Random stuff

Harnessing the power of the millenial generation

sredding — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:36:20 -0400

Check out this article in GOOD Magazine by former STAND Student Director Erin Mazursky. Erin discusses some of her most recent work training youth organizers in Albania while reflecting on the important role our generation must play in global politics.

I found her final words particularly powerful:

"We stand on the brink of a momentous opportunity to harness the power of a generation to redefine the way we relate to each other and to our governments and, in turn, tackle our most pressing challenges. But this window of opportunity is relatively small. Sure, there will always be youth ripe for empowerment, but the Millennial generation is coming of age now, and, given our sheer numbers, will set the political tone in countries around the world for at least the next forty years."

Back from the Break

sredding — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:05:12 -0400

So you've probably noticed that the STAND Blogging Team has taken a little break from our usually regular posts. This summer, we've been busy hiring and training a brand new Student Leadership Team, some of the team members have been traveling abroad, and some of us have been taking a brief but much-needed summer vacation.

Well, I'm happy to say that the posting break is over. From now on, you can expect regular blog content on our conflicts of concern, opportunities for advocacy, and stories from student activists. If you ever want something posted on the STAND Blog, let me know by emailing sredding@standnow.org.

Hope you have taken your own summer break and are ready to get back to reading some great content on the STAND Blog!

Confessions of a Secret Shopper

Joshua Groll — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:39:34 -0400

The "Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act of 2008" was probably the most comprehensive piece of legislation ever passed aimed at wrangling Burma's military government. It tightened up a 2003 ban on importing Burmese rubies (and other gems), making it illegal to import rubies originally from Burma that have been processed, treated, or cut in other countries such as Thailand. Previously, the ban only restricted imports of rubies coming directly form Burma. Even before 2003, some major jewelry retailers like Tiffany and Co. had already stopped selling Burmese rubies of their own accord, but the new law requires that everyone follow suit.

Recently the US Campaign for Burma has recommended that activists become "secret shoppers" to test the new law. I recently took my own STAND chapter on such a secret shopping excursion. Essentially you find jewelry stores in your area and pose as someone interested in purchasing rubies with the ultimate goal being to find out where the rubies came from. If it turns out a store is in violation of the law, the US Campaign for Burma will send them a letter demanding they comply.

There are, however, problems.

First of all, 90% of all the worlds rubies come from Burma, meaning that stopping all Burmese rubies from entering into the US is going to be an uphill battle. Another important aspect of the ban is the fact that it is an import ban ONLY. It is not illegal to sell Burmese rubies that were already in the US before the ban. This complicates things for people trying to be secret shoppers. Even if the retailer confirms that they are from Burma, it does not necessarily mean they are violating the ban. It could just mean that the rubies entered the country before September 27, 2008.

If things are hard for secret shoppers,they're even worse for retailers looking to actually comply with the law. The law requires ruby exporters, regardless of what country they are from, to provide written documentation to US Customs stating that the rubies are not from Burma and where exactly they came from. More than one retailer notified me personally on my chapter's outing that often times rubies (or any type of gem) are more expensive if they come with "exporter certification," as it is called in the trade. For Tiffany and Co. this extra price is negligible; however, if you are a independent outfit then it becomes even more discouraging to try and comply with the law. Also, one of the biggest concerns is that the exporters will simply lie, and we will be buying rubies that are from "Iceland." Aside from taking the exporters word for it, there is really no other way to discern the orgin of a ruby.

It can be easy to see how many retailers would be willing to turn a blind eye to where their rubies come from. In fact many told me they flat out did not know where they came from, saying they got them from a "domestic dealer." This was a very common response according to my other chapter members.

Pushing our elected officials to take action is what we do best. But this just goes to show that passing legislation is not enough. As activists we need to remain vigilant and make sure these laws are being enforced.

