I thumb my way through the dry, holier-than-thou-government-language, thirty-five page document entitled “The Massachusetts Guide to Choosing and Using Curricular Materials on Genocide and Human Rights Issues” as I stand outside of State Senator Augustus’ office, nervously waiting for the wall clock to strike 10:30, or at least 10:20. It is currently 10:15, and I am fifteen minutes early for the appointment that I requested with the Senator to discuss the Massachusetts Teach Against Genocide campaign as a result of underestimating my ability to navigate the State House, and, (probably rightfully) calculating on my general history of getting lost often. To avoid the awkward looks I receive from staff members and other interns rushing by on their way to meetings or the first of a cardiac arrest-inducing number of coffee breaks for the morning, I pretend to be enthralled in this poor, disenfranchised self-help for teachers manual hidden deep within the crevices of the Department of Education’s website. For a document that promises to highlight the evils of genocide, it is pathetic. “From Pearl Harbor to Victory” a subheading reads, failing to mention at what cost to hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese civilians “victory” came for America. I’ve highlighted manically throughout, wherever there is a whisper about “Nazi Terrorism” or a mention of “ethnic cleansing” in Yugoslavia. “Ethnic cleansing?” Massachusetts is using the same euphemistic terminology to describe the genocide, the mass slaughter of thousands of Muslims in Bosnia, as the radical Serbs who facilitated these killings did? And what of Cambodia? The Kurdish genocide? Rwanda? Burma? Darfur? 

I’m seated in the Senator’s office five minutes later, and after a brief discussion, I’m delighted to see that I finally have an ally in state government (specifically one that can correctly pronounce “genocide”). He tells me to be wary of the controversy that a bill such as this might generate, given Turkey’s denial of the Armenian genocide, teacher opposition to mandates, and the like. I still wonder what is controversial about the systematic slaughter of over one million Christian Armenians or the novel idea of NOT leaving out the eradication of tens of millions of innocent civilians when teaching social studies. It seems to me it is fairly important subject matter. Senator Augustus will not be returning for the upcoming legislative session, but he will mention the campaign to his colleagues favorably. Score one for the good guys.

Often times, in our little STAND bubble, we tend to forget that there are those that fail to understand the implications of Bosnia, Darfur, or even the Holocaust. We forget how dire the need for education on these subjects, however “sensitive” or “controversial” they may be, truly is. Make no mistake; there is a need for change in school systems across America. How can we call ourselves Americans if we fail to mention to future generations the ultimate failure of the international community to act, time and again, just in this past century? How can the world plan to make good on the promise “never again” if millions of stories are left to die on the killing fields?

-Emily Cunningham, Northeast High School Regional Outreach Coordinator

To get involved in the Massachusetts Teach Against Genocide Campaign, please contact Emily Cunningham at ecunningham@standnow.org

As much as I hate to admit it, I’m a born and raised native Texan and I have spent all my life in Texas (unless the 2 and a half months I just spent in DC count). Being an activist in Texas often seems lonely and from what I’ve been told of the rest of the Southwest region, this sentiment is echoed by many others. As the Southwest Regional Outreach Coordinator for colleges I want to let everyone who has ever felt isolated or as if they are the only ones who seem to care, you are definitely not alone. People in all over the country care about ending genocide and yes, that counts the people in your state!

The southwest (Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Arkansas) is not filled with cacti, despite being an area that tends to conjures up deserts in many minds, the southwest has been, continues to be and will forever be a fertile land for people who care. I have had the honor to chat with many of the leaders of these oasis chapters and couldn’t think of anything better to do than brag about the wonderful work these incredible people have been doing.

In Utah, many chapters worked together with community activists to hold a Dining for Darfur event in Salt Lake City. As I’m sure many of you reading this have done, they chose not allow summer to be just for relaxation, but also for helping the people of Darfur.

In Arizona, Arizona State University has taken the first steps into exploring a city divestment campaign for Phoenix with the help of the Sudan Divestment Task Force. They have chosen not only to be leaders on campus and in the school’s community of Tempe, but also the larger community surrounding their campus.

In Colorado a longstanding chapter is persuing awareness, advocacy and fundraising while also having fun and a brand new chapter is stepping up to the anti-genocide plate by helping refugees. The University of Colorado at Boulder is putting on an event called Dirty for Darfur, which is just like it sounds… a messy, fun time while engaging their campus to mobilize for Darfur. Less than an hour away, The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, a newly graduated chapter has dived into fighting genocide head first by starting their very own mentorship program for the large Lost Boy community in Colorado. While that alone is an incredible project, they are also working on expanding the project at their school and perhaps other by trying to get mentorship counted as a volunteer-study or internship credit.

And all that is just a small sampling of what STAND activists in the Southwest are doing. Together with all the efforts of activists in all the other regions and the world we are doing our part to end genocide. But almost as importantly we are doing our part to combat apathy with our actions. So when you think of the Southwest, you can continue thinking of cacti, but also remember all the great activism!

