ST. LOUIS, MO - More than 500 people attended the "Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide" symposium hosted by Gitana Productions in partnership with the American Friends Service Committee on November 6 at Saint Louis University.
"Daoud Hari, a refugee who spoke at the event, has visited 40 cites in the past two months, and this was the largest turnout yet," said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions. "Daoud was touched to see that so many St. Louisans care about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur."
"This also was the most diverse audience we've seen in St. Louis on the issue of Darfur," said Nadal. "The audience spanned all age and ethnic groups, and included students from local universities and high schools."
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.
"Voices from Darfur" featured Daoud Hari and Motasim Adam, both refugees from Darfur.
Daoud told his remarkable story of escaping from his village after months of bombing by his own government. Daoud fled to neighboring Chad, where he served as an interpreter for the New York Times, the BBC and the Chicago Tribune, risking his life to bring reporters into Darfur to record the devastation of his homeland. Last summer, Daoud was arrested in Sudan on espionage charges. The United States granted Daoud refugee status last summer.
Motasim arrived in the United States in 2003 and was a founding member of the Darfur People's Association of New York. He currently serves as President of the organization where he focuses on helping new Darfuri refugees adjust to American society, raising public awareness about the situation and encouraging humanitarian efforts in Darfur.
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 events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.
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