On April 15, the Dickey Center for International Understanding hosted Sudanese activist Rania Aziz for an event titled “Sudan’s difficult path to peace and democracy: an activist’s perspective.” Aziz discussed political conflict in Sudan, her role in the 2019 Sudanese protests and work as an activist away from her home country.
The event was a part of the Dickey Center’s “Dissent & Democracy Initiative,” a series that features speakers who “highlight the roles that they have played as dissidents in different countries around the world,” according to Dickey Center senior policy director and event moderator Elizabeth Shackelford. Aziz has been involved in activism in Sudan since 2013, advocating for peace and democratization.
Approximately 30 community members attended the event in Haldeman Hall, while 30 live streamed the event, according to Dickey Center communications manager Lars Blackmore. Aziz also met with students from the Great Issues Scholars, King Scholars and War and Peace Fellows throughout the day.
The event began with Aziz and Shackelford contextualizing the Sudanese conflict. In 2019, former head of military Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir was ousted by a military coup. Aziz described the civilian movement during this time as a “beautiful revolution.”
In 2023, war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. Shackelford described the Sudanese Civil War as the “world’s worst humanitarian conflict today.”
Aziz said that her motivation for advocacy was “personal,” describing visiting her father in prison at six years old after he was arrested for his work in politics. She added “everybody had a reason to take to the streets” due to the “marginalization” of groups such as “women and LGBT people.”
Aziz then spoke about how her role as an activist changed when the war broke out. She said that in the beginning, she worked to help Sudanese people cross into Egypt safely. After an illness, she transitioned to building her company, the Interconnect Initiative, to create a platform for activists on all sides of conflict. Aziz also facilitated the transfer of cryptocurrency to grassroots humanitarian organizations in Sudan to ensure that they could continue supporting civilians.
The conversation then transitioned into an audience Q&A. Aziz spoke during this section about the “ethical responsibility” of international political bodies to “put pressure” on the countries that financially support the war.
The final question from the audience was about how Aziz decided to remain an advocate for democracy in Sudan despite the “risks associated” with her work. She responded by describing how her role in activism evolved over the years, saying that it was a “rational” decision “at first,” but as the revolution began, “there was no calculation for any risk.”
“No one is going to revolt on your behalf,” Aziz said.
To end the event, Shackelford asked Aziz what gives her “hope to keep going.” Aziz said that she is inspired by the “spirit” and “resilience” of the Sudanese people.
“I know that Sudan will rise again,” she said.
Attendee Emma Ratchford ’25 said that her “biggest takeaway” from the event was Aziz’s “resilience.”
“Being an activist, even when you can’t be in your physical country is so admirable,” Ratchford said. “The fact that she’s touring and doing this work even though she can’t be in Sudan anymore. I think that the resilience of activists continuing to work on their projects, even when [they] can’t be in [their] own country is inspiring.”
In an interview before the event with The Dartmouth, Aziz said that she “doesn’t think the term activist” fits her now.
“[The word] activist for me, is being an active citizen, but I’m not,” Aziz said. “I’m a Sudanese citizen, but I don’t live in the country now, so I am more of a diaspora activist now.”
In an interview, Shackelford said the event was “remarkable” because of Aziz’s “accessibility” as “a normal person.”
“[Aziz] is one of the guests that we brought on because she can speak to her specific experience standing up against an authoritarian regime,” Shackelford said. “... It’s really valuable to have those personal stories to kind of put that human element on the concept [of dissent]”
Sophia Kohmann ’28 said it was “interesting” to hear about the war from a “grassroots movement,” instead of the “systems” that she has learned about studying international relations.
“You can’t understand something without understanding the personal element,” Kohmann said.
