Last Thursday SMU students and Dallas community members took part in raising money for victims in Darfur by participating in “Dining for Darfur.”

The Human Rights Education Program and Perkins School of Theology at SMU encouraged local restaurants to raise funds for the victims of the violence in Sudan, by donating five percent of the evening’s gross sales to the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

The IRC provides water sanitation, protection and counseling for women terrorized by sexual violence, and funding for hospitals and clinics. The IRC has been in Darfur since 2004, and in Sudan since 1982. The “Dining for Darfur” event is based on a successful 2006 event, launched by New York food writer Andrea Strong, which raised more than $50,000. This year, 23 Dallas restaurants joined in the fight to stop the genocide and displacement of people in Sudan.

“It is an important event,” SPARC President Katie White said.,”because I feel like it was my way to contribute to the efforts of stopping genocide in the Sudan.”

Many students feel that SMU is using the crisis in Darfur as an excuse for social events. Even though various dinners and parties throughout the week have raised money, students are not being informed about the murder of civilians in the Sudan.

“Although the genocide in Darfur has been turned into a scene for fraternities and sororities, I feel that it is important to have some sort of social event,” first-year Elizabeth Corey said. “Most people won’t take part in a protest or attend a seminar, but they will go to dinner to support a cause.”

However, when asked, many students were unaware of the “Dining for Darfur” cause as well as many of the other activities going on during the week. Despite this, “Dining for Darfur,” the finale to “Dollars for Darfur,” is expected to have raised $100,000 for the IRC.