Sample STANDFast Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor of your school or local newspaper can be a useful tool to get the word out about STANDFast. They’re easy and fun to write, so get started now. Check out some samples below or Click here for tips.
Sample 1
This letter urges the newspaper to push STANDFast on its editorial page (just like an endorsement of a specific candidate). A letter like this would be most effective if many members of your chapter sent in similar ones. Only one (or even none) would be printed, but there’s a good chance the editorial board will notice!
To the editor:
On December 3rd, over 100 [School Name] students will fast to protect civilians in Darfur and Burma. In Darfur, the Government continues to wage genocide on its own people, attacking camps and villages with terrifying fervor. In Eastern Burma, the military junta travels from village to village attacking the Karen people.
We can work to stop this, and the [Newspaper Name] can help. I am writing to urge the Hatchet editorial board to write about the importance of STANDFast on its editorial page, and to encourage other students to join in the Fast. Visit [chapter page on the STAND website] for more information.
-Name, Year in School
Sample 2
This letter is more like a shorter version of an op-ed, but it’s more likely to be printed than an op-ed. Another advantage of letters like this is that multiple people can send letters in, and more than one may even be printed in this case.
To the editor:
What would you give up to save a life?
With just $3, [School Name] students can allow a woman in Darfur to safely collect firewood for a week. With just $5, [School Name] students can enable urgent warnings of an attack to reach villages in Eastern Burma.
On December 3rd, Participate in STANDFast by pledging to give up one luxury item and donating the money you would’ve spent on that item to the Genocide Intervention Network’s groundbreaking civilian protection program. Just think about it. By skipping Starbucks for the day, you’ll be working with students all over the globe to save lives in Darfur and Burma.
For more info, visit [Chapter page on STAND website] or stop by [Chapter Name]’s tables in [location].
-Name, Year in School
Sample 3
This letter is a response to an article printed about a chapter’s STANDFast event; it’s a good example of capitalizing on the press attention that you’re already getting.
To the editor:
The [Newspaper Name] should be commended for its important article on student efforts to protect civilians in Darfur, Sudan, and Eastern Burma. Students all over campus have shown remarkable support for STAND’s efforts to raise money for the Genocide Intervention Network’s civilian protection program.
So far, ___ people have donated to raise over ____ dollars. Just $3 allows a woman in Darfur to safely collect firewood for a week, and $5 enables urgent warnings of an attack to reach villages in Eastern Burma. Join students all over the world in acting where the international community has failed. Remember, small donations can save lives.
Visit [Chapter Name] at its tables in [tabling location] and make a pledge to fast for civilians in Darfur and Burma today.
-Name, Year in School
Click here for tips on how to write a Letter to the Editor
