A survivor’s view on genocide

Darfur genocide survivor and human rights activist Niemat Ahmadi will speak at a free public event at Stetson University at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27.

Hosted by Stetson’s STAND, a Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, Ahmadi’s talk will be held in the Rinker Auditorium of the Lynn Business Center, 345 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. It is co-sponsored by Kaleidoscope, the Social Justice Advocacy Organization and the Cross Cultural Center, all at Stetson.

A native of North Darfur, Ahmadi is the director of global partnerships for United to End Genocide. She has worked with NGOs in the fields of emergency response, development, women’s empowerment, hunger and technology and, in the United States, on policy advocacy on genocide and mass atrocities. She served as an advisor at the seventh round of inter-Sudanese Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2006. In her position, she promotes collaboration between the coalition and the Darfuri Diaspora within the United States and abroad.

While in the United States, Ahmadi has traveled broadly, sharing her story and the stories of others to promote genocide education and to educate American people about the long-standing crises in Sudan. She has focused on the impact of genocide on women and testified about the use of rape as weapon of war before United Nations Security Council in New York, UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, and many other testimonies before the U.S. Senate and the Security Council to demand justice for genocide crimes committed in Darfur.

She is a founding member of the Darfuri Leaders Network, a coalition of 23 domestic Darfuri organizations working to promote justice, peace and security in Darfur, and also founded Darfur Women Action Group. She was educated at Ahfad University for Women in Khartoum and, in 2008, was recognized by President George W. Bush as one of the eight global human rights fighters for freedom of their people.