STAND helps combat genocide

Senior Edward Gibson, a leading member in the IU chapter of Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND), was a little winded by the time he got to the third floor of Ballantine Hall for the group’s weekly meeting.

The senior wasn’t alone. More group members arrived — some pulled out notebooks, others just flopped into desks close by.

IU’s chapter of STAND, a national activist division of the Genocide Intervention Network, works “to empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent genocide” according to the group’s Facebook page.

Events the group organizes are designed to raise awareness about global genocides as well as raise funds for aid organizations that benefit victims of genocide.

At their weekly meetings, the members of STAND sit in a circle and have equal input and involvement. There are no officers except for a treasurer, which is required by the Student Activities Office.

“One of the interesting things about STAND is that we do not believe in having a hierarchy. We are sitting in a circle, we are having fun,” sophomore member Samantha Harrel said.

One of the first issues up for discussion during this particular meeting was an upcoming event at Rachael’s Cafe. Gibson said Rachael’s had agreed to have a benefit concert for STAND. Possible bands and who the concert would benefit were
thoroughly investigated.

STAND members wanted to make sure that profits would go directly to combat genocide and not be funneled through other organizations, never reaching those who may need it. One possibility was an on-the-ground orphanage in Sudan. From the outset, it looked OK, but they wanted to make sure it was legitimate.

“We can send this link out to everyone,” Gibson said, bringing up the orphanage’s website on a digital projector. “We’ll take a look and give everyone a chance to check it out.”

The same cautious, measured process dictated most of STAND’s decisions. When the group discussed club T-shirts, it was not an issue of cheapest cost or best design but instead of most ethical clothing provider and most reliable source of labor.

“We wanted to make shirts not made in sweat shops, so that when we paid for the shirts it wouldn’t be dirty money basically, which is against everything STAND is about,” said sophomore Adam Bobeck, who was in charge of researching
shirt makers.

In the past, STAND has worked on all kinds of projects, including film screenings, fundraisers and awareness events. One of its big events last year was bringing Holocaust survivor Eva Kor to speak at the Whittenberger Auditorium.

“We learned at a young age the effects of genocide, and now we are old enough to understand it,” Harrel said. “That’s one of the biggest things we do, other than fundraising and awareness. We are trying to understand it and help others understand it.”

After general announcements were out of the way at the meeting, the members of STAND took turns giving presentations about recent news and current genocides worldwide. Most of the meeting was spent discussing these news stories and giving updates on ongoing issues.

Most attention was spent on the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but presentations have also covered topics like the development of cell phone technology with use of metals found in these violent areas.

The meeting ended after a quick summary of the T-shirts, the upcoming fundraiser and the current events presented, but the conversation will be picked up again at the next meeting.

STAND meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Ballantine 314 and encourages new members to join at any time. Whether they are organizing a benefit concert or keeping track of world events, members of STAND are always working to end genocide around the globe.

“It’s like that quote, and I may be paraphrasing here, but ‘If you do not stand up for anyone else, nobody will be there to stand up for you’,” Harrel said. “I think that’s especially important for Americans, people who are privileged. We don’t often get help, and I think that one day we may need it.”