Surviving Darfur

Company: UNHCR

Age Range: All Ages

Does NOT Include Teaching Materials

Topic: Racism and Human Rights

Subject Areas: Human rights, Nationalism, Racism, Immigration, Persecution and War, Government, Social Studies, History, Freedom

Film Synopsis:  A slideshow (with voice-over) about the refugees of Darfur, a country with the worst displacement rate in the whole world, and is filled with violence.

Running Time and Sections: 1 program—about 10 minutes

Alex’s Review:

Darfur is the largest country in Africa with the worst humanitarian conflict and the worst displacement in the world. This photo slideshow of pictures taken by Helene Caux details the violence in Darfur, how the UNHCR is helping this country, and a few families’ stories as refugees. The violence can be traced back to many years of civil unrest, but most notably in 2003. Darfur is home to mostly farmers, who began to feel as though the government was neglecting them. In 2003, rebellions began and, in an effort to suppress the violence, a violent militia was formed that targeted innocent people. Many people died, many became refugees, and the repercussions of the war are still being felt.

Although this video is only a slideshow of pictures, the information the movie describes can greatly impact any teacher’s lesson about war, government, refugees, and even serve as a comparison between America and different countries in Africa. A good reminder of how lucky we are to live in a country such as America: a world leader, an example of an effective government, many stories and proof of successful businesses, and a nation that is not at war with itself. There are many sides to the topic of American government, but I believe that it is safe to say that we are all happy with the government, especially when we compare our nation’s leaders and capital to the government in Darfur or other warring nations in Africa.