Members of the university and local community gathered in Irvine Auditorium to celebrate Iftaar and discuss the situation in Darfur- after sunset yesterday, which signaled the end of another day of fasting for Muslims observing Ramadan.
Engineering sophomore Eyas Mahmoud explained the link between Ramadan and the situation in Darfur.
"Ramadan is a time when Muslims look deeply at their religion, and think about what they can do to help not just other Muslims, but people who are suffering everywhere," he said.
After the audience ate a Middle Eastern-themed Iftaar - the evening meal to break the daily fast during Ramadan - they heard a speech from Ali B. Ali-Dinar, a native of Darfur and associate director of the African Studies Center at Penn.
Ali-Dinar outlined the development of the Darfur issue from its beginnings as a government-supressed insurgency in 2003, to what many today label a genocide involving the exploitation of ethnically based militias and international self-interest.
Throughout his narrative, Ali-Dinar emphasized that it is Sudanese civilians who have suffered most heavily in the conflict, but that audience members can help ameliorate the situation through petitions and raising international awareness.
"Without people like you putting on this pressure", he urged, "this issue will just continue."
College sophomore and founder of South Florida-based non-profit organization For Darfur, Grant Dubler spoke after Ali-Dinar.
He explained how a high school rock concert he organized to generate awareness for Darfur has evolved into a nationwide organization that to date has raised over $300,000 for direct action in Darfur.
In spite of the pitfalls of college activism - "getting ignored on Locust Walk, juggling classes and feeling like nobody cares" - Dubler was keen to promote the importance of student involvement in humanitarian issues.
"You can be heard, you can make an impact. All you need is the will to do something . and our world depends on it," he said.
Both speakers were well-received by the audience. "I kept hearing about all the problems in Darfur." said College junior Marion Abboud, "but this event was really eye-opening and very inspiring."
The evening was hosted jointly by Project Nur, a nationwide organization that aims to promote multicultural co-existence and Amnesty International at Penn.
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