STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition

STAND, the Student Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities

Founded	2003
Purpose	Humanitarian
Location	Washington, D.C.
Area served	Worldwide
Mission	"To empower student advocates with the means to prevent and respond to mass atrocities and genocide."
Website	http://www.standnow.org/

STAND is the student-led movement to end mass atrocities and genocide. At its core, STAND’s mission is to empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and end mass atrocities and genocide. Students in STAND organize and educate their peers and communities, advocate to their elected officials, divest their schools, cities and states, and fundraise for civilian protection in order to build political will for ending genocide. Concurrently, STAND is investing in the next generation of thought leaders in the genocide prevention movement. Through training programs and annual retreats, STAND fosters and harnesses strategies that will guide the atrocity prevention movement now and in the future. The organization routinely addresses violence in Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria.

History

STAND was born out of the movement to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan in 2003. Just weeks after President George W. Bush labeled the situation in Darfur “genocide,”^[1] a group of Georgetown students began to organize their campus community and eventually chose a name for their new group: STAND, an acronym for “Students Taking Action Now: Darfur.” By 2005, STAND chapters had sprung up at schools nationwide. In April 2006, STAND merged with the Genocide Intervention Network. In 2011, the Genocide Intervention Network and Save Darfur Coalition came together to form United to End Genocide, now the largest advocacy organization in America dedicated towards preventing mass atrocities and acts of genocide.

In 2012, STAND transitioned into an independent organization. STAND provides students with creative and effective national campaigns, organizing materials and resources, educational information, policy and advocacy training, and a network of informed and active peers. All of STAND's programs and policies are consistent with the Responsibility to Protect report, endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005. It remains headquartered in Washington, D.C., where the first STAND chapter was formed in 2004 at Georgetown University by a group of students.

Organizational Structure

STAND is unique to the atrocity prevention movement in that it is led completely by students. STAND is run by a Managing Committee made up of eleven students who are responsible for developing campaigns, advocacy and organizing strategies, and policy resources. The Managing Committee works as a resource for students leaders to be effective organizers on their campuses and communities. The Managing Committee is assisted by one full-time staff member and Task Forces of student leaders. The Student Leadership Team, made up of the Managing Committee and Task Forces, is completely responsible for running STAND.

Each new STAND chapter is formed independently by students at their respective school. STAND chapters raise awareness on their campuses and in their communities, advocate to their elected officials for substantial legislative action, divest their schools, cities and states, and raise funds for civilian protection. All of STAND's national campaigns and resources are developed, implemented and distributed entirely by the Student Leadership Team.

Student Directors

References