I’ve been teaching about the Rwandan genocide for several years. One of my students, Ina Ziegler, approached me after class one day. She was shaken by what we’d been studying. Ina asked, “What are we going to do about this?

            I was profoundly disturbed by her question. I thought I had been doing something. I’d been teaching many students about genocide. I was making them more aware of the world to become better global citizens.

            Students’ attitudes often change as a result of courses. But much of the response to learning about genocide consists of being overwhelmed by human suffering and violence. Many students come away feeling not only sad, but also incapable of acting on their new knowledge. Teaching about genocide is a crucial first step. But Ina expected that options for ‘standing up’ and doing something would be part of the next step.

            I had no idea of what we could do about this. I struggled with her question for weeks. Finally in an issue of a newspaper from the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, I discovered the Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net). This organization was formed by college students advocating for an end to the Darfur crisis.

Here was my answer.

GI-Net was formed by Mark Hanis, grandson of four Holocausts survivors. He grew up surrounded by Jewish elders who bore tattooed numbers on their arms. They were visible, daily reminders of Hitler’s atrocities. Mark was determined that the international community should never again allow genocide to happen. When he read of the conflict in Darfar, he was compelled to act.

            GI-Net’s mission is to empower ordinary citizens to take steps to prevent and stop genocide. Their three goals are 1) to educate people about genocide, 2) to teach people how to advocate with their legislators to prevent or to stop genocides from occurring and 3) to raise funds to increase security for those whose lives are at risk.

GI-Net’s staff of fourteen is headquartered in Washington, D.C. . They have over 700 chapters around the country.

            I found a chapter at my university. We began with films and speakers. We raised some money for a civilian protection program in Darfur. We sent letters to our legislators.

            Now, 18 months later, our original chapter coordinates statewide activities. Students do most of our work. Last year we spoke at nearly thirty colleges, universities, religious organizations, and civic groups. We reached almost 3,000 people.

Our efforts succeeded in making Minnesota the 13^th US state to divest its public pension fund from companies complicit in the genocide. Edina, a Minneapolis suburb, became the third city, after Chicago and San Francisco, to officially support a UN resolution to prevent genocide and to urge national legislators to take a stronger stand in protecting innocent people. We held a conference for potential activists at civic, religious, and academic institutions throughout the state. We’ve raised a great deal of money from Minnesotans to keep women and girls safe from gender-based violence in Darfur.

            The most remarkable outcome, however, is students’ commitment to this anti-genocide work. They all knew little or nothing about Darfur when they joined GI-Net. They all had studied the Holocaust in high school. But they had no broader context for genocidal crimes. And the word ‘genocide’ was really connected to the Holocaust in their educational experiences.  For most of them, this has been their first role as activists. Their participation hasn’t been easy. Most work many hours a week to pay college tuition. And they face skeptism from non-activist friends and family.

            The students are passionate about this work. They have organized speakers’ events and testified at the Minnesota legislature to support divestment. They lobbied representatives in Washington. They organized fundraisers and taught classes in middle and high schools. They spoke to church groups, sent hundreds of letters to DC, and wrote newspaper articles about the Darfur genocide. They developed DVDs for classroom instruction. And they developed a website.

            The student’s report getting back so much more than they give. Ben’s words, typical of the students, are eloquent:

            “I gain hope from the students I’ve met. I gain a sense of purpose. I wake up in the morning with a poster the church group made about genocide. That poster hangs on the far side of my room. It’s a constant reminder of what I’m doing. I gain motivation. I’m driven to learn about the issue and go to school, fight for it, advocate for stuff to stop the genocide. I could never have experienced this in the classroom. It’s more valuable than any textbook or lecture. I’ve learned the strength of people coming together. We can make a big change. You read about it –but we’re doing it right now.

             Heather says,

“It’s apart of me now. It shapes who I am. It shapes how I view the world and people, even people I haven’t met. It’s been a very powerful experience. It’s opened my eyes to the power of grass-roots efforts. It’s really shaped my college experience as well. This has just changed my life completely. I’ve been able to educate the public on such important issues. And I’ve had a profound effect on lives here. They learn, and find the passion I’ve found in it. And in turn it affect countless lives halfway across the world.”

            Their classmates didn’t transform these students. Finding answers to Ina’s question changed them. They are now doing something to affect both public dialogue and public policy.

            Ina is embarrassed that I talk about her question. She expects everybody to ask it. And now I know what we can do about genocide: educate, advocate, and donate.

Ellen J. Kennedy
EDINA, MN