"FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS STUDENTS HAVE SPOKEN OUT AND PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE MOVEMENT TO END GENOCIDE IN DARFUR, BUT THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE. WHAT MORE CAN STUDENTS DO TO STOP THE GENOCIDE?"
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Committee on Conscience is asking high school and university students to write an op-ed responding to the question above. Publish your piece in your school or local newspaper and enter it in the Committee on Conscience’s Darfur Op-Ed Writing Contest.
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.”
—Attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller, a German minister imprisoned during World War II for opposing the Nazi party
Pastor Niemöller’s quote is engraved on the walls of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a reminder of the world’s silence during the Holocaust. These powerful words challenge us to speak out about the genocide in Darfur today.
Students should...
- Learn more about the Genocide Emergency in Darfur
- Research current conditions in Darfur
- Propose ways to respond to the crisis today
- Effectively communicate their views to their audience
The authors of the two winning essays, one at the high school level and one at the university level, will be flown into Washington, D.C., where you will have the opportunity to tour the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and attend the Days of Remembrance Ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. The 2 winners will also be interviewed for the Museum’s audio interview series, Voices on Genocide Prevention.
The contest will be judged by: New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof; Illinois Senator, Barack Obama; and Former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.
Please review the requirements and guidelines for entering the contest. Make sure to include a completed entry form (pdf) with a copy of the editorial as published or a printout of the Web page if published online. Editorials must be published by a school or local newspaper between September 1, 2006 and March 1, 2007. Entries must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2007. Make sure entry form is complete before mailing it.
Good luck. We look forward to receiving your entry.
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