Connecting the Anti-Genocide Movement: You

mickjackson — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:30:05 -0400

To be completely honest: when we were hired as the Southwest Regional Outreach Coordinators we weren't entirely sure what our jobs entailed. We knew it had something to do with implementing STAND's national campaigns on a local level, but beyond that we had no idea what we would be doing on a day-to-day basis. However, after twelve months, three Student Leadership Team retreats in DC, a National Student Conference, and two statewide chapter retreats, we can honestly say that our time as Southwest high school and college ROCs has been one of the defining experiences of our lives thus far.

More than anything else, the highlight of the position is our contact with incredibly dedicated, knowledgeable, and creative activists around the region. While the Southwest has a fairly small number of chapters, we more than make up for it in quality. Every week, we each talk to five or six of these chapters, and always enjoy hearing about the events that they are planning and the ideas that they have for improving the movement on both a grassroots and a national level. It is always a thrill to provide such committed activists with the support and resources that they ask for in order to maximize the strength of the growing anti-genocide constituency in the Southwest. If you apply for a ROC position, your primary motive should be a desire to work with the most important part of the movement, the individuals who take action to pressure elected officials, raise funds for civilian protection, and raise awareness about the conflicts.

However, there are lots of other awesome experiences that go with the position. At the National Student Conference and at the spring statewide chapter retreats, you get the opportunity to meet and network with such activists face-to-face, as well as to present education and training workshops for students from across the country. As a member of the Student Leadership Team, you play a large role in shaping STAND's advocacy and fundraising campaigns, and learn quite a bit about the anti-genocide legislative policies that we support at the federal and state level. Finally, you get to travel to DC every few months for SLT retreats, where you have the opportunity to make some really awesome lifelong friends with other members of the Managing Committee and Outreach Team!

We've changed a lot in the time since we accepted the ROC position. We know more about the situation in Darfur, and about what we can do about it, then we ever expected to learn. We are better people for meeting so many incredible activists and for getting to have worked together. And we have acquired skills that will last a lifetime, and enable us to dedicate our lives to effectively speaking up on issues that we care about. Oh, and you will learn to pretty much memorize the DC Metro! Applications for all Regional and State Outreach Coordinator positions are due Friday, April 17, so contact your current ROC if you interested in applying!

Your loyal ROCs,
Mickey Jackson and Katie Malaspina

A Year in the Life of STAND

chill — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:39:27 -0400

I had a feeling I'd found my dream "job" when I found myself waking up every morning, excited to check my STAND email inbox before even getting up to eat breakfast. I knew for sure I'd found it when I realized it was almost time to graduate and, accordingly, pass on the torch to another STAND student, and I felt more than a touch of sadness at the prospect of leaving.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not planning on giving up the fight to end genocide. It's become a part of my core, a de facto essential in my life. Even after I graduate from Berkeley this spring, I'm sure I'll still make calls to 1-800-GENOCIDE, meet with my elected officials - you know the drill. But what I won't have, and what I know I'll miss, is that constant support group behind me, that team of STAND students from across the country that I can call bleary-eyed at 5 am to discuss the ICC indictment we're all watching live or meet for a weekend in D.C. to create a detailed plan for how we're going to try to end genocide in the coming months.

Maybe the most fulfilling thing about serving as the College NOC, though, has been representing your guys' thoughts to the Managing Committee, the group of students that creates STAND's campaigns and actions. All - and I mean all - of STAND's best ideas come from our chapters, the groups of students working diligently across the country to tangibly and positively impact the lives of people suffering on the other side of the world. It has been my absolute honor to work with the other Outreach Coordinators on the STAND Leadership Team - the ROCs, the SOCs, the New Chapter coordinators - to make sure your thoughts, complaints, and awesome campaign ideas are put into play.

But even though it's time for me to head out, and even though I know I'll miss STAND - to put it bluntly - a hell of a lot, at least I know that one of you, some awesome STAND student from Texas, from Delaware, from Florida, from my home state of California, will be taking over and lifting this movement to new heights. And even though I love opening my email to find a billion and one STAND emails, I know that someday, I'm going to get the ultimate email, the one that reports that the genocide in Darfur is officially over. And the best part? It's you guys, you powerful, inspiring activists, who are going to make that happen. I can't wait.

