According to Senator John Kerry (D-Mass), who is Khartoum this week meeting with Sudanese government officials, the government of Sudan has indicated its willingness to allow the resumption of “some aid” in Darfur.
In recent weeks pirates operating off the coast of Somalia in the strategic Gulf of Aden and further south towards Kenya have caught the attention of the international community. But following the rescue of an American merchant captain that resulted in Navy Seals killing three pirates, the pirates have continued their attacks on ships sailing in the region, and many doubt the US navy can win the fight.
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.
On the final day of my 7th grade class on the Holocaust, our religious school teacher unexpectedly announced that we would be taking a final exam. As he passed out the exam face down, I became nervous that I would be unable to conjure up all of the information that we had learned throughout the year. However, when I turned over single sheet of paper, I realized with relief that it was not a typical final exam. Instead, it consisted of a single paragraph we had to read that simply stated: Your final exam in ho
When I applied to be NY State Outreach Coordinator last year, I was apprehensive. For some reason, as a chapter leader who had never really had contact with the national STAND organization, I though that STAND only wanted superheroes to participate in things like chapter retreats and apply for SLT positions.
In this week’s issue: Khartoum continues to defy calls for the resumption of international aid in Darfur, the Obama administration reconsiders sanctions on Burma, and UN peacekeepers face growing challenges in Congo
Featured: In an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, ENOUGH’s John Prendergast and Jim Wallis of Sojourners discuss the need for US engagement to address the situation in Darfur.
Our lives in the digital age have revolved around electronics for quite awhile. But our dependence on our laptops, mp3 players, and cell phones may be fueling the deadliest conflict globally since World War II: the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
You can still set up a lobby meeting with one of your members of Congress as part of the Darfur From Day One Campaign! Although President Obama has appointed a special envoy for Sudan, a lot remains to be done. We need to ensure that President Obama is working as hard as he can to reverse the expulsion of the aid groups, and to complete the Sudan policy review. Email advocacy@standnow.org if you’d like to set up a lobby meeting with your member of Congress.
In this week’s issue: New special envoy Sudan Scott Gration takes his first trip to Sudan, Sudanese elections are postponed, and U.N Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon calls for international support of a peace deal in Congo.
Questions? Feedback? Contact STAND’s Education Team at education@standnow.org or leave a comment!
If you’re a regular reader of the STAND Blog, if you get our action alerts and newsletters, or if you’re in contact with your Outreach Coordinator, then chances are you’ve already heard a lot about some of the amazing positions STAND is offering to students next year. The reason we just won’t shut up about these positions is that the STAND Student Leadership Team is committed to passing the torch to an even stronger group of leaders next year.
