Today was a travel day again. Before heading to Den Haag, we went on a canal tour. We were in this houseboat-type boat, and got to see Amsterdam from the water, which is entirely different from seeing it on foot. It brings you back to what you’d imagine the old days in Amsterdam were like—before the cars, bikes, and trams. When getting around the city was either by walking or taking the canal. Amazingly old city. It’s interesting to look at these things kind of the way natives do—how their history is so embedded in their culture and language.
Then we went off for lunch. I went with Esther, Eje, and Noor to this wok place where we got noodle bowls. Then, we went to the waffle stand and got these doughnut-like balls of fried dough with cream down the middle. So good. I forget what they’re called, but it has the word ‘poof’ in it, whatever it is. I’ll definitely post the photos when I get home. I’m also kind of food blogging my way through this trip.
Then, we headed back to the hostel to meet Flavio and leave for Den Haag. It was a relatively quick trip. We took the tram to the train station at Lelylan where we took a train to the airport and then another to Das Haag. It was literally like 20 minutes from the airport in Amsterdam to Das Haag, which looks so far on a map. We zoomed past farms and provincial landscapes, further reminding us of the differences between our countries, and then arrived in Das Haag where we retired to the hostel. And here I am!
I’m going to the International Criminal Court tomorrow for our orientation to the cases and courts, and then have class with Flavio before getting a walking tour of the city. We definitely want to check out the coffeeshops and bar scene here.
I’m really excited, but nervous, to view the Bemba trial. I’ll probably blog about this later, but for now I am incredibly tired and must head to bed soon, as we need to be out of the hostel by 9 at the latest.
Hope y’all are well!
Mac
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Life in Amsterdam
We just arrived in Den Haag after a crazy couple of days in Amsterdam. I think I’m in love with Amsterdam. There is so much life and bustle, but it is also a lot calmer than other cities I’ve been to. The overall feel is cozy, and the city itself is small and rather compact. If you know where to go, there are some really chill locals who can give you the DL on the haps around town.
I’m going to try to summarize everything that happened. Although it was only three days, it felt like a good full week. I don’t know if/when my feet will recover, but I’m hoping to sleep bank tonight.
The public transportation in Amsterdam is incredible. There are very few cars and very little traffic congestion, but this is partially because the trams rule the road. They are incredibly convenient and easy to ride. As long as you know what number to take and which stop to get off (which all the locals know, so you can ask anyone), you are golden. But we were also in the center of everything, so we’d only ever have to take the tram a few stops to get anywhere, if at all. Leidseplein is where we were and that is where the life of Amsterdam is, although it is quite touristy.
On the first full day, we explored the Jewish section of Amsterdam. We went to the Jewish Historical Museum, the Portugese Synagogue, Hollandse Schouwburg (Nazi deportation center), the Auschwitz Memorial, and the Dutch Resistance Museum. The Portugese Synagogue was very cool, partially because it is so incredibly old and still in use. It is the richer of the two synagogues in the area, and also a more conservative synagogue. Flavio, my professor, and his partner Bryan, both had to wear yarmulkes upon entering.
Other highlights from the day included the outdoor flea market, the awesome woman at Bagels & Beans who told us exactly where to go in town, Bluebird, this fab coffeeshop, and, of course, the Pub Crawl. Kathy, Eje, Esther, Noor, and I went. For 18 Euros, we got a free shot and a free drink at all 6 pubs that we went to. The dancing was good, the company was good, and a fab time was had all around.
Yesterday, we went to the Anne Frank museum. It was a really incredible experience, but not really what I expected. There was a lot of information, and poignant quotes from Anne’s diary were posted about the walls in the house next door, which was turned into a sort of museum. Once you entered the Secret Annexe through a bookcase in the wall, it was just empty rooms with a bit of information on some of the walls. It was eerie, walking around the empty rooms and knowing what happened inside of those walls. Anne’s room was furnished with pictures from old magazines, which had been smuggled into the Secret Annexe to help the girls stay sane during their two years of hiding.
