“They are a population that has lost everything, and even hope is starting to fade. Darfur United gives them a sense of being part of something greater than being what they are now labeled: a refugee.” ~i-ACT Founder/Director Gabriel Stauring

Since 2005, the Founder and Director of i-ACT, Gabriel Stauring has visited Darfur 11 times, namely-the refugee camps along the Chad/Sudan border. The non-profit’s volunteer arm, Stop Genocide Now, has garnered international attention and now, i-ACT is essentially creating a soccer team made up of the best players from the refugee camps along the border.

The team is called Darfur United.

In addition to his numerous visits to Darfur, Stauring has spearheaded campaigns such as the 100-Day Fast for Darfur, Darfur Freedom Summer Vigils, Camp Darfur, Darfur Fast for Life, and is featured in ‘The Enough Moment’ by John Prendergast and Don Cheadle.

Athlebrities was thrilled to interview this amazing man about issues related to Darfur, the refugees in that area, how the beautiful game can change lives, and what we can do to help. I opted to run the interview, unedited, in its entirety because, quite frankly, every word is important.

Q: Explain Darfur United and what it aims to do? Boys and girls teams?

We’re creating a team from the best soccer players in the twelve Darfuri refugee camps in Eastern Chad—one team representing Darfur—and calling it Darfur United. We are working hard to get this team to participate in international tournaments, with our first and great opportunity being the Viva World Cup. We are using Darfur United to tell the story of Darfur and its people and build relationships that will provide support for a population that has lived on the margins, isolated and ignored. It will also give the people in the camps something of their own to be proud of, to root for, and just to have fun around. Through our ongoing work in the camps, we will also create more sustainable support for education and sports programs for the refugee children. For the girls, we are creating support for volleyball programs, since at this point girls aren’t playing soccer in the camps—although we are encouraging change in this area.

Q: Are girls not allowed to play?

Girls do not play because culturally it has not been something promoted for the girls. It’s seen as a “boys’ game.” My wife and partner in this work, Katie-Jay, plays soccer when we’re in the camps (she played college soccer), and the refugees do not see it as something wrong; it has just not been part of their culture—for the girls.

Q: It’s being filmed for a documentary?

We are filming the whole journey and will create a documentary. It’s a compelling story, and we hope it will inspire people to get involved in causes.

Q: How does a guy from Southern California end up-not just forming a soccer team in Darfur-but start a movement (StopGenocideNow) by putting a face to victims of genocide?

It was something of a personal evolution that was in part pushed by guilt. Ten years after the fact, I was hit by the enormity of what happened in Rwanda and the failure by all of us to respond to man-made, mass-scale human suffering. When I began to hear about Darfur, I knew I had to do something and become involved. I had no idea that I would become this involved! It seemed overwhelming, so I just started small, telling others about what was happening in Darfur, and I started to look at what was missing. Why were we again failing in responding to a group of people, innocent civilians, being brutally attacked? What jumped out at me was that there was no way for people to connect at a personal level with such huge human suffering. People don’t connect with numbers, even if the numbers and statistics are horrific. It was clear to me that we had to put a face on the numbers, so, after finding others that cared, we decided to head out to the refugee camps and let people, through technology, meet the victims and survivors. I thought it was going to be just one trip. I just got back from my eleventh trip in December 2011. From those trips, we saw and heard about the many challenges and issues confronting a brutally displaced population. The refugees themselves told us that education and sports is what they saw as a key to a better future. Besides our education, awareness, and advocacy work, we decided to support the aspirations of the refugees by supporting and creating programs related to education and sports.

Q: What’s the VIVA World Cup?

The Viva World Cup is a tournament for people that are nationless or somehow not represented in the official soccer world. It allows for people that are on the margins—for different reasons—to come together around the beautiful game and have a team of their own. It takes place every two years, with the next one being played in Iraqi Kurdistan. The opening ceremony is on May 28, 2012, with the teams starting play the next day, competing for the Nelson Mandela trophy.

Q: Tell us a little bit about the refugee camps and what Darfur United means to the refugees, players, hopefuls, families, etc?

