The life of a student can be a hectic one. Between seemingly endless homework and holding down one or more jobs, it is easy to forget the millions of people worldwide dealing with war and starvation. The members of campus club Peace & Conflict International think this is important to keep in mind.

Senior government major Joe Romero founded the group in spring 2008 in an effort to raise awareness on campus about worldwide issues. Each week, the club meets to discuss a different dilemma facing the world.

At their most recent meeting, the student-led discussion focused on the civil war in Libya. Club President Liliana Rivera, senior government major, said while debates can get heated, attendees often find common ground.

“Some people supported the (U.S.) intervention (and) some opposed it,” she said. “I think we all agree on the fact that (Libyan President Muammar) Gaddafi needs to go.”

The club has about 15 core members, and the attendance at any discussion can range from 20 to 40 students.

Eventually, though, people stop wanting to talk about pressing issues and start wanting to take action. Rivera said the club came to this realization last semester.

“We would leave depressed because (we thought), “What are we supposed to do about it now?'” she said.

So this semester, the club is selling rubber bracelets in an effort to raise money for victims of the earthquake in Japan. The bracelets, which sell for $2 each, benefit Children’s Hope International, a nonprofit organization helping orphan children in the devastated island nation.

On Tuesday, the group will host a guest speaker from the University of Maryland in the Orchard Suite. The talk will focus on rebuilding communities after a conflict has taken place there.

To paraphrase an old truism, someone always has it harder than you. It is often too easy to lose track of how fortunate college students are in the United States. The people of Peace & Conflict International feel they are in the perfect position to help those who have fallen on hard times.

Alex Grotewohl can be reached at [email protected]