“Does Dallas Care,” a two-day conference presented by the Human Rights Education Program and Perkins School of Theology, began on Tuesday in the Hughes-Trigg Ballroom.

The goal of the program is to stress the importance of immediate assistance for victims in Darfur. The United Nations estimates that more than 200,000 people have died and at least two million have been displaced from their homes in Darfur since fighting broke out in 2003 between government of Sudan forces, allied militia and rebel groups.

SMU students have joined together to help the refugees from Darfur by raising both money and awareness. Several fraternities and sororities have already planned events. At “Does Dallas Care,” speakers stressed the importance of supporting the cause by providing service and donations.

Professor Rick Halperin, director of SMU Human Rights Education Program, opened the conference with a few words about the devastating effects of global genocides since World War II. Over 12 million people have been forced to leave their countries out of fear of prosecution. Furthermore, women and children make up 80 percent of the world’s current refugee population.

A panel of speakers from diverse backgrounds shared religious responses to the crisis in Dafur. One panelist, Rabbi David Stern of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, spoke of his time volunteering in Third World countries.

“Test the circumference of your own moral responsibility,” Rabbi Stern said. “Draw the line wider and wider until it is wide enough so that we can prevent segregation and disparity.”

Rabbi Stern also spoke about “diversifying” volunteer efforts by helping those within Dallas as well as providing for victims in Third World countries.

“Every little bit matters,” Rabbi Stern said. “Never use the word ‘only’ because no matter what the fraction donated, no matter how few lives are saved, a life is a life.”

Another panelist, the Rev. Dr. Celestin Musekura, the president and founder of African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries, Inc., told a story of an African mother who had nothing to feed her children. She secretly cooked her own blanket in order to give them hope for food. When her children asked if the food was ready, the mother reminded them that the meal would take a very long time to cook. After days of searching, the family finally found food, but the hope for a meal on the way kept the children alive.

The people in Darfur share this same hope. Rev. Dr. Musekura informed the audience that love is measured by how many stomachs are fed, not by how much one knows.

Professor Samuel Totten from the University of Arkansas was next to speak. Totten published “Genocide in Darfur: Investigating Atrocities in the Sudan,” as well as “Century of Genocide: Eyewitness Accounts and Critical Views.” Before a book signing, Totten shared his experiences and his knowledge of the crisis in Darfur.

The conference continues Wednesday in the Highland Park United Methodist Church.