Anne Frank is a huge reason why I do what I do. Having read her diary in the fifth grade, I felt a connection with her and her everyday struggles. It was soon after reading her diary that Harwich started a STAND chapter and I decided to join. It was her I chose when Theatre Lila ran a women’s workshop and we had to choose a woman who we related to to work with over the course of the workshop. For all intents and purposes, I was Anne. It was… incredibly humbling to walk through the rooms that this young, intelligent, and amazingly insightful young woman lived in.
I went to the Van Gogh Museum, which was incredible. His paintings are honestly beyond words. The paint strokes and emotion they portray, and the way they relate to the canvas are unbelievable. Some strokes are short, and others tower over the former. Esther and I had some incredible conversations about the paintings. It’s so different seeing them in person than seeing copies of them. The three-dimensionality is the best part. You can see the way the strokes were formed, and therefore see into the artist’s mind as they were painting. And how artists see things in ways others don’t. How when you and I both look out to the ocean holding hands we see it differently based on our personality, preferences, and mood.
Then, Kathy and I went out to meet Nina’s friend Grace at this place called Beer Temple. She is the vice-chair of Democrats Abroad. The members were having a social hour at this place, which was a really cool place. It’s a bit of a melting pot for those who have immigrated to the Netherlands. A place to gather and explore their interests with one another, as people who can all speak English in some way, but are living in Amsterdam.
We made friends with the bartender, and got excellent tips for bars, clubs, and coffeeshops that we just had to visit. There were two men we met—I think they were dating, but we weren’t sure—who gave us a thousand places to go, and told us to call them when we were back in town at the end of the night, because they wanted to chill with us. So when Erin and I are back in town, we’ll shoot them a line and see what there is to see!
Claire also offered us her pull out bed, which is hugely nice. So I’m going to email her and see if we can stay with her the weekend of the 21st. It’d be so nice not to have to pay 22 euro per night to stay at the hostel. Not only would we not be sharing a room with four strangers, but we’d be staying with someone local, learning more about the culture of the country, and be in an actual neighborhood, rather than the hub of the city.
So that was excellent! And then Kathy and I headed out late, but missed dinner and had to pick other people’s scraps. From there, we headed to this coffeeshop that they lady from Bagels & Beans recommended, called The Dolphin and had an excellent time. It was really chill, although the woman serving had to ask us to be quiet a couple of times. It’s odd that in coffeeshops, the music is similar to that at clubs, considering their different audiences. Although here, it doesn’t seem as if there’s much difference between and coffeeshop and a bar person, although perhaps that’s because drinking has a different aim in Europe than it does in the US.
We wandered to another coffeeshop after that, and then people seemed to want to go to a club. Sam and I didn’t really want to go to a club, so we hung out at a bar with Noor and her friend who lives in Amsterdam. The guys who were with Noor kept buying us rounds of shots, but I didn’t want to join in, so a few of us left and went back to the hostel, while others went clubbing. I was glad to get some sleep, especially as my feet and legs had been literally killing me all day.
After the fact,
Mac
I’m going to try to summarize everything that happened. Although it was only three days, it felt like a good full week. I don’t know if/when my feet will recover, but I’m hoping to sleep bank tonight.
The public transportation in Amsterdam is incredible. There are very few cars and very little traffic congestion, but this is partially because the trams rule the road. They are incredibly convenient and easy to ride. As long as you know what number to take and which stop to get off (which all the locals know, so you can ask anyone), you are golden. But we were also in the center of everything, so we’d only ever have to take the tram a few stops to get anywhere, if at all. Leidseplein is where we were and that is where the life of Amsterdam is, although it is quite touristy.
