FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: Sept. 12, 2007 Contact: Diane Buzick, 786.4508, diane.buzick@llcc.edu SPRINGFIELD—Lincoln Land Community College will kick off a week of multicultural activities Tuesday, Sept. 25 with two presentations on the “The Crisis in Sudan” by Darfur refugee Mohamed Yahya. Mr. Yahya, founder and executive director of the Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy, will speak at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Student Union of Menard Hall on LLCC’s main campus, 5250 Shepherd Road, Springfield. The public is invited at no charge. Mohamed Yahya was born in a small village east of Al-Geneina, the capital of Darmassaleit (West Darfur state). As a child and adult, Yahya experienced the brutal racism that permeates Sudanese society. In 1995, Yahya and other Sudanese students living in Cairo formed the Representatives of the Massaleit Community in Exile (RMCE). They sought to alert the international community of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Their first major open letter to the international community, “The Hidden Slaughter and Ethnic Cleansing in Western Sudan,” was distributed in 1999. In 2002, fearing reprisal from the Sudanese government for his humanitarian and advocacy work, Yahya sought political asylum in the United States. Recruiting friends and colleagues, he founded the Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy (DCFD) to advocate for the people of Darfur. In conjunction with Yahya’s visit to LLCC, “A Dollar for Darfur” campaign will be held on the LLCC campus beginning Monday, Sept. 17 with proceeds going toward the purchase of solar cookers for the refugees from Darfur. Donations also will be accepted at Mr. Yahya’s presentations on Sept. 25 and at the Multicultural Fest the following day. On Wednesday, Sept. 26, LLCC is hosting its fourth annual Multicultural Fest from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Trutter Center on the main campus. The Fest will feature a variety of food, booths and entertainment celebrating various cultures from all over the world in addition to various cultures and traditions within the United States. Groups participating include the Central Illinois Native American Flute Circle, Land of Lincoln–Advocate for Darfur, Springfield Illinois Commission on International Visitors, Work of Human Hands and more. In addition, various community representatives and LLCC programs and student clubs will provide information about a variety of other cultures. Information will be available on the countries of Brazil, China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kenya and the Philippines as well as the various lifestyles and cultures of seniors, those living with vision, hearing, learning and/or physical impairments and more. Food will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Local restaurants participating include: Clay’s Popeye’s Bar-B-Que, Gateway to India, Holy Land Diner, Hunan, La Fiesta, Magic Kitchen and the Springfield Motor Boat Club (German cuisine). Entertainers for the event include: Jabali Afrika, African rhythms group; Ashley Yuan, Chinese vocalist; Kathryn Ristrick, Australian storyteller; Carolina Mata, Mexican entertainer; Sharon and Brennan Stidham, Irish dancing; the River Ramblers; bluegrass/country and LLCC’s Madrigal Singers. Additional lectures and video showings on cultural issues will be held throughout the week. Events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Blanca Bernasek, director, LLCC Multicultural Awareness Center, at 786.2458.
Posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Return