Damanga Newsroom

Damanga is honored by students through "Change the world. It just takes cents"TM

By Sara Kornfeld and Elaine Lichterman

One would imagine that at this time of year, students' focus generally shifts toward overnight camp, swimming pools, sleeping late, family travel and recreational summer activities.

This is not the case for "Change the world. It just takes cents"TM (CTWIJTC) student activists. These teens understand that the Darfur genocide does not take a recess for the summer and that their work is not yet done. They know that as long as their counterparts in Darfur are deprived of food, medical care, education and the security of home and family, they must continue to beat the drum in their Tigger-like manner to increase awareness of this 21st century genocide in pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Darfur.

Writing letters and phoning human rights advocates and State leadership is not enough. So students diligently network to build meaningful friendships and relationships within the world of advocacy, with people such as Mohamed Yahya, Darfur refugee, founder and executive director of Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy ( www.damanga.org) , whose open letter to the UN brought the details of the Darfur genocide to the consciousness of the world; John Prendergast , former Bill Clinton aid and current head of the non-governmental organization ENOUGH! ( www.enough.org); Carl Wilkins, the last American to remain in Rwanda after the Americans pulled out ( www.worldoutsidemyshoes.org); Brian Steidle, the U.S. Marine whose photos of Darfur brought the genocide to the eyes of the media and the world ( www.steidlecorp.com); and Elghali Shigefat, head of the Darfur Journalist Association, who was unjustly arrested in Khartoum in May 2008 and released to the Americans in Oct. 2008, after months of torture and outcry from human rights activists around the globe ( www.darfuralert.org). Such people add the student voice to their own in the search for peace, security and justice for all.

As the student movement grows and their efforts motivate community action, so do opportunities to broaden their scope for networking, engaging and raising awareness. Global Explorers recently provided a unique opportunity for CTWIJTC students to meet anthropologist Jane Goodall as part of her Roots and Shoots service program.

Students also wasted no time in sending letters of solidarity and concern to Mia Farrow, supporting her water-only hunger strike "in solidarity with the people of Darfur and as a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease."

Ms Farrow graciously acknowledged their "kind words of support" adding,"I salute you for the important work you have undertaken!!"

As the 2008-2009 year's end drew closer, and upon receiving congratulations from Colorado State Representative Joe Miklosi, who attended the December, 2008 Children to Children, Denver to Darfur Vigil, they invited him into visit their class and learn more about the "Change the world ..." student driven movement. After their presentation, he said: "[You] kids were some of the most amazing, dedicated, impassioned kids I have ever met ..."

Teen activists, Kirya Jultak and Julia Siegel, participated in Diversity Day at the Emily Griffith School, where many refugees and new immigrants are educated. There, they shared information about the Darfur genocide and the Israeli government's granting asylum to Darfuri Muslim refugees.

A highlight for the CTWIJTC students was an invitation to attend and present information about student activism at the Institute for Sustainable Peace Conference in Estes Park, Colorado on June 1 st, 2009. Elana Brown, Olivia Dansky, Dani Lange, Izzi Kornfeld and Ariel Sandberg interacted with many activists, including former Texas Senator Bob Kruger, an outspoken advocate against injustice, who served as a US Ambassador to Burundi and to Botswana. His message to the students was, "If you speak out and stand by your principles, you'll build strength".

Conference attendees, most of them refugees themselves, were deeply touched to learn about the young white American teens' efforts to draw attention to the plight of the Darfuri people. One commented, "You opened my heart to the power of your voice!"

And the beat goes on. When CTWIJTC founding student, Dani Fried, appeared on Tamara Banks' "Studio 12" TV show on June 17 th, she discussed the need for teen student leaders to speak out on behalf of their Darfuri counterparts, whose voices have been silenced by prejudice and violence.

Only a few days later, on June 21, 2009, student activist, Simon Kaufman, addressed an audience of modern day abolitionists, supportive of Pastor Heidi McGinness' slave liberation and rehabilitation work through Christian Solidarity International.

Upcoming events include "Women Aware: Image to Action" on Sunday, August 23, 2009, hosted by "Change the world. It just takes cents"TM in collaboration with BMH-BJ Women's League. The event will feature local female activists, their photography of Sudanese , Darfuri and other survivors of genocide alongside the The Art and Soul of Peace Through Humor, curated by Maureen Kishner.

Also featured, will be an exhibit entitled Colorado Survival Stories: Life after the Holocaust, courtesy of the ADL, and selections from the Exhibit Darfur collection. The program includes refreshments, thought provoking panel discussion, showcasing local human rights activists, including CTWIJTC students, followed by moderated Q & A.

The reward for the students' activism is a mere case of knowing they are doing "the right thing" on behalf of their counterparts, their future, humanity and the world.

"Change the world. It just takes cents" TM is a non-partisan service learning process and movement which empowers youth. Through global awareness and action, youth lead, speak out and raise funds to educate Darfuri youth at home and abroad. The students have presented at local and national events and raised sufficient funds to build two schools in Darfur. They are in the process of raising funds to furbish a children's room in a community center in Israel, serving Darfuri refugees.

For more information, to register to attend the upcoming Women Aware event, or to make a contribution, please contact Sara Kornfeld, founder/educator of "Change the world..."TM at ctwijtc@gmail.com, sarakornfeld@aol.com, or 303-596-8210.