On the first full day, we explored the Jewish section of Amsterdam. We went to the Jewish Historical Museum, the Portugese Synagogue, Hollandse Schouwburg (Nazi deportation center), the Auschwitz Memorial, and the Dutch Resistance Museum. The Portugese Synagogue was very cool, partially because it is so incredibly old and still in use. It is the richer of the two synagogues in the area, and also a more conservative synagogue. Flavio, my professor, and his partner Bryan, both had to wear yarmulkes upon entering.
Other highlights from the day included the outdoor flea market, the awesome woman at Bagels & Beans who told us exactly where to go in town, Bluebird, this fab coffeeshop, and, of course, the Pub Crawl. Kathy, Eje, Esther, Noor, and I went. For 18 Euros, we got a free shot and a free drink at all 6 pubs that we went to. The dancing was good, the company was good, and a fab time was had all around.
Yesterday, we went to the Anne Frank museum. It was a really incredible experience, but not really what I expected. There was a lot of information, and poignant quotes from Anne’s diary were posted about the walls in the house next door, which was turned into a sort of museum. Once you entered the Secret Annexe through a bookcase in the wall, it was just empty rooms with a bit of information on some of the walls. It was eerie, walking around the empty rooms and knowing what happened inside of those walls. Anne’s room was furnished with pictures from old magazines, which had been smuggled into the Secret Annexe to help the girls stay sane during their two years of hiding.
Anne Frank is a huge reason why I do what I do. Having read her diary in the fifth grade, I felt a connection with her and her everyday struggles. It was soon after reading her diary that Harwich started a STAND chapter and I decided to join. It was her I chose when Theatre Lila ran a women’s workshop and we had to choose a woman who we related to to work with over the course of the workshop. For all intents and purposes, I was Anne. It was… incredibly humbling to walk through the rooms that this young, intelligent, and amazingly insightful young woman lived in.
I went to the Van Gogh Museum, which was incredible. His paintings are honestly beyond words. The paint strokes and emotion they portray, and the way they relate to the canvas are unbelievable. Some strokes are short, and others tower over the former. Esther and I had some incredible conversations about the paintings. It’s so different seeing them in person than seeing copies of them. The three-dimensionality is the best part. You can see the way the strokes were formed, and therefore see into the artist’s mind as they were painting. And how artists see things in ways others don’t. How when you and I both look out to the ocean holding hands we see it differently based on our personality, preferences, and mood.
Then, Kathy and I went out to meet Nina’s friend Grace at this place called Beer Temple. She is the vice-chair of Democrats Abroad. The members were having a social hour at this place, which was a really cool place. It’s a bit of a melting pot for those who have immigrated to the Netherlands. A place to gather and explore their interests with one another, as people who can all speak English in some way, but are living in Amsterdam.
We made friends with the bartender, and got excellent tips for bars, clubs, and coffeeshops that we just had to visit. There were two men we met—I think they were dating, but we weren’t sure—who gave us a thousand places to go, and told us to call them when we were back in town at the end of the night, because they wanted to chill with us. So when Erin and I are back in town, we’ll shoot them a line and see what there is to see!
Claire also offered us her pull out bed, which is hugely nice. So I’m going to email her and see if we can stay with her the weekend of the 21st. It’d be so nice not to have to pay 22 euro per night to stay at the hostel. Not only would we not be sharing a room with four strangers, but we’d be staying with someone local, learning more about the culture of the country, and be in an actual neighborhood, rather than the hub of the city.
So that was excellent! And then Kathy and I headed out late, but missed dinner and had to pick other people’s scraps. From there, we headed to this coffeeshop that they lady from Bagels & Beans recommended, called The Dolphin and had an excellent time. It was really chill, although the woman serving had to ask us to be quiet a couple of times. It’s odd that in coffeeshops, the music is similar to that at clubs, considering their different audiences. Although here, it doesn’t seem as if there’s much difference between and coffeeshop and a bar person, although perhaps that’s because drinking has a different aim in Europe than it does in the US.
