the real story in darfur

today on worldview, chi public radio's global affairs program, there was a discussion with a filmmaker/conflict resolution practitioner, Jen Marlowe, who just finished working on a film interviewing refugees in Darfur.

The movie, Darfur Diaries: Message from Home, will be shown at Dusable Museum of African American History, today, Monday, May 22 @ 7 pm; and Tuesday, May 23 @ 11 am and 7 pm, at 740 East 56th Place-- at 57th and Cottage Grove, along the west edge of Hyde Park.

While in Darfur collecting the stories of refugees, the filmmakers met up with Darfur Peace & Development, an org they say is rooted in the community's struggle to bring education and development to their kids and families. Marlowe said they witnessed mothers in the camps--which are 80% women and children--taking their children out to a spot in the sand, and under the blazing sun, beginning to teach their kids themselves.

She also talked about the realities of the Darfur situation that are not making it to the airwaves/into the news--people in the camps say that in fact the government and the janjaweed militia are working together, and that many refugees remain afraid for their lives with this government in charge of maintaining the "peace" that was recently negotiated between rival groups . For more info on this movie and the story compilation, see Code Blue: Darfur.

Also:
Human Rights Watch
Amnesty International
Save Darfur
other links at Darfur Diaries