DIE IN 4 DARFUR
A Cry For Help
Following is a product of students of OHS Senior Current Issues class.
- Coverage of the DIE IN – photos & GVSU Public Radio
- Learn about Darfur - Kaylee’s Powerpoint Presentation
- An Invitation to our Die In – Nick, Angelina, Mr Wood podcast
- Press Release for OHS Die In – contact Jake Gibson
MOVIE – “Devil Came on Horseback” – Thursday May 28 7:00 PM – OHS Auditorium – Roundtable Discussion following.
DIE IN – Muskegon Board of Education across from Hackley Park in downtown Muskegon – Friday May 29 5:00 PM.
This Die In is in no way associated with Muskegon Public Schools.
Darfur is in the western portion of Sudan. As many of you know, there has been a genocide happening there for over 6 years and the victims are in desperate need of aid. 400,000 people have been killed, over two million displaced are now living as refugees, many in nearby Chad. The US 
has officially declared conflict a genocide, but we so far have done nothing to help; the UN, too, has officially recognized it as a genocide, but it is limited only to the willingness of it’s member states to intercede
.…the world has forgotten about Darfur.
This is where we at Oakridge (and anyone else who wants to participate) come into the picture. On the 29th of May we are going to stage a Die In, which is a peaceable protest used to bring attention to conflicts in which militants are killing innocent people. At 5:00 PM, for an hour, during “
Party In the Park”, we will be across the street at the Muskegon Board of Education Building, lying on the ground in different prone positions. People carrying signs and fliers will explain to interested onlookers that for every one of us, there are thousands dead in Sudan as a result of the genocide in Darfur.All we’re asking for is a little bit of your time (an hour to lay in the grass!) to help raise awareness about one of the worst humanitarian episodes in the last century.
Why It Matters to You
When knocking on doors during the Obama campaign, I brought up the Darfur problem on a few occasions and was asked–on nearly all of those occasions– what’s 
Darfur? Not: where is Darfur… ”what”. So many people didn’t even know that the place existed. This is an issue in itself. Couple that with the fact that there has be an atrocious crisis taking place there for 6 years, one officially recognized by two presidents, and we have a serious problem.
There are two reasons you should care. Firstly, if you are a human being who can feel empathy for the suffering of others, this should matter to you. This is not going to put food on your table, this is not going to get you through college, this won’t even lower your gas prices… but any human being would have trouble sleeping knowing such atrocities persist while the world continues to look the other way. Secondly, as the most powerful country on the face of the planet, it is up to us to make sure that our government does everything it can to make this world a better place.
The 29th
Because our government is composed of “we the people”, and it is our nation’s job to contribute to the world peace, it is really up to us to make sure the situation in Darfur is addressed. Congressman John Lewis, veteran of the Civil Rights movement, has been arrested two times protesting the Darfur crisis. However, the issue will never reach the President’s desk, unless we, the people, do 
what it takes to put it there. This Die In is one way to bring the genocide of Darfur to the forefront. All we need to do is get people to do it… a Die In’s power is dependent on it’s population! So, please… for the good of the people in Darfur, come and help us raise awareness on the 29th of May, 5:oo p.m., at the Education Building across from Hackley Park (and before that, on the 28th, 7:oo p.m., at the Oakridge High School Auditorium, we will be showing “The Devil Came On Horseback” – with a Darfur roundtable discussion afterwards).
If you have any questions or comments, or you would like to be more involved, please visit our “Darfur Die In Page” here.
by Corey Swanson.
For More Information…Visit these sites for more information regarding, not only the situation in Darfur, but how to stay involved in the fight for Sudan:
http://www.savedarfur.org/content
Or just google “Darfur” and do your own research
I’m so there!
Question: Should I come to the high school in the morning and go with you…. or what?
If I tell Mrs. Foster and them before hand, they more than likely won’t mind if I don’t go to school that day.
Write back please ^.^
Hey, this is Corey. No, you shouldn’t meet us at the school, just come to the education building at 5 o’clock on the 29th… you should see us there. Thank you so much for coming! We’re going to do something to shake the moral stupor our nation is in.
When could I get information on this, I plan on going but am unsure what I myself will be exactly doing, what will the day, or the time we are there consist of?