We wandered to another coffeeshop after that, and then people seemed to want to go to a club. Sam and I didn’t really want to go to a club, so we hung out at a bar with Noor and her friend who lives in Amsterdam. The guys who were with Noor kept buying us rounds of shots, but I didn’t want to join in, so a few of us left and went back to the hostel, while others went clubbing. I was glad to get some sleep, especially as my feet and legs had been literally killing me all day.
After the fact,
Mac
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Travel Day!
Today included Boston --> Philadelphia --> Dublin --> Amsterdam
Finally in Amsterdam and already having a fab time.
There were some travel issues, but when aren't there any? Erin and I missed our flight in Dublin and ended up having to run a 5K to try to make our flight in Dublin. We ran to the wrong gate and then had to go through customs and security again, missing the flight at the correct gate. Then we hit up customs and security again and hopped on the next flight. We had time to grab a beer before boarding to head to Amsterdam (holler at my first legal European drink!)
We hit up the Amsterdam public transport, and I was able to use my very limited Dutch to ask, "Sprekt u engels?" and, appreciatively, "dank u wel." We got to the hostel, napped, and then woke up before the other gals got here. We headed to dinner at the stayokay where our fave waiter Omar gave us three free pitchers of beer. Can you say welcome to Amsterdam? And now we're headed to bed early for a packed day tomorrow.
We're going to the Jewish Historical Museum, Portugese Synagogue, Hollandse Schouwberg (Nazi deportation center), the Auschwitz Memorial, and the Dutch Resistance Museum in the morning with the afternoon free. It's going to be pretty heavy, so we're looking forward to hitting up the coffeeshops and checking out the nightlife tomorrow night.
Jeez, it's tough to blog on a blackberry. But 3 euros an hour for internet? What, Netherlands? Really? Erin and I are gonna split costs when we want to use it, so this is it for now. I'll probably journal and hope to upload those entries later.
Okay, headed to bed. Long travel day. Love!
Finally in Amsterdam and already having a fab time.
There were some travel issues, but when aren't there any? Erin and I missed our flight in Dublin and ended up having to run a 5K to try to make our flight in Dublin. We ran to the wrong gate and then had to go through customs and security again, missing the flight at the correct gate. Then we hit up customs and security again and hopped on the next flight. We had time to grab a beer before boarding to head to Amsterdam (holler at my first legal European drink!)
We hit up the Amsterdam public transport, and I was able to use my very limited Dutch to ask, "Sprekt u engels?" and, appreciatively, "dank u wel." We got to the hostel, napped, and then woke up before the other gals got here. We headed to dinner at the stayokay where our fave waiter Omar gave us three free pitchers of beer. Can you say welcome to Amsterdam? And now we're headed to bed early for a packed day tomorrow.
We're going to the Jewish Historical Museum, Portugese Synagogue, Hollandse Schouwberg (Nazi deportation center), the Auschwitz Memorial, and the Dutch Resistance Museum in the morning with the afternoon free. It's going to be pretty heavy, so we're looking forward to hitting up the coffeeshops and checking out the nightlife tomorrow night.
Jeez, it's tough to blog on a blackberry. But 3 euros an hour for internet? What, Netherlands? Really? Erin and I are gonna split costs when we want to use it, so this is it for now. I'll probably journal and hope to upload those entries later.
Okay, headed to bed. Long travel day. Love!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Off to Amsterdam
Currently sitting at Boston Logan airport with my friend Erin, preparing for our grand Dutch adventure. We're headed to Philadelphia, then Dublin, and then, finally, Amsterdam.
We'll be studying International Human Rights Tribunals; in particular, I will be studying the Jean-Pierre Bemba trial and the Thomas Lubanga trial. The Lubanga trial is currently on hold, so I'll be primarily at the Bemba trials, although I'll also have the opportunity to see trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice.
Das Nederlands... it's going to be interesting. And intense. I'm going in large part because I want to know if international justice is something I want to pursue. Is it an effective form of preventing genocide and mass atrocities from occurring? What is keeping the proceedings going so slow? Are they targeting the right people? Is it fulfilling is ultimate goal of accountability for governments worldwide?
