By Kassie Kallner
IV Leader Opinion Editor, Oct. 25, 2007
Raising money and spreading awareness were the main objectives of the “Dimes for Darfur” event sponsored by Amnesty International and the Transformed student
groups.
The event, which was Oct. 1 in the IVCC lobby, raised $186. This money will be sent to the Damanga coalition, a relief organization working to promote human rights in the Darfur
region.
The coalition was founded by Mohamed Yahya, who traveled to IVCC last semester to speak about his experience with the genocide in Darfur.
Merri Mattison, Amnesty International faculty advisor, deemed the event a success not only because of the money raised, but because it brought the issue of Darfur to students’ minds and
conversations.
Amnesty International is a student group on campus, but also part of a world wide human rights organization that works to protect human rights and free prisoners of
conscious.
Mattison said, “Most people don’t realize that their lives are inextricably connected to the lives of others far from here.
“Injustice that is allowed to stand, human suffering that we fail to acknowledge, that we fail to address, will certainly befall us all.”
Amnesty International and the Transformed group will host another event in late October or early November. The event will be a “writing across campus day” where students can stop by a table in the lobby and sign human rights
letters.
For information, students can contact Mattison.