Leran Minc, Southwest College Regional Outreach Coordinator

STAND will be hosting its 2008 National Student Conference November 7-9 in Washington, DC! Join student activists from across the country as we come together to learn from policy experts and each other about how to be more effective advocates to end the ongoing atrocities in Sudan and ensure that we "STAND Out Loud" against genocide in our world.

Whether you’re a newcomer just getting interested in the issue or a seasoned Darfur activist, this conference will have something new for everyone. You’ll get to take part in activist workshops, hear panelists discuss the most recent news from the ground, learn about other conflicts like Burma and Congo, and take away specific tools and skills to help you and your chapter to become more effective advocates for our cause.

STAND is holding this year’s conference in conjunction with Save Darfur Coalition’s adult activist conference and a Tents of Hope weekend of activism on the National Mall. Don’t pass up this incredible opportunity for the anti-genocide movement to come together as we explore new ways to support each other’s efforts. Our conference, in Washington, DC, right after a historic election, will make a strong statement to the newly elected President and Congress.

Can’t wait to sign up? Check out our Save the Date page now, and you can be the first to know when registration opens up in early September.

Put your dedication to ending the conflict in Darfur and your flare for multimedia together by entering to win the Citizens for Global Solutions Multimedia Contest 2008!

Make a video challenging policymakers to develop solid solutions to the crisis in Sudan, and you could win $2,000.  Check it out here. Videos can be in any one of three categories- flash animation, spoken word, or digital video.  Enter today!

A couple of weeks ago, a student from a nearby university emailed me, asking for feedback on an event he wanted to host. He told me he was so upset about the genocide, and that he wanted orchestrate something really big and radical.

Well, I’m a sucker for big and radical, so I got all gung-ho and gave him more than my two-pence. Then I asked him if he was a member of the established, rockin’ STAND chapter at his school. He wasn’t. A motivated, big-dreaming activist and he didn’t even know that they were around! So I introduced him to his local STAND chapter leaders, and now they have combined powers and are probably going to pull off the sweetest event ever.

How cool is that? (Answer: it’s really cool).

The moral of the story: Do you have a question? A frustration? Suggestion? Anything ending in –ion? Yo! Use your ROCs! We are mostly nice and can really help. And if we can’t, we know someone who can.

Peace and love from a ROC,

Olivia Munn, Southeast College Regional Outreach Coordinator

Last month I had the opportunity to speak to a group of international students studying at Princeton University over the summer. The topic was community activism in the United States. Sixty of the brightest high school students from around the country and the globe were seated before me in the lecture hall, listening to my experiences as a member of STAND. As I started to explain the history of STAND and how it is making a difference in the world today, I realized how proud I was of this organization; for what it does, and how it motivates teens like me to stand up and get involved. It was empowering to represent an organization that has so much going for it. At the end of the session, the response was all positive. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to speak about this organization to do so, and spread the word.

As the former New Jersey State Outreach Coordinator, I am so excited to be back on the STAND team this year as the Mid-Atlantic High School Outreach Coordinator, working with such an inspiring group of student activists. Our Mid-Atlantic region, which now includes more than 100 high schools from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, has a number of exciting events and programs planned. One chapter leader in New Jersey is focusing his group’s efforts on divesting their county from Sudan. A chapter in Pennsylvania is exploring the possibility of selling STAND merchandise at various functions in their community. And yet another New Jersey chapter is planning to host a Day for Darfur, raising awareness through promoting the use of the 1-800-Genocide Hotline number. Several chapter leaders are interested in participating in a power tools conference call in the fall to learn how to run a successful lobby meeting.

I cannot wait to hear what other high school chapters have planned for their year in the Mid-Atlantic Region, so be sure to keep me informed! In the meantime, it is essential that chapters continue their efforts in advocacy, awareness and fundraising.

-Meaghan Collins, Mid-Atlantic High School Regional Outreach Coordinator

On the heels of last week’s concerning reports about continuing ceasefire violations and human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congo Advocacy Coalition (CAC) released further information indicating the extent of atrocities.

Most striking were the group’s finding related to sexual violence in eastern DRC – the coalition reported more than 2,000 rape cases for the month of June alone in North Kivu province. While this number is much higher than previous reports, it still almost certainly does not convey the full extent of the problem, as sexual violence is consistently underreported due to stigma and lack of access to medical care. The report also discussed the dire humanitarian situation, reporting that malnutrition levels have reached more than 17% in certain parts of the east, and that attacks on humanitarian operations (36 recorded since January) have severely hampered efforts to deliver aid to the more than 1 million people who are internally displaced in the area.

Anneke Van Woudenberg of Human Rights Watch, which is a member of the coalition, pointed to the need to make the peace process in DRC, known as the Amani Program, “a reality, not just a nice idea.”

CAC, which is made up of 64 local international non-governmental organizations, called on all parties to honor their commitments to existing peace agreements, and made a number of specific recommendations, including the appointment of a high level independent Special Advisor on Human Rights for eastern DRC, increased donor backing for mediation efforts and DDR (disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration) programs, and efforts to include women and displaced person in the peace process. More information about the coalition and a full list of recommendations can be found here.

