called Darfur. Arab groups who call themselves the Janjaweed have been terrorizing innocent civilians. Since 2003 an estimated 400,000 people have been killed. An overwhelming 2 million have become refugees due to the chaos and fear that resides back in their homes. As people seek shelter, the effects of the genocide are catastrophic. They are left without homes, little food and water. Basic necessities are very limited to the Sudanese people. However  the international community does not realize this helplessness unless they are there to witness it. It’s sad to think how a human being does little to help a person in need unless they are given something in return or the situation reaches its climax. By then it becomes too late. So it’s crucial to spread the message very early on.

The situation in Darfur began to spread through a book called Darfur Diaries. The book itself is written by Jen Marlowe and her colleagues. It mentions how Jen and her friends Aisha and Adam went to Darfur and talked to the refugees and soldiers. They videotaped the interviews and along the way, Jen and her friends began to see the chaos the people were living in. They witnessed the fear and desperation as some of them cried or pleaded for help. While I read Darfur Diaries I was intrigued by a conversation Jen had with her sister once she landed in Chad, a country near Darfur. She says “What’s Darfur?’ I was relieved. My sister, like the vast majority of Americans, including myself until four months ago, hadn’t heard of Darfur. She didn’t know enough to be concerned” (15). As I read the quote, all I could do was think of how true the words she was saying were. Most people have not heard of Darfur or the genocide that is occurring there. The sad part is that people in Darfur are dying everyday due to this ignorance by others who do little to help. In another part of the book I felt really overwhelmed when Jen and her friends were talking to a teacher who mentioned how one thing most of these kids want is an education. As I read that I felt sympathy for those children but also anger toward us kids in countries like The United States of America. Everyday we complain how we wish we were done with school and all I wonder is how can we be so selfish and unappreciative of the things we have daily? There are children our age in places like Darfur who only wish to go to school and have the things we do. Instead, they have to take care of their families and try to survive through another week. 

 

With this in mind, I feel that there is a lot that we as students can do to help those in Darfur or anywhere else. One thing we can do is we can spread awareness of genocide in places like Darfur. For example one can tell his or her friend and they can tell their family members and so on. This way everyone can know what is going on. Secondly, you can get involved with your school. As a school community it’s important to establish a day where everyone brings necessities like toiletries, notebooks, etc. These supplies can be given to organizations tied to The United Nations that have authority to go into Sudan. Not only are we aiding the victims in genocides especially in Darfur, but we’re giving these people hope. Hope which shows someone does care.