Professor says U.S. can do more in Darfur crisis

Wednesday evening, political science Professor Jack Bielasiak said though the United States acknowledged the killings in Darfur, Sudan, as genocide, it has done very little to remedy the ongoing crisis.\nStudents packed a Woodburn Hall classroom to hear Bielasiak present his talk "Genocide, Responsibility, Darfur." Bielasiak studies emerging democracies and 20th century genocides. The event was presented by the Bloomington chapter of Save Darfur, a group that is trying to inform the public about the killings of black Africans in the Darfur region of Sudan, according to the Save Darfur Web site, www.savedarfur.org.\nBielasiak explained that genocide is usually a term only applied after the fact. In cases like Rwanda, the phrase "acts of genocide" was used, but it does not evoke the same burden on the international community to do something, Bielasiak explained, whereas, "defining genocide brings with it the responsibility to act." \nHowever, in an unprecedented move, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and later President George W. Bush have both called Darfur genocide.\n"It is instructional and surprising that the U.S. has declared Darfur to be genocide," Bielasiak said, adding we are still the only country to do so. Still, the United States has not changed its foreign policy with Sudan since recognizing the genocide. One reason why the United States would announce it as a genocide in the first place, Bielasiak said, was because the country is trying to counter its negative international image. \nBielasiak said labeling Darfur a genocide is clearly doing very little to change the situation there. \n"The G word is not a magic formula. For a long time we thought if one simply labeled something genocide, we would be able to mobilize international groups to stop it," Bielasiak said.\nNick Corbett, a graduate student studying political science and Central Eurasian studies, was one of the students present. He was concerned that general apathy would result from our government's failure to act.\n"You get to the point of frustration where you think if governments aren't going to do anything, what can the individual do?" said Corbett.