Genocide Awareness Series

The Whole Foods Market at 870 S. Colorado Blvd had an Eco-Friendly Art Exhibition (Green #5) to Launch Earth Month 2009 for the months of April and May.  In addition, as part of Genocide Awareness month artist, Brenda Halverson, had two genocide awareness pieces displayed from her series called “Through a Lense”.  “The women and children who have been repeatedly raped, sometimes until unconscious, and those who have died or lost everything they own, deserve to have their voices heard.  I will be their voice and help educate and bring awareness to the world”.  Brenda Halverson

The Darfur region of Sudan is the site of an ongoing genocide and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Since 2003, the government of Sudan and its Janjaweed militias have executed a systematic campaign of mass murder, rape, and starvation against the black African tribes of Darfur. President Clinton was in office when 800,000 Rwandans were murdered during his tenure. President George W. Bush was in office when 450,000 people from Darfur were killed on his watch and now President Obama can show his willingness to bring “Change” to our country and step forward to stop this inhumanity.

Many designate April as Genocide Awareness Month because April 24 is generally the designated Genocide Remembrance Day for Armenians, Holocaust Remembrance Day is April 15th, and Darfur & Rwanda are also commemorated in April.  Next month (April) is the 15th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda where 800,000 – 1,000,000 perished in 100 days.  The United States and the United Nations promised “never again” after Rwanda, yet we are not doing enough to come to the aid of those in Darfur.  The Khartoum government has obstructed access to Darfur and blocked international efforts to establish a relief program.  The crises in the Darfur Region of Sudan has claimed as many as 450,000 lives, displaced 2.5 million people and left up to 4 million dependent on outside aid. On March 4th 2009, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of President of Sudan Omer Al-Bashir. Within hours, Al-Bashir ordered 13 humanitarian aid groups out from Darfur and Sudan.  He is sentencing them to death by refusing to allow aid groups to help them.

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