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ISSUE 1 2012VOLUME 1

ActivismAfter years of working under exploitative

ctory conditions in the Free Trade Zone in Villalta Gracia in the Dominican Republic, workersganized to create Alta Gracia, a living-wage union-ade model apparel factory where they receive morean three and alf times the local minimum wage and are able toequately support their families with healthy food,elter, health care and education. Most importantly,orkers voices are valued through an independentnion and they are treated with dignity and respect ineir workplace.

In the year and a half since Alta Graciapened its doors, it has made an incalculablefference in the lives of the women and men who

ake the clothing, their families and their entiremmunity. Unlike other clothing brands producing

niversity apparel where workplace standards do notmply with national and international labor laws,

vertime is required, severance pay is not granted,arassment and sexual discrimination is a dailycurrence, women are forced to take pregnancy tests

nd collective bargaining rights are denied, Altaracia demonstrates that living-wages and unions areot only possible in a thriving business they areofitable.the past year, a large and growing coalition of

udent groups at George Washington Universityve united around their desire to see Alta Graciaparel sold in the GW bookstore. Although the

ookstore currently sources minimal quantities oflta Gracia apparel, it is the only brand thatequately implements all of the labor right standards

utlined in George Washington Universitys missionatement.

As students, we want to see more Altaracia in the George Washington University

ookstore. To date, Duke university has successfullyld more than $500,000 of Alta Gracia, and other

niversities such as UCLA, NYU, and the Universityf Washington are seeing great success selling00,000 worth of Alta Gracia.

Continued on page 4)

The Persisting Problems of Sudanby Lindsay Woods

Sudan is a country that has been wracked by

the effects of colonialism, civil war, and genocide.Decades of civil war devastated the country andended with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of2005, which promised a referendum in which thesouthern portion of the nation could vote to secede.The government based in Khartoum hasmarginalized certain regions of the country,culminating in the well-known genocide in Darfur

beginning in 2003. At the time, the killings in theDarfur region of Sudan received internationalattention, spurring an activist movement at thehands of students and concerned individuals. It isour hope that this newsletter focused on activismand social justice will help galvanize thoughts and

passionate responses to issues beyond the GW

campus,The momentum and extent of the movementis admirable. Most people know that there was aconflict in Darfur, and Colin Powell even went asfar as to label the conflict genocide. However,though there may have been an improvement in thesituation, the crisis still goes on, and people stillcontinue to be displaced. The lack of political willof the international community to take decisiveaction in Darfur does not reflect the extent ofrhetoric that surrounded the movement. DohaDocument for Peace in Darfur, July 2011 wasmeant to bring peace to Darfur, but the governmentof Sudan has largely ignored its implementationand many armed groups were not parties to thisagreement.

GW STAND, in conjunction with theInternational Affairs society, held a paneldiscussion on the current state of affairs in Sudan,called Sudan: Where Are We Now? The panelistsincluded Jennifer Christian, Policy Analyst at theEnough Project focusing on Sudan; Hashim MekkiHassan, a New York Life Scholar at the ColinPowell Center for Policy Studies from 2008-2010where he focused on numerous policy issues; andJimmy Mulla, founder and President of Voices ForSudan.

Though the Darfur genocide receivedinternational recognition, little has been said aboutthe current crisis facing the Nuba Mountain, orSouth Kordofan, and Blue Nile regions, where

bombings of civilians, food shortages, and a

Stand Up For

Alta Gracia.p1, 4

The Persisting Problems of Sudanp1, 4

The Banaa Scholarship Fund.p2, 3

Kony 2012: A Call Beyond Your Computer..p2, 3

prohibition of international aid organiationscurrently ravaging the population. The governmof Khartoum is continuing its age old tacticusing starvation as a weapon and attacking civi

populations. As stated by Jennifer Christian,Its difficult to get precise numbers butnumbers that the UN is reporting is approxima400,000 civilians in South Kordofan and Blue who have been internally displaced and/or seveaffected by the fighting. This is in addition totens of thousands of civilians who have fled toneighboring states of South Sudan and Ethioand untold numbers who have died.(Continued on page 4)

Alta Graciay Tiffany Finck-haynes

PROMOTING INCREASED CONSCIOUSNESS OF GLOBAL ISSUES AND

STUDENT-LED ACTIVISM.


