Aisha Saleem (co-Yemen Lead and University Outreach), Barnard College

Aisha, where do I even begin? You are such an incredibly smart, funny, and kind person, and I am so lucky I’ve gotten to work with you and have you as my co-lead. The first time I ever spoke to you, you immediately offered to help me with the college application process. You are always helping somebody and checking in with us, and that generosity and supportiveness is what makes STAND feel like such a family. When we work on issues as heavy as we do, it’s important to be able to bring joy to the experience too. Watching you come up with creative ways to take action and call out companies is always a treat. You are our Spotify, meme, and STEM queen, and this will truly not be the same without you. As much as I’ll miss you, though, I am so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you do next. Congratulations! –Mira Mehta, Policy and co-Yemen Action Committee Lead

Aisha!! Bestie!! I have loved every moment of working as your outreach co-lead. You taught me everything I know about my role, and I really don’t know where I’d be without you. You’re so kind, so smart, and are always doing so many cool things. Go off woman in STEM!! Your classes sound terrifying to me but it’s so impressive. I love your creative ideas, and your dedication to STAND’s projects and campaigns. You’re literally so cool and so fun to spend time with. It’s so sad to see you go, but I know you’ll do great things in the future!! You 100% have to keep us all updated with how your life is going, I know you’ll do great!! -Grace Harris, co-Outreach and co-Fundraising Lead

Aisha, I’m so unbelievably proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished in the three years I’ve worked with you. When I joined the MC, you were the very first person I ever worked with, and I will never forget how welcoming you were. You are honestly one of the best people I’ve ever met, and I feel honored to know you and call you a friend and STAND colleague. Thank you for all of the hours of effort and energy you’ve put in to this organization since you were a high schooler- I can truly say that STAND wouldn’t be where we are today without you and your contributions. You are leaving such a legacy, and I can’t wait to see all you will accomplish in the chapters that lie ahead. Thank you for being my STAND Sister and for always giving 100% to this team– we love and appreciate you more than you know! -Claire Sarnowski, co-Fundraising and State-Level Genocide Education Lead

I can’t imagine a Managing Committee without Aisha! I’m so proud to have worked with you these three years in all of your roles. You have been incredibly reliable and a great team player. You always have a joke and a kind word for every member. I know you made all of the new recruits, chapter leaders, and Yemen Action Committee members feel welcome and empowered to grow in their activism. You always have a new idea to create more impact, and I’m sure you’ll be successful in whatever sciencey role you land!

-Laura Strawmyer, Program Director

Jordyn Galvan (SAL Lead, co-Policy Lead, Communications), Texas State University 

Omg Jordyn!!! My fellow STAND member tragically stuck in a southern state. I still can’t believe you already graduated back in December and am so so happy you stayed on with us for the rest of the year!! You’ve been doing so great with leading the SALs, and absolutely killing it with the graphics! I always look forward to collaborating on a project or even just talking and hanging out!! I, and everyone else here, will miss you so much, but I know you’re going to do great!! Please keep us updated about your life, you’ll do amazing things I’m sure of it! -Grace Harris, co-Outreach and co-Fundraising Lead

Jordyn, I am so grateful for the time we were able to spend together on the STAND MC. It has been a pleasure working with you, and I am going to miss you so much!! You brought amazing ideas to the MC, and everything you said was always so insightful. Thank you so much for always coming through with the graphics for various STAND events because I am so bad with technology lol. I really hope we are able to meet in-person someday!! Stupid covid lol. I know that you are going to flourish with whatever you decide to do after college. Again, thank you so much for just being you, and I feel so fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to work with you. Please stay in touch!! -Allison Weiner, co-Burma and co-East Turkistan Action Committee Lead

Jordyn, I can not even begin to express how much you have impacted my life and so many others through your advocacy work. Whenever I need motivation or am in a space where I forget why I do this work, I always look to you. You have taught me what it means to be passionate about what you do and for that I will forever be grateful. My favorite memory of us is when I asked you to speak on the Indigenous Peoples’ Day panel and you just went above and beyond and brought together so many voices to make that event so impactful. I think about instances like that and just am in awe of how you are able to go above and beyond for everyone. Your compassion and love has taught me to be kind to everyone but most importantly, it has taught me how much potential I have to make change especially if I have the passion. -Ishreet Lehal, co-United States Action Committee and co-Education Lead

You are truly a one-of-a-kind soul, and we’ve been so lucky to have your voice these last two years. Thank you for taking on so many different roles and finding all the *intersections* among them. You have shaped forever how STAND will work on domestic issues, especially Indigenous rights, as well as our social media standards and color theory! You always show up fully in every (virtual) room you are in, and I feel like I’ve known you in person for years. I’m sure we will cross paths again, and I can’t wait to follow your journey!  -Laura Strawmyer, Program Director

Under the leadership of these four graduates (soon to be alumni!), STAND has grown its grassroots reach, attracted discussion with high-level experts, and become a more inclusive and accessible movement. All of these women are continuing their studies related to international issues and atrocity prevention. They remind us every day that the future is bright, and we are so hopeful for their next steps. Thank you, and congratulations!

