STAND is proud to join our friends over at the Enough Project in taking the Congo Challenge. We knew all our readers would want to take the Challenge, too, so we’ve included a blog post from Candice Knezevic at Enough below. Once you sign up to take the challenge, comment and let us know!

Last weekend, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert wrote an op-ed called “The Invisible War.” In it, he described the unspeakable and horrendous crimes of sexual violence being committed in eastern Congo, where rape is used as a weapon of war on a scale seen nowhere else in the world. Mr. Herbert’s piece ignited hundreds of comments, many of which ask the ubiquitous question, “What can I do?”

Really, the question should be…what can’t you do? There are so many ways that you can be an advocate for the women of Congo. To make it a little easier to answer this question, however, the RAISE Hope for Congo campaign is kicking off a three month “Congo Challenge.” Each month, you’ll get a menu of actions that you can take to make an impact. Whether you only have 5 minutes or 5 hours, there’s an option for you.

In March, we’ll ask you to help us RAISE Awareness and recruit new activists to the movement. This movement is in its infancy, which means we need your help to grow it. In April, we’ll ask you to RAISE Your Voice, and help us hold the electronics industry and our leaders accountable for the scourge of "conflict minerals" in Congo. In May, we’ll ask you to RAISE the Profile of the conflict in Congo by shining a light on our direct link to this ongoing crisis. Each month we’ll have an activist conference call with special guest speakers, and in April, we’ll hold a live advocacy training webinar.

So this spring, challenge yourself to be an advocate for the women of Congo. You have the power to help Congolese women end the violence and change their country’s course. That power is your voice.

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
 

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!