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Students learn of horrors of rape, war in Africa BY LAV LA FARMER I HI CHRONK I I "They told me to choose between rape and death. 1 could choose neither-it is the same." The words of the late Helene Wamuzila, a Congolese woman are encap sulated in the gut wrenching documentary, "Women in War Zones: Sexual Violence in the Congo." a haunting reminder of the agony an estimated 2 million women in her native country know all too well. Wamu/ila. who was 22 when the documentary was made several years ago. later died of AIDS, one of many repercussions she suffered as a result of the brutal sexual attacks she endured. Wamuzila's story is one of two highlighted in the docu mentary, which was directed by Scott Blanding. an American activist. Blanding's brother, Johnny Blanding, was on hand at Wake Forest Tuesday evening to screen the film, an intimate look at the effects of the vio lpnt mil Mvv-niltv ?? that are being per petrated against Congolese women and girls by "all armed groups" involved in the con flict that persists there, according to R Ian din p Following the CUIUIN>, lilt \ Klllll> are often ostracized by their families and communities, and sometimes even barred from attending school. Blanding reported. "It was really striking for me to be here receiving an education just because 1 am in the right place, born to the right people at the right time." Mari Hoi man. a 21 year-old WF-U senior, com mented after viewing the Johnny Blanding addresses students and faculty members at Wake Forest Tuesday. film. "Just seeing the loss of innocence in the girls' faces who are my age (was difficult)." Dr. Wanda Bal/ano. direc tor of Women's and Gender Studies. also expressed shock at the hor rmc nature ol the film's subject matter. "It's hard for everyone to respond." she told Blanding as the audience sat in stunned silence Holman aner me rum s conclusion. "It's hard tor words to Come out. even." The film, which did not show any violence or nudity, but accounted the trials of the women after the fact, was meant to make viewers uncomfortable. said Blanding. 29. "We really just wanted to tell a very raw story. It's very personal, almost as if you were there yourself." Hlanding ( center ) poses with Linda Mecum, Administrative C oordi nator for Women's and Gender Studies (left) and Dr. Wanda Balzano, direc tor of the program. ??.aid the Roanoke native. "I think it's convicting and we mean for it to he. I firmly believe that whenever we see anything horrible in this world, we are commanded to go serve and care about God's creation." The goal of the film is to raise awareness about the countless innocent women who are suffering in the Congo and to garner support for the Wamu Center. The Center. which Scott Blanding founded and named in Wamuzila's memory, offers support to Condolese rape victims and the physi cians who care for them though a variety of services, including a general library and a medical library, a trau ma-focused cognitive behav ior therapy program and a technology lab. The Center offers classes and tutoring and sometimes even foots the bill for younger girls to return to school, Johnny Blanding said. "This has been an incred ible project just because of the strength and tenacity of the women involved." related the Liberty University alum nus. "There is so much hope and so much oneness among everybody." Scott Blanding. who now lives in Los Angeles, is hop ing to get the documentary made into a feature film, which would donate more funds for the Center's work. The Women in War Zones organization, which is led jointly by Scott and his three siblings and funded by donations, is encouraging young Condolese rape vic tims to pursue degrees in the medical field to help regain their status within their communities. "We really believe that we're going to radically change the country and the girls that were ostracized," Johnny told the students that crowded DeTamble Auditorium in the school's Tribbie Hall Bal/ano said she and the students in her Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies class will be dis cussing the film in depth in an upcoming class. She added that it was important to connect the dots between the atrocities they study in class and the lives that are forever changed by such acts. "It's always something we should kn?w more about, particularly at a place like Wake Forest, which is like a bubble, so it's important for us to get educated," she remarked. "I think they can see that the things we saw in the books, the women who suffer in the books that we are studying, have real faces and these issues are real issues. We cannot all travel to the Congo, but to have someone like (Blanding) coming here, it makes the reality more evident to us." For more information, or to volunteer or donate to Women in War Zones, visit M'w ???. worn en i n warzones . org or fin J them on Fmebook . The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc.. 617 N. Liberty Street. Winston-Salem. N.C. 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem. N.C. Annual subscription price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send adikess changes to: The Chronicle. P.O. Box 1636 Winston-Salem. NC 27102-1636 MARK SHRIVER MISSION TO SERVE |~N! ??? K? !v Shaver fomcs to Woke Forest m tin tr.?: ' Pro Humon tote to speok about the Americon mission o' stv\ | .!?' i. lot v M relation to tho 50th onmvetsory of v> ? | ? K. . ly, wos t'M- driving fore e behind ond tu st ,u v ? ? ? . \r I Hoiise of DeUnjotes. wos Morv ot\i>. t ?.'? senior \ c e president of U.S. Progroms for Sove the O dreM Thursday, October 13, 2011, 6 p.m. Wait Chapel wfu.edu/voices eliminating racism empowering women ywca Jr United Way KS9B HANES Brands Inc PRODUCT SALE SATU R D AY OCT. 15 (RAIN DATE OCT. 22) INTERSECTION OF OLD LEXINGTON & CLEMMONSVILLE RD. 3304 OLD LEXINGTON ROAD NO SALES PRIOR TO 8:00 A.M. CASH, DEBIT & CREDIT CARDS ONLY NO CHECKS 8 A.M. -2 P.M. ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE UNITED WAY, YWCA & YMCA GIVE UNITED
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