There are about 275,000 refugees living in twelve camps that dot the border between Sudan and Chad. They have fled the destruction of their villages, and most have been living there since 2003 and 2004. Refugee camps are supposed to be temporary, but the people there are now feeling trapped and isolated from the world and from opportunities beyond the camps. Darfur United for them means a window to the world through which everyone can see and learn about them, and they can experience what is “out there.” Old and young are excited at hearing about Darfur United. They are a population that has lost everything, and even hope is starting to fade. Darfur United gives them a sense of being part of something greater than being what they are now labeled: a refugee. Darfur United also means an opportunity for sustained sports programs in the camps. At this point, there is little as far as any type of equipment, and there are no programs for the children. Play is the best form of therapy, and the kids from Darfur have experience unimaginable trauma. Play is not a privilege, it’s a need.

Q: What is most urgently needed in order to make Darfur United a reality?

As usual, funding is always a primary need. We completed phase 1 of the project, visiting the camps in December 2011, presenting the project to the refugees and starting the process of them working within the camps to select the best players from the camps that will then try out for the official team. For phase 2, we will go back to the camps with two volunteer professional soccer coaches that will select the team and provide it with a structured practice program in preparation for the Viva World Cup. Phase 3 involves getting the team to the Viva World Cup and competing. Here, travel expenses for 15 players, plus coaches, trainer, and i-ACT team will be significant.

Besides funding, we are looking for sponsors for equipment and gear.

Of course, a crucial part of the journey, we need to get the story out. We want the world to find out about Darfur United and become a fan and through this find sustainable support education and sports programs for refugee children. For this, celebrity athletes and other caring notables can play a great role.

i-ACT is a small team, with a large percentage of it’s people power being volunteers. We are working on multiple projects that support the refugees and that push for peace in all of Sudan. Support and expertise in making Darfur United reach its potential, in all of its different aspects, is needed.

Q: What’s been the most difficult obstacle to overcome?

We really see obstacles as opportunities to be creative. As mentioned above, funding is a great obstacle, but we are using it as an opportunity to build awareness and a fan base for the team. Our i-ACT team is interested in creating community. There’s something special about a kid donating ten dollars to help another kid across an ocean have a team to root for.

It has been very difficult to reach a wider audience, since refugee issues are not particularly “sexy.” Finding the right people to talk about it is key in this, and here is where celebrity athletes could have a huge positive impact.

Q: Are you seeing natural leaders emerge as you create the team?

We immediately find leaders in the camps, as we talk with the refugees about Darfur United. There are the quiet ones that immediately show up and then play their hearts out, leading with their game. Others are very confident and tell you from the start, “I’m the best player in the camp.” It’s so much fun. Some of the players are leaders in other aspects. They’re the ones that get everyone to show up and then organize the different players in the scrimmages we held during our last trip.

Q: For you personally, what makes soccer the ‘beautiful game?’

The flow of the game, how a team can work as one organism together, and then explode with group and personal shows of skills just mesmerizes me. It’s just amazing what a round object can do for the spirit. That’s all you need, anything round. The kids in the camps use old rags or plastic and roll it up, tying it with string. Then set up some rocks as goals—and go! The passion that people around the world feel for soccer is fascinating. I grew up in Mexico, and my whole city would come to a stop, when the Mexican national team played. Everyone was one in support of the team. Now as an adult, I still get the chills when I see Messi or Ronaldo or Chicharito do their magic on the field. My eight year old sun plays in club here in California. He plays with such joy, but also with such dedication. It is teaching him so much about being part of a team and how to give your all. It’s all just beautiful.

Q: Which famous soccer player is a favorite among the kids in the refugee camps?

As in many parts of the world, there is a huge rivalry between Barcelona fans and Real Madrid fans. It seems to pretty much divide all the camps, and this then related to who the favorite player is. They either like Messi from Barcelona or Ronaldo from Real Madrid. It is so fun to hear them argue for one or the other!

Q: Have any of the refugees ever been to a professional soccer match?

