2008 Woodie Awards
Class to create shelter for Darfur refugees
Tents of Hope assists refugees, will rally in Washington, D.C., to promote peace in Darfur
By: Jessica Rhynalds
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Features
More than 100 people die each day in Darfur, because of ethnic cleansing, and still more are raped, displaced, starved and threatened by militants. But one class at Chico State is taking a stand.
"Genocide and Mass Persuasion in the 20th Century," taught by sociology professor Carol Edelman, is trying to promote peace in Darfur, where the death toll has risen to more than 400,000 people since 2003, according to tentsofhope.org.
Tents of Hope, which began in June 2007, is an effort to create hope and awareness in the war-stricken region, according to its Web site.
Edelman's class will display its tent Oct. 20 and 21 in the Free Speech Area, where students can help decorate and paint it, said legal studies major Jessica Barrett, one of Edelman's students.
The tent will then make its way to Washington, D.C., for a peace rally in November and then to Darfur refugee shelters, she said.
"The genocide has been going on since 2003. It has the most political activism in recent history, but not yet enough to stop it from happening," Barrett said.
Students are very enthusiastic, said Edelman, who has been teaching the class for decades. These tents help facilitate fundraising and education efforts.
The project originally had students pick their own organization to get involved in, but after Tents of Hope was introduced, all of the students wanted to participate in the peace effort together, she said.
This is the only Tents of Hope coalition in Chico, Edelman said. After the tent is decorated, it will be moved to local high schools and hopefully the farmers' market.
People from all over are fighting for the cause, said sophomore Whitney Salis, a nursing student who is one of the students bringing the tent to the rally.
"This is a genocide that is going on right now and we can actually do something about it," Salis said.
The students going to Washington, D.C., are getting a wonderful experience, Edelman said. They can then come back and educate other students.
Students have taken a crisis that seems as though it's a world away and put their own effort and belief into the movement, junior Evan Waterhouse said.
"I am excited to help promote local awareness of a global issue," he said, "and there is no better place to do it than here at Chico State."
Jessica Rhynalds can be reached at
jrhynalds@theorion.com
Tents of Hope - Darfur Advocacy - Campaign Video
Video from YouTube
Related links
Save Darfur Web site
"Genocide and Mass Persuasion in the 20th Century," taught by sociology professor Carol Edelman, is trying to promote peace in Darfur, where the death toll has risen to more than 400,000 people since 2003, according to tentsofhope.org.
Tents of Hope, which began in June 2007, is an effort to create hope and awareness in the war-stricken region, according to its Web site.
Edelman's class will display its tent Oct. 20 and 21 in the Free Speech Area, where students can help decorate and paint it, said legal studies major Jessica Barrett, one of Edelman's students.
The tent will then make its way to Washington, D.C., for a peace rally in November and then to Darfur refugee shelters, she said.
"The genocide has been going on since 2003. It has the most political activism in recent history, but not yet enough to stop it from happening," Barrett said.
Students are very enthusiastic, said Edelman, who has been teaching the class for decades. These tents help facilitate fundraising and education efforts.
The project originally had students pick their own organization to get involved in, but after Tents of Hope was introduced, all of the students wanted to participate in the peace effort together, she said.
This is the only Tents of Hope coalition in Chico, Edelman said. After the tent is decorated, it will be moved to local high schools and hopefully the farmers' market.
People from all over are fighting for the cause, said sophomore Whitney Salis, a nursing student who is one of the students bringing the tent to the rally.
"This is a genocide that is going on right now and we can actually do something about it," Salis said.
The students going to Washington, D.C., are getting a wonderful experience, Edelman said. They can then come back and educate other students.
Students have taken a crisis that seems as though it's a world away and put their own effort and belief into the movement, junior Evan Waterhouse said.
"I am excited to help promote local awareness of a global issue," he said, "and there is no better place to do it than here at Chico State."
Jessica Rhynalds can be reached at
jrhynalds@theorion.com
Tents of Hope - Darfur Advocacy - Campaign Video
Video from YouTube
Related links
Save Darfur Web site
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