Human rights activist John Prendergast said there is hope for the war-torn region of Darfur in a lecture Tuesday. Prendergast, co-author of “Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond” has traveled to Africa numerous times in his 25-year career as an activist in an effort to illuminate the problems plaguing the continent.

In his book, along with Don Cheadle, acclaimed actor in “Crash” and “Hotel Rwanda,” Prendergast provides statistics highlighting the attempts at mass extinction of non-Arab communities by the government-sponsored Sudanese militiamen known as the Janjaweed. As stated in his book, 400,000 individuals have been killed, 2.5 million displaced and countless numbers of women systematically raped by their own government in the region of Darfur.

Prendergast personalized these statistics by telling the account of Amina, a mother of four who saw her family ripped apart by Janjaweed militiamen.

“Awoken by the sound of explosions, Amina rushed out in panic and mayhem as she realized the government of Sudan had sent warplanes to bomb the village,” Prendergast said. “More ominous than the sound of bombs was the horses of the Janjaweed. As she made it to the edge of the village, Amina encountered a Janjaweed militiaman who ripped her 7-year-old son from her arms and threw him into a hut that had been set on fire.”

Prendergast said Amina’s story is the daily reality of non-Arabs living in Darfur.

The good news, according to Prendergast, is that hope is on the horizon.

Individuals around the world shocked by atrocities committed on the part of the Sudanese state of Darfur have begun to take action to eliminate genocide in the nation, he said. Efforts to raise awareness of the conflict in Darfur have prompted elected officials to enact changes in political policy.

But Prendergast said the work has just begun. Power and responsibility to bring about a positive change in the country of Sudan lies in everyone’s hands, he said.

Prendergast speculated that several factors have allowed the genocide in Darfur to continue for more than four years: The media’s preoccupation with Iraq and the global War on Terror, the means by which China obtains oil and the portrayal of Africa as a hopeless continent.

Yet Prendergast said there are opportunities to erase their negative impact and thereby end the genocide.

For example, China may begin to experience a loss of positive image in the eyes of the world community as the next Olympics are set to be held in Beijing. The hope for those wishing to end Darfurian genocide is that many businesses that sponsor the Olympics and use the event as a marketing tool will begin to pull their finances because of China’s financial support of the Sudanese government and indirectly the Janjaweed.

But Prendergast said opportunities such as this one can only be realized if citizens of America begin to raise their voices in opposition to the mass atrocities occurring in Darfur. Prendergast identified six ways in which anyone who cares can begin to help the nation of Darfur: Raising awareness, raising funds, writing letters to everyone from media outlets to elected officials, supporting the divestment of American-based companies that do business with the Sudanese, joining organizations that work to end the genocide and lobbying the government. In Prendergast’s view, there are countless was to help Darfur, but it is up to everyone to take a stand and act.

Britney Harris, junior in fine arts and member of cultural attractions committee was moved by the presentation.

“There are always causes to get behind, and Darfur is currently one of the most pressing issues of our generation,” Harris said. “I really appreciated Prendergast’s attention to detail. He explained the issue clearly and offered feasible ways to help the cause.”