After the Fast: Why Donate to GI-NET?

matthewheck — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:18:54 -0500

On December 3, you, and thousands of other students like you, took a STAND to protect civilians in Darfur and Burma. Thank you so much for supporting GI-NET’s groundbreaking initiatives to transform the world’s response to genocide from one of humanitarian response to one of prevention and protection.

STANDFast and Civilian Protection are an important, life-saving part of GI-NET’s work. But there is so much more to do! GI-NET and STAND work throughout the year to develop a permanent political constituency equipped with the tools and resources to prevent and stop genocide. You’ve already been a part of these efforts—by organizing events on your campus, by calling 1-800 GENOCIDE to support the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act and increased U.S. funding for U.N. peacekeeping operations; by sending DarfurScores.org report cards to your representatives; and by working on movements to successfully divest 27 states and 61 universities from companies funding the Sudanese Government.

And we are just getting started.

In 2009, GI-NET will continue our advocacy and civilian protection work and will expand beyond Darfur to address other conflict areas in which genocide and mass atrocity are occurring. Your STAND Chapter can support GI-NET’s work throughout the year by hosting grassroots fundraisers to support our civilian protection AND advocacy efforts.

We are working to create a world without genocide. And you are the most important part! Please visit our fundraising section to get ideas for other events you can hold to support GI-NET’s work throughout the year.

Angie Deane and Victoria Smith,
GI-NET Development Team

Vote To Make Darfur A Priority!

matthewheck — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:12:34 -0500

We have an important opportunity to tell the new administration that ending the Darfur genocide is a top priority of the American people. Change.org is sponsoring a competition called Ideas for Change in America and ending the genocide in Darfur is in the finals. But we need your help.

Vote today to ensure that ending the genocide in Darfur is one of the top ten issues that will be presented to the new administration.

President Obama must create a peace surge for Sudan, focused on ending the crisis in Darfur rather than managing it. Tell him that supporting a U.N.-authorized peacekeeping force that actively protects civilians, and holds the perpetrators of the genocide to account, is a priority to you.

Vote now to make Darfur a priority from Day One at http://www.change.org/ideas/view/end_the_genocide_in_darfur.

We only have until January 15th to put Darfur on the list. On January 16th, Change.org and the Case Foundation will announce the top ten issues, and will then launch a national campaign behind each one.

We aim to make ending the Darfur genocide an administration priority from Day One! Vote today to make your voice heard for the people of Darfur. And after you've voted, e-mail your friends, post it to Facebook, or promote it on your blog!

Join STAND's Education Team!

nmcmurry — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:30:17 -0500

Interested in getting involved with STAND on the national level? Want to help empower STAND students all over the country to become better anti-genocide activists through education? STAND's EduTeam is currently looking for Conflict Education Coordinators (CECs) for Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). CECs serve as STAND's resident conflict experts and help keep STAND's leadership and membership informed and updated about the conflicts we address.

Click here to read the full job description and apply! Questions? Contact Nina McMurry at education@standnow.org.

Unstinting Resolve: The New President and Darfur

brome — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:48:30 -0500

There has been much talk on the campaign trail of hope and change, rhetoric which is largely responsible for the victory of President-elect Barack Obama. Across the nation and world, there is unprecedented excitement about the new administration and its potential to change.

As the Obama administration makes its transition to the White House, every constituency has high expectations for change in their specific areas of concern; the people of Darfur and the anti-genocide movement are no exception. As I listen to Omer Ismail, the ENOUGH Project advisor for Sudan, at STAND’s National Student Conference, I sense his frustration and urgency. For the past five years, the people of Darfur have received empty promises of change.
Millions of dollars have been poured into Darfur each year in the form of humanitarian aid since the conflict began; a solution which seems focused not so much on resolving the atrocities in Darfur as on appeasing the conscience of the international community.

