Download the lesson plan here

Download the newsletter here.

Download the lesson plan here

Download the complete newsletter here.

Download the complete newsletter here

Download the complete newsletter here.

Download the complete newsletter here.

This past weekend, many fellow STAND students and activists came together for the national Women and Genocide Symposium co-sponsored by STAND and the Darfur Women Action Group. Though the conference was all the way in Washington DC, there were no limits to the distance the attendees traveled to get there – from New York to Colorado, there was a very diverse group of students present for the weekend. In addition, there were a broad range of interests and opinions that made the conference fun and engaging for everyone.

To begin the conference, a panel of scholars and officials spoke broadly on the topic of genocide, each with a different and informative perspective. Representing Sudan, Syria, the Congo, and the United Nations, the panelists spoke about why students and adults alike should care about care about these conflicts while also proposing viable, strategic plans of action. This was followed by several other informative speakers and powerful movie clips that clearly evoked empathy from the audience.

By the end of day one, everyone was exhausted yet invigorated. Debriefing discussions ensued once the day had come to a close and everyone seemed more knowledgeable about the situation in Sudan and the concept of genocide as a whole.

Day two opened with a panel of some of the most amazing and dedicated activists – students. Representing STAND was Mac Hamilton (former Education Coordinator) and Nate Wright (one of the founders of STAND at Georgetown University). Not only was their panel extremely engaging, it also showcased the value of student activism and the importance of the student voice within the anti-genocide movement. It showed students that their voice truly does matter and make a difference. Nate even emphasized the importance of “edgy” and unique campaigns in order to make the cause visible. This panel definitely left every student in the room feeling refreshed and excited to continue their work as part of the anti-genocide constituency.

As people said goodbye, it was evident that friendships had been established and important connections were made. The conference as a whole served as a great way to bring together people from all different communities to engage in one common goal – learning about and fighting against genocide.

After the conference, there was an optional lobby day on Monday. A few of us lobbied at the State Department, speaking with the Special Envoy to Sudan (well, his representative), and also Representatives of various states on Capitol Hill, hoping to obtain signatures on the Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act – an act that would increase humanitarian aid to Sudan and put more international pressure on a comprehensive peace process. One of the Represenatives who was met with that day has already agreed to co-sponsor the bill!

Overall, the lobby day went very well, and even if the bill is not successfully passed, the STAND constituency, and anti-genocide constituency as a whole, will keep moving forward and pushing for a resolution to the conflicts in Sudan and everywhere that genocide exists.

If there was one thing students took away from this conference it was that every little action counts toward making a difference. My friend Shannon, a junior at the University of Colorado Boulder, was astounded at the knowledge she gained throughout the weekend. “I didn’t realize that the effects of sexual violence on a woman in Sudan are so detrimental – it’s shocking to think that one act of violence could destroy an entire culture,” she said.

Overall, this weekend served as a valuable resource for all involved, and was truly taken to heart by the participants. STAND students continue to show their commitment and dedication to the anti-genocide movement by attending events like this one- which is why, in time, perhaps a world without genocide will become a reality.

Last year, I met Chelsea Strelser when I attended my first meeting for William & Mary’s STAND chapter. Fresh off a summer internship with the Enough Project, I was excited to begin combating mass atrocities and genocide across the globe. Today, I am STAND’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Organizer and Chelsea is the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative (CFCI) Campus Organizer for the same region. CFCI is is a nationwide campaign to build the student consumer voice for electronics free of minerals that finance conflict in eastern Congo. This semester, Chelsea and I have been working together to organize and promote actions that emphasize peace and security throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our collaboration as student organizers has been incredibly important for our work in the mass atrocities prevention movement.

Working with Chelsea has been fantastic. Because so many schools have STAND chapters, CFCI chapters, or both, our capacity for reaching out to student advocates and activists has increased. Our partnership has helped us reach out to new schools, build our mutual networks, and get the word out about exciting action opportunities that STAND and CFCI initiate.

One of our important collaborations is the campaign to get the Virginia Association of State College & University Purchasing Professional, the procurement board for Virginia public colleges, to pass a statewide conflict-free resolution. By pooling our resources and contacts, Chelsea and I have built a strong network of students across the state that will be invaluable in achieving this goal, and in building momentum around the long-term goal of a peaceful and secure eastern DRC.

Now, we’re coming together to advocate around another joint initiative. We’ve partnered to push forward a sign-on letter targeted at Russ Feingold, the newly appointed Special Envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes region, urging him to make peace and security in Democratic Republic of Congo a priority. This is a critical moment in U.S. policy towards the DRC, and we’re calling for the promotion of regional cooperation, the growth of an active civil society, and security sector reform, as well as changing economic incentives from violence to peace. And we need your help.

We strongly urge you to sign this letter as a representative of your school. The more schools we can get signed on to the letter, the larger impact we will have. Moreover, we want you to be part of this international call for action! One lucky signatory will be chosen at random to hand deliver the letter to Special Envoy Feingold himself. Don’t miss this opportunity to hand deliver this letter, and represent our generation’s call for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo!

Chelsea and I believe that we can accomplish much more as a movement than as a single organization acting alone. We’ve seen this play out first hand at William & Mary and within our region. I believes that the STAND / CFCI relationship is crucial in order to maximize our shared desire for peace in the DRC.

Sign on to the letter to Special Envoy Russ Feingold now by entering your name, email, and school here and you will automatically be eligible to win the chance to represent the face of the student movement in Washington, DC. Let’s raise our collective voice for a peaceful and secure eastern Congo!

The Conflict-Free Campus Initiative is a project of Enough’s Raise Hope for Congo and STAND. Feel free to contact CFCI Coordinator Annie Callaway atacallaway@enoughproject.org with any questions about the drawing for the letter delivery to Special Envoy Feingold.

One Million Bones had to be the most inspirational, motivating, humbling experience we’ve ever had. It not only opened our eyes to the power we have as people, but also allowed us to see the amount of deaths that have accumulated because of such atrocities.

Atrocities that we promised would never happen again.

The exhibition itself was chilling. The day started gloomy with overcast skies and a blanket of clouds. From afar, the thousands of bones in front of the capital gave the most intense picturesque scene.

As the day passed on and we attended numerous educational events, we were able to gain an extensive amount of knowledge on the different conflict areas we are battling today and the different projects implemented to aid these problems. Those from the Enough Project, and CARE were friendly and willing to answer any questions we had.

Later that night, we attended numerous talks given by various speakers such as Eva Kor, a Holocaust survivor, and Carl Wilkens, who gave us eye opening and inspiring stories.

Following the speakers, we each were given a candle to light and walk in pairs down the national mall on a walkway designated amongst the bones.

It was quiet. Just our bodies, the bones and the light from the candle.

It was humbling. Peaceful almost.

The next day was advocacy day. Volunteers from the Enough Project had set up an informative session to teach us about lobbying. We met at the Washington Court Hotel, where we got to meet numerous people interested and passionate about the same thing we were.

We heard Rachel Finn and JD Stier speak, and received tips and ideas on what to say to the representatives that we talk to. After hearing their personal stories, we got to organize our talking points with our fellow Texan volunteers, Nancy and Susan.

A couple of hours later, we attended our first lobby meeting. Although we had never lobbied before, the volunteers from the Enough Project and our Texan volunteers were incredibly supportive of us in the whole process. We sat down and got to talk to representatives from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Everybody that we talked to was incredibly open and interested in what we had to say.

To say that we lobbied is already an astonishing feat, but thanks to the volunteers from the Enough Project and to everyone that supported us, we were able to lobby in Washington DC; an experience that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.