
The University of New Mexico
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Benson Hendrix, 505-277-1816
bhendrix@unm.edu
Darfur Refugees to Bring Stories of Survival to UNM
On Saturday, Oct. 20, survivors of the ongoing atrocities occurring in Sudan's western region of Darfur will share their stories of survival with University of New Mexico staff, students and faculty, as well as members of the local community. The event will start at 2:30 p.m. in the Anthropology Lecture Hall, room 163.
This event is part of the Save Darfur Coalition's Voices from Darfur campaign, a national speaking tour featuring refugees from the beleaguered region of the Sudan. One of the speakers will be Daoud Hari, who spent time in jail in 2006 on false espionage charges. He had been hired as a translator by Paul Salopek, who was reporting on a story for National Geographic magazine.
“The Voices from Darfur tour seeks to ensure that here in Albuquerque, New Mexico we understand the human dimension of the tragedy of Darfur. The millions of Darfuris affected by this genocide are individuals, each of whom has his or her own personal story to tell,” said Jenny Moore, Professor of Law at the University of New Mexico Law School. “The students, staff and faculty of the University of New Mexico welcome Daoud Hari and Amal Allagabo. We look forward to learning and becoming inspired by their call for an end to the genocide.”
Hari and Salopek were released from prison after New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson flew to Sudan and negotiated their release. Hari was granted refugee status by the United States shortly after his release.
Voices from Darfur was launched earlier this summer, highlighting speakers such as Hari, who fled his home in Darfur in 2003 after months of bombing by the Sudanese government. Since February 2003, up to 400,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in Darfur.
This event is being sponsored by the UNM School of Law, along with the UNM Peace Studies and other departments across campus. For more information, please contact Claire Conrad at conrad@law.unm.edu or call 277-0080.
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