The Wake

“It’s easier to do nothing than do something,” says Mark Hanis, co-creator of Genocide Intervention Network.

A grandson of four holocaust survivors, Hanis has reason and motivation to help out those in Darfur and Sudan, to help them find solace and hope during their time of possible genocide.

A college student at the time, Hanis heard about Darfur in Oct. 2004. He was shocked that genocide was happening in the 21st century even after the 10-year anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide. Hannis and his classmate decided to skip class, venture to the library and Google Darfur to learn about what was happening. “Most Americans don’t know what’s going on in Darfur because of ignorance,” Hannis says.

Two Darfurian rebel groups launched an uprising against the Sudanese government in Khartoum because they were frustrated by poverty and neglect. The government responded to the innocent Darfurian civilians with their sponsored militia, the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed used rape, displacement, organized starvation, threats against aid workers and mass murder to kill or displace civilians. Since Feb. 2003, 450,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes. Each day, 500 people die, and after the rainy season ends, 1,000 people are expected to die according to Hanis.

Almost 200,000 Darfurians have crossed over to the neighboring country of Chad to live in the desert. There they have created makeshift homes out of materials either given to them from aid or their own creations. The camps created are sponsored by the United Nations.

“We really need to get political,” Hanis says. “Congress calls it genocide and three and a half years later nothing; still it’s not enough.”

Hanis and his friends moved to Washington, D.C. and created the Genocide Intervention Network with the mission to power American citizens and community with the tools to prevent genocide. The three critical tools they focus on are to educate, advocate and donate.

Based on their skills, Hanis and his associates contacted people via facebook.com, myspace.com and e-mail to create awareness and clubs. Genocide Intervention Network is powered through students and their dedication to raise awareness. Currently there are more than 600 StandUp Chapters around the U.S. The closest and largest StandUp Chapter in Minnesota is at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Raising money to help fund the cause is also important. Cornell University raised almost $5,000, and three high school students raised $3,000. Two Harvard University students investigated companies that were indirectly supporting the genocide. They threatened the university not to give their senior gift unless the company pulled out. The Harvard students saved $4.4 million dollars from petrol China with indirect support of genocide in Darfur.

Genocide Intervention Network created a report card system for government officials. “A big incentive for students is to get good grades because our parents pay our tuition and our professors want us to do well,” Hanis says. “So we used the same technique that motivates us and so we came out with report cards for Congress with grades A through F.”

A website was created where all the score cards are posted so the public can see how well a member of congress does. “The members should have nothing less than an A+ in terms of helping to stop genocide,” Hanis says.

“We had members from congress personally call our office saying, ‘I’m getting slammed from my constituents,’” Hanis says. Members of congress were concerned about what they could do to help change their letter grade to stop constituents from calling or emailing. Of those who had bad letter grades, they changed their views to help Darfur.

Though the chapters help to educate Americans, advocacy is needed to take action and advance the process of ending genocide in Darfur. Genocide Intervention Network figured out that strategic planning was needed. Sen. Richard Lucor of Indiana sets the entire agenda for the whole U.S. Senate on foreign relations. Hanis and associates went to him and asked him why the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act wasn’t being put onto the agenda or being voted on.

“He said two reasons, ‘I do not hear from anything from my constituents and two it’s just not a priority for us,’” Hanis says, quoting the senator.

Hanis and his associates went back to rallying up students at different schools in Indiana to apply the pressure to the senator by saying, “I’m from Indiana. I know what’s happening in Darfur and I want you to put this bill on the agenda.”

Other students were rallied up from George Washington University and Georgetown University, who went to opensecrets.org, which lists everyone who has made a campaign contribution. The students looked up Sen. Lucor and cold-called citizens who made a contribution for his campaign. Those students informed these people of their contribution and what Darfur is and how Lucor had a key role on this issue.

“After two weeks of donors calling, all spearheaded by students, Sen. Lucor put the bill on the agenda,” Hanis says. “The U.S. Senate passed the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act.”

The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act restates the U.S. government’s position that the Darfur conflict constitutes genocide. It asks the government to help the African Union peacekeeping and give force for stronger mandate with more generous logistical support. It also says that the U.S. government assists the International Criminal Court to bring justice to those guilty of war crimes in Darfur. The bill was passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by President Bush on Oct. 13, 2006.

Even though the bill was passed to help end the genocide in Darfur, help is still needed. Almost three years after the beginning, people are still unaware of the suffering in Darfur. Hanis came to the University of Minnesota campus in hopes of students interested in creating a StandUp Chapter to help end yet again another genocide.

For more information, go to or e-mail Hanis at . The Center of Holocaust and Genocide is also willing to help out any students interested in being a part of a solution.