Abby Edwards (co-Student Director), Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris

You have really taken on the co-Student Director role as your own. Thank you for sharing your ideas and making them come to life, from the Book Club to your conversation with Ambassador Power. You built up the East Turkistan Action Committee from scratch, forging partnerships and delving into complex policies. You are also STAND’s top merch model! You have a unique blend of skills in creative, managerial, and forward-thinking areas that will serve you well in grad school and beyond. I will miss the many, many Slack messages and jokes throughout the day, but I’m so excited that you’ll be in DC. You’re welcome to come see Travis anytime. –  Laura Strawmyer, Program Director

Abigail, I will never forget the time I first met you during the August 2019 retreat when you were so jetlagged but refused to take a nap during the day. You have always been so goal-oriented and persistent. I will never forget how much fun we had making the GFA Campaign with other fellow STAND members. I’m glad to have met another friend at Columbia and happy that we have been able to share our love for the school and President Bollinger. It has been great to see you go up from MC member to SD and it has been rewarding to see your growth as a leader. You are so incredibly talented and nice and it’s hard to find a friend like you. It’s not easy to do 2 bachelors in 4 years but look at you! You have excelled in many ways (through extracurriculars, academically and more) and I know I’ll be reading your autobiography in the future. I’m going to miss you a lot but I know you’re doing great things in the future. I’m so excited to see the amazing things you’ll do in the future as a great lobbyist and even better skier. Glad to have been your conference and lobbying buddy. – Aisha Saleem, co-Outreach (University) and co-Yemen AC Lead

Abby, thank you for putting forth effort and talent during your time here in STAND. You never cease to amaze us all and the best part? This is only the beginning. Your leadership and passion shines through in everything that you do. You are truly a powerful voice and force. You are going big places and I cannot wait to see all of the amazing things that you will accomplish. Working with you has been an absolute honor. I think I can speak for us all when I say thank you for teaching us and guiding us in any and all ways. From the GFA to tea chats and painting calls, getting to know you has been a blast. I’m going to miss seeing your smile on zoom calls!! Thank you for your dedication and I wish you the best in all of your life endeavors. You have been such a great friend and leader, and we are all so proud of you. – Jordyn Galvan, co-Policy and Communications Lead

Abby!!! My East Turkistan Action Committee buddy (and the person who always reminds me to do the things I forget to do)!! You have been a WONDERFUL co-Student Director this year and have really made my first year on the MC so fun and meaningful! Your work leading both our Action Committee and STAND itself has been really incredible, and I have really had the best time working with you. You just do so much and are always involved, and I am in awe of your incredible activist organizing skills. Also you’re just so kind and helpful, always ready to give me college advice, tour me around the campus, or help me develop my own skills as an advocate. We have really become close this year and I have absolutely loved my time with you! You’re always ready to have a funny icebreaker or host our next iconic bonding activity, and I love that! This year has been amazing thanks to you! I know you will be amazing in grad school and I really can’t wait to see where your life takes you! I know we’ll stay friends, and I know you will do amazing things in the future!!! One last woooo for you!!!! -Grace Harris, co-Xinjiang AC and co-Outreach (High School) Lead

Megan Rodgers (co-Student Director), University of Arkansas

It’s a rare thing to find someone as compassionate, driven, and knowledgeable as you! I have so much respect for how you’ve forged your own path from unlikely circumstances and never let a challenge keep you down. I was so amazed by your knowledge and conviction from the first time I saw you lobby your representative and handle difficult questions with grace. You have left a mark on how STAND works on displacement and refugee issues. We needed your caring leadership during this tumultuous year. Thank you for shepherding the State Advo Lead program this year in addition to the MC. I can’t wait to see you in DC soon and follow what you do next! –  Laura Strawmyer, Program Director

Megan, I’m so glad to have met you in the August 2019 and January 2020 retreat before COVID hit! I remember how we bonded over having 4 siblings as we ate pizza and how you talked about your sister in law who had the same name as you! I’m so glad to have seen you grow from the position of DRC AC lead to the SD. You excelled in both roles and always had a smile on your face. I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been to manage school (and your insane 3 majors) and all those extracurriculars, but congratulations on graduating! Everyone knows this but you are incredibly hardworking and driven, and it’s so amazing to see how much effort you put into the stuff you care about. You are genuinely a kind person and I am so excited to see you go. You’re going to do great things and the drive you have will take you far! Good luck with everything and start happy – Aisha Saleem, co-Outreach (University) and co-Yemen AC Lead

Megan, no matter if it’s in a Zoom call or at an MC Retreat, I know that I will always see you with a genuine, warm smile on your face. Your amazing personality, optimistic spirit, and loving heart shine through in every conversation I have with you. I remember the first time I met you at the August 2019 retreat, where our first conversation was about it being both of our first times to Washington DC. You’re truly one of a kind– you constantly work to better your understanding of the world around you, you’re the first one there to offer words of encouragement, and you bring out the best in everyone who works with you. I’m continuously inspired by your kindness, humbleness, and love of life. I feel blessed to have worked with you these past two years, and I know that you will do incredible things in your life. I’ll miss us hanging out at in-person retreats, but I know I have a forever friend in you! -Claire Sarnowski, co-Outreach (Fundraising) and State-Level Education Lead

