ASU Hosts Public Forum On U.S. Role In Sudan
ASU Hosts Public Forum On U.S. Role In Sudan
by Staff Writer
The Mountain Times
April 7, 2005
The brutal violence and killing currently taking place in Sudan has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Secretary of State Colin Powell has called it genocide and the United Nations has described it as one of the worst humanitarian crisis of today. In response, an initiative is being taken by the Americans for an Informed Democracy (AID). Nationwide, the group is hosting more than one hundred town halls on the U.S. role in Sudan, as well as other issues in the future of U.S.-Africa relations and the future of U.S. policy toward the developing world.
Assisting these efforts, representatives of Americans for Informed Democracy at Appalachian State University, in conjunction with other campus and community groups, will be hosting a Boone Public Forum on the current situation in Darfur, Sudan, and the U.S. role in the current conflict there. Questions to be addressed include: How did the crisis in Sudan begin? What is the current situation in Sudan? What is the consensus among policymakers and the American people about U.S. intervention in Sudan?
The Boone public forum will take place at 5:30 pm on April 13 (Wednesday) in Appalachian State University’s Student Union Attic Window Room. The event is free and open to all. Guest panelists include: Dr. Ike Udogu, Professor of Political Science, Appalachian State University, and Dr. Richard Griffiths, Professor of African Politics,University of North Carolina – Greensboro.
The event’s panelists will examine any of a wide variety of questions on the subject of America’s past, present, and potential future role in Sudan. Following opening presentations, the speakers will lead the audience in an interactive question and answer session.
“Today’s generation will not only be the decision makers of tomorrow, but we will also have to deal with the consequences of current decisions,” says Appalachian State University student Amanda Robinson. “It is therefore our obligation to understand how and why humanitarian crisises around the world occur, what the role of the United States has been and should be, and to engage in dialouge about possible solutions.”
The town hall is part of a broader series called Red, White, and Blue Coming Together, an initiative by Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) to unite Americans behind a common vision for the U.S. role in the world after a bitter election season. As part of this series, in February and March, AID is coordinating town hall meetings related to the future of U.S. relations with Africa. Surveys indicate that Americans overwhelmingly support intervention in Sudan, a robust U.S. role in aiding new African democracies, increasing free trade with Africa, and working with Africa in the war on terror. AID hopes that its events can help bring attention to this “hidden consensus” which already exists among the U.S. public, but which has been overshadowed until now by more polarizing issues.