No one that I have met in the camps has been to a match, although there might be an adult refugee that has, if he or she lived in Khartoum for a period of time before the crisis in Darfur began.

Q: Earlier you mentioned that we have another ‘lost generation’ in what has been described as “open prisons.” Can you elaborate a little?

During my first visits to the camps, the refugees were hopeful, thinking that they would get to return home as soon as the world found out about their situation. They thought that peace would come soon. After years kept passing, that changed. While they are being kept alive there, they feel trapped and with little to no opportunities for a better life. When you talk with the young people, they want to be doctors, lawyers, teachers and more, but there’s no way to get there.

Q: How would you respond to someone who feels we should focus our efforts on children in the US? Why is it important to make an impact on the other side of the world? Can we really make a difference?

I don’t believe it’s an either/or proposition. I do believe that there is huge value and benefit to our own children to give them the opportunity to connect with other children from other cultures and experiencing different needs. There are few things as powerful as the feeling of being able to help others, and maybe even more for those that might need help themselves. What we do with our work is create real and mutually enriching relationships between people on different sides of the world. As we have seen, we live in a small world, where events on one side can impact the other. We need to care for others, no matter where, and this will insure a better world for ourselves. We can make a difference. I see it every day. When you offer a refugee kid a ball and an opportunity for education, that kid now has an option, besides the ever present pull to join an armed group and maybe become the perpetrator of mass atrocities of the future.

Q: You’ve had plenty of first hand experience in Darfur, have you noticed any improvements since your first visit in 2005? How has celebrity involvement helped or hurt the ‘cause’?

Without the early attention Darfur received, we just cannot know how many more people would have died. As it is, millions of people live in displacement and only survive because of aid provided to them by the international community. Celebrities have paid a crucial part in getting the spotlight on Darfur and other huge man-made humanitarian crises in Sudan. Some of these celebrities, like George Clooney, are “the real deal.” They deeply care about the people that continue to be in danger, and they stay involved, well beyond when the cameras are on them. We need more well-informed, dedicated celebrities. I have met so many regular citizens who first became involved in the cause when they found out about through a celebrity they like.

The situation in Darfur continues to be dire. Although there is not the level of violence that once existed, there are still bombings, attacks, killings, and rapes, with innocent civilians being the main victims. Millions continue to live in displacement, and they are losing hope. In the camps, people are resilient and adapt, but the needs are great.

Q: Do you think celebrities have a sort-of moral obligation to ‘give-back’?

More than an obligation, they have a great opportunity to have a greater than average impact—given their greater than average position in our society. In so many ways, us living in countries like the United States are so privileged. As humans, it is our moral responsibility to share with others that are less fortunate. The secret is that “giving-back” actually comes back to the giver, and it makes life more meaningful and more enjoyable than if we isolate ourselves from the challenges that others experience.

Q: ‘The Enough Moment’-what is it and how did you come to be involved?

Through our consistent work in the camps, my team has come to work closely with other organization that advocate for the people of Sudan. One such group is the Enough Project. It’s co-founder, John Prendergast is a friend. When co-writing The Enough Moment, his office asked me about stories of people that had an “enough moment,” that time in a life when you decide to act for others. I gave them some ideas. Soon after, JP asked for my enough moment, and it was included in the book.

Q: Have you noticed that frivolous spending and the flaunting of wealth have become less acceptable while humanitarian efforts are becoming more important, perhaps signaling a change in global consciousness?

I truly hope that there is a shift in global consciousness towards compassion. I get excited when visiting high schools and colleges and seeing how young people here in the United States care and are willing to give of themselves in very substantial ways.

What’s important, though, is to make these connections between cultures, societies, and individuals that are in need and those that are able to support. One day, those situations will flip, and having a friend to count on will make all the difference. We must make it personal. People don’t forget about friends.

Darfur United on Facebook or i-Act Website.

Many thanks to Gabriel Stauring for taking the time to answer our questions and for all his work towards a better world.

As always, thanks for reading~
delinda@athlebrities.com

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