Jan Jan Maran, George Mason University

JAN JAN! Seeing your advocacy blossom within the last year has been a beautiful sight. In every post, speech, conversation, video, and poem, you can hear and feel all of the love and care that you carry for your community. The personal connection that you carry with your advocacy shines through and shows just how strong you are. Your sleepless nights and consistent efforts do not go unnoticed and I truly believe that YOU specifically will bring forth so much change for your community. Your bubbly personality, creative perspective, and dedication brings forth such a strong voice and I cannot wait to see the places you will go. You are one of the most hardworking people I have ever met. Thank you for being such a great colleague, advocate and friend. I hope I can meet you one day, just know that no matter where you are, we are sending our support. I’m so honored to have met such a strong individual. You are changing the world for young women everywhere and seeing you do it from your most authentic self is the best part. Sending you love, luck and support in everything you do. Keep shining bright Jan Jan, I believe in you. – Jordyn Galvan, co-Policy and Communications Lead

Jan Jan, you were kind to me before you even really knew me, and that’s just the kind of person you are.  You are dedicated and caring, and you are always making sure that people are included and represented, whether it’s members of our team or people around the world. It has been so incredible to see you advocate for your community and all people in Burma with such love and genuine care.  Everything you do is so personal, and that’s what makes it meaningful. I know that it’s been a lot of sacrifice, but I hope you know that your work is really making an impact, and everything you have done has been worth it. You have inspired so many of us already, and I’m always learning from your advocacy. Your positive and optimistic personality always makes it a treat to work with you, even when things are getting to be heavy or tiring. STAND won’t be the same without you, but I can’t wait to see what you do next! -Mira Mehta, co-Yemen AC Lead

Jan Jan you are literally the sweetest person and I know you will continue to do the amazing things you’ve already been doing! I love your passion and enthusiasm and you really are such a good writer! I love seeing your heartfelt poems on social media. You have done an AMAZING job in your Burma advocacy both with leading an amazing committee and with bringing in community members to join our work. Everything you do is just so meaningful and I know you really put all of yourself into your work. It really has been amazing working with you. this year, from late night bonding calls to being lobbying partners to making really bad art! While we’ve never actually met in person, we’ve become friends this year virtually and I really can’t wait to see what you do next! Whatever you decide, make sure to take time for self-care because you totally deserve it!! Good luck for the next big stage of your life, I know you got this! Woooo!! –Grace Harris, co-Xinjiang AC and co-Outreach (High School) Lead

Jenna Walmer, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Jenna, working with you this year has been such an amazing experience. You’re so incredibly intelligent and kind, and you’re always willing to take the time to explain things. You are so passionate and ready to dive into things, and you bring such a fun energy to everything you work on. I loved getting to know you — from watching you be amazing in GFA videos over the summer to seeing your amazingly detailed full year CCC plan (I wish I could do that) and getting to work on that with you. You are so much all wrapped into one — an athlete, an advocate, a professor, and an influencer — and that showed in the way you approached everything with such creativity. It was so cool to see you come up with news, different ways to pull in different types of people and groups and make our work accessible and interesting to everyone. I’m going to miss working with you, but I know you’re going to be doing amazing things. Wishing you lots of love and luck; we’ll all be watching in awe! -Mira Mehta, co-Yemen AC Lead

Jenna, thank you so much for all the work you have done for STAND. I remember the first day I joined the MC about five months ago, and you were so welcoming, accepting, and helpful. At the retreat, when I was new, you were there right away to give me the help I needed. Also, Congratulations on committing to Syracuse! Both of my parents graduated from Syracuse, and I am certain that you are going to do amazing things and thrive there, as you always do (P.S. my parents said that you should shop at Wegmans because it’s awesome). From all the amazing work you have done for STAND to your newfound career as an influencer, I just know that you are going to be successful with whatever you end up doing. I’m so sad that I won’t be working with you in STAND anymore, but I am so proud of you for everything you have done and everything you are going to accomplish in the rest of your life. – Allison Weiner, Sudan & South Sudan AC Lead

Jenna my CUQ (conflict update queen) and all around goddess- I’ve beyond loved working with you this past year and appreciate your dedication and witty humor that makes everything that much better. You’re so so knowledgeable and one of the smartest people I know- it’s very intimidating and I remember being kinda scared of you LOL. I always enjoy your hilarious snaps and am hoping that your influencer career will take you far. Thanks for always being literally the best partner I could ask for and for serving as an amazing role model both for me and everyone else on the team. I’d wish you luck in all your future endeavours but I know you don’t need it   You’re awesome and so deserving of all the great things you’re going to do!! – Caroline Mendoza, co-Education and co-Burma AC Lead

Historically, most movements are successful when they use nonviolent direct action, in coordination with peacebuilding, to garner policy or regime change. We saw that with the uprising in Sudan, with the civil rights movement in the United States, with the democratic revolution in Tunisia. We also employed similar tactics at the beginning of our history.

In 2005, 160+ schools and several celebrities participated in a day-long STANDFast, a demonstration to raise awareness for the genocide in Darfur and money for humanitarian efforts. However, the Save Darfur movement wasn’t simply about educating the populace–it had three targeted goals: pressure the United States government to create a special envoy for Darfur, punish perpetrators of genocide, and send UN peacekeepers to intervene in the crisis.

