Music brings awareness for genocide in Darfur
Published April 8, 2008
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David Bennett and Karen Hinde play to a crowd at the benefit concert held by Students Taking Action Now: Darfur on Friday at the Cherry Street Artisan. The concert included four musical productions and was held to raise awareness for the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Columbia’s Cherry Street Artisan filled every chair March 4 when the Students Taking Action Now: Darfur organization held a benefit concert to raise awareness for the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Four musical productions were featured, with styles ranging from folk-cello-guitar to guitar percussion, jazz and soft rock. Duet David Bennett and Karen Hinde performed first.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that playing some music in Missouri can do anything to help alleviate the suffering of people we don’t know half way around the world,” Hinde said. “But I really appreciate the efforts of organizations like STAND, and know that all these seemingly small things can truly add up to something large enough to make an impact. Music is always an effective way to gather people to together, and I hope there were also others who learned more and will act wisely on that knowledge in the future.”
As the house lights dimmed and the stage lights illuminated, the audience slowed to a quiet murmur, sipping beverages and leaning back in anticipation. The performance began, and with phrases like “you are beautiful” floating from Hinde, the house was lulled into an elevated state where the concept of mass genocide seemed impossible in today’s “modern” world. The various handouts, tables and t-shirts advertising the conflict amplified this juxtaposition.
STAND Mizzou Vice President Caroline Ford was at the head of the process.
“After the Holocaust, our world leaders promised ‘never again,’” she said. “Yet we see it happening again today. It is unacceptable to remain silent. We hope to empower people to stand up and take action. Our collective voices have the power to make a difference.”
As the next performer, Brady Didion, took the stage, chatter started up again. Purely instrumental, Didion’s rhythm generated a calm atmosphere. The room grew even more crowded as more supporters filed in. Donations of a few dollars were collected at the door, a sum that would go entirely to relief efforts.
The final two performances by artists in Thicket and New Collective wrapped up the benefit with upbeat melodies.
“We hope to raise awareness on the Mizzou campus and in the Columbia community about the genocide and human rights atrocities currently occurring in Darfur, Sudan,” Ford said. “The money raised from the concert will go to the Genocide Intervention Network to provide civilian protection in Darfur.”
STAND Mizzou is a chapter of the national STAND: Student Anti-Genocide Coalition organization. Its mission is to inform and empower students to stand against genocide, specifically the current situation in Darfur. STAND hopes to provide students, in many ways, with the information, materials and policy expertise needed to adequately prevent genocide from occurring in our world today.
“We really wanted reach a different type of audience, our main goals were to raise awareness and funds for the cause,” president Nadege Uwase said. “On Friday night alone we raised $375. We want to thank the students for all the support that they’ve given us this year. We’ve raised over a thousand dollars this semester alone for the people in Darfur. We are very grateful.”
