“Deconstructing Darfur” is off to a great start. After a long and very difficult decision to pick ten teens out of 40-some applications, the workshops could begin! With just two of the eight workshops complete, I am really enjoying getting to know the members of “Deconstructing Darfur” who have shown so much enthusiasm and openness with one another and to learning about a topic such as Darfur and genocide, that can be very draining and tough to understand.
Each week the teens meet inside a tent, based off of photos of where classes are held inside a refugee camp in Darfur or Chad. The tent is complete with a dirt floor and little mats for each participant to sit on. As the weeks progress, the tent will change thanks to the help of two great teen builders. As we progress and gain a deeper understanding of what positive change might look like to a fellow teen living in Darfur, the tent will change to symbolize our understanding of reasonable, constructive development.
Workshop 1
During our first workshop, we explored what life might be like for a young person living in the Darfur region of Sudan. To get to know one another, we started by sharing some of our own interests and ways we have either seen or participated in activism in the past. We then brainstormed how we might be able to connect them to our own concepts of what “Deconstructing Darfur”, both personally and politically. We then teleported to the Darfur Image Center containing images of people and places in Darfur. Each teen chose an image they connected with, writing a journal entry as a day in the life of a teenager growing up in Darfur, Sudan. Afterwards, each team member had the opportunity to share their reflection via type chat or voice chat. After sharing the entries, the group discussed how taking on a first-person role helped to understand what conflict is like to an individual that is living there and not just learning about the statistics.
Journal Entry Excerpts
"Not too long ago good soldiers tried to come into the camp, but we were ordered to shoot them. This makes me very sad as I know that I have killed one of the people trying to save us. I had to fight because I didn't want to get killed instead. After being on watch, I go home and pray for the rest of the night. I pray that we are able to get food and water the next day, and there is still even a little prayer in me asking to be helped and ridden from this terrible place. I also pray for the heat to not be so bad the next day, as it is killing alot of the livestock. I end my day on the ground of our hut, sleeping on the hard ground, hoping that I will be able to awake the next morning." -Nate
"My mother and I are the only ones that survived the attack and, although we were wounded by the Janaweed, we still managed to escape. We're at a refugee camp now, we're almost there. Our destination? Chad. The only place that's safe for us right now. We can't stay here, My mother would be taken advantage of, or worse. And I? I would certainly be recruited into the government militia that is responsible for killing my Father and siblings." -Jadie
"I feel sore and my muscles ache like steel under too much weight. im so hot from the blazing sun and the scratchy clothes rub my skin raw. we're trying to reach Chad like ducks following their mother away from danger and we have little hope, just a will, a will to live a hope to live securley away from the scorching sun and stench of gunpowder. The treaty they signed didnt help our journey, matter of fact it began it." -Flexis
Workshop 2
The second meeting of "Deconstructing Darfur" began by examining some of the factors, terminology and emotions associated with displacement, loss, movement/migration. All the teens placed their avatars in the middle of the checkerboard and took a step forward each time a statement was true for them. For example, take one step forward if you know one place in the world where children have been used as soldiers. By looking at a wide range of these factors, we all realized not only did they all apply to the situation in Darfur, but we knew more about it than we thought. Next the teens split into pairs to develop background information and strategies as key players in Darfur. These key players were the UN Security Council, The Government of Sudan, International Criminal Court, African Union and China. Each team worked together to research and share who they are and their position on Darfur, what responsibility they have to protect the people of Darfur and finally, how they would go about protecting the civilian population in Darfur and in refugee camps in Chad.
This activity helped to portray the complexity of the situation as it demonstrated how interests and political relations greatly influence humanitarian assitance. To wrap up our second workshop, we brainstormed factors that would lead to positive change for our tent. As a team, we decided to add books to symbolize normalcy and education, a wall and UN Peace-keepers to symbolize security and protection, and a teddy bear to symbolize comfort. Watch for pictures of the new build shortly!
Constance Steinkuehler's 