To that end, student activists weren’t just focused on igniting the consciousness of other people through educational events or fasts. They also worked with coalition partners to target leaders through grasstops advocacy, which resulted in that special envoy actually being appointed by President Bush.

Just a few months before the special envoy was appointed, STAND activists protested outside the Sudanese Embassy for 10 days, during which time they met with embassy officials and garnered press for their advocacy. At the time, our website said our goals included “spreading awareness, instigating political action and raising funds for the crises in Darfur.” Even then, spreading awareness was only the first step in creating a movement.

STAND’s history is one of mass mobilizations of young people that have protested, divested, at times been arrested (alongside Rep. John Lewis), and lobbied their congresspeople–850 youth strong from 46 states in 2006–to end the genocide in Darfur. Our history is one of deep empathy, compassion, education, and action.

What has changed since 2006? Largely, the nature of social resistance movements, which have shifted from in-person meetings to largely devolved or digital organizing structures. STAND has changed with the times, and now conducts our organizational planning and advocacy using technology tools and a remote leadership team.

But that doesn’t mean we have to be less effective. By rooting our action in grassroots advocacy’s best practices, building strong relationships across movements, and innovating in the types of tactics we use to gain support, I believe that we can be at the forefront of social change and harness our power like we did in the beginning of the Save Darfur Movement. These three steps are also key to unlocking the potential of individual organizers, so if you’re committed to taking action to end genocide, keep reading.

1. Root Advocacy in Grassroots Action Best Practices

In 2006, Brown University became the sixth campus in the nation to divest from the genocide in Darfur due to efforts by a campus chapter of STAND. Divestment was a concrete way to create change in Sudan: by depriving the Sudanese government of funding, they could influence the actions of the government and reduce their capacity to continue slaughtering citizens. 

The divestment campaigns were designed to mirror the effective anti-apartheid divestment campaigns from student groups, which weaponized billions in endowment funds to start a trend that resulted in $1 billion in lost profit due to corporate divestment in South Africa.

The lesson that can be learned from divestment is one of grassroots action best practices. That is, the use of people power to target simple, effective campaigns using strategic tactics that are capable of scaling. These elements–targets, campaigns, tactics, and scale–are key to creating real-world grassroots change.

The first element of a campaign is planning. If you’re an individual activist, it’s important to identify your allies–who can you work with that will help you–and your resources, what you already have that you can leverage to win. Because grassroots action is all about people power, it’s important to convince as many dedicated, passionate folks as possible that your issue is important, specific, winnable, and urgent. However, even just a couple of students can make a big impact. The key is to work strategically with what you have.

After you have your group of invested youth, your next step is to create a campaign goal. This goal has to be SMART—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Divesting Brown from the companies that engage in Darfur was a perfect goal, since they could easily identify the specific impact they, as an individual chapter, were having on it. It’s more difficult to pick a goal like ending the genocide in Darfur–that’s a mission, not a goal–so they started small, knowing that the final step is to scale.

Let’s talk about targets next. The Brown University students identified the body on campus with the power to divest their campus investments from Darfur, the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies. Not every school has one of these committees, but there are certainly other targets that may be receptive to change and can be identified in the course of a planning phase. 

In many cases, U.S. foreign policy is controlled by opaque actors in the State Department, White House, USAID, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That is one reason that divestment presents an appealing alternative to lobbying U.S. officials by changing the policy goal to align with more accessible targets. However, these government actors can still be effectively targeted–particularly the Senate, given its role in foreign policymaking as well as Senators’ positions as elected officials.

That’s when tactics come into play. Different tactics can be strategically deployed for different goals, depending on the response of targets. It’s best not to start with tactics—they change depending on our targets and goals. When the Brown students started their divestment efforts, the Advisory Committee in control of the power was by all accounts incredibly amenable to their interests–they cared about the genocide and wanted to do their part to reduce culpability. Thus, tactics involved to further the goals of this campaign were fairly mundane: they did research, held meetings, and gave presentations, which was all that was needed to convince Brown to divest. Sometimes all it takes is for a group of students to lobby their Senator for them to change their mind on an issue and cosponsor a bill.

However, other targets might be more obstinate. As I discussed earlier, STAND’s history is rooted in tactics of protest, especially nonviolent direct action. Nonviolent direct action is more than simply a rally, but it is a specific action that causes a disruption in society to bring attention to a problem, without violence–think, the civil rights sit-ins. Nonviolent direct action, to put it bluntly, works. It means putting yourselves as activists at risk, and should only be used as a last resort. However, when it is done properly, it has an immense power to attract media attention, ignite action, and shame targets into acquiescing to campaign goals. Here is more about using direct action for your campaigns, how to deploy them strategically, and a list of unique nonviolent direct actions that can be used in a campaign (look under noncooperation). Remember: mobilization is not the same thing as organization–one is a short-term demonstration, and another is a long-term strategy for policy change.

Finally, the Brown University campaign is such a great lesson because it scaled. The campaign was replicated not just at other campuses, but the student leaders were able to make Providence, RI (where Brown is located) the first U.S. city to divest from Darfur, gaining national attention.

When campaigns are rooted in best practices, they are poised to win.

