Visual Rhetoric Paper on Darfur

Genocide, the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of a racial, ethnic, national or religious group (Wikipedia). Raphael Lemkin coined the word in 1944 by combing the Greek words ‘genos’ (meaning race) and ‘cide’ (meaning killing) to describe the horrific happenings of the Holocaust (History Place). In the 20th Century, seven cases of genocide took place around the world. The first was the Armenian genocide (1915-1918), followed by the Ukraine Famine (1932-1933), the Nanking Massacre (1937-1938), the Holocaust (1938-1945), Pol Pot in Cambodia (1975-1979), the Rwanda genocide (1994), and the Bosnia genocide (1992-1995). Hundreds of thousands and even millions were killed in each of these cases (United Human Rights Council). And after the genocide Rwanda, the world said “Never again.” But, in February 2003, a massive genocide of the people of Darfur by the Sudanese military and the Janjaweed, a militia group in Sudan, Africa began (Wikipedia). Since the genocide in Darfur began, there have been many organizations that have been trying to raise awareness and help the people of Darfur. However, the genocide is still occurring. I strongly believe that extreme action needs to be taken to stop this horrid case of genocide in Darfur.
Since the start of the genocide in February 2003, about 400,000 lives have been claimed and about 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes in Darfur. Many of their villages have been completely demolished, leaving millions of people with no home. Many villages that haven’t been destroyed are in danger of being destroyed. The people of Darfur continue to be killed and displaced everyday. This genocide started because the Darfurian people decided to stand up to the Sudanese government because of the poverty and neglect they were facing. The government responded by starting this massive genocide that is still occurring today. They have used rape, violence, organized starvation, and displacement against the people of Darfur (Darfur Scores). These people are being killed because of their race, which is why this situation in Darfur is being called genocide.
According to the United Nations, the biggest issue in Darfur is the systematic rape of the women in refugee camps where they have been displaced. Girls as young as four years old are being raped. Some are saying that rape is being used by the Sudanese as a form of ethnic cleansing. This situation has become so bad that women think of rape as a way of life now. And the men are afraid to accompany women to protect them from rape because they are at risk to be murdered (Robertson). This crisis in Darfur has become so bad that people displaced to refugee camps are no longer safe.
With such a serious case of genocide happening, one would think that the Sudanese government would try to make peace. Shockingly, they are completely denying that anything is seriously wrong and continue to wipe out the African tribes of Darfur. If the Sudanese government will not intervene and make peace in Darfur, someone will have to do so. I believe that the rest of the world needs to come together and find a way to stop this genocide. Many countries along with the UN have condemned the actions in Darfur and even talked a considerable amount about intervening in Darfur and protecting its people. But, no one has taken real action yet. I think that it is past time for everyone to come together and help stop this tragedy. Although Darfur is not part of our country, it is still our moral responsibility to help stop this war. I think that if the genocide doesn’t cease soon, it will become significantly worse than it has been since 2003. We helped when millions of Jews were being murdered during the Holocaust; why not help when hundreds of thousands are being killed in Darfur?
I have selected several pictures that accurately depict the situation in Darfur. The pictures have strong emotional appeals and should persuade people to take action in Darfur just by looking at them. Even if one does not know anything about the tragedy in Darfur, they can get a feeling about it from the visual aids I have provided. In this paper, I am trying to persuade people to help change the situation in Darfur by showing these pictures and explaining the genocide and how extreme it has become.
The first picture is of a refugee camp for the displaced people of Darfur. Many of the villages of Darfur have been destroyed, leaving its inhabitants homeless. These people are sent to refugee camps like this one. As you can see in this picture, the refugee camps provided to the displaced people of Darfur are nowhere close to safe or suitable for living. These people cannot live like this for long. Thousands of people living in huts made of sticks with little food is no way to live, especially for the children. They deserve a better and safer way of life like many others in this world are blessed to have. That is one of the reasons why we need to help end the genocide and get the Darfurians back to their homes to start their lives over.
The second picture is of four small children affected in Darfur. By looking at the children’s facial expressions and condition, you can tell that the genocide in Darfur has affected them greatly. The picture has a strong emotional appeal. The children look hungry, scared, and homeless. By looking at their physical condition, you can tell they are hungry and scared. By looking at the environment around them, you can tell that they have been displaced from their home. It is a great possibility that their caretakers have been killed or separated from the children by the Sudanese military or the Janjaweed. I believe this picture represents the condition of all the Darfur people as a result of genocide. It is obvious from this picture alone that these people need help in many ways. They need proper shelter and food and they need protection. When I look at this picture, I feel the need to help stop this genocide of innocent people.
The third picture shows the rotting remains on a man or women from Darfur and several members of the Sudanese military responsible for the massive killing of the people of Darfur. Like the first picture, this one has a strong emotional appeal as well. It shows how the victims of Darfur are unmercifully killed and left to rot in the sand. It’s horrible that the Sudanese treats the murdered like this. It is inhumane to brutally murder hundreds of thousands of people and leave them wherever they fall to rot. This picture represents how awful the members of the Sudanese army and Janjaweed are treating the people of Darfur. It also represents the massive murders and how much these people need the help of the rest of the world.
The last picture shows a woman of Darfur crying and another woman in the background that looks obviously upset. Many of the women that are murdered in Darfur are raped. Violence, displacement, and hunger of the people of Darfur a big problem, and now the systematic rape of women have become a main problem. From this picture, you can tell how frightened the women are of the Sudanese. I believe this picture represents all the women of Darfur. The raping of the women is another reason why it is necessary to stop the genocide.
From the information and pictures provided in this paper, I hope that anyone would be compelled to help out the people of Darfur. I believe that stopping the genocide in Darfur should be a top priority for our country and for other countries able to help. The situation over there is so bad, with the starvation, murders, displacement, and raping. The genocide in Darfur simply cannot continue for very much longer. After the genocide in Rwanda, everyone said “Never Again.” It is time to live up to our words and end the massive murder and displacement of the innocent Darfurians.