Jacob…read the post – and the link http://blogs.muskegonisd.org/bwood/2009/05/19/help-save-darfur/
Good luck to all of the protestors. I wish I could join you. Be sure to bring lots of red paint, bullhorns, whistles, and drums. The citizens of Muskegon need to wake up to Darfur. I also think you should contact George Clooney and the daughter of Rick Sutcliffe as they have been working together to fix that thing. We need to make sure people know we won’t take genocide lying down even if you are literally lying down.
Open invitation James. We’ll send invites to Clooney and Sutcliffe. Thanks.
Would it be okay if I bring a couple friends?
Absolutely…make sure they are wican.
Is this organizing group aware that you may actually disrupt parties in the park? A party that is being sponsored by the local chapter of the American Red Cross.
Please understand that I know about the atrocities that are taking place in Darfur and I don’t stand for them. I’m also glad to see so many people willing to publicly show support for this very worthy cause, but might this also be at the expense of an organization that is trying to help those in Darfur? (http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dar_Darfur)
Please reconsider your venue and timing. Parties in the Park has always put the Non-Profit Sponsor first, and while this gathering is extremely needed and worthy, you may hurt an organization that is “fronting” thousands of dollars with the hopes of turning a profit to better serve our world, nation, state, and city. There is no guarantee that they make a profit, so I’d hope everyone does their part to help, rather than hinder, the fine people and volunteers representing our local American Red Cross.
Concerned,
Jack
My Name is Corey Swanson and I’m a senior at Oakridge High School
Jack,
I am very aware of some of these concerns and am, too, aware of how the Red Cross has helped those in Darfur, but I believe postponement is not neccessary. Firstly, this protest is nearly completely noise free… we will not be making a rucus or anything of that sort. Those who wish to participate in party in the park without distraction can do so. Secondly, as the Red Cross knows, there is not nearly enough money used to support the people of Darfur and this protest is not meant to hinder anyone, but to supplement the efforts of the Red Cross and other organizations like them.
We have, within our own organization, had trouble with this issue and eventually came to the decision that, if anything, the Party in the Park is the perfect venue to address this conflict. There are not nearly enough people who do know what is going on in Darfur and the Darfurians do not have the luxury of going to a party to alleviate their stress. We know that people will see this. If we were to stop here, it could then be argued that any other place where we chose to do this is going to hinder someone… we need to do all we can to help those in Darfur and sometimes that means doing protests where there will be alot of publicity.
Please, I hope you understand our plight. We are not going to ruin anything planned for the 29th and we would love it, seeing as you are aware of these atrocities, if you would join us for an hour at the Muskegon Education Building starting at 5. Thank you…
Corey,
I’m not sure who “Jack” is, but he sounds like a neo-con to me. I am a long time progressive organizer that was a grassroots field operative for Congresshuman Dennis Kucinich in 2008. I recently learned of your efforts through another progressive blog and I applaud your devout efforts! NEVER let anyone thwart our goal of PEACE for the Darfurians!
In fact, I truly believe you must make NOISE and LOTS OF IT at this rally. Do the Darfurians not make a sound when they die? NO and neither should you. I encourage you to use horns, whistles, drums, and your VOICE for the voiceless Darfurians! I would further add that you should bring red paint, ketchup, and/or fake blood to smear across your bodies to represent the bloody slaughter of millions! Finally, you should seriously consider tying yourself to trees, benches, and monuments to block the enterances to the park. Let people ponder the DEATH and GENOCIDE in Darfur as they figure out another means by which to enter the park in order to drink their beer with their fellow hapless sheeple and enjoy their break from their capitalistic masters that rule their lives. Wake them up! WAKE THEM UP! This is your time. Get to it! Good luck.
Peace,
Doran
Dear Doran,
I strongly appreciate your passion for the Darfurians and am truly touched by the measures you have introduced to get people to pay attention to the conflict in Darfur. However, there are two really good reasons why we can’t employ some of these measures. Firstly, if we are too loud and too crazy, we risk turning off the people who we are trying to awaken. The people we are trying to petition will not be more likely to ponder the genocide in Darfur if we tie ourselves to monuments and make a bunch of noise, but will likely get angry, call the police, and become polarized against anything that has to do with Darfur. People will see a fund-raiser for Darfur in the future and think, “There’s that thing that those hippies we making a ruckus and ruining our good time for”. And, I regress, I defiantly think it’s worth creating a lot of noise over… but it’s not about what I think… it’s about what is ultimately more effective. Secondly, by doing some of these things, we risk ruining the original intention of the Die In, and that is to mimic the dead of Darfur. To lie silently, we actually, I believe, have a larger impact on the environment in which we are staging the protest. The people that will be seeing us will be more impacted by a quieter protest… I truly believe that.