2. Build Strong Relationships Across Movements and Groups

However, advocacy campaigns don’t exist without immense people power, and that can be difficult to sustain. In the new digital age, some advocacy groups report fewer attendees at in-person events and meetings because social media fractures in-person civic life (don’t worry, up next is how to harness digital power for change). It’s no secret that there are fewer STAND chapters across the country than there used to be. However, our relationships are as strong as ever, and have the potential to grow.

In 2010, Notre Dame students gathered nearly 1,000 signatures to ask President Obama to continue supporting peacekeeping in Sudan. The students running this campaign used a rally to increase media attention, but they also did something unique. They leveraged the “Notre Dame athletic brand” to create social change by creating a coalition of unlikely student allies to attend the rally, which included representatives from Student Government, the Notre Dame men’s basketball and lacrosse teams, the Center for Social Concerns, and the Campus Ministry, among others. This event drew many supporters, and subsequent press coverage provided a signal boost to the petition.

Building strong movements means exploring and creating new allies. The Notre Dame students worked across disparate campus groups to organize a large mobilization and find common ground on an important issue. The chapter at the University of Pittsburgh employed a similar strategy in 2008 by partnering with a large number of diverse student groups to host events on campus.

Now, STAND is exploring partnership opportunities with youth peacebuilding organizations around the world, and has already partnered with many anti-genocide groups, including The Enough Project, Students Organize 4 Syria, and other organizations. With youth movements like the March for Our Lives and the Sunrise Movement gaining traction, youth activism hasn’t felt this palpable since the Save Darfur movement first started.

But it’s not just about finding partners, it’s about creating lasting relationships with each other. That’s why we send each other professional development opportunities in our Slack Channel, build community in our annual retreats and weekly phone calls, and are creating an alumni network. 

As an activist, you must invest in everyone who helps you, by authentically showing up and helping them in return. It may look different, depending on the situation, but could mean anything from looking over a resume, to attending an event, to sharing a post on social media. Take the time to learn who your allies are, what their goals are, and what personal experience brings them to this work. By investing in those relationships, you broaden the movement and demonstrate your commitment to helping others in real time.

3. Innovate in Tactics Using Youth and Technology

This is a vitally important lesson for every activist in the 21st century. In 2006, MTV hosted a competition to raise awareness for the situation in Darfur. The Darfur Digital Activist competition resulted in students at the University of Southern California creating a viral educational video game that depicted the struggles of a Darfurian refugee, to place users in the shoes (literally) of those displaced by the conflict. STAND co-founder Nate Wright, responsible for multiple real money making games previously, helped launch the game that year.

Students took care to ensure that the game was accurate and sensitive by consulting with humanitarian workers, but also embedded calls to action within the game by presenting players with options such as petitioning elected politicians to support the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, starting divestment campaigns, or writing to the President.

Not only was the game a huge success, helping win the prestigious Governor’s Award Emmy among other awards, it also illustrated the immense power that innovations in technology can have for building empathy for human suffering and genocide. A Michigan State University study found that the game “elicited greater role-taking and resulted in greater willingness to help the Darfurian people than reading a text conveying the same information.”

Many advocacy organizations misunderstand or underestimate social media and other digital tools’ power, but youth sure don’t. 

Take high school student Feroza Aziz, whose TikTok on the Uyghur crisis amassed more than 3.6 million views and spurred news coverage. The mass atrocities being perpetrated in China are the subject of a recent STAND blog post, and advocacy efforts are gaining steam. 

Designing video games and creating TikToks are still only the tip of the iceberg of the power of technology for increasing advocacy and awareness. The #MeToo movement has sparked a worldwide reckoning with sexual violence and power, and the potential for digital organizing is huge. By utilizing our intimate knowledge of technology, youth can innovate new ways to reach people, bring them into the fold, and activate them to engage in campaigns.

Furthermore, in the post-coronavirus and climate change-aware world, it is vitally more important to explore alternative advocacy tactics that don’t involve travel or in-person events. That’s why STAND is investing in creating digital organizing guides and strategies to equip our grassroots with the tools they need to organize virtually–and why we already conduct the majority of our organizational work via Slack and Zoom.

These three principles, of grassroots action, building relationships, and innovation in youth and technology have been central to STAND’s practices throughout our history. By understanding STAND’s past, we unlock keys to our future, and can map a trajectory forward guided by grassroots action and mobilization of youth.

“More people, and particularly more young people, are getting involved in politics, recognizing that everything they care about seems to be coming back to this political question—that the humanitarian is no longer simply humanitarian,” Samantha Power said in 2017 as reported by Slate. 

She spoke the truth our generation seems to know inherently: that problems of oppression, equality, war, and genocide cannot simply be solved through humanitarian work alone. We need to fight for political victories–and we need to win.

—

Jordan Stevenson is a senior at Eastern Washington University, where she is majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Global Public Policy, and minoring in Economics and Spanish. As an MC member, she co-leads STAND’s State Advocacy Lead program, communications operations, and policy process. Prior to joining STAND, Jordan served as a Global Youth Advocacy Fellow for Planned Parenthood, lobbied for women’s rights and U.S. foreign policy with Population Connection, and researched Indonesian political rights with the U.N. Development Programme. She currently works on campus at the Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis, is an LGBTQ Policy intern with GLIFAA, and does economic development work in Kenya with Partnering for Progress.

