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Darfur (Video and Project Suggestions)


Sudan (Fast Facts)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/10/country_facts/main3352310.shtml
Student Video (Darfur)
http://www.facinghistory.org/video/projections
Frontline: "On Our Watch"
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darfur/
Resources (In depth coverage, analysis, links)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/africa/darfur/index.html
What you can do:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:
http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/alert/whatcanido/en/
Enough Project:
http://www.enoughproject.org/action
Save Darfur:
http://www.savedarfur.org/content?splash=yes
Sign the Petition:
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/savedarfurcoalition
Human Rights Watch:
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/06/24/darfur8954.htm
Amnesty International:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-priorities/darfur/page.do?id=1351050&n1=3&n2=52

Project Suggestion #1: 
In your comment, briefly discuss your feelings on the following question:


Why do you think it is taking so long for the world to take significant action in Darfur?

How have the following responded to the crisis in Darfur?
- The United States government
- Private individuals and organizations

Share your reaction to the "60 Minutes" segment and any additional videos you watched on the topic.

Now that you are more informed about the issue, what do you plan to do?



Project Suggestion #2
You may watch all or part of the Frontline special, "On Our Watch" and complete the handout linked below.
Watch "On Our Watch"
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darfur/view/main.html
Handout:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/darfur/hand2.html
Labels:

Comments

Copus US said…
They are too lazy and need to send soldiers to darfur and try to help on the lost village and the over five hundred people without any home. They sould send money or people to work on the village and repair it to its rightfulness.
July 23, 2008 at 11:28 AM
drake w. said…
personally i think the dictator of darfur,is the one who is trying to make sure no one in the world can get the word out....maybe he's paying people off or something like that so no one will do anything and he can still do what he wants.....
July 23, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Social Studies Toolbox said…
copus - It isn't a matter of "laziness"...some people might perceive it as a matter of priorities. After the Jewish Holocaust, many said never again yet we have seen genocide after genocide take place.

The argument made by the U.S. Government for not being more aggressive in dealing with the genocide in Darfur is that some in the Sudanese government have valuable information we desperately want (regarding terrorists etc.)

Some have said it is about resources.

You guys might need to do more research to educate yourselves on the issue a bit more before answering this question.
July 23, 2008 at 11:37 AM
drake w. said…
in reaction to the 60 minutes section i believe that it is unfair to treat children with such hatred that they could even have the thought to kill a child or anyone else that is attending a school.....they should destroy the school when no one is in it.....
July 23, 2008 at 11:52 AM
drake w. said…
well thats not much we can do....as students and civilians no one from the government will listen and help the people in darfur when we are still fighting a war in Iraq
July 23, 2008 at 12:02 PM
ChrisU.S. said…
I think that the first question can be answered the same way as a lot of questions concerning other places: Many people just don't care what's happening way over there. I think the only reason we're still in Iraq is because it would make us look weak if we got out before we made them how we feel they should be.
July 23, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Social Studies Toolbox said…
Did you guys get a chance to look at some of the links under "What you can do"?

I ask because there is A LOT you can do!

Doing nothing because of apathy or frustration or disillusionment is what allows things like the genocide in Darfur to continue.

One thing I'd suggest is email your Senators and Representative. If many people put significant pressure on our leaders they would have to act. We need to let them know this issue is important to us and they better do something about it.
July 23, 2008 at 12:23 PM
drake w. said…
well according to the take action website it says we can call our congress, support the darfur campaign,etc.....but the only way any of these will work is if a few million of us(Americans) actually did something like call congress they could get fed up with the calls and might do something or they could just ignore it.......
July 23, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Social Studies Toolbox said…
drake - Are YOU going to send an email? Sign a petition? Write a letter?

I agree with you. Not a lot will get done unless MANY people act.
July 23, 2008 at 12:37 PM
drake w. said…
if i were to have a petition sent to me via letter or email i would sign it but i would not send a letter because im not a very political writer.
July 23, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Copus US said…
In reference to the Frontline pbs situation they sould get their sorry butts in Sudan and help protect them because there are people without any legs and some that have just one and that is why they have to get their sorry butts over there.
July 24, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Copus US said…
i would also sign it if i have to.
July 24, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Social Studies Toolbox said…
copus - Did I hear you correctly in that you watched the entire Frontline program, "On Our Watch"? I've only seen the first 10 minutes and the last ten minutes. I plan to watch the rest later this summer when I have more time.

I see Frontline has quite a few episodes you can watch online. I remember talking to my Psychology kids about an episode called (I think) "The Over-Medicated Child." I think I saw that episode as one we could watch online.

I'm glad you spent the time to watch the entire thing. Would you recommend it to others?
July 24, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Copus US said…
well yeah i would recomend it to every.
July 24, 2008 at 11:28 AM
jaleesaWH said…
i read the blog...and i think that people are not in the know of this situation and some people have their own agendas that they worry about....and the story from 60 minutes was enlightening to see that someone took their time to find out if this boy is alive and it was a very sad piece to watch because the fact that they (the sudenese) go into villiages and kill people and ruin the villiages and it made me sad about how our world is so full of hatred. many people see the world as like what ever country they are living in. what i plan to do is write to our congress and alot of other higher up leaders in our state and country, we need to get this subject out and made it the "word" that is spreading around.
July 24, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Social Studies Toolbox said…
jaleesaw- Save Darfur has a petition you can sign if you want to do that.


If you get a chance, I'd suggest looking at the student video, "Projections." If I remember correctly, it is fairly short but very powerful.

Let me know if you get a chance to watch it. By the way, did you get a chance to watch any of the PSAs on Maternal Mortality?
July 24, 2008 at 12:28 PM
ChrisU.S. said…
I've watched part of the documentary and signed the petition. From the first section, I basically learned that people in the United States have said that they would prevent a massacre but sat around and just about ignored Darfur when it was time to prove themselves true to their word.
July 25, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Social Studies Toolbox said…
chris - I believe this was your last project. If so, you are finished.

I haven't had a chance to finish the Frontline program, "On Our Watch," but plan to watch the rest later this summer. Do you plan to watch the rest of the program? Just curious.
July 25, 2008 at 9:35 AM
ChrisU.S. said…
No. I didn't, although I have a general Idea what they would be about. at least one would probably go into the history of them, one might talk about the life for some of them, you know, basic documentary information.
July 25, 2008 at 9:42 AM
wegnerH said…
i watched the 60 minutes video about the genecide and the boy Jacob. there were more than 300 thousand dead. there were 500 people living there at the time.They dropped bombs, started fires,shot men, and women were raped- as many as 10 to 15 men raped a woman at one time.there were 200,000 children in one camp. I think i will do some more research at the library about jacob.
July 25, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Social Studies Toolbox said…
wegner- I'm glad you watched the "60 Minutes" segment. I'll respond a bit more on you comment later this afternoon.
July 25, 2008 at 11:06 AM
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