Darfur Benefit Show Scheduled

Megan Ouellette knows the importance of international relations after interning with a student leadership organization focused on world issues over the summer. Ouellette is the main organizer for the Darfur Benefit Show, a concert which intends to highlight the ongoing genocide there.

“Music can bring together a lot of people, the way a good cause can,” Ouellette said.

The show at Attitudes Bar and Grill, is set for Friday, April 4. Lee Street Riots, The House Floor and Altaire are the performing bands for the event, which will run from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday. People who wish to attend must be at least 18 years old. The price for those 18 to 20 years old is $7 and $5 for people 21 and older.

“Knowledge is power, and that is the first step towards helping the situation,” Ouellette said.

With that intent in mind, all the proceeds raised will go to the Genocide Intervention Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing aid to Darfur refugees, according to Deirdre Hand who selected the fund raising association.

The donations will provide funds for two mains goals: obtaining alternative fuels for cooking other than firewood and paying for peacekeeping troops, who would protect the refugees as they gather wood.

One of the major sources of violence occurs because of the need for firewood, which involves conducting searches away from the safety of the refugee camps. Women are often raped and killed while the men are outright killed on these attempts to find a cooking source. A rebel group known as the Janjaweeda is accused of committing genocide against the ‘black’ Africans who they claim are suppressing African Arabs within Sudan, according to Hand.

 “There are still only a few people who aware of the situation, despite being five years into the genocide,” said Hand, “and seeing movies such as “Hotel Rwanda,” it is important to realize that genocides are not things of the past.”

Ouellette wanted to simultaneously raise money, awareness and advocacy for the Darfur refugees when she began plan and organize the show. The International Relations Organization at Virginia Tech’s president Larissa Mihalisko approved the idea in late August 2007 with the details including the bands, finalized in February 2008.

The bands’ musical styles are considered part of the rock genre. “The House Floor” is primarily an indie rock band, while “Lee Street Riots” plays a similar style to punk rock. “Altaire” who will perform as the opening act, have an instrumental sound according to Ouellette. All three bands have ties to Radford and the local area.

The concert is being sponsored by the International Relations Organization at Virginia Tech and co-sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society.

For more information about the sponsor, and the event see the International Relations Organization’s website or the event group “Darfur Benefit Show” on Facebook.