Professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College Eric Reeves introduced Yahya and briefly discussed the history of Darfur. After six years of research and study of occurrences in Darfur, Reeves is currently writing a book, "Sudan: Suffering a Long Way Off," which details international response to Darfur.
Yahya began his firsthand account of the crisis in Darfur by explaining how Arabs who first came to Sudan over 50 years ago were welcomed by the people. "We didn't know that they [the Arabs] came with a plan," he said. The Arabs first tried to Islamize the people of southern Sudan, a country with a black African Christian majority and a population of over 2.5 million people, according to Yahya.
Instead of going further into detail about Sudan's long history, Yahya stressed that the important issue was the current genocide in Darfur. "People are supposed to act in times of genocide as human beings," he said. "I don't want to say I am lucky to be here because I want to be there."
Acknowledging the United States' heavy involvement in Iraq, Yahya said he could comprehend American reluctance to become involved in Darfur. However, Yahya expressed frustration that only 1,000-2,000 troops from the African Union were sent to Darfur. "It is immoral. It is not fair," he said.
Yahya knows that further action could be taken in response to Darfur. "I know people can do something. They have great feelings; they have a conscience," he said. "You have so many ways to do something," he added, citing examples such as attending demonstrations in front of the UN building.
He continued to stress the need for governmental action in Darfur. "We need military intervention," he said. "These people need security." Yahya pointed out the irony of the situation when considering that the world has said "never again" to events such as genocide in Rwanda or the Holocaust. "We didn't get educated," he said.
A sense of despair marked Yahya's words as he reflected on his current situation. "I don't know what to say. I lost my hope. Imagine if you didn't have a place to go," he said. "I'm living with you, but my heart is not here." He noted as well that those in power who have the authority to take decisive action in Darfur do not "have the conscience. But those who have the conscience, they don't have the power."
Yahya said that his people ask him whether he has met with President Bush or former president Clinton. "Can you believe these questions?" he asked. "Why don't those people want to come and protect us?
Stressing the shared humanity of the victims in Darfur and the rest of the world, Yahya spoke of the necessity of empathy and compassion for the victims in Sudan. Noting Reeves' extensive involvement with the Darfur crisis, Yahya said that Reeves is so involved "because he feels it. He has the questions like you." Yahya closed with a final appeal for action in Darfur. "I have so much to say. But I know you have so much to do," he said. "Please come together to do something to stop the genocide against my people."
The personal experiences related by Yahya led many who attended the lecture to identify with the victims of Darfur. "I entered the program knowing very little about the crisis, but left with an understanding of the issues and a deep motivation to contribute to efforts aimed at spreading the word about the atrocities occurring in Darfur," said Ben Abelson '08. "Numbers can never reflect the scale of such horrors, but hearing a survivor speak about his personal experiences puts a face to the unbelievable statistics."