When journalist Nick Clooney was featured in September in Wilmington College’s Issues & Artists Series, he challenged students to become the next “greatest generation” by addressing the crisis in Darfur.

Students in Michael Snarr’s honors section of Freshman Global Issues took that challenge to heart and, during the ensuing two months, have educated themselves and others on the genocide, lobbied government officials and, now, they are bringing a living piece of Darfur to Wilmington.

As a result of funds raised by the class, two Darfuri refugees, Ibrahim Adam and Ibrahim Hamid, will speak of their people’s plight Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m., in WC’s Top of Pyle Center. The program, “Voices from Darfur,” is open to the public.

Simply stated, as many as a half million Darfuris have been murdered and some 2.5 million displaced as a result of a government-backed genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan in Africa.

Clooney said, “They are the poorest of the poor; these are the loneliest people out there. They have no possessions. No country. They have no place to turn except to you.

“Young people, the good news is you have the chance to be the next ‘great generation.’ You’re ready to get this thing done,” he said. “You’re going to fix it.”

Snarr, associate professor of social and political studies, is more than impressed with his class’ commitment to the cause. Their personal journey to Darfur started when he assigned his students to read the book “Not on Our Watch” in preparation for Clooney’s visit.

“The Darfur book had a theme, that individuals can do something,” he said, noting Clooney’s plea echoed those same sentiments. “This genocide like all genocides will end one day. You can play a role as to when.”

The students were given a private audience with Clooney prior to his campus presentation, which provided a further catalyst for their activism and interest in bringing the Darfuris to campus.

“They are the most enthusiastic and outgoing group of students I’ve ever worked with,” Snarr said, noting the class is a mixture of students majoring in biology, chemistry, theatre, education, agriculture and undeclared. None are in social and political studies or concentrating on another area that would be considered a natural for such activism — yet.

“My hope was they would get active and it’s happened,” he added. “Because of them, a lot of other students know what’s going on in Darfur.”

The class has held bake sales and sold T-shirts while staffing information tables in the College’s student center lobby during meals. Bolstering their fundraising effort was their

insistence on utilizing the WC funds normally reserved for their class to eat at a “fancy” international restaurant.

Concurrently, some 50 students from grades six through 12 at Wilmington City Schools expressed an interest in establishing a student chapter of the Save Darfur Coalition.

Jane Taylor, art teacher at Rodger O. Borror Middle School, attended the Clooney presentation with several other teachers. “I felt moved to do something,” she said. “The first thing we thought was to bring it to the school.”

Jeri Earley, another teacher at the middle school, invited Snarr to speak with interested students about the Darfur situation. “I thought I’d bring a couple of my Global Issues students and, when I asked who was interested in going, every hand went up,” Snarr recalled. “They weren’t doing it for a grade - they did it because they wanted to and it’s become a cause in which they believe.”

Snarr was equally surprised when he and his class arrived at the middle school in October.

“When I was invited to speak, I thought I’d talk to three or four students — I’m so excited there’s more than 30 of you,” he told the high school and middle school students that stayed after school to see Clooney’s documentary film, “A Journey to Darfur,” and speak

with the College students.

Katie Venable, a freshman in Snarr’s class from Wilmington, was especially happy to visit her former school. “Those are my friends and it was really neat to share with them what we have learned,” said Venable, a biology and Spanish major.

“I’ve been interested in Africa for some time, but I didn’t know anything about Darfur,” she added, noting the Global Issues class represents a realization of something she eagerly anticipated even before starting at WC.

“College is a place where you can discuss issues and learn — this helps shape your personality,” Venable said. “I didn’t know what I would be passionate about when I came here, but I expected it would be something. I now know that Darfur is one thing I’m passionate about.

“I really want to make a difference.” Classmate Emily Donaldson first heard of Darfur last year when her high school class visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington

D.C. “There were postings there about a genocide in Darfur,” said Donaldson, a freshman from Fairborn majoring in biology. “I had very little knowledge of Darfur before this fall. The book we read gave a lot of options for ways to make a difference and Nick Clooney showed us the difference that one person can make. It’s exciting our class has become so interested in teaching others about what’s going on in Darfur - we’ve really taken a hold of this issue.”

Venable is excited the Nov. 29 program will give them yet another perspective on the crisis that will complement the book, documentary and Clooney first-hand account.

“It will be amazing to hear from actual Darfuris,” she said. “This should be a personal and powerful experience.”