Big questions. And I have a lot of them. And honestly, I don't expect to get them answered--no one can answer them; international law is just too new to know much of this yet.
Well, cheers to a safe journey, new friends, and tourist adventures!
-Mac
We'll be studying International Human Rights Tribunals; in particular, I will be studying the Jean-Pierre Bemba trial and the Thomas Lubanga trial. The Lubanga trial is currently on hold, so I'll be primarily at the Bemba trials, although I'll also have the opportunity to see trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice.
Das Nederlands... it's going to be interesting. And intense. I'm going in large part because I want to know if international justice is something I want to pursue. Is it an effective form of preventing genocide and mass atrocities from occurring? What is keeping the proceedings going so slow? Are they targeting the right people? Is it fulfilling is ultimate goal of accountability for governments worldwide?
Big questions. And I have a lot of them. And honestly, I don't expect to get them answered--no one can answer them; international law is just too new to know much of this yet.
Well, cheers to a safe journey, new friends, and tourist adventures!
-Mac
Why I Care - Harwich High Address, 4 January 2011
Some of you know me. My name is Mac Hamilton and I graduated from Harwich in 2009. I’m currently a sophomore at Smith College and have been involved in the anti-genocide movement since I was a sophomore here. I am the Advocacy Chair at SmithSTAND and STAND’s Northeast Regional Outreach Coordinator.
It’s hard to trace back to the point where I started caring about human rights. I’ve thought a lot about it and can trace it back to when I was in Miss Malcolm’s sixth grade English class. We read Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. The sheer simplicity of the writing mixed with the horrors experienced by a girl my own age shocked me, and I was so thankful that that period of time was over. Some of the injustices I could understand. As a woman, I am a minority and have faced difficulties and injustices, but nowhere near what Annemarie and Ellen faced during the Holocaust.
For those of you who know me, you know that I was very involved in theatre in high school. I did a lot of shows at the Harwich Junior Theatre, and it was in a class there that I first heard about anti-Semitism within the United States. A dear friend of mine, a beautiful redheaded 12-year-old girl, had been harassed at her middle school for being Jewish. The story was traumatizing. How could the book I’d read relate to my friend 60 years later? Someone had told her, “What is the difference between a Jew and a pizza? A pizza doesn’t scream when it’s put in the oven.” She told that story, sobbing, to a group of individuals in our class and as the tears dropped to the floor, my heart pounded and tears of my own appeared. Clearly, there was something more to human nature than I had known before.
Fast-forward to Ms. Whittemore’s—now Mrs. Hoffman’s—freshman English class. Reading The Diary of Anne Frank set the stage for me to join the newly formed STAND chapter the next year. I was in a theatre ensemble called In Good Company at the time and a friend of mine invited me to come to a Battle of the Bands at Harwich High. In between acts, students presented figures that I could barely comprehend. 400,000 killed. 2 million displaced. Violence and fear still running rampant. They told stories that, if I had not known my friend at HJT, and had I not read Number the Stars or The Diary of Anne Frank, I may not have believed, or may have downplayed.
I bought a t-shirt—“STOP GENOCIDE IN SUDAN” it commanded. From there, my actions grew. When I heard about a new law, I would call my senators and urge my parents to do the same. I thought that if I made one hundred calls and if that saved even one human life, lightened the burden of one girl like my friend at HJT, that it would be worth it. I was right. Through my activism, not only have I found an incredible family of human beings that value human life and dignity above all other things, but also I have found that the actions of one person does truly affect the lives of hundreds. Ruby’s life affecting mine has affected students across the United States and the global community in which we live.
Tomorrow, I’m leaving for the Netherlands. A country once torn apart by World War II and the genocide that went with it. A country that has transformed itself into a land of justice and a beacon of hope for genocide survivors and their descendants everywhere. I will walk the same streets as Anne Frank, my personal hero. The Netherlands is the site of the International Criminal Court, which currently is hosting Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who has been charged with two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes. It is also hosting Thomas Lubanga, who stands accused of the war crime of ‘conscripting and enlisting children under the age of fifteen years and using them to participate actively in hostilities.’
