Darfur Action Coalition of Marquette University is displaying tents with messages of peace and hope in Central Mall this week, culminating with a solidarity sleepout Friday, all in hopes of ending the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

Neal Styka, senior in the College of Engineering and president of DAC, said the display is part of a national effort called Tents of Hope, which was started by Tim Nonn, a Darfur activist from California. Nonn is on a national campaign to speak about Tents of Hope.

Styka said he decided to create the display after Nonn gave a presentation in Milwaukee about the national Tents of Hope campaign. The tents represent the types of shelter refugees from Darfur would use when they are displaced to neighboring countries, Styka said.

Nonn said 70 communities have already participated in Tents of Hope, and his goal is to have 500 participants by next October, when all of the tents will be erected on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

He said the project is about more than just putting up tents, and can hopefully attain positive local results when schools, congregations and civic groups work together to make the tents.

"The trip reinforced my belief that it would be great if we had an event that could bring the community together," Nonn said.

Styka said 10 students decorated the tents Sunday and another 10 decorated them Tuesday. He said he hopes to have 20 to 30 students participate in the sleepout Friday, but he realizes there are only two tents.

"Some of us will have to sleep outside under the stars in solidarity with the refugees," Styka said.

Refugees don't always have shelter, Styka said, as millions have been displaced to Chad and other neighboring countries.

There will be a vigil preceding the sleepout, beginning at 9:30 p.m. All students are welcome to attend the vigil and sleepout.

Barrett McCormick, professor of political science and faculty adviser for DAC, said the students think of events to raise awareness, and he provides resources they may not have. He said he is member of the Darfur Action Coalition of Wisconsin, and serves as a liason between the students and the group.

"This is in many people's eyes the worst human crisis on the planet," McCormick said. "The main thing is to raise awareness that there is a terrible humanitarian crisis in Darfur and to get more people involved."

DAC has sponsored speakers, written letters to senators supporting divestment in Darfur and is devoted to raising awareness about the situation. Styka said divestment – when developed countries stop investing funds in another country – is a way of putting economic pressure on countries that are supporting genocide.

Styka said he hopes the campaign will make students stop and think about the Darfur situation.

"It helps to raise awareness that we are a global community and our actions affect others," Styka said.