Questions

What is STAND?

Does STAND focus on multiple conflicts, or just on Darfur?

What does a typical STAND chapter do?

How do I start a STAND chapter at my school?

What happened to S.T.A.N.D. (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur)?

What is STAND’s relationship with the Genocide Intervention Network?

Where should I donate the money I raised?

Where do donations to STAND go?

Who leads STAND?

What is STAND?

STAND is the student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net).  STAND envisions a world in which the international community protects civilians from genocidal violence and elected officials are held accountable for their action, or inaction, in the face of genocide. At its core, our mission is to empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide. To do so, STAND’s Leadership Team recruits, trains, organizes and mobilizes students around the world by providing materials, educational information, online resources, policy expertise, and a network of concerned and active peers. We seek to unite students around the world in a permanent anti-genocide constituency. Back to top.

Does STAND focus on multiple conflicts, or just on Darfur?

For almost three years, STAND has led the student movement to end the genocide in Darfur, building a constituency of students who are organized and effective advocates. While our primary focus is currently on Darfur, Sudan, other conflicts, like the violence in Burma and Congo, speak to the heart of our mission. We cannot ignore any potential genocide, and are working hard to raise awareness of the atrocities in other places while continuing to fight for an end to the genocide in Darfur. STAND believes that the headway we are making in the fight to end genocide in Darfur is laying the groundwork for a faster response time to future genocides.

If you'd like to learn more about other areas of concern STAND has on the radar, more about Darfur, or about STAND's greater anti-genocide mission, please CLICK HERE. Back to top.

What does a typical STAND chapter do?

Unlike top-down organizations, STAND chapters are not required to do anything in particular to be part of the STAND network. The STAND Leadership Team works hard every year to create engaging campaigns and programs that chapters anywhere can choose to take part in, but it’s not required. What we really want is for students to organize using STAND’s advocacy priorities – determined in conjunction with GI-Net and our strategic partner, ENOUGH - in creative ways that make the most sense in their individual communities. We really believe that our power as a grassroots shines when we all ask for the same things – whether it’s passing a bill or asking for more funding for peacekeepers – even if we ask in different ways. You can find out what STAND’s advocacy priorities are – or get ideas for organizing on your campus - by getting in touch with your Outreach Coordinator or STAND’s Advocacy team: advocacy@standnow.org.  Back to top.

How do I start a STAND chapter at my school?

Starting a STAND chapter is one of the most powerful things you can do to fight genocide. Organizing your campus is the first step in building political will to end genocide in your community. If you're in high school, email newchapters.hs@standnow.org for more info. If you're in college, email newchapter@standnow.org. One of STAND's New Chapter Outreach Coordinators who can walk you through the process of starting a chapter, give you advice on events and actions, and also connect you to other students near you who are part of the STAND network, will get in touch wit you. Back to top.

What happened to S.T.A.N.D. (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur)?

STAND was formerly known as STAND: Students Taking Action Now: Darfur. While our current focus is on ending the ongoing genocide in Darfur, the students of STAND’s second Managing Committee recognized a need to establish a movement-building anti-genocide organization for students that will be around for years to come. Because we hope to not only end genocide in Darfur, but also prevent future genocides elsewhere, and to reflect our merger with the Genocide Intervention Network, the name was changed from Students Taking Action Now: Darfur to STAND, the student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network. Back to top.

What is STAND’s relationship with the Genocide Intervention Network?

STAND is the student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network. The two organizations were formed separately by students at Georgetown University and Swarthmore College, respectively, but merged in 2006 under the shared mission of empowering people with the tools to prevent and stop genocide. Back to top.

Where should I donate the money I raised?

Many organizations are doing worthy work in Darfur. Unfortunately, security concerns and active obstruction by the government of Sudan has forced many humanitarian agencies to drastically scale back operations and avoid doing significant work in the area of "protection," which the government does not allow.  Several have been forced to pull out all together, and whole departments of these organizations have had their travel documents revoked or have been disallowed to work in Darfur.

The Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net)'s Civilian Protection Program, currently operating in Darfur, focuses on the protection of civilians through a variety of project strategies.

GI-Net's Civilian Protection Program is the only program of its kind in Darfur. GI-Net’s projects work with Darfuri community leaders, displaced women and girls, the African Union, and the UN to protect people in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). As the situation in Darfur worsens and more people are forced into IDP camps, firewood near the camps grows increasingly scarce. Every day, women and girls are forced to wander further into the desert in search of firewood for cooking, exposing them to rape and attack from waiting militias. GI-Net's Civilian Protection Program offers safer cooking options by providing alternative-fuel stoves, guarded firewood patrols, and incoming-generating projects for women so that they can afford to buy firewood from the robust firewood market.

Please join GI-Net and STAND in bringing protection to the people of Darfur. Donations to STAND and the Genocide Intervention Network can be made online at: http://www.genocideintervention.net/donate/ or by check. All donations are tax deductible. If you prefer to make a donation by check, it should be made payable to Genocide Intervention Network and mailed to the following address:

Genocide Intervention Network
1333 H Street NW, First Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005

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Where do donations to STAND go?

STAND is the student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net), an established 501c3 non-profit organization. More than 55% of all funds donated to STAND and/or GI-Net go towards GI-Net's Civilian Protection Program, the only program of its kind in Darfur. Our Civilian Protection Program works with Darfuri community leaders, displaced women and girls, the African Union, and the UN to protect people in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). As the situation in Darfur worsens and more people are forced into IDP camps, firewood near the camps grows increasingly scarce. Every day, women and girls are forced to wander further into the desert in search of firewood for cooking, exposing them to rape and attack from waiting militias. GI-Net's Civilian Protection Program offers safer cooking options by providing alternative-fuel stoves, guarded firewood patrols, and incoming-generating projects for women so that they can afford to buy firewood from the robust firewood market.

Less than 15% of all donations are spent on necessary administrative costs for the organization. The remaining 30% is used to fund STAND, the Sudan Divestment Task Force, and to keep GI-Net’s tools like 1-800-Genocide and DarfurScores.org up and running. Back to top.

Who leads STAND?

STAND is a student-led organization. Two full-time employees in GI-Net’s office in Washington, D.C., provide logistical support to a ten-person team of full-time college students who make up STAND's Managing Committee and to a 40-person high school and college Outreach Committee, known together as the STAND Leadership Team. These students from all over the country create all of STAND’s campaigns and materials and provide support and strategic guidance to their peers organizing at schools around the country. Any student can apply to be a part of the STAND Leadership Team. To learn more about STAND’s Leadership Team, click here. Back to top.