The student-led movement to end mass atrocities.

Giving Sudan its gold star

This week, STAND activists demonstrated just how ridiculous Gration’s "Gold Star" strategy is.  Our High School National Outreach Coordinator, Mickey Jackson, went with a group of students the other day to deliver a Gold Star and Smiley Face to the Sudanese Embassy.  Here’s what Mickey had to say about the event:
 
I have to admit that until this week, I never dreamed that anything could possess me to trudge through the rain with a bunch of other DC-area students and lay a hastily-made cardboard-and-paper gold star against the door of the Sudanese embassy. But then again, I never dreamed that Scott Gration, the Obama Administration’s special envoy to Sudan, would tell the Washington Post that we should try to end a genocide by "giving out cookies…gold stars, [and] smiley faces" to an indicted war criminal.

We are fully aware that Wednesday’s action at the Sudanese embassy was a stunt. As a rule, STAND students do not rely on stunts to bring attention to the ongoing genocide in Darfur; we are known and renowned for our smart, targeted advocacy campaigns directed at our elected officials and executed by thousands of dedicated student activists nationwide. But this week, we felt the need to highlight the absurdity of General Gration’s comments, and the Administration’s highly conspicuous lack of a tough, coherent policy for addressing the ongoing atrocities and humanitarian crisis in Darfur. And so we took it upon ourselves to step up to the plate for General Gration and give the Sudanese government the gold star that they apparently have so richly earned.

By all means, enjoy the video footage of this action. We meant for it to be funny. But we also meant for it to spur you to action. So please, after you watch the video, take an extra minute to send a message to the President Obama. Tell him that eight months is too long to wait for a strong Sudan policy. Tell him demonstrate that General Gration’s comments do not reflect his views on Sudan. Tell him to personally get involved and fulfill the promises that he has made to the anti-genocide constituency.

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