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The Banaa Scholarship FundBy Haley Aubuchon and Brian Browne

Progressive student groups are

almost always at the forefront of

social and political movements. Its

great to see such passion and energy

from our fellow peers at GW who

are leading these efforts and coming

together to work towards theirgoals. This newsletter and others

like it are a great testament to

students who work tirelessly to

achieve real change and show those

who doubt us just how dedicated

and proactive we students can be.

Banaa itself is an example of how

taking action on our campus can

create unexpected opportunities for

extraordinary change.

In 2006, members of GW

STAND rallied for divestment from

GWs economic entanglements with

perpetrators of genocide in Sudan.

They did not achieve this goal, but

their strong efforts earned them a

unique opportunity: to set up a

scholarship at GW for a Sudanese

student. This is not at all what they

were hoping for, but the students

saw the scholarship as an innovative

way to bring peace to Sudan. They

founded the Banaa program with the

goal of educating students from the

most marginalized regions of Sudan,bringing scholars together to learn

leadership and peacebuilding skills

that they could then take home.

In Banaas first year we

received over 170 applications for

admission to

GW. Of all the applicants, a youngrefugee named Makwei stood out,

becoming the first Banaa scholar in

2008. Makwei has accomplished so

much in the past four year

has published two books, int

at the US Holocaust Mem

Museum

and the World Bank, and

graduate this spring with a d

major in philosophy economics. We are so th

about his success as a stu

knowing that he will tak

valuable insights home fo

betterment of his home n

Above all, we are happy to

Makwei as a great friend, w

experiences bring us a u

glimpse into a culture a

society that we otherwise

would have been exposed to.

Following the progr

initial success with Ma

Banaa remains committed

making our scholarship pro

sustainable for many yea

come. Since its founding, B

has added and trained a numb

new student leaders to run

organization, and has expand

the University of Rochester, w

two Banaa scholars are curr

studying. Mo, a Darfuri stu

and Sameer, from the

Mountains region of Sudanboth enriching our program

their studies and

(Continued in page 3)

active involvement in studen

on their campus and the dia

movements of their people.

Banaa is also expan

these efforts starting with

It can be strange to think theent will become the past, put intobooks, studied, remembered. TheNY 2012 video and campaign willly be a minor point, yet is a perfectal point for tension and emotion of

ime.Both Joseph Kony and

sible Children were around beforevideo took the internet by storm.KONY 2012, the video producednvisible Children, did not happenvacuum. Far from it. These past

ple years have been turbulent, andthan halfway through 2012, its

king to be no less rife withflict, tension, and disappointment.

In 2008, the US financialem collapsed and brought the

lds down with it. By the timeident Obama stepped in with aout, it was too late - the damage

been done under George W.h, when the bailout was neededt but didnt happen. The economy

shambles, the 2010 USgressional elections brought in a wave of ultra conservatives. Butand behold, they didnt magicallythe economy overnight either.

1 saw protest and revolution in thedle East, from Tunisia to Egypt to

ya. It looked hopeful - everyonees a success story, and the worldded one. But dictators cracked

wn and despite the momentum, theab Spring came to a halt.

Which brings us now, to2. Despite significant gains, thenomy is still suffering. People whot to work cant find jobs with the

unemployment rate. Collegedents, facing crushing debt, willly be underemployed, if employedll. Congress is tearing itself apart.ctions loom in November, and its

ping to be an ugly fight. And itsalways easy to find a beacon ofe outside US borders. The Euroost collapsed (and still could), theder rate in Mexico increase almost

daily, and the Congo has becomethe deadliest conflict since WWII.Needless to say, frustration ismounting. Countries are having ahard time keeping themselvestogether, let alone others. But

people are not oblivious to thesuffering of the rest of the world.Not only can we not find jobswhile politicians debate the meritsof birth control, we read aboutAssad massacring his own peopledaily.

We have reached aboiling point. We want to dosomething, but no one has all theanswers to the ever growingmountain of global problems. Sowe sit, in class and at work,

horrified, at a loss for solutions.Then comes KONY

2012. A 30 minute video onJoseph Kony, the LRA, and childsoldiers. But the video doesntjust describe the situation - itoffers action. Action anyone cantake. And yes, the videoadvocates a military interventionto capture Kony - and Im notcoming down on one side or theother here - but its somethingto do. A clear cut answer.

And so the videoexploded. Garnering over 100million views by the end ofMarch (the same month it wasuploaded), it sparked the powderkeg of frustration mounting forseveral years. People came downfor oragainst it.(Continued on page 3)

Fierce debates abounded overFacebook. It didnt take longbefore major news networks wereshowing it. Everyone had anopinion - not always substantive,but they took a stance and stoodby it.

There are many pointsfor and against this video. But thisisnt about the actual video - itsabout what the video represents,and how we, as a new generation,respond to what we believe to begross injustices. One of the big

KONY 2012: A CALL FROMBEYOND YOUR COMPUTER

By Liz Cox

ABOVE: The kids who run Banaa at the Clinton Global Initia


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xciting developments this year: the addition of a new scholar at both GW and

ochester this fall, and a summer summit for all of the current scholars. We are

agerly waiting to find out who the next scholars will be, among them we expect to

elcome the first female Banaa scholar. We look forward to meeting the two

ewest scholars at our summer summit.

The summer summit is a realization of one of Banaas original objectives of

ringing scholars from diverse regions and ethnic groups within the two Sudans

ogether. By gathering the scholars in DC for two weeks, they will be able to meet

ith NGO leaders, learn about life in the USA, and hone their storytelling and

rofessional skills. It is our hope that they will come away with meaningful

xperiences from the workshops and events, and build valuable connections with

ach other, Banaa student leaders, and professionals in DC.

There are dozens of progressive orgs on campus doing amazing things, but

hat makes Banaa special and unique is the ability to have a direct and tangible

mpact on the lives of real people who we would otherwise never get to meet. If

ou are interested in

upporting our efforts to aid Sudan through education we urge you to get involved.

ell a friend at another university about the program and see if they are interestedn bringing

Sudanese scholar to their campus. Email us or visit us at www.banaa.org.

Haley Aubuchon is currently a sophomore majoring in history and communication

the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Brian Browne is currently a

ophomore majoring in philosophy.

critiques of the 30 minute video is that it oversimplthe situation. And yes, the half an hour youtube vundoubtedly oversimplified the decades long conarising from hundreds of years of history. Becausecant get 100 million people to watch a two documentary on the conflicts in Africa. Its impressive that many people watched a 30 minute v

aimed at high school students, since most people seehave trouble making through a music video.Invisible Children had to strike the bal

between keeping people interested and imparting crinformation. And they are clearly good at the essencwhat they do - marketing. It is because we wontattention to more, read article longer than half a pagethink 140 characters is the maximum character limiall thoughts, that we are unaware and undereducabout conflicts like Kony.

Everyone agrees Joseph Kony is the despicable of human beings. There is no excusexplanation in existence for what he is doing. I him to be caught and brought to trial at the ICC. Not would it bring him out of power, but it would also huge victory for the international court system.

But I do not believe this, or other major actioissues you feel passionately about, will happen by clishare, like, or retweet. Social media has enabled strides in communication and information sharing, no doubit cannot be our main form of activism; not our only foractivism. Where we once took to the streets, we now taFacebook. Conflicts are not ended via youtube, and this exception. So stop your internet rant, step away from computer, and join the history books.

-Liz Cox is a junior majoring in Economics

The BanaaScholarship Fund(Continued from page 2)

Kony 2012: A CallFrom Beyond YourComputer(Continued frompage 2)

ICTURE ABOVE: Makwei, the first banaa scholar at GW


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We call on George Washington University to match the proven success of our peer institutions by bringing $300,000 of Alta Gracia to the bookstore. Dmeetings with the bookstore manager and staff where workers from Alta Gracia were present, Folletts (the company that owns the George Washington Uniookstore) has failed to increase orders of Alta Gracia. It is unacceptable to the student body to spend our university budget on less socially responsible brand

