KNOW GENOCIDE PARTICIPATES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
RALLY TO END DARFUR GENOCIDE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Harout H. Semerdjian
May 4, 2006 617-489-1597
Web: E-mail: [email protected]
BOSTON, MA – On April 30, 2006 members and supporters of the newly
formed KNOW GENOCIDE coalition joined thousands of activists in our
nation’s capital in condemning the ongoing genocide in Darfur and
bringing the tragedy to the attention of the White House. The event
was sponsored by the Save Darfur coalition.
Since 2003, the western Sudanese region of Darfur has been subject
to a systematic campaign of massacres, starvation and dislocation
initiated by the Sudanese government and its Janjaweed militia, in
total defiance of international law. This ongoing catastrophe has
claimed the lives of 400,000 people while displacing another 2.5
million. Over 3 million people are currently suffering from hunger
while atrocities and starvation continues to claim countless lives.
“I hope that this weekend will have a strong impact on our politicians,
to act and act now,” said Mr. Jean Nganji of Rwanda Outlook, a member
group of KNOW GENOCIDE. Mr. Nganji, who lost much of his family and
friends in the Rwandan Genocide, has devoted much of his recent years
in raising public awareness about genocide. The issue of genocide
denial is very personal to Rwanda, as there is a current movement of
denial, negation and revision of what happened during the 1994 Rwandan
Genocide. “There are also sympathizers and professors who advised
the genocide regime and now continue to be part of this movement,”
continued Mr. Nganji. “We owe it to ourselves and humanity, in making
sure that history is not distorted to the benefit of those who want
to justify their crimes.”
Speakers at the Darfur rally included renowned Harvard scholar
Dr. Samantha Power, author of A Problem from Hell: America and the
Age of Genocide, and Mr. John Prendergast, Senior Adviser at the
International Crisis Group and author of seven books on Africa. Both
scholars were briefed on the efforts of KNOW GENOCIDE, who, in turn,
voiced their support of the coalition’s efforts.
Other coalition groups represented at the Darfur rally include members
of the Armenian Assembly of America, Jewish Community Relations
Council, Armenian National Committees of Massachusetts as well as
students from Georgetown and George Washington universities.
KNOW GENOCIDE urges its members and supporters to send an electronic
postcard to President Bush urging him to stop the genocide in Darfur
by visiting
KNOW GENOCIDE is a multi-ethnic, non-partisan coalition founded
to counter the ongoing denial of known cases of genocide, such
as the Darfur, Bosnian, Cambodian, Jewish, Rwandan, and Armenian
genocides. For more information please visit our website at
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