Spring Break
STAND conference introduces new campaign
by Lital Shair
News | 3/4/08
Posted online at 4:28 AM EST on 3/4/08
The Brandeis chapter of STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition drew approximately 200 attendees from high schools and colleges across New England as well as New York and New Jersey as a first-time host of STAND's annual Northeast Regional Conference last weekend.
The conference is "a way for people to learn in a more in-depth way about the conflict," said Daniel Millenson '09, president of STAND Brandeis and national advocacy director for the Sudan Divestment Taskforce.
Saturday's and Sunday's events included speakers, workshops and movies about the Sudanese genocide, and the conflict in Burma, as well as the announcement of the spring 2008 STAND campaign goals by Director of STAND National Scott Warren and STAND Advocacy Coordinator Isaac Rowlett.
"The speakers are more educational, and the workshops are more advocacy," said Shulie Eisen '08, one of the event's organizers, adding that "the workshops are kind of training sessions for" lobbying and other ways in which students can best affect what is happening in Darfur.
STAND member Matt Rogers '08 said the conference was also a good way to make connections with other members of the organization.
The four spring campaign goals for STAND call on President George Bush to stick to his promises, including enforcing UNAMID, a joint African Union and United Nations operation authorized by the U.N. Security Council in July 2007 to take steps to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement, applying an all-Sudan Solution rather than solely focusing on Darfur, and lobbying China to engage with the Sudanese government about the genocide there.
"This whole campaign was born out of frustration, of all of us wanting to do more," Warren said.
Rowlett said the campaign is also born of "wonderful comments and feedback, … not only from students, but also from experts," which were taken into account when creating the campaign, he said.
"We can already see that this is starting to gain traction," Warren said, evidencing Resolution 455, currently before the Senate, which calls for full deployment of a hybrid AU/U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur.
The conference is "a way for people to learn in a more in-depth way about the conflict," said Daniel Millenson '09, president of STAND Brandeis and national advocacy director for the Sudan Divestment Taskforce.
Saturday's and Sunday's events included speakers, workshops and movies about the Sudanese genocide, and the conflict in Burma, as well as the announcement of the spring 2008 STAND campaign goals by Director of STAND National Scott Warren and STAND Advocacy Coordinator Isaac Rowlett.
"The speakers are more educational, and the workshops are more advocacy," said Shulie Eisen '08, one of the event's organizers, adding that "the workshops are kind of training sessions for" lobbying and other ways in which students can best affect what is happening in Darfur.
STAND member Matt Rogers '08 said the conference was also a good way to make connections with other members of the organization.
The four spring campaign goals for STAND call on President George Bush to stick to his promises, including enforcing UNAMID, a joint African Union and United Nations operation authorized by the U.N. Security Council in July 2007 to take steps to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement, applying an all-Sudan Solution rather than solely focusing on Darfur, and lobbying China to engage with the Sudanese government about the genocide there.
"This whole campaign was born out of frustration, of all of us wanting to do more," Warren said.
Rowlett said the campaign is also born of "wonderful comments and feedback, … not only from students, but also from experts," which were taken into account when creating the campaign, he said.
"We can already see that this is starting to gain traction," Warren said, evidencing Resolution 455, currently before the Senate, which calls for full deployment of a hybrid AU/U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur.
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