This month was STAND’s biannual Lobby Day, where activists from all over the United States and world convened in Washington, D.C. to lobby for our policy priorities. Our asks included supporting the Global Fragility Act and the GRACE Act, and passing certain amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, as well as a resolution on protecting education in conflict.

It was only my second time lobbying at the nation’s capital—I live in Washington state, so traveling to D.C. is exciting in itself. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to lobby for global women’s health funding that made it through the appropriations process. The first time around, I remember being excited but very nervous—running around in too-tight heels, sweaty and scared that I would be late to back-to-back meetings. 

This time, however, I was a lot more confident since I was familiar with the buildings. I knew from experience that no one was going to be rude or mean; almost everyone you meet while lobbying will be polite, appreciative, and accommodating, if a little half-hearted. Also, we were lobbying during August recess, which has its pros and cons: although you’re unlikely to meet the Representative/Senator themselves, there are generally fewer people and meetings, which means that you could have a longer and less frazzled chat with the staff.

My first (and favorite) meeting was with a staff member for Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers’ (R-WA) who covers Armed Services, Veteran’s Affairs, and Foreign Policy issues. He was thoughtful and inquisitive, yet noncommittal. We talked mostly about the district and my university, and how refugee resettlement has been an important boon to the economy, culture, and local community. I told him personal stories about refugees that I’ve gone to school with, gave him restaurant recommendations for the next time he’s in the area, and joked around about football. This meeting lasted nearly half an hour, during which he took notes, asked questions, and then sincerely thanked us for talking with him. He promised to look closer at the legislation and pass it on to the Representative for voting.

The other two meetings I had were with the staff of my Senators, Sen. Murray (D-WA), and Sen. Cantwell (D-WA). In these meetings, the staffers were even more positive about joining the legislation I advocated for. Some staffers talked about their job and their personal background; others were interested simply in the policy at hand. Some were excited to talk about Washington State, others had never even been! It’s important to feel out the room to determine what kind of small talk, if any, can help you forge ongoing relationships with the staffer and the office. 

At the end of the day, I grabbed a quick mocha at Dunkin Donuts in the Longworth House building cafeteria. Being from the West Coast, Dunkin is a treat! I made sure I had all of the contact cards for the staffers I met with and reviewed my notes from each meeting, double-checking that any questions they had were written down for when I wrote my follow-up emails. I opted for flat shoes this time around; my feet thanked me. 

The truth of lobbying is that it is as simple as meeting with your legislator or their staff, telling a story, asking them to support a bill, and then following up afterward. Some meetings are shorter than 10 minutes–but they still make a difference! For so long, I thought it was some scary, difficult, shady business that people with law degrees and family connections did. Not so—anyone can lobby for any cause, and causes like mass atrocity prevention, refugee protection, and ending wars are great places to start! Remember, you don’t need to be an expert to lobby. You just have to be passionate and show up! Contact us if you want to set up a lobby day where you live, and view our resources on lobbying and advocacy below:

• STAND’s Lobby Day Guide
• Learn More about the Issues We Care About
• Join our Rapid Responders Facebook Group to be alerted of urgent actions
• Sign up for our mailing list for campaign updates, lobbying opportunities, and more by emailing info@standnow.org

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Jordan Stevenson is a senior at Eastern Washington University, where she is majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Global Public Policy, and minoring in Economics and Spanish. As an MC member, she co-leads STAND’s State Advocacy Lead program, communications operations, and policy process. Prior to joining STAND, Jordan served as a Global Youth Advocacy Fellow for Planned Parenthood, lobbied for women’s rights and U.S. foreign policy with Population Connection, and researched Indonesian political rights with the U.N. Development Programme. She currently works on campus at the Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis, is an LGBT+ Policy intern with GLIFAA, and does economic development work in Kenya with Partnering for Progress.

Named after Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocity Prevention Act will bolster the ability of the US to contribute to ending and preventing genocide and mass atrocities wherever they occur. First introduced in 2016, the bill requires training for Foreign Service Officers placed in areas at risk of atrocities in order to better recognize and respond to early warning signs. It also supports interagency coordination through structures such as the Atrocities Prevention Board, to facilitate a whole-of-government approach to prevent and respond to emerging atrocities in at-risk countries. Finally, the Act requires regular reporting to Congress regarding these efforts.

Since 2009, when STAND students advocated for the passage of S.Con.Res 71, a resolution affirming U.S. national interest in preventing genocide, we have recognized the need to improve U.S. foreign policy approaches to emerging atrocity issues. Today, as an organization committed to building a world in which the global community is invested in preventing, mitigating, and sustainably resolving genocide and mass atrocities, we affirm this crucial, bipartisan effort towards achieving this vision.

This victory would not have been possible without the long-term commitment of our activists and our partner organizations, including the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the Alliance for Peacebuilding, the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, Jewish World Watch, In Defense of Christians, Peace Direct, and many others.

Read the full text of the legislation here.

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Casey Bush is the co-Student Director of STAND. Casey recently graduated with her BA in History and Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and is preparing to pursue a masters at the same institution. She is available for comment at cbush@standnow.org.

Though many believe that there should have been little doubt of his guilt, the conviction and verdict nonetheless were a welcome outcome of the protracted five year trial. There haven’t been many genocide rulings by the ICTY, and most of these cases have been heard long after the atrocities themselves occurred. The world has seen several other cases of genocide and mass atrocities since Bosnia, including ongoing atrocities against the Rohingya in Burma, where perpetrators have thus far escaped punishment.

