For centuries, youth have been an imperative force in the mobilization of many political and social movements around the globe, dating all the way back to the French Revolution until the current crisis in Darfur.

On Sunday, May 30th, over 50 students, including faculty from Manhattan College, joined thousands of other Americans at Save Darfur: Rally to Stop Genocide, in Washington DC. Their goal was eradicating apathy by expressing concern over the human rights tragedy that continues to devastate the western Sudan region.

Sunday's rally featured speeches from some of the most influential human rights activists from around the globe and United States politicians, including Holocaust survivor and writer, Elie Weisel; Paul Rusesabagina, the man responsible for saving 1,200 Rwandan refugees; Senator Barack Obama of Illinois; and the Rev. Al Sharpton. As these people pressed for the United States to take action to end the mass killings, rapes, and starvation, thousands of people cheered, held up signs, and supported the speakers.

The famous words "never again " were consistently brought into question throughout the rally. After the Holocaust, the world promised to never again allow genocide to occur; however, the genocides in Rwanda, Bosnia, Cambodia, and Armenia, which all tragically persisted with little global reaction, strongly contradicts this ideal expressed after World War II. All of the speakers and people rallying challenged America to adhere to this promise, beginning with Darfur .

Since Darfur has fallen victim to an extreme ethnic and political conflict in 2003, the World Food Program and The United Nations and Coalition for International Justice have reported that 3.5 million are hungry and 2.5 million have been displaced, all while 400,000 have died. The New York Times recently stated that United Nations has recognized Darfur's situation as "the worst refugee crisis," while "the Bush administration calls it genocide."