As part of the “Does Dallas Care?” program to raise awareness for Darfur, Highland Park United Methodist Church hosted former adviser to the White House under the Clinton administration and human rights activist John Prendergast on Wednesday evening.
Prendergast spoke to members of the church, the community and SMU students about the underlying problems with the genocide in Darfur, including the U.S.’ motives with Sudanese government.
SMU Director of Human Rights Education Dr. Rick Halperin introduced the Emmy winner and eight-time author to the crowd. Pendergast’s latest book, “Not on Our Watch,” was co-written with actor Don Cheadle. Copies were available to purchase, which Pendergast signed after the lecture.
Pendergast is currently working for the ENOUGH Project, an organization devoted to “prevent genocide and mass atrocities. “
“At the ENOUGH project we’ve looked at how genocides come to an end,” Pendergast told the audience.
According to Predergast, this happens with “the three Ps,” peacemaking, protection and punishment. In January of 2005, a peace agreement with Sudanese government was made as part of U.S. efforts, but it was quickly ignored. The International Criminal court has indicted two high-ranking officials, but there is still not enough being done, Prendergast said.
“Sudan has been shutout by the power and wealth of a small group of people,” he said.
The Sudanese government is an Arab dictatorship, and the people in the Darfur region of the country are being massacred because they do not believe the same things as the ruling powers. According to Prendergast, 2.5 million people have been displaced from the genocide thus far, as members of the Janjaweed, an Arab militia group, and government troops attack and burn villages, raping women, and shooting men and children.
“They are attempting to maintain power at any cost,” Prendergast said. “Even if it’s genocide, knowing full well that the sands of the Sahara will swallow the crimes that they commit.”
According to Prendergast, more than 1,500 villages have been burned, and in a “60 Minutes” clip, in which Prendergast appeared, it was shown how hard the government has made it for cameras or reporters to see the atrocities.
According to Prendergast, the U.S. currently sends half of a billion dollars in food and aid to the victims of Darfur, but they have not intervened with the government like they could. For a period during the 1990s, Sudan was the home of Osama bin Laden, therefore the U.S. has been working with Sudanese intelligence officials to learn more about al-Qaida, Prendergast said.
Prendergast urged the audience to tell people of the problems in Darfur because it is still widely unknown.
“People still say it’s tribal fighting, but it’s not,” Prendergast said. “It’s genocide.”