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.

I never thought I would have a connection to the genocide prevention movement. I grew up in North Carolina, in a town of mostly white southerners with little international experience or knowledge. My time in high school, however, got me interested in international affairs and so I went off to N.C. State – a 15-minute drive from the house I grew up in – to pursue degrees in international relations and criminology.

While at State, I took many classes that dealt with conflicts around the world and I eventually became editor-in-chief of the university’s newspaper, which meant most of my day was spent glued to news sites, news on Twitter, and TV news channels. My relatively narrow worldview began expanding at a rapid rate, and to be honest it was a little overwhelming. There was so much going on in the world that I couldn’t come close to understanding!

Then I met Jon* through a mutual friend one night. He was very tall, very dark, and very quiet. But when he spoke, you listened. His words were always soft, but you could tell he said everything with purpose. During the traditional “tell me about yourself” line of conversation, I found out Jon was originally from Liberia and was in the U.S. to attend seminary. Then our mutual friend encouraged Jon to talk to us more about his past, and that’s when I became personally connected to the issues of war crimes, mass atrocities, and ethnic violence.

Jon was forced into becoming a child soldier in Liberia when he was a teenager, along with some of his brothers. He spent more than an hour detailing how soldiers raided his home, threatened his family with death, and swept him into a world of violence. He constantly feared for his life and followed orders to survive, but always thought about making it back home. Eventually he gained the trust of his commander, who left him alone to keep watch one night. After some deliberation, Jon decided to take his chances and escape. Although worried he would be hunted down and killed for fleeing, he made it home safely and never heard from his former commander again.

He was not comfortable talking about many of the specific horrors he faced, and I’m not sure if he will ever be comfortable talking about it – and that’s OK. While recounting his experiences, his mind seemed to wander away from the present and it felt like he was reliving that part of his life somewhere in his mind, not paying attention to the present company.

Meeting Jon and hearing about his life as a child soldier during Liberia’s civil war was life-changing for both myself and others in the room. So after moving to Washington, DC for graduate school I jumped at the opportunity to get involved with STAND. I want to be a part of the genocide prevention movement so I can stand up for people like Jon, whose story may never be heard elsewhere.

*Name has been changed.