Darfur-A Step in the Right Direction?

You may have read in The New York Times or elsewhere that the president of Sudan is being brought up on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Clearly something needs to be done to stop the genocide, but critics are saying this will delay the peace process. Last week 7 peacekeepers in the area were killed. It is becoming increasingly difficult for aid workers to do their difficult jobs. Many have been pulled out for their own safety.

As you can imagine, we at the Museum feel especially responsible for speaking out against genocide, wherever it is happening in the world.

Our Museum Director, David G. Marwell says on our website page devoted to social action:

“Visitors to our Core Exhibition are greeted by the biblical phrases ‘Remember, Never Forget’ and ‘There is Hope for your Future.' “They reflect ancient wisdom, and they guide us as an institution of education and memory. They explain why we must be vigilant and speak out about Human Rights violations — such as the situation in Darfur. Although it was unique and unprecedented, the Holocaust, when carefully studied, can reveal important universal lessons which can help to guide us as individuals and as a nation. It is our responsibility as an institution to educate all who walk through our doors — to teach about the past in the hope of improving the present and securing the future.”

Tell us what you think should and can be done.

And feel free to pass on this page to teachers and parents who may want to bring students to the Museum to learn about Darfur. We will continue to have special workshops for middle and high school students to help them make sense of the crisis.

At this point we have educated more than 1,300 students. You can read some of the letters they have written to children in Darfur. Our social action web page also has links to look up email and mailing addresses for your government officials and sample letters to get you started.

Thanks to Richard Levine for this beautiful image. One of his images is in our permanent collection as a reminder that genocide is still going on.