TAG SUMMER UPDATES

UVM STAND
SUMMER TAG UPDATE (4)

Wednesday, July 16th , 2008
ATTENTION: UVM STAND MEMBERS

Headline reads… ICC Calls for al-Bashir's Arrest!

As I sat in the Lindburgh terminal at Minneapolis International Airport in Minneapolis, Minnesota-I gazed out at the landing strip watching flights enter and depart the runway. Out of nowhere, my brother rattles me back to reality, with an air of excitement unbecoming to him. “CNN: breaking news on Darfur-come quick!” I jump out of my seat and follow him to a monitor, just in time to hear the anchorman explain that Omar al-Bashir, president of Sudan, has been charged on ten counts of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. I looked at him and smiled with a look of awed satisfaction, “IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME”.

~While many believe the conviction of al-Bashir is rather unlikely to occur any time in the near future, activists and humanitarians should be excited. This call by the ICC is perhaps the most significant move made by the international community to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur.~

Hope you all enjoyed your Independence Day, because the people of Darfur pray for their independence every day, and we will continue to work to make sure they gain it. On July 14th the ICC called for the arrest of Omar al-Bashir; in 23 days, the world will unite for the 2008 Genocide Olympics; in approximately 45 days, UVM STAND will reunite and the Vermont TAG campaign will be in full force; and in just over 100 days, the United States will elect a new leader with promises of change. Mark your calendars and start the countdowns.

The TAG campaign continues to grow as UVM STAND members volunteer their time and efforts to the cause. I would like to begin by personally recognizing Alyssa Quinlan who has made several sacrifices for the campaign. Recently, Alyssa and I traveled to Montpelier, VT to meet with John Nelson (President of the Vermont School Boards Association). The night prior to the meeting, Alyssa came home from a long day of work, only to find her apartment in a state of disarray. After a night spent cleaning and only two hours of sleep, Alyssa still managed to make the trip with me at eight in the morning. This type of commitment, characteristic of UVM STAND members, is exactly what we need in order to pass a genocide education mandate.

Since the last update on June 25th, Vermont TAG members have met with several legislators and educators…

*On the 26th of June, I met with Sue Minter in Waterbury Vermont. During her college years at Harvard University, Sue was very passionate on the issue of divestment in South Africa. She agreed to cosponsor our bill, and recommended getting in touch with Harwood Union High School. HUHS sends students to Rwanda every year and they incorporate extensive genocide/human rights education into their curricula. I have spoken with students at Harwood and Eloise Reid has agreed to be my student contact there during the ’08-’09 school year. They are a possible candidate for a model program.2

*Rep. Scheuermann has been very moved by the inspirational stories from Sudan, but she is hesitant to support mandated curricula. She showed much enthusiasm for the creation of Model Programs and wished to stay updated on any/all updates.

*VEA member Rich Wise was extremely helpful, providing ideas and contacts from an educator’s perspective. He will serve as a valuable resource for VEA-related issues and is truly a genuine human being. He was able to get me in touch with Angelo Dorta (President of the VEA), who invited VT-TAG to give a presentation in front of the VEA Executive Committee later in the summer.

*VTSBA Pres. John Nelson had strong objections to a genocide education mandate in the state of Vermont, arguing that there is no money for such an initiative, and that teachers are already asked to do too much. He said he “would not object to a resolution”, and encouraged us to get this topic incorporated into conversation during VT in-service days. Nelson was also
willing to include an article on genocide education in his newsletter which is printed 10x/year. He suggested that we have VTSBA Social Studies Chair Sigrid Lumbra distribute the genocide education survey which we (on our own) have been relatively unsuccessful circulating so far.

*On July 3rd, Alyssa and I met with Rep. Martha Heath (Chair of Appropriations Committee) in Essex, VT. Martha was extremely helpful and excited to get involved with VT-TAG. She was a large help to EUHS students Ben Rome and Brian Banks in the planning of the Vermont Speaks Up Rally in 2006, and recently agreed to champion our bill! She also suggested trying to change Vermont Academic Standards to include more genocide-related material.

In regards to Model Programs, I have done a little research on Vermont Schools with active genocide and human rights education, and have a tentative list of possible schools to utilize:

1) South Burlington High School-River Paison
2) Champlain Valley Union High School-Nicholas Snow
3) Brattleboro High School-Katherine Nolan
4) Harwood Union High School-Eloise Reid
5) Essex Union High School-Dan Rome
6) Montpelier High School-Ryan Wingate

The more I meet with legislators, the more I see the importance in having a comprehensive bill which incorporates a wide range of human rights issues. In 2003, one of our Cosponsors, Rep. Mark Larson (Appropriations Committee) introduced Bill H.113: An Act Relating to Harassment in Schools. After reading his proposed legislation, I came to the realization that our bill would have to incorporate some of the same issues. By creating a cohesive piece of legislation, we open the door for conversation, analysis, and most importantly… inspiration.

On the 26th and 27th of July, members of UVM STAND, along with three lost boys (Atem Deng, Deng Adit and Achier Mou) will be traveling to Brattleboro, VT to take part in the John Dau Foundation fundraiser for health clinics in Sudan. While among fellow activists and humanitarians, VT-TAG members will be able to accomplish some important outreach work in order to gain support from individuals across the state.

I would also like to openly invite anyone and everyone to come and petition with me at the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex, VT. The fair will be taking place from August 23rd-September 3rd. Anyone who petitions for the Vermont TAG campaign will receive free admission as a token of our appreciation. As of now, we plan to petition on Saturday, August 23rd and Sunday August 24th. Depending on the success we have the first two days, we may petition the following weekend as well.

In closing, I believe that VT-TAG has made some good progress and has taken its first step towards becoming a legitimate movement. Over the next month, the goal of our campaign will be to gain student/teacher support through outreach/grassroots work. Once STAND president Kayla Sainato, and Vice President Lindsy Massuda return to Vermont, campaign strategy will be finalized. This includes committee positions as well as the all important mandate vs. resolution decision. To make these executive decisions, I will hold off on meeting with Education Chairs Don Collins and Janet Ancel until Kayla and Lindsy return. I thank everyone for their support, and ask that you e-mail me with all ideas, suggestions, comments, concerns.

Respectfully Yours,

Christopher J. Fries