Like many other 14-year-olds, Emmanual Bakheit is excited about listening to his favorite radio stations, wearing his new sneakers and the movie he watched late last night.

But there is something very different about Emmanual. He arrived in San Francisco just two months ago with his three older half brothers from southern Sudan, a place where his family lived in refugee camps and witnessed reported killings, rape and starvation every day.

Now he and his brothers are living with Martina Knee, a family friend, who agreed to bring them into her San Francisco home.

As he attends Stuart Hall High School, an all boys’ school in San Francisco, for summer school, Emmanual Bakheit will try to make new friends. He is very shy and quiet.

“I only talk when the teacher or a student asks me,” said Emmanual Bakheit

He is trying to start a new life after the death of his father and leaving his mother behind in southern Sudan.

Emmanual was one of about thirty people who attended “Drumming for Darfur,” a World Refugee Day rally sponsored by The San Francisco Bay Area Coalition on Wednesday, June 20. The purpose of the rally was to raise awareness of the genocide in Darfur, as explained by Samina F. Sundas, National chair of the American Muslim Voice, and other speakers such as rabbi Shreibman.

In response to reported genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Darfur and surrounding African regions, the U.S. government drafted the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 to support peace efforts in the area. After moving through the House and the Senate the act was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

The act imposes sanctions against individuals responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, According to news reports, issues with the act have risen and are being debated. The United Nations and the Sudanese Government are negotiating plans for the United Nations to send in troops to replace or be supervised by African Union troops. A deal has not yet been made, due to the unclear role that the United Nations wants their troops to play.

At press time, news reports said there was debate between the Sudanese government and the United Nations as to the role of the United Nations in the region.

As part of the June 20 event, Helene Caux, a photographer and humanitarian worker for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, presented a slide show at the World Affairs council in San Francisco. Caux documented the refugee and human rights crisis in Darfur, Sudan from 2005-2006 through the lives of refugees.

Very few smiles were found in the audience as Caux described her photographs of refugees fleeing their homelands to the border of Chad and Sudan. Caux and the refugees were often accompanied by African Union soldiers, who she felt were a comfort to have around. Caux and the refugees often found themselves in heavy desert storms, and also encountered raped and abused women who sometimes had children by the men who had raped them.

“Being a refugee can happen to anyone in the world,” said Caux. “If you love human beings, you don’t want them to suffer and be killed.”

Following the presentation by Caux was a rally aimed at raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur. The rally was held at Union square, a couple blocks from the World Affairs Council presentation.

A group of supporters played drums and percussion instruments while standing in front of a visual display of posters and information on genocide. Although the weather was cold, supporters wrapped themselves in blankets and continued to pound their drums.

During the event Emmanual stood beside his half brothers, Disco, 24, James, 18, and Richard, 16. Emmanuel wore a green sweatshirt that read “Save Darfur.” He and his brothers have been attending protests and rallies regularly to support the people still suffering in parts of Sudan and Chad.

“I’m happy that we have a lot of support,” said Emmanuel Bakheit, “and proud that many people who aren’t black are supporting it [Darfur].”

Emmanual’s brother Disco Bakheit said that he felt the photos in the presentation were very accurate.

“It’s hard to see people suffering,” said Disco Bakheit. “You can see bones of people when you walk through abandoned villages.”

He will be attending San Francisco City College in the fall.

Marc Levine, director of legislative and community affairs for the Jewish Community Relations Council, also attended the event. He commented that his group works with the Bay Area Darfur Coalition to organize a number of rallies and protests.

“We have a moral obligation,” said Levine, “and are lesser people if we do not act on the issue in Darfur.”