Make Camp Darfur a Success

Camp Darfur alone will not be a success, you must create a program around the tents, work on outreach to get visitors to come, and offer activities that will engage your audience. Be creative and try new things. Below we have listed several ideas that other Camp Darfur host groups have used. If you have an idea that’s not listed here, let us know!

If you any questions you can email Katie-Jay at ktj@iactivism.org.

Program

Remember you are the expert when it comes to your community so create a program that you think will engage and empower your peers. If you’re at a high school we encourage you to invite teachers to bring their classes during specific periods and create a program for the class period. If you are a college or a community based organization your program might be an entire day. Here are some exampels of what to include in your program. Don’t feel like you need to include everything!

  • Welcome and introduction to the Camp/Day
  • Presentation by one of i-ACTs staff members
  • Screen short videos from the Darfuri refugee camps (you can have DVDs playing in each tent if the camp is indoors)
  • Invite Genocide survivors to share their stories
  • Read Darfuri refugee testimonies
  • Allow time for people to walk through the tents; either at will or rotate groups using schedule (works great for high schools).

 

Outreach Plan

This will be different for each and every group, but we encourage you to spend some time thinking about how to get people to visit Camp Darfur.

  • Get commitments from teachers and professors to bring their classes to the camp. You can give them a Camp Darfur booklet or create a questionnaire for visitors. Ask them to offer extra credit to their students who attend (this works especially well for colleges).
  • Reach out to local community groups and organizations that might be willing to partner, promote, or be part of the day.
  • POSTERS, emails, evites, and personal invitations (like to your school administrators, mayor, etc.)
  • Contact your local media including newspaper(s), radio, and television stations. Send them a media alert one week in advance of your event and again a few days before it. You can use this sample media alert as a guide.
  • Get your local city or college to declare it officially Genocide Awareness Day. We have examples of city proclamations that we can send you.
  • Post your event on all possible calendars as far in advance as possible.

 

Engagement at Camp Darfur

Beyond the program of speakers and presentations think about other ways you can engage visitors. Here are some activities that we have seen:

  • Peer-to-peer education: It’s very successful, especially at the middle and high school levels, to have a member of the host group in each tent give a presentation about that genocide.
  • Action Table: This is a must! Most people’s first question after walking through Camp Darfur is “What can I do?” Give them options: petitions, postcards, show them how to call 1 800 GENOCIDE, sign up to be involved in your group!
  • Compare and Contrast Visuals: Create an area that gives visitors a way to compare and contrast their lives like photos of shelters or what a refugee eats in one day vs. what a student might eat in one day.
  • Art Projects: Check out One Million Bones and the Butterfly Project
  • Computers: Visitors can watch short videos or take online quizzes to learn more about refugees and Darfur.
  • Fundraising: Check out Triangles of Truth or sell food, stickers, tshirts, or wristbands to raise money for direct humanitarian aid.
  • Something to Take Home: Give each visitor a profile of a Darfuri refugee to take with them, create flyers with actions and websites to learn more and stay connected. We can help you create these – just ask!

 

Educators Corner

Camp Darfur Booklet - Includes a brief introduction to each genocide included in Camp Darfur Camp Darfur Questionnaire - Have students fill out these questions while they visit the Camp Genocide Resource Guides: Armenia, Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur

Photos