Issuing an indictment for genocide is an extremely complicated ordeal for the international community. Around the world, most states are reluctant to make this accusation, often because it necessitates action to intervene. In fact, the United States did not ratify the 1951 Genocide Convention until 1988, when Kurdistan was facing genocide. Throughout history, the United States has failed time and time again to act in the face of international mass atrocities, often citing a lack of information as in the case of the Rwandan genocide. By the time the international community responds, it is often too late for the victims.

The ideal use of punishment is as a deterrent. Unfortunately, because so few perpetrators of genocide are actually punished, the evidence base for justice as a deterrent for future genocidaires leaves much to be desired. This was certainly the case for the Bosniaks. While Mladić’s conviction is a step in the right direction, the 8,000 deaths that he was personally charged with should have been prevented – and at the very least, the 1951 Genocide Convention should necessitate more preventative measures for the future.

Problematically, the United States has shifted attention away from these issues.  After inaugurating President Donald Trump, who largely advocates an “America First” foreign policy, the U.S. approach to humanitarian issues has shifted. Notably, the administration has sought to decrease the foreign aid budget – already less than 1% of the U.S. budget – by 31%.  The U.S. is not the only culprit, however – ludicrously, since its formation in 2006, the United Nations Human Rights Council has allowed genocidal and abusive countries like Burundi and Saudi Arabia to serve as members.  As one Burundian leader put it, “Burundians can die, as long as the Americans or Belgians are safe.”

Political movement across the globe over the past two years has shifted from that of international cooperation to nationalism.  While each government must take care of its own people, some state governments prove unwilling or unable to do so. When this is the case, the forgotten targets of ethnic cleansing and genocide need global citizens to step in and help them.  

It is time to begin treating this responsibility as a true obligation. World leaders have a responsibility to act in the face of mass atrocities and genocide, not to turn inward and ignore life outside their borders. Following the atrocities in Rwanda and the Balkans, the Canadian government convened the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which issued a report in which it was explained that all states have a Responsibility to Protect (R2P) those within their borders, and when they are unable or unwilling to do so, the burden falls to the international community. Today, the R2P doctrine represents a global commitment to the prevention of mass atrocities. However, leaders continue to fail at fulfilling this responsibility. Rather than waiting for leaders, we all can do more to advocate for those in need. There are several organizations, including STAND, Aegis Trust, and Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, dedicated to mobilizing activists and helping victims of human rights abuses. Everybody should get involved in one.

Ratko Mladić’s conviction was certainly deserved, but it was by no means a decisive victory. Two decades of waiting for a conviction serves as a reminder that more needs to be done. Genocide is a part of modern reality, and its denial must become a thing of the past. International law has not been strong enough to spur action, but domestic pressure could be the key and awareness is only a few clicks away.

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Mira Mehta is a writer and a student at Westfield High School.  In her spare time, she enjoys debating and running on the cross country team.  This is her first year as a member of the Communications Task Force at STAND.

Read below for some snapshots of the work they did this year. 

Save Aleppo

In the winter, the situation in Syria notably worsened in the besieged city of Aleppo. As the Assad regime stepped up its use of sieges and rebels lost territory, many called for action to help the individuals of Aleppo. STAND activists responded to the crisis by writing op-eds, urging Members of Congress in the US to vocally and vigorously push for civilian protection measures, including evacuating civilians, and fast-tracking the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which we will continue to support in the coming school year. Check out a few of our published student op-eds here and here!

Books Not Bombs

This year, STAND continued our partnership with Students Organize for Syria, working with students to urge universities to create scholarships for Syrian refugees. This campaign has been a huge success. The petition has gained over 20,000 signatures, three universities have committed to create scholarships for refugees, and a fellowship has been developed to assist refugee students with supplementary funding for their education. To learn more and get involved, visit www.books-not-bombs.com.

Free Jean-Marie

Last spring, STAND launched a campaign to bring attention to the unlawful imprisonment of young activists by the Congolese government. We particularly focused on Jean-Marie Kalonji, a recent law graduate and young pro-democracy organizer who was kidnapped by the Congolese intelligence agency in December 2015.

Using the hashtag #FreeJeanMarie, STAND students engaged senators using the power of social media to raise Jean-Marie’s plight. Earlier this semester, Jean-Marie and other activists were released from prison. While advocacy for human rights in Congo is ongoing, this campaign demonstrated the impact student activism can have in pressuring foreign governments.

#IlEstTemps – The Time is Now

In December, Congolese elections were held. As the deadline for President Joseph Kabila to step down approached without an announcement that he would leave, Congolese took to the streets to call for free and fair elections. The STAND Managing Committee took action, issuing a statement of solidarity with pro-democracy protesters, and working with Friends of the Congo to encourage students to stand in solidarity with Congolese activists who were calling “Il Est Temps” – “The Time is Now” for democracy in Congo.