But, on a lighter note, you obviously are the kind of person that belongs at this Die In! Your passion would be appreciated at the Die In and I would eagerly encourage you to attend our Die In at the Muskegon Education Building across from Hackely at 5 p.m. on the 29th.
Thank you so much,
Corey Swanson
I will be there. I am going to tape the whole thing for you. I thought Mrs. tubbs would have told you that by know. But oh well. I will be at the die in. I am looking forward to supporting this wonderful cause.
Cool…and Thursday too…right?
I will be there also! Im so excited to be apart of something so important! I am glad that at oakridge we have an option to do something like this!
Corey,
Even though I believe that this venue is not the proper one for a protest of this sort, I applaud your attitude and reasoning on the way to conduct yourself during this protest. Having grown up in the Sixties and watching so many anti-war protests get ugly because the so called “peaceniks” turned violent (think Kent State and the burning of the ROTC building), it is refreshing to see someone your age with the understanding of the best way to get your point across.
Hello,
Thank you! It is important, I think, to make sure everyone understands each other in an intellectual and constructive way. I’m glad to see that someone who has had a negative experience with protests in the sixties can still appreciate the message, the determination, and the intellect of those participating in our protest. I would like to still encourage you to come to our Die In, even if you do disagree with our venue, because you obviously understand the importance of our cause. It starts at 5 p.m. at the Muskegon Education Building across from Hackley Park.
Thank you very much,
Corey Swanson
Mr. Wood,
If you’d like, I could upload the video that was taken at the Die In, send it to me, then I could upload it on to YouTube and post the link on here. thank you deary…I will as soon as I get it! Thanks for coming.
Hello all. I just got a letter from Carl Levin and here is what it says.
Dear Tyler,
Thank you for contacting me concerning the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan. I share your concerns about this tragic situation. I have and will continue to work to support U.S. efforts to provide critical humanitarian assistance to the refugees and to those internally displaced in the region. I also will continue to support U.S. effort to train, equip, and deploy a capable peacekeeping force to Durfur.
Sudan has been ravaged by intermittent warfare for decades. In Southern Sudan, more than two million people have died over the past two decades due to war-related injuries and famine, and the conflict has left millions more homeless and displaced. The ongoing crisis in Darfur, in Western Sudan, has left an estimated 2.5 million people displaced internally, has forced more than 240,000 people into neighboring Chad and the Central African Republic, and has killed and estimated 450,000 people. Over the past several years, the United States has provided significant humanitarian assistance to the region, including a total of $1.7 billion to Sudan and Chad in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to alleviate the plight of victims of war.
On March 4, 2009, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber issued a warrant of arrest for Sudanese President Omar Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Pre-Trial Chamber stated that President Bashir intentionally directed attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur. In response, the Government of Sudan condemned the ICC decision and expelled 15 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Darfur, accusing them of collaborating with the ICC. The Obama Administration has condemned the expulsion of the NGOs and warned that doing so seriously threatens the lives and welfare of displaced persons. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has stated that “Governments and individuals, who either conduct or condone atrocities of any kind, as we have seen year after year in Sudan, have to be held accountable”.
The violence plaguing Darfur has gone on far too long, and too many innocent lives have been lost. I look forward to working with the Obama administration to help finally end the years of violence that has plagued his regio. Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Carl Levin
Nice job Tyler! Hope the summer is going well…keep the promise pressure on.
dear mr. wood,
my stepbrother rusty is dating a girl named julia in your class, and tonight she came over and showed me your website, not to mention your wikipedia!
anyways, i was looking through this and found the darfur page, and i just wanted to tell you that i still have my shirts, and i still wear them. often.
thank god ‘bob wood’ is now a searchable definition!
Jillian you were always AWAKE! Nice to hear that you still care about events of the world. Stop by and say “Hi”. Stop by and have a little Turkish coffee…and catch up. See you soon? OK.
i think our governments should do some more proactive task in Darfur. the UN is not doing a very good job in resolving the crisis in Darfur.
the internation community should be more proactive in dealing with the situation in Darfur. we should not only send food aids but we also need to influence the political policies in the Darfur region `