Help Darfur Now: Defend Darfur, Churchill High School

A letter from Morgan Dumitru, Defend Darfur Committee dated July 4, 2007:

Thank you very much for your help in seeing that the fruits of our efforts reach those in
need. This being the first time we have ever organized such an event or benefit, your help is
extremely appreciated.

Though I do not feel the need to explain our cause to you, I would like to take the time
to give you some sort of idea who we are, what we organized, and why.

Defend Darfur is a non-profit minded group seeking to defend the people of Darfur
from the unacknowledged genocide taking place in their homeland. It was started in the
spring of 2007 by five seniors of Churchill International High School. Our short-term goal
was to make a difference before we left high school, organizing a benefit concert and silent
auction that would bring together local musicians, artists, businesses, and community
members to raise funds and awareness for the genocide in Darfur.

The roots of our desire to change the world for the better are different for each person,
but have been greatly nourished by our education in Eugene International High School
(HIS). Throughout the years in IHS, we studied the world at large. Literature from Japan, the
history of Mexico, and the geography of Sweden all made their debut at some point. We
learned about Aboriginals, Zoroastrianism, and everything in between. As part of this
education, we were shown, and came to realize that the value of humanity is exponentially
greater than any one nation. That equality, through not always present, is just and right. And
perhaps as much as anything, that if we never imagine a perfect world, we’ll never have one.

Though the event would eventually be held with the support of a large number of people,
it was envisioned and organized by only five seniors: Morgan Dumitru, Erin Miller, Aubri
Bishop, Kate Wagoner, and Peter St. George.

One evening, it occurred quite suddently to Aubri Bishop that after four years of an education packed with international issues; we still hadn’t done anything to make the world a better place. Thus, she decided to do something. When the rest of us caught wind of her idea, Duty to Defend Darfur was envisioned as a
way to do something, raise awareness, and make a difference. This endeavor, which began to
take shape in February, was later renamed Defend Darfur.

On June 2nd, 2007, only three months after we first began talking about such a project,
we stood at the doors of the Churchill High School Auditorium, and welcomed people to
the Defend Darfur Benefit Concert and Silent Auction. Our mission statement was: to raise
funds and awareness to end the genocide in Darfur and suffering of its people. And, bringing together
local musicians, artists, businesses, and community members, it is our hope that we
succeeded.

With music, a silent auction, merchandise, an information booth, a photo gallery, and a
food vendor, what we had originally envisioned as a small concert transformed into a small
festival of sorts. With a five-hour-long concert by local musical groups including Caleb Paul,
Kandid, The Moonbox, Michelle Zauner, and Florn Lamproid, and a silent auction featuring
donations from businesses and local artists, both professional and amateur, it soon
developed momentum of its own. Over the course of the evening, between 200 and 300
people gathered to enjoy the music and good food, and to bid on amazing pieces of art.
In the end, we raised $3,950, gathered dozens of signatures for petitions, raised
awareness of the genocide, and proved that five overworked, sleep-deprived teenagers can
make a huge difference if they set their minds to it.

It is also our hope to continue such activism as we continue into the future, perhaps not
together, and perhaps not for Darfur, but certainly to create of this world a better place, and
provide the opportunity for others to wake up and make a difference as well.

Darfur is one of the largest humanitarian crisis’ in the world today. It must be brought to
a halt – something that will take the support of many to transpire. For our part, we would
like to thank you for your help in seeing that our efforts do indeed make a difference.

Sincerely,
Morgan Dumitru
Defend Darfur Committee
morgandumitru@yahoo.com