Together We Remember

Throughout history, the month of April has been both a celebration of life and renewal and a month of horrible carnage and loss, and has long been recognized as Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month. For the second year, STAND partnered with #TogetherWeRemember to host over 25  commemorative name-readings at schools and in communities across the U.S. From the University of Southern California to Brooklyn Tech High School in New York City, students across the country read aloud names of victims of genocide and mass atrocities throughout history to honor the lives lost – and to take action to prevent future atrocities. Sign up to host your own #TogetherWeRemember event this April at www.togetherweremember.org!

STANDFest

STAND worked this semester to partner with filmmakers to offer screenings of films related to genocide and mass atrocities to chapters across the country. Along with the films, STAND provided action items for students to make a difference. Terre Haute South Vigo High School STAND partnered with the CANDLES Holocaust Museum in Indiana to hold the first “STANDFest,” a film festival of learning and action. Interested in planning a screening or STANDfest in your community? Get in touch with us at info@standnow.org!

R2P Journal Collaboration

This year, STAND partnered with The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Student Journal, a global, student-led, free online journal founded in 2015 by a group of students from the University of Leeds and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. The journal aims to provide a platform for undergraduate and postgraduate students to publish academic work on R2P and related topics, including international humanitarian law, human rights, international criminal justice, and genocide and mass atrocity prevention. You can check out our  first joint issue here, including an article by former STAND Student Director Francesca Freeman!

Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act

The Elie Wiesel Act seeks to improve the U.S. ability to protect civilians around the world by creating a governmental working group focused on genocide and atrocities prevention, and authorizing the Complex Crises Fund (CCF), a small funding pot that allows the U.S. to quickly allocate funds to alleviate emerging crises. While a similar bill failed to pass last year, we have continued to build support. Last semester, STAND activists across the country asked Members of Congress to cosponsor the legislation. All the pressure paid off: the Senate bill, S. 1158 led by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Todd Young (R-IN), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) has 26 cosponsors, and a House companion bill, H.R. 3030, was recently introduced by Representatives Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Joe Crowley (D-NY) and has 30 cosponsors. We hope you will join us this year in pushing for this vital policy issue!

Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act

The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act aims to alleviate violence currently transpiring in Syria by implementing targeted sanctions on individuals with ties to the Assad regime in order to promote accountability to those perpetrating and financing atrocities. In addition to sanctions, the bill calls for an assessment of the potential effectiveness of both safe zones and no fly zones. Throughout the school year, STAND student leaders lobbied their representatives in favor of this legislation, leading to its passage in the House of Representatives last fall. As there was not time to build support and pass the bill in the Senate before the end of the year, we are continuing to work on this bill in the coming school year.

#StopArmingSaudi

Since the Yemeni civil war began in 2015, the Saudi government has intervened on behalf of the government while using American and European weapons to deliberately target Yemeni rebels and civilians. Both the Obama and Trump administrations have nevertheless persisted in selling arms to Saudi Arabia. Providing the Saudi government with more arms will only exacerbate the conflict and lead to more civilian harm. This spring, STAND students in key states urged their Congressional representatives to oppose the Saudi arms deals. While a 2016 bill to condemn the arms deal only received 27 “Yes” votes in the Senate, the 2017 resolution received 47, showing a significant increase in opposition to selling arms to Saudi Arabia.

#NoMuslimBan

Shortly into his first term, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) to drastically reduce refugee admissions and grind resettlement to a halt, specifically targeting refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries: Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia. The EO, in what ultimately amounts to a Muslim Ban, threatened our refugee friends, family, and communities based on faulty and discriminatory premises. STAND students were vocal in opposing the ban, urging their Congressional representatives, local officials, governors, and beyond to make public statements against it, and by welcoming new arrivals at airports across the country. The EO is still being fought in court, and we will continue to advocate against this inhumane order.

#Don’tBlockadeAid

This spring, the Trump Administration proposed a budget that would implement enormous cuts to funding for the State Department, foreign aid, and the United Nations. STAND students wrote letters, op-eds, and called Congressional representatives to insist that we should invest more, not less, in peacekeeping, development, and US diplomatic efforts. STAND’s grassroots network will continue to speak up on budget issues in the coming year, protecting the world’s most vulnerable people who benefit from this funding and bolstering America’s capacity to make “Never Again” a reality.

Kayla Mueller Medical Supply Drive

In honor of Kayla Mueller, a dedicated STAND alumna who was tragically killed in 2015 while doing aid work on the border of Syria, STAND has partnered with Students Organizing For Syria and the Syrian American Medical Society to organize the Kayla Mueller Medical Supply Drive. The goal of this drive is to collect donated medical and dental supplies and machines from generous hospitals and practices. STAND students are writing to and visiting local hospitals in their communities to request donated materials. SOS and SAMS are coordinating to ship these materials overseas.

#RiseForRohingya

This year, STAND, in partnership with The Nexus Fund, asked activists to #RiseforRohingya by fundraising for youth leadership programs in Burma, where the Rohingya minority ethnic group is at severe risk of genocide. We have raised nearly $5,000 to train young Burmese leaders to identify and respond to various threats to peace in their communities, focusing especially on the effects of hate speech. With your help, STAND hopes to reach its goal of $7,500 this summer! Check it out and donate here.

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As always, the success of STAND relies on the activism of individual students and chapters across the country. As we enter our 13th year of anti-atrocity work, we want to give a direct, sincere, and deep thank you to every single one of you that has helped carry this mission with you in your day-to-day life and actions.