It is appalling that after a century of genocide in Armenia, Germany, Cambodia, Iraq, Bosnia, and Rwanda, Washington is stands baffled as a deer in the headlights when confronted with genocide. Humanitarian aid has become an increasingly expensive and ineffective band-aid on almost every humanitarian crisis the United States has dealt with in recent years.

Real change lies in assembling twenty-four helicopters and an effective peacekeeping force. Real change lies in the indictment of Omar Al-Bashir. Real change lies in true diplomacy with China.

If the Obama administration wants to make good on its campaign promises of hope and change, it will have to engage in the creation of a comprehensive plan for confronting genocide, now and in the future. In the coming year, the new administration will need to confront a host of status quos in need of hope and change. There is a need for new direction in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in the way our economy is run.

It is up to the anti-genocide constituency, on behalf of the victims of genocide in Sudan to remind the new President that Darfur is in need of hope and change as well.

Finding Our Way as a Movement

sredding — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:17:09 -0400

The first time I heard Samantha Power, author of A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, speak, she told a personal story that’s remained extremely meaningful for me in considering how to approach my role as an activist. The story had to do with the pitfalls in her relationship with the atrocities that she works to portray; she recounted how, working in Bosnia during the war, she was able to begin to make a name for herself as a journalist. She eventually realized, however, that she was beginning to want to see her stories on the front page more than she wanted to stop the events that she was chronicling, and it was at this point, she told the audience, that she knew she had to quit.

Many of us have probably gone through similar iterations of this what could be called the “activist existentialist crisis”- questioning our motives, questioning our effectiveness, questioning why we think we can advocate for areas of the world that most of us have never even been to.

This kind of thinking can be paralyzing if we let it be, but I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to dwell on it a little. We often talk about how far STAND as a movement has come, and it’s true- we’ve gone from a smattering of small, independent student groups to a national network coordinating campaigns, building its members’ skill set, and engaging with US policy. We can tell that we’ve progressed because many of us now possess suits, Blackberries, and caffeine addictions, and many of our members can throw around acronyms (FPLA, R2P, ICC…) with the best of ‘em.

Obviously, I’m being a little facetious here- this is not what STAND is about. But the question remains nonetheless, what IS STAND about? Soul-searching as a movement, like as an individual, can be a painful process, but I believe that it’s just as necessary.

I love talking to chapters and hearing about all the important work that they’re doing, but I know that I didn’t get involved with STAND to hold a position called “Great Lakes Regional Outreach Coordinator.” Instead, I remember hearing a speaker from Rwanda who had come to my middle school and being horrified that the events he described had occurred during my lifetime. I remember how upsetting learning about the Holocaust for the first time was in elementary school, and I remember beginning to read newspapers at the same time that they were filled with stories about victims in Kosovo.

I think that many of us have a shared experience in this respect- having lived out our childhoods largely unaware that such terrible things could happen on such a large scale, we became cognizant of the larger world community at the same time that this community was abandoning victims in Rwanda and Bosnia, and we thus became aware at a very young age that this was not the world we wanted to live in.

For me, this is at its core what STAND is about- knowing that this is not the world that we want to live in and truly believing, independent of any particular political philosophy, that it can be otherwise. We’ve begun to articulate a much more concrete version of what it is that we would like the world to look like and to learn the skills necessary to make it so, but I think that staying attuned to the purpose of STAND and staying energized in our work has a lot to do with taking the skills and the nuances that we’ve learned and reconnecting them with the pure, uncomplicated passion that we felt about these issues when we decided to act on them in the first place. That we formed as a movement because a number of small, disconnected groups realized that they had this same passion and were working for the same goals is extremely powerful- we are truly a grassroots movement founded on the shared energy and motivation of people committed to building a better world. I believe that as we expand, improve, regroup, reorganize, grow up, get fed up, and sometimes, yes, become temporarily cynical, STAND, fundamentally, is still about this kind of energy.

-Rebecca Burns, Great Lakes College Regional Outreach Coordinator