Every day, I wear this whistle. Contrary to the beliefs of the many who ask me why I wear it, it is not a rape whistle. In the Eastern Congo, there has been a war raging since 1998 that has resulted in the deaths of over 5 million people, much of this a spill over from the 1994 Rwandan genocide. When armies clash, they put young boys in the front line armed only with a whistle, which is supposed to scare the enemy away. These boys take the first round of bullets.
Now, while this is all extremely depressing and difficult to hear, there’s also so much hope. International outrage at these atrocities has grown in recent years, due in large part to outcries of activists in high schools and colleges across the United States. In this year alone, we have gotten the United States to publicly support a United Nations Security Council Commission of Inquiry into Crimes Against Humanity in Burma. The US supports putting in systems in Eastern Congo to monitor mines and ensure that our electronics are conflict free, and not funding the armies that are enlisting child soldiers and raping Congolese women. Barack Obama spoke on MTV in November about how the student movement has put the Sudan referendum on the administration’s radar. The appointment of Princeton Lyman after nationwide vigils in August of 2010, the appointment of Darfur envoy Dane Smith in December, and the passing of the first ever genocide prevention legislation all happened because of student activism.
There are good things that are happening, but there is also more to be done. The fact that civil war has not started in Sudan as of today, 5 days before the referendum, is incredible. But it’s also important to continue monitoring the conflict should our voices be needed. My only qualm about going to the Netherlands tomorrow is that I will not be in the United States to help mobilize people should violence occur as a result of the referendum. That’s where you come in. By going to http://bit.ly/pledge2protect and signing the letter to President Obama, you will also become part of the post-referendum rapid responder team. If things do end up going badly, we are going to need all of the voices we can get calling our senators and the administration, writing letters, and taking action. As high school students, you have a huge responsibility on January 9th. Most colleges will not yet be back in session. You will be the ones most able to mobilize your communities, talk to your friends and family, and use your voices.
You did so much incredible work in 2010: from hosting Gabriel Bol Deng to having your own STANDfast to questioning your candidates for accountability, you’ve let your voices be heard. And I know you can do the same in 2011.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
A Letter to Representative Perry
As an involved constituent from Harwich, Massachusetts currently pursuing my undergraduate degree at Smith College, I would like to raise a concern that I have not yet heard addressed by Representative Perry.
There is a very broad base of support for genocide and mass atrocities prevention, especially on Cape Cod. There are two student-led groups that focus primarily on genocide and mass atrocities prevention, and a much wider human rights constituency across all of the Cape. As one of the past leaders of the STAND chapter at Harwich High School, and as a current National Outreach Coordinator for STAND, the student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network, I would like Representative Perry to speak on the subject of genocide and mass atrocities termination and prevention, particularly in Sudan.
There has been an ongoing genocide occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan since 2003, claiming the lives of over 400,000 innocents, and sending millions more across borders and into internal refugee camps in Sudan. At the same time, the government in Khartoum has been marginalizing the people of Southern Sudan, who experts believe will vote to secede from Sudan after a referendum this January. Scholars and activists believe that the Obama administration is not taking firm enough action to ensure a legitimate and peaceful referendum is ensured, and that the current US policy includes all incentives for the government in Khartoum and no pressures, and is completely sidelining Darfur.
As a member of Congress, what will Representative Perry do to ensure that both incentives and pressures are implemented in US Sudan policy, and that there be a focus on all of Sudan and not just the North-South issue?
I look forward to hearing more.