In 2010, the our university expressed, Were extremely proud to be part of this monumental launch in an article in the GW Hatchet, which expAlta Gracia apparel would be sold in the George Washington University Bookstore. However, Alta Gracia clothing is hard to notice in the bookstore becaus

f the clothing is currently out of stock and hidden on displays in the back of the bookstore. However, we call on the bookstore to increase wholesale orders Gracia apparel and sell the apparel where its signs are prominent and the racks displaying its t-shirts and hoodies are easily located to commensurate the bentrality to the universitys values and mission. Its promotion should exceed the space and signage given to other mainstream brands. With the availabilitroduct such as Alta Gracia, which is superior to all brands in its embodiment of the universitys values, equal or superior in quality, and competitive in whrice, its hard to understand why it hasnt been made more readily accessible to students.

The sustainability and success of this uplifting new business model and the hope for a better future for garment workers around the worldn our hands. We as consumers must create a larger demand for Alta Gracia. We know Alta Gracia will sell well at George Washi

University. Not only will it sell well, but also it will show the community how the Colonials are leading the way, locally and globallyocial responsibility.

More Fair Trade at GW, Alta Gracia Apparel(Continued from page1)

As students, it is our responsibility to demand thebookstore stock its shelves with Alta Gracia apparel. The soonerAlta Gracia is readily accessible at George WashingtonUniversity, the faster well prove a just factory model is not

only possible, but successful and the faster we can transform theentire apparel industry to mirror the standards of Alta Gracia,benefitting workers and communities in all parts of the world tocreate a just global economy.

-Tiffany Finck-Haynes is a senior majoring in InternationalAffairs.

The panel brought out the idea that many different marginalized groups struggle to make a place for themselves in Sudan, as seen in the secession of tSouth and agitation of groups in Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and parts of eastern Sudan. All of these groups have a common enemy in the governmeKhartoum but have been unable to join together to resist their marginalization. As South Sudan struggles to create a strong democracy, facing oil diversion bNorth which claims authority over the Port of Sudan, arms flowing in from the North, and instances of inter-communal violence, the North also faces issuesKhartoums continued repression.

The main ideas to consider from the discussion are the enormous challenges facing the fledgling nation of South Sudan, the continuous rhetoric of theinternational community versus the reality of impunity, and the fickle nature of attention that conflicts receive. Those of us outraged by the genocide in Darfshould once again feel angered by the current crisis in the Nuba Mountains; however, aside from recent coverage by Nicholas Kristof and Ann Curry, the suand violence appears to be met with silence.

The issues are complex, and the road to solving the problems faced in both Sudan and South Sudan is a long one. But the discussion promoted by the and the media coverage of current, ongoing conflicts is an important one to have. The student movement against the genocide in Darfur must not be forgottethe challenges continuing to face Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and the emerging government in South Sudan must not be lightly dismissed. This is thsame old game that Khartoum always plays. It commits genocide against its people again and again and again. And its happening again today, and theinternational community is largely sitting and watching it happen, said Jennifer. The energy and outrage that swept the nation upon the outbreak of violencDarfur needs to be channeled once again into positive actions to call attention to ongoing crises. Students and youth here and within Sudan are an importantin the fight to galvanize the necessary political will to address Omar Al Bashirs continuing decimation of his own population.

-Lindsay Woods is currently a sophomore majoring in International Affairs, with a concentration in Conflict Resolution.

The Persisting Problems of Sudan(Continued from page 1)

ABOVE: The Alta Gracia Team at the Bookstore


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What do we want? Peace. Where do we want it?

Congo. When do we want it? NOW. Voices rang

ut in the streets of Washington DC as students,

ctivists, and NGOs came together on November

1 to march in solidarity with the people of the

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The energy

was palpable, as voices, drum beats, and the sound

f blowing whistles blended together in a

ymphony of support for the Congolese people,

nly growing louder as the group stopped in

McPherson Square and at the White House.

