What STANDFast Is...

From my co-coordinator:

WHAT IS STANDFAST?

The best way to learn about STANDFast is to go to the website at http://www.standnow.org/campaigns/standfast. But, in the interest of time, I’ll do my best to summarize the fundraiser.

As you all might have learned by now, STAND is a national student organization whose goal is to eliminate genocide. It used to stand for Students Taking Action Now in Darfur, but now it has been renamed the Student Anti-Genocide Coalition. This year, STAND has expanded its efforts beyond Darfur to talk about genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Burma. Basically, we’re the recognized UMass Amherst chapter of STAND, which is why we’re participating in this fundraiser.

STANDFast is a national day of fundraising through the STAND organization. On December 3rd, everywhere across the country, students will be doing HUGE fundraiser efforts for civilian protection. Last year, at UMass Amherst, we raised over $2,000 on the one day. We’re hoping to break that record this year!

All of the money that we raise is donated to the Genocide Intervention Network, an amazing organization that donates 100% of its funds to the cause. That means that every single penny we donate translates directly into humanitarian aid to actual victims. You can take a look at some of the breakdown in their website, http://www.genocideintervention.net/. They have actual people on site, buying the supplies that those victims need. For example, because the Burmese genocide is carried out by government raids, they use the fundraising money to buy radios to warn Burmese villages of attack, thus saving their lives. It only costs $7 to buy one radio for a Burmese village, and that’s what the money goes toward. In Darfur refugee camps, women must travel outside of the camps to collect firewood for their families, but every time they go out, they are raped by the waiting militia. The money raised through GI Net goes to fund AU Peacekeepers to go with these women when they collect wood, to ensure that they are protected. The money also goes to solar cookers and funding sustainable businesses within the Darfur camps.

As you can see, we’re very lucky to work with this organization. Unlike other non-profits, this group actually donates 100% of funds, and so the donations translate into hard supplies – radios, AU peacekeepers, solar cookers – that better the lives of the victims of genocidal conditions.

So that’s what STANDFast is and that’s where the money goes. If you have further questions, feel free to contact us at UMassDarfurGroup@gmail.com or leave a comment.