DANVERS — The conflict in Darfur may have disappeared from the headlines, but it has not left the hearts and minds of some St. John's Prep students who are part of the school's Save Darfur Initiative.
"I think the Darfuri people are still suffering," said senior Erik Slettehaugh of Groveland, a member of the student club, which has about 15 members. "We need to help educate the community and the public about the genocide."
Tomorrow night, the students are sponsoring a talk by a survivor of the genocide, El-Fadel Arbab of Portland, Maine, who will speak about his escape at age 12 from his tribal village, which suffered an attack by the Janjaweed militia.
Arbab is now an educator with the Fur Cultural Revival, a Darfur community in the United States looking to end what many term a genocide. He will speak to students all day tomorrow and to the general public at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building's chapel.
The violent and complex conflict was sparked when Darfur rebels in Western Sudan rose up against the pro-Arab government seven years ago. The government reportedly responded by using militias and troops to suppress the region in 2003 and 2004 by attacking tribal villages.
Slettehaugh and other students in the club formed in 2006 said they want to keep the conflict alive in the minds of the public "and make sure the Darfuri have a voice."
Senior Nick Petre of Beverly believes there was a big push to recognize what was going on in Darfur in 2006 when celebrities like George Clooney became involved.
"The publicity stopped, but it is still going on," Petre said.
Junior Alex Burns of Salem said young people like him tend to shy away from things that make them uncomfortable.
"The reason Darfur has dropped out of sight is we chose not to embrace something that is almost as tragic as the Holocaust," Burns said.
Freshman James Smith of Melrose said he was talking to a classmate yesterday morning who dismissed talk about Darfur. "'Not my country, I don't care,'" Smith said his friend told him.
The Save Darfur Initiative, under the faculty club moderator Randy Reinbold, a religious studies teacher, and co-moderator Howard Bean, a Spanish teacher, has forged an alliance with the Sultan Tajadine School in Chad that educates 500 refugee children. Donations from tomorrow's talk will go to the school, which needs $50,000 a year to operate, the students said. With donations from the school's a cappella group Swingtown! the students hope to raise $10,000 for the school in Chad.
If you go
What: Save Darfur Initiative sponsors talk by genocide survivor El-Fadel Arbab
When: Tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Where: Administration Building's chapel on the campus of St. John's Prep, 72 Spring St.
Admission: Free to the public, but donations are welcome.
More information: Contact Denise DeChristoforo at 978-774-6727, ext. 297, or e-mail her at ddechristoforo@stjohnsprep.org.
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