Duke and Georgetown: Rival Schools Team Up for Darfur

Though rivals on the court, Georgetown and Duke are collaborating off the court to provide education for Darfur refugee children. During the January 30th Georgetown-Duke basketball game at the Verizon Center, the Darfur Dream Team's Sister Schools Program will announce a partnership with Georgetown and Duke students and alumni to support schools in the Darfur refugee camps. Click here to listen to a Mic Check podcast about the game.

The Sister Schools Program is an initiative that aims to improve the education of Darfur students living in refugee camps through the construction and rehabilitation of school buildings, and by providing teacher training, schools supplies and sports equipment. Principal partners in the Darfur Dream Team are the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, USA for UNHCR, TakePart.Com, the Enough Project, Facing History and Ourselves, the Education Partnership for Children in Conflict, and i-ACT. The program was conceptualized following NBA star Tracy McGrady's trip to Darfur refugee camps with John Prendergast and Omer Ismail of the Enough Project. McGrady was inspired to travel to the camps after speaking about the crisis with NBA legend and Georgetown alumnus Dikembe Mutumbo. NBA stars Baron Davis, Luol Deng and Derek Fisher have joined McGrady as Co-captains of the program.

Over 350 U.S. schools have signed up for the program and nearly $400,000 in donations and pledges have been collected thus far. A video announcing the new partnership will be shown on the jumbo-tron at half-time. Duke and Georgetown alumni such as Gene Banks (Duke), as well as John Prendergast, Co-Founder of the Enough Project, and Alexander Aleinikoff, the Appointed United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees and former Dean of Georgetown Law School, are attending the game to support the initiative. Students groups from Georgetown and Duke, including STAND: Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, Student Organization for Legal Issues in the Middle East and North Africa or SOLIMENA, and the Duke Human Rights Coalition, will also attend the game and distribute information about the initiative. Visit www.darfurdreamteam.org to learn more about the program and here to donate to this specific initiative.

WHAT: Darfur Dream Team Announcement at the Georgetown-Duke Game

WHEN: January 30, 2010, beginning at 1:00 pm, EST

WHERE: Verizon Center, 601 F Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20004

WHO:

• Alexander Aleinikoff, Appointed United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees
• John Prendergast, Co-Founder of the Enough Project
• Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
• Georgetown STAND students
• Duke Human Rights Coalition students