Local students are holding a vigil and music jam to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur this Friday at Lytton Plaza in Downtown Palo Alto.

The vigil will be the Youth Alliance for Darfur Action’s (YADA) second event since local high school students founded the group in September, 2006. Local student bands will be performing.

The first event put on by YADA was mainly geared towards teenagers in the Bay Area, however this time, YADA hopes to gain attention of the Palo Alto community regardless of age.

“Granted, our focus is on youth,” junior and co-founder of YADA Max Magnuson from Woodside Priory High School said. “However I think that the location will do a great deal to spread our message to those outside of the teenage community as well.”

YADA’s first event, a benefit concert, raised $5,000 towards aid in Darfur.

“The concert was something people could go to and spend their entire Saturday night,” junior and co-founder of YADA Leah Rappaport from Woodside Priory High School said. “This [event] is something where people can either just stop by and get some information or stay and talk or listen to music. We [YADA] know that University is a popular place on Friday nights and we hope people will take five minutes on their way to dinner or wherever they may be going to learn about what’s going on.”

YADA plans to spread awareness with a table of information at the event. There will also be t-shirts, CDs and stickers for sale with proceeds going towards the Genocide Intervention Network.

Proceeds from YADA’s first event also went towards the Genocide Intervention Network. The YADA founders feel it is the best organization to donate to.

“We researched a bunch of organizations and chose the Genocide Intervention Network because we feel it does what we wish we could do,” Rappaport said. “Rather than sending money to refugees who have escaped the genocide and simply raising awareness, both of which are good causes, the Genocide Intervention Network goes into the problem areas and educates people on survival techniques.”

There will also be a petition to “sign” as well, besides the information and donation table.

“We are going to make a ‘petition collage’ that will hopefully send a stronger message because it attaches the cause with a face of a Bay Area teenager,” junior and co-founder of YADA Lauren Augustine from Castilleja High School said. “If people are willing, we’re going to take their picture holding up a sign with a message urging intervention to stop the genocide. Instead of simply signing a letter that can be easily discounted, this will carry a stronger message backed by personal connection.”

An estimated 400,000 people have died according to the Genocide Intervention Network because of genocide in the region. Although President Bush has threatened a no-fly zone and sanctions against Sudan, these threats have not been followed up on by action.

With an informative vigil, YADA hopes to educate more people to spread awareness.

“Because of its central location in the middle of downtown Palo Alto, it will not be hard to miss,” Augustine said. “We’re hoping that people will see the congregation of teens and become interested and stop by to learn more.”

The vigil will start at 7 p.m. at Lytton Plaza located on the corner of Emerson and University in downtown Palo Alto, and end at 9 p.m.

YADA will also be holding another event in June.

Details are forthcoming.