Operation Broken Silence

The war in Iraq continues, but many people have forgotten the genocide in Darfur. Sophmore Mark Hackett is trying to break the silence.

Hackett, who is majoring in international studies at The University of Memphis, founded Operation Broken Silence in 2007 as a support group for aid organizations in the war-torn region.

"We are a group that tries to bring schools and churches into the anti-genocide movement," he said. "We have fundraisers and send the proceeds over to activist groups already in Darfur."

Hackett became aware of African genocide two years ago when he was a culinary art major.

"A friend e-mailed me that some stuff was going on in Sudan," Hackett said. "I started reading up on it and had a change of heart."

Hackett left school for a year to research African war zones. Six months later, he founded Operation Broken Silence.

More than 500,000 Darfur civilians have been killed and another 3 million displaced since war broke out between the government of Sudan and two rebel groups in 2003, Hackett said.

The two rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement, started the war by attacking towns, civilians and government facilities in Darfur. The SLA and JEM cited neglect and discrimination against African tribes by an Arab-dominated government as their justification.

Even though the government of Sudan denies being in cohorts with any rebel group, they have been accused of hiring Arab tribal fighters, the Janjaweed, to exterminate the SLA and JEM. Government troops and Janjaweed militias have been accused of pillaging, raping and burning 90 percent of the villages in Darfur.

Christopher Burt, public relations director for the organization, is a senior at Crichton College where he is a bridge major, combining psychology, humanities and political science.

"I started studying on Africa my junior or senior year of high school,"î Burt said. "ìI saw the film Hotel Rwanda and was really broken about what's going on and the realization that things like that are still going on and a lot worse."

Nobody from Operation Broken Silence has traveled to the war stricken area yet, but it's not from lack of trying.

"I was supposed to go for the past two summers,"î Hackett said. "ìMy trip has been cancelled both times due to security reasons. We are hoping that this summer, if Sudan doesn't work out, that we can go to Uganda or Eastern Congo, which is a little easier to get into."

U of M senior Terrance Stevenson, former president of The U of M chapter of Amnesty International, said that before the situation in Darfur can improve, the younger generation must become involved.

"It is important to get involved because more attention needs to be brought to this current problem,"î said the international studies and political science double major. "ìGenocide rips the moral fabric of humanity, and it is important for our generation to use our voice to end and prevent these crimes worldwide."

There are ways to help with the fight against genocide that don't involve sending money or hours of travel. According to Stevenson, knowledge is power.

"Knowledge is the most powerful tool against genocide," he said. "The more we know about genocidal conflicts, the better we can find ways to stop them."

Burt said the conversations about Darfur must continue.

"Be informed, talk about it and make it a point of interest," he said.