POSSIBLE LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN with V-day and Bonner

This is a tentative event but STAND might be working with V-day and Bonner to co-ordinate a letter writing event on Wed. 10/21 in Wismer Lower Level during common hour.

Watch out for more information on this!

STAND Meeting Minutes Sept 15, 2009

A. Introduction to STAND

a. Visit the blog at http://ucstand.blogspot.com for minutes and other information, if anyone is interested in writing for the blog with any news, articles, or opinions contact Serena (semithbaokar@ursinus.edu)

b. Overview of STAND

i. History and past events

B. Fall 2009 Events

a. Brown Bag Lunch

i. During faculty meetings, Wednesday, October 7^th during common hour

ii. Money going to Digital Divide, an organization which uses donations to pay for data-entry training for Cambodians affected by land mines or genocide

iii. See future email about helping out and organization

b. Speaker

i. SIFE is having Sasha Lezhnev Lesnev as a guest speaker

1. Sasha Lezhnev will be speaking about conflict minerals, tungsten and tin, which contribute to violence in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo

ii. This may be extended into a larger week-long campaign with letter writing and other events

c. Microfinancing Workshop

i. SIFE and STAND workshop on microfinancing projects like Digital Divide

ii. Will take place after fall break, before thanksgiving

d. Pledge 2 Protect

i. Conference in Washington D.C.

ii. Hilary Clinton, Susan Bryce, John Prendergast, STAND national coordinator possible speakers

iii. November 6-9^th

iv. See email for more details

e. Dinner Meeting

i. Next Tuesday September 22, 2009 6:30pm in Wismer to discuss events and throw around ideas

Pledge2Protect Conference, Hyatt Regency, Washington DC, Nov 6-9, 2009

from the Pledge2Protect Website:

On November 6 – 9, Genocide Intervention Network’s (GI-NET) student-led division, STAND, will bring together a powerful network of 1,000 students and community leaders and activists from across the country to Capitol Hill for Pledge2Protect: a conference designed to educate, empower, and highlight the work of activists who are driving the movement to prevent and stop genocide and mass atrocities. Pledge2Protect seeks to create a forum of rigorous dialogue and exchange that cover broad yet carefully selected topics.

In collaboration with core partners Save Darfur Coalition and The Enough Project, Pledge2Protect will equip activists with grassroots organizing and advocacy skills, plus in-depth education on conflicts of concern. Preeminent speakers and experts in the field will lead these discussions by providing their critical perspectives and inviting an exchange of ideas. In addition, participants will meet with their elected officials on a November 9 lobby day to push for key genocide prevention legislation.

More Information and Registration at Pledge2Protect Website. You may also check out their Facebook Page.

If you are a Member of Ursinus STAND and are interested in attending, please contact Serena Mithbaokar (semithbaokar@ursinus.edu) ASAP.

STAND First Meeting of the Semester!

UC STAND Meeting Minutes. Sept 9, 2009

1. Brief Introduction on STAND: Chapter History, past advocacy and fundraising events.

2. UC STAND Keeps a blog at http://ucstand.blogspot.com , where we post meeting minutes, event information, links or any other new articles. Currently authored by Serena (semithbaokar@ursinus.edu) , Lindsay (lihogan@ursinus.edu) and Ryan (rycollins@ursinus.edu) . If you are interested in contributing as a writer or a photographer, please contact Serena so she can add you as a contributor.

3. Resources: Ursinus Community Service Office (UCARE). Please contact Ryan at rycollins@ursinus.edu , if you have any ideas or suggestions or need any help in participating in any community service activity. The Office is currently located in Students Activties Office in Wismer Lower. Also, UCARE is looking for interns next year, so in case you are interesting applying please talk to Ryan Collins.

4. POTENTIAL EVENTS (FALL 2009): (Some of the events could be during a “themed” week)

a. A possible letter writing event (Not decided which crises yet, Burma is a potential)

b. Work and/or support Burmese nuns from an Indian monastery. Many of these nuns have been involved in pro-democracy movements in Burma. As the military junta doesn’t mind having shamed itself, it might be more effective to support pro-democracy movements. It might be possible to wire money to a pro-democracy organization.

c. We are still looking for possible speaker. It would be ideal to have John Prendergast (more info here) and we are going to work on that. We might get more speakers from Dr. PatricK Hurley from the environment department, on mining and other conflict resources (like oil in Sudan, tin and tungsten in DRC, which have the sources of much of the conflict)

d. Attend STAND Protests/Retreats in Philadelphia, DC, or anywhere in the Mid-atlantic region!

e. Have a brown bag lunch, possibly next month.

f. Possible Advocacy campaign: Use drawings made by children who were exposed to prolonged violence in Darfur as a possible campaign. We could use Olin Plaza to have our campaign

g. We could also plan a die-in (a protest where protestors lie on the ground) to simulate dead bodies.

h. Work on a shared microfinance project with SIFE (students for free enterprise) on microfinance and have a workshop with the rest of the campus about it. Possible NGO: Digitaldivide.org which trains Cambodians affected by the genocide in data-entry

i. Instead of giving pictures of chilis at Chilli’s, give them pictures of something related to Darfur.

j. Possible Films: Invisible Children, BBC Panorama Documentary on Darfur, The Killing Fields

k. Have more informal dinners between members to brainstorm (Look for announcements)

STAND 2009-10 Executive Board Membership

President: Serena Mithbaokar (semithbaokar@ursinus.edu)

Vice-President: Lindsay Hogan (lihogan@ursinus.edu)

Treasurer: Colin Hughes (cohughes@ursinus.edu)

Secretary: Sarah Hood-Betts (sahoodbetts@ursinus.edu)