Student Activism

The National Week of Student Action week rallies are coming up! The rallies will be held this Friday, March 29^th. This year we will be rallying at Chinese embassy and consulates all across the country. We will be encouraging China to pressure Sudanese Government into allowing UN troops on the ground in Darfur. If you can't make it to the really or you simply just want to do more we suggest writing a letter to China or signing Amnesty International USA's petition to China.

Access the petition here!

Letter to China here!

-Nausheen

We are now mid-way through the National Week of Student Action. Are you having fun with all the events? Here is another important event which we need your participation in. This Friday, March 30^th, Amnesty International activists nationwide will rally at the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C, United Nation Mission in New York and consulates in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco to press China to protect civilians in Darfur, Sudan. This is a great opportunity to take action to end the crisis in Darfur. If you have questions regarding your events, please feel free to call us or email at youth@aiusa.org. Also, let us know how you are doing with the events. It's always good to hear from you!

All the best,

wook

Sadia Idriss Fadul, from the Fur ethnic group in Sudan was sentenced to death by stoning on February 13th. Amouna Abdallah Daldoum, a member of the Tama ethnic group, was sentenced to death by stoning on March 6^th. These two women have been convicted of adultery by a criminal court in Managil province, in Gazira state, central Sudan. Some reports have said that the women had no lawyer during their trial, which didn't allow for them to defend themselves. The court proceedings were also conducted in Arabic, and the women who didn't speak Arabic as their first language were reportedly not provided with a translator.

Amnesty International considers such penalties to be cruel and inhumane. Amnesty International also opposes the death penalty.

Please take a stand now and send appeals for these women.

An online letter is available here.

 -Nausheen

Are you ready? It's the National Week of Student Action! We are so excited and hope you are too. Here are some last minutes checks for this week.  Please remember to get those petitions signed and make sure your voice is heard. Be prepared with posters, stickers, films, and music for your friends and community and get people more interested in this great event. Participate in rallies on Friday, March 30^th. Check with your regional office for the time and location. If you have any questions, feel free to call us or email us at youth@aiusa.org. Have fun and good luck to all!

Best wishes,

wook

The National Week of Student Action is approaching fast. Be ready and check out all the tools that Amnesty International has to offer!

Check out the Media Guide for tips on how to provide excellent media coverage for your events during the NWSA!

Check out the new Questions and Answers page to learn all what is going on with the UN, NATO and Darfur!

Check out the Action Ladder page to learn how you can get involved even if you only have 15 minutes to spare!

The United States Government continues to have enormous influence in the world and since you are participating in Amnesty International's National Week of Student Action, you are in an incredibly powerful position to help spark change. By enlisting the two U.S senators in your state and the representative for your congressional district you can magnify your voice by many times.

Through your elected officials, you have an opportunity to really make an impact! Use it. During the week of April 9-14, we'll engage U.S. elected officials to enlist their help to protect civilians in Darfur. Amnesty International has the resources to help you learn how to work with your elected officials most effectively to press China to use its significant influence in Sudan to protect civilians in Darfur.

Learn more and sