Activism

Organizing Resources

brome — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:34:39 -0400

Coming Soon!

Holding an Event

brome — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:30:30 -0400

Holding an event? These two guides contain everything you need to make your event or rally great.

How to Plan a Rally

Click here to download.

How to Plan an Event

Click here to download.

Organize your Campus

janessa — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:56:55 -0400

* Starting a chapter * Holding an event * What's an Outreach Coordinator? * Downloadable Flyers * Request a Speaker

Every school has its own unique qualities, and that means that different types of events or activities will work best on different campuses. Whether you're trying to start a STAND chapter, planning a movie screening, a die-in, a rally, a speaker, or a fundraiser, STAND is here to lend a hand along the way. Explore the resources in this section, and touch base with your Outreach Coordinator for personalized help.

Get Media

janessa — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:55:11 -0400

CNN photographer taking pictures of STAND student protesters outside of the White House on April 13, 2008.

* Why media is important * How to work with reporters * Media Alerts & Press Releases * Letters to the Editor * OpEds * Blogs, Radio, and TV * Media timeline * Samples and examples *

Media coverage is a powerful tool that we can use to pressure our elected officials to stop and prevent genocide.

Want help getting media to your event? Email media@standnow.org!

Why is local media coverage important?

Media tells elected officials what their constituents want. If constituents want something enough, an elected official will support it. Legislators often have staffers/interns who search for op-eds or letters that mention the legislator. They see an article or opinion piece in a local paper as a strong indicator of constituent opinion in their districts. Additionally, if an article is written about a rally, legislators will see about the enormous amount of people that care about an issue.

Media also gets the word out to potential activists, broadening the anti-genocide coalition. Your elected officials aren’t the only ones who read the newspaper, listen to radio, or watch TV. Being featured in an article, or even writing your own letters and op-eds, can pull more people into the anti-genocide movement. The more constituents who get involved, the more interest an elected official will take in fighting genocide. So remember, when you write a letter to the editor or give an interview, always provide ways for interested people to get involved in the fight against genocide. You can’t stop a genocide without knowing about it; and media informs readers of the ongoing atrocities. The more media an issue gets, the bigger it becomes.

How can you use your local media to influence your elected official?
If your legislator supports anti-genocide legislation, let them know you are paying attention by writing a letter (see example). If a legislator is not supporting enough legislation, write a letter criticizing their inaction. You can also show broad constituent support by hosting events and getting the press to cover them.

Community papers love covering student events; you just have to tell them about it. Learn how to send media alerts and press releases or do follow-up calls! Easy tools like this can be extremely effective in garnering media attention. After getting coverage, what’s the next step? E-mail the articles to your elected official’s office! This will let them know how many constituents care about the issue!

Want help getting media to your event? Email media@standnow.org!

Advocate

janessa — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:51:39 -0400

Signing of the Kansas state divestment bill with the high school and college students who lobbied for it (right).

* What is advocacy? * How Congress works * Success Stories * Advocacy resources * Share your story *

"If every member of the House and Senate had received 100 letters from people back home saying we have to do something about Rwanda, when the crisis was first developing, then I think the response would have been different.”
– US Senator Paul Simon, 1994

What is advocacy?

To protect civilians and bring genocide to a halt, we must hold our elected officials accountable for their action – and inaction – in the face of genocide.

We can compel elected officials to take meaningful action to prevent and stop genocide by engaging in advocacy – that is, by talking to our elected officials. Advocacy can take place through letter-writing campaigns, call-in days, or direct lobbying.

What’s more, we can attend campaign events and ask tough questions about Darfur, write op-eds and letters to the editor to call attention to the need for substantive action, and mobilize other members of the community to demand action from the US government.

What elected officials can do

Who decides whether or not the US funds UN peacekeepers in Darfur? Who can authorize sanctions and financial penalties on countries who are committing genocide or mass atrocities? The answer? The US government, and specifically, our elected officials.

Elected officials like members of Congress and the President wield the power to end and prevent genocide, but they won’t act unless they feel pressure from the people who elected them to office.

STAND focuses its energy on making sure elected officials know that there is an anti-genocide constituency in every congressional district, a constituency that will hold its elected officials accountable for ending and preventing genocide. We keep the pressure on through advocacy.

Download GI-NET's one-page document on Senate Concurrent Resolution 71 and the Sudan Peace and Stability Act of 2010 for use in lobbying your Senators