Genocide in Darfur & Apartheid in South Africa

In terms of student activism, the Apartheid of South Africa and the genocide in Darfur have a stiking number of similarities. The Apartheid is an interesting case study to look at because student protests and activism for divestment in South Africa really helped to end the racism and human rights abuses. Here is a brief overview of the Apartheid:

"Apartheid consisted of numerous laws that allowed the ruling white minority in South Africa to segregate, exploit and terrorize the vast majority: Africans, mostly, but also Asians and Coloureds - people of mixed race. In white-ruled South Africa, black people were denied basic human rights and political rights. Their labour was exploited, their lives segregated.
Under Apartheid, racist beliefs were enshrined in law and any criticism of the law was suppressed. Apartheid was racism made law. It was a system dictated in the minutest detail as to how and where the large black majority would live, work and die. This system of institutionalized racial discrimination defied the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

Steve Biko is an especially good example of a student activist who was allegedly murdered by the apartheid regime of South Africa and since then revered as a martyr of the movement and a civil rights activist:
"Steven Biko was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and early 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the anti-apartheid movement. While living, his writings and activism attempted to empower blacks, and he was famous for his slogan "black is beautiful", which he described as meaning: "man, you are okay as you are, begin to look upon yourself as a human being". The ANC (African National Conference, governing party of South Africa) was very hostile to Biko and to Black Consciousness through the 70s to the mid 90s[Quotation from source requested on talk page to verify interpretation of source] but has now included Biko in the pantheon of struggle heroes, going so far to use his image for campaign posters in South Africa's first democratic elections, in 1994." Steve Biko (I know wikipedia is bad but this was a good summary)
Apartheid in South Africa
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This relates to the situation in Darfur, which is actually much "worse" given that it is a genocide. My questions are:

• What are the factors that make student activism effective?
• Why was the divestment apartheid movement of the '80s seemingly more effective than that of the divesement movement for Darfur today?
• Is student activism the way that human rights causes should be solved and campaigned for in the first place? Is it up to the students to campaign for human rights or should the government and international community be doing more?
• The connects to our in class thingy about solving genocide, what is the most effective solution? Does student activism only take place because the international community and politicans are too slow?
  

Also I want to let everyone know about the DAY OF ACTION FOR DARFUR tomorrow, Wednesday October 24th.

Social Justice Club will be hosting a petition drive in the foyer all day, where you can come by and sign the global petition for Darfur and learn more about it as well.