-Nina McMurry, Congo Education Coordinator

At a Refugee camp outside of Mogadishu last Friday, three elders were helping local aid workers distribute food. In Somalia, a country that has been without an effective central government since 1991, most aid workers are Somali’s working endlessly to ensure that millions get fed and maintain their health in a violent, chaotic setting. The three elders helping the aid workers feed refugees was in no way out of the ordinary in Somalia, except while taking a break for tea the elders were shot dead by unknown gunmen.

The rise in killings and kidnappings of aid workers, at least 20 have been killed since January and 17 have been kidnapped, makes "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world" an impossible situation. It is increasingly difficult to deliver aid to the estimated 2.6 million Somali’s that need it, a number that is expected to rise to 3.5 million, half of the population, by the end of the year. More than 1 million Somali’s have been displaced since 2007, and it appears as if little is being done to help them.

One of the world’s worst humanitarian crises often seems like it’s dismissed as a case where the international system can do little to help. Yet no one can doubt what a lawless Somalia means to the international community, a potentially dangerous breeding ground for terrorism. The United States has used ballistic missiles to bomb targeted Islamist Insurgents thought to be affiliated with Al-Qaeda this year, yet these attacks often kill civilians and do little to solve the Somalia problem.

Last month in Djibouti a peace accord was agreed upon between the Ethiopian backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and an alliance of moderate Islamist Insurgents known as the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS). However, hardline Islamist Insurgents rejected it, and the fighting and dying continued. Most recently hardline Islamist leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, a man the US accuses of having links with Al-Qaeda and who rejected the peace accord in June, took over the moderate ARS. Sheikh Aweys was also one of the heads of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which took over Mogadishu in 2006 and ousted the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

A major issue of contention is the presence of Ethiopian troops backing the TFG in Somalia, something the Islamist Insurgents despise and most citizens also do not agree with. The presence of Ethiopians will keep the country in chaos, especially since Sheikh Aweys has pledged to step up the insurgency against foreign troops. Ethiopia and Somalia have long been feuding over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, which is ethnically Somali, and the bad blood between the neighboring Horn of Africa countries has darkened with the present situation.

Despite the focus on the politics of the conflict, the people suffering the most are without a doubt the civilians caught up in the crossfire. The UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden stated yesterday that "we are months away from a major crisis" in Somalia. If aid workers continue to be killed and humanitarian operations threatened, Somali’s will continue to die in horrific numbers. How will the sudden change of leadership affect the peace process? Although Sheikh Awey’s has declared he will stop the killing of aid workers in Somalia, his hardline stance on a variety of issues makes it seem unlikely that a peace pact will come into effect any time soon.

As a summer intern for the Genocide Intervention Network, I’ve experienced a lot of amazing things. It’s been thrilling to watch events like the charges of genocide against al-Bashir, the arrest of Karadzic, and the political fervor of important political elections unfold at one of the sources of the anti-genocide movement. Although I could ramble on for hours about the amazing atmosphere and the even more amazing people in the GI-NET offices, I’d much rather talk about a project I have been working on for my internship: the STAND Now! Facebook application.

When I first came into the offices, my supervisor, Ben Drexler, and I discussed the desire to move beyond merely a group or page on Facebook and expand to the world of Facebook applications. Fortunately for us, the release of the brand-new STAND website gave us a perfect opportunity to test out some of our ideas of creating a dynamic application that people would actually want to use. After a week or two of messing around, we figured out what we wanted to do with it and, after another week or two, are proud to announce the first ever STAND Facebook application!

The application has a plethora of features that fully interact with your standnow.org account. After you add the application, simply sign in with the username and password you use to login to standnow.org to receive access to the following features:

• Display your chapter on your profile page
• Connect with other STAND members
• See the latest news from the blog on your Facebook account
• Find information about your chapter easily
• Check your federal representatives’ DarfurScores
• Utilize the quick links to important websites by GI-NET
• Sign up for the national newsletter
• See the latest STAND campaigns
• Invite your friends to join the anti-genocide movement

It’s very easy and takes only a couple of minutes to enjoy this stylish way to support your STAND chapter; and, even better, we’re still working on adding new features and expanding our reach every day. Be sure to keep looking for updates from the STAND team!

-Matthew Heck, Great Plains High School Regional Outreach Coordinator

This has been an exciting couple of weeks for Burma activists! The "Tom Lantos" Block Burmese JADE Act has passed the Senate and is waiting tobe signed into law by President Bush. The renewal of the Freedom and Democracy Act has passed the House and is now in the Senate, and will likely be voted on soon.

The Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act, passed in 2003, prohibits the importation of Burmese products into the U.S. The Congress has renewed it every year since its initial passage.

The JADE Act seeks to increase U.S. sanctions on Burma, particularly with regard to the importation of precious gems. Although gems cannot be imported into the US from Burma, Burmese gems can still come into the US from other countries. These increased sanctions will deprive the junta in Burma of revenue.

Learn more about the conflict in Burma and this important legislation by tuning into our Education Call on tonight (Thursday, July 24th) at 10 pm EDT. Just dial 1-269-320-8300 and then press 349902# when prompted.