|
 |
|
|
|
Issue: 897 Date: 11/1/2007
|
|
Gitana Productions Presents
"Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide"
|
|
|
|
 |
| Daoud Hari |
|
|
ST. LOUIS, MO ?Gitana Productions in partnership with the American Friends Service Committee will host "Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide" on Tuesday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Louis Room of the St. Louis University Busch Student Center, located at 20 N. Grand Blvd. "Voices from Darfur" is a national speaking tour organized by Save Darfur in Washington D.C.
"Our intent is to educate the public about the harsh realities of life in Darfur and to empower people to take action to help stop the genocide," said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions.
"Voices from Darfur" will feature Daoud Hari, a Dafuri refugee who will tell the remarkable story of escaping from his village after months of bombing by his own government. Daoud was forced from his home and his brother was murdered. Daoud fled to neighboring Chad, where he served as an interpreter for the New York Times, the BBC and the Chicago Tribune. He risked his life to bring reporters into Darfur to record the devastation of his homeland. Last summer, Daoud was arrested in Sudan on espionage charges. A month later, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson negotiated his release and soon after, the United States government granted Daoud refugee status.
In addition to Daoud's presentation, "Voices from Darfur," will include a short documentary film on the Darfur crisis. Ngoma, a local group of musicians and poets who interpret rhythms of the African diaspora, will perform. Guests also will sample a simple meal like those typically served in refugee camps.
Lori Reed, International Programs Coordinator for the St. Louis American Friends Service Committee will lead a brief discussion of "Life Over Debt Relief in Africa."
The symposium is the first of several events hosted by Gitana Productions to bring attention to the plight of the people of Darfur, Sudan. In May, 2008, Gitana Productions will present "Complacency of Silence: Darfur," an original theatre performance written by St. Louis playwright Patton Chiles. The play will use actual words spoken by people involved in the Darfur crisis as well as documented stories for authenticity. Nine performances will be presented at the St. Louis University Theatre from May 23 through June 8, 2008. The play is the 10th in a series of annual "Faces of Love" cultural events brought to St. Louis by Gitana Productions. The event is suitable for adults and children over 13.
Currently, the genocide in Darfur has claimed as many as 400,000 lives. About 2.3 million Darfuris have fled their homes and become a part of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Darfur. About 200,000 people are living in refugee camps in Chad. More than one million Darfuris still live in their villages under the constant threat of bombings, raids, murder, rape and torture.
Local supporters of the "Voices from Darfur" symposium include the St. Louis Save Darfur Coalition, One World, the St. Louis University Political Science Department and the Cultural Center of St. Louis University.
Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana conducts extensive outreach at the community level, developing educational programs which enhance multicultural understanding. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.
|
|
  |
| A malnourished girl in the MSF therapeutic feeding center, Iriba, Chad. Nutrition continues to be a problem among the refugees in Chad in spite of international assistance. The situation is worse inside Sudan, where the government is obstructing access for relief agencies. |
Bahai, Chad. The majority of refugees in Chad have "spontaneously" settled in places like Bahai and are not in organized camps. |
 |
| Iridimi refugee camp, Chad. Hawa Salihdin and her children. Her father, her brother, her cousin and 30 other people were killed when the militias attacked her village. Her mother, Hadiya Ahmed, disappeared and is still missing. |
|
|