Here in the United States, we had the right to

xercise free speech and assembly, as the people of

he DRC awaited elections on November 28 and

eared political violence. It is time for the current

dministration and all future administrations to

now that there is a movement and constituency

hat feels compassion for those who are dying,eing raped, and being forcefully displaced because

f the conflict in the DRC, which is funded and

ueled by the exploitation of conflict minerals. We

an no longer turn a blind eye to the fact that our

lectronics contain minerals which directly

ontribute to such suffering, and in November we

made that very clear.

ogether with students from schools in the DC

rea, along with activists from organizations such

s Raise Hope for Congo of the Enough Project,

alling Whistles, and Friends of Congo spoke and

oined together in the common goal of raising

wareness and support for the cause. We heard

testimony from a former child soldier, who has

experienced the intense suffering associated with

armed conflict, and who stressed the fact that

although we are seemingly a world away, we are all

the people of the Congo. We are all one people. We

can no longer allow the blatant exploitation and

degradation of the DRC, which in reality should be

one of the richest nations in the world. The naturaltreasures and resources should benefit the people of

the Congo rather than perpetuate their unending

suffering. We heard from Falling Whistles, who

spoke about children too small to hold a gun sent to

the front lines of war armed with only a whistle, a

terrible reminder that has been appropriated as a

symbol of peace and protest. Falling Whistles

announced their Face Campaign, in which students

and activists took pictures to put a face on the names

of those who support peace in the Congo, and thensent them directly to the White House. The Enough

Projects Raise Hope for Congo had us text the word

Congo to 30644 to join their mobile action network.

Above all, we raised our voices to all who would

listen. Political will does exist to end the rape and

mass atrocities occurring on a daily basis, and we

will not be silenced. The rally was the culmination of

months of planning and outreach, but it was only the

beginning. While it has been several months since

our Peace for Congo Rally, we are still actively

engaged on the issues. GW STAND along with other

student groups are looking to begin the organization

of our Campus Free Conflict Initiative in partnership

with the Enough Pojects Raise Hope For Congo

Campaign. Please email us at [email protected]

for more information or to learn how you can get

involved.

Do your part to become a part of the movement.

Make good of the electronics upon which we are

so dependent but which fuel such violence,

research this conflict and research actions you

can take to become involved. And then use

social media to spread the word to others. There

are many resources available: Raise Hope for

Congo and Falling Whistles have web sites witha wealth of information and suggested actions

-Lindsay Woods is currently a sophomore majoring in

International Affairs, with a concentration in Conflict

Resolution.

Conflict Minerals: A Call to Action and a Rally to RememberBy

Lindsay Woods


6/6

Why We Are Writing To You

Greetings,

Everyone knows that students at the George Washington University are politicallyactive. Even if you arent a political science wonk youve probably attended one of the bigname speaker events hosted by the College Democrats or College Republicans. Or maybeyouve been at a frat party when a health care debate breaks out. This newsletter serves as areminder that political activism comes in all shapes and sizes and shouldnt be contained in therealm the dorm room or mainstream politics. Debate can only get us so far, there comes a timewhen we must begin making moves.

There are many student groups at GWU doing amazing advocacy work on campus and

all across the city that GW STAND is proud to be part of. GW STAND was created as a part ofthe student movement response to the genocide in Darfur which began in the 2003. Since then,STAND has expanded the conflict regions it addresses by standing in solidarity with the peopleof South Sudan, D.R. Congo and Burma. We are always looking for new ways to advocate andto strengthen our efforts. This year GW STAND has connected and worked with many NGOsand activists through the DC area from Sudanese artists to OccupyDC. Building these personalrelationships with other DC students, NGO leaders, and Sudanese and Congolese diasporamembers has been the most rewarding experience in building our activist network this year.Face-to-face advocacy is still considered the most effective and even in the age of politics goingviral this important aspect cannot be forgotten.

We hope you talk about these issues presented in this newsletter and share it with yourfriends, spurring a discussion. While I would love for you to come out to our events next year,

join GW STAND, and become the next leaders of the student anti-genocide movement that isnot why we are writing to you. We hope you read the following articles and see what a smallgroup of dedicated activists have been able to accomplish in one short year. We hope you takeaway that making a difference in the cause you believe in doesnt have to start after graduation.We urge you to take up a megaphone (hey, you can even borrow ours!) and join the movementwhich inspires you the most whether it be about stopping the Keystone XL pipeline,immigration reform, freeing political prisoners in the U.S. or human rights in Burma. Yourvoice matters. Use it.

IN SOLIDARITY,GW STAND

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