HOOT Scenario

Now that you're all getting a feel for your characters, we need to start getting into the larger issue that we'll be focusing on for the rest of the semester. Our characters have been gathered from various places in history to provide their perspectives on the "trial" that we'll be conducting shortly. Here is a brief background of the story:

The larger issue touches on the genocide in Darfur region of Sudan. This is a region in Africa where thousands and thousands of people have been killed fled the country as a result of a brutal civil war. The civil war is a result of conflict between the two major ethnic groups in the Sudan: black Africans, who are mostly farmers, and nomadic Arabs. Groups of black African rebels began attacking government targets because they felt that the government was favoring Arabs, and both the government and a variety of militias (generally believed to be supported by the government) have hit back. Many people believe that the government and the leading militia (the "Janjaweed") are trying to drive Black Africans out of the country.

Among the many refugees are the members of the Eissa family (Suleiman and Khadija and their two children, ages 12 and 14), who fled to Great Britain two years ago and have been held at a detention center in Bedfordshire, while awaiting their asylum hearing. Asylum would allow them to remain in Great Britain as refugees. In late August, citing “positive moves toward peace and democracy” in Sudan, the British government rejected their application. The Eissa family has been given until the end of December to “voluntarily” leave the country.

On behalf of his family, Suleiman Eissa has come to the Court of All Time in the hope that the Court will side with him and convince the British government to stop deportation proceedings and grant his family asylum. If the Eissa family is deported, they will be forced to leave Great Britain and find somewhere else to live. The Court has agreed to hear the case in a special session to be held at the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. Your characters, along with the other guests will all be able to participate in the debate surrounding this case. Justices have already been chosen and will be posting their legal philosophies soon. You need to start thinking about how your character would feel about this issue and which justice he or she would support.

Here is more information about the war in Darfur. You can read more about deportation here, and asylum here.