In Peace,
MacKenzie
---
MacKenzie J. Hamilton
National Outreach Coordinator
STAND: Student-led Division of Genocide Intervention Network
Smith College, Class of 2013
(774) 722 2861
http://www.standnow.org
mhamilton@standnow.org
There is a very broad base of support for genocide and mass atrocities prevention, especially on Cape Cod. There are two student-led groups that focus primarily on genocide and mass atrocities prevention, and a much wider human rights constituency across all of the Cape. As one of the past leaders of the STAND chapter at Harwich High School, and as a current National Outreach Coordinator for STAND, the student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network, I would like Representative Perry to speak on the subject of genocide and mass atrocities termination and prevention, particularly in Sudan.
There has been an ongoing genocide occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan since 2003, claiming the lives of over 400,000 innocents, and sending millions more across borders and into internal refugee camps in Sudan. At the same time, the government in Khartoum has been marginalizing the people of Southern Sudan, who experts believe will vote to secede from Sudan after a referendum this January. Scholars and activists believe that the Obama administration is not taking firm enough action to ensure a legitimate and peaceful referendum is ensured, and that the current US policy includes all incentives for the government in Khartoum and no pressures, and is completely sidelining Darfur.
As a member of Congress, what will Representative Perry do to ensure that both incentives and pressures are implemented in US Sudan policy, and that there be a focus on all of Sudan and not just the North-South issue?
I look forward to hearing more.
In Peace,
MacKenzie
---
MacKenzie J. Hamilton
National Outreach Coordinator
STAND: Student-led Division of Genocide Intervention Network
Smith College, Class of 2013
(774) 722 2861
http://www.standnow.org
mhamilton@standnow.org
Friday, August 20, 2010
Student Activists Across US Hold Candlelit Vigils to Propose Change in Sudan Policy
By MacKenzie J. Hamilton, STAND
 |
| Alexandra Johnson, STAND Outreach Coordinator, holds vigil in GA |
Last week, President Obama met with U.S. special envoy to Sudan Gen. Scott Gration and other high level officials to discuss Sudan policy. In short, it did not go as well as activists hoped, and the proposed policy sidelined Darfur and lacked necessary diplomatic and economic pressures on the government in Khartoum. U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice offered a dissenting opinion, urging the President to focus on all of Sudan and include both incentives and pressures on the Khartoum government.
The student movement to end genocide agreed with Ambassador Rice’s proposal and set about urging President Obama to make good on his campaign promises and focus on an all-inclusive Sudan policy, complete with pressures for the genocidal regime. To show their support for Ambassador Rice and their solidarity with the people of Sudan, they held vigils all across the country, including outside of Vice President Biden’s residence in Washington, DC, Boston, New York City, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, California, and Georgia to name only a few.
Hundreds of students mobilized to urge our government to action in only two days, including students on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I took the initiative along with upSTANDer Andie Ramirez, former president of Harwich High School STAND and a first year at Providence College, to coordinate a vigil and peaceful protest. Candidate for MA State Senate, Dan Wolf, and candidate for MA State House of Representatives attended to show their support, as well as three men from Southern Sudan, Gabriel Bol Deng, Garang Mayoul and Koor Garang.
 |
| Andie Ramirez, Providence College, coordinates Cape Cod Vigil & sends a message to the US government |
At the end of the night, after candles were lit and the urgency of the situation was discussed, participants took action by calling Vice President Biden and urging him to weigh in on Sudan policy, make good on his campaign promises, and urge President Obama to take a firmer stance on US Sudan policy. If edits to the policy are not made before Obama signs it in, it could cause huge problems for the country of Sudan in the future. Already we are seeing an upsurge of violence in the Darfur region of Sudan, and with the Southern Referendum coming to a vote in January, the public has reason to worry.
 |
| What you should do right now! |
It’s not too late! Call 1-800-GENOCIDE today to connect to Vice President Biden’s office and urge the US government to focus on all of Sudan and implement a strategy with both incentives and pressures on the Khartoum government in Sudan.
MacKenzie J. Hamilton
Outreach Coordinator
STAND: Student-led Division of Genocide Intervention Network
(774) 722-2861
http://www.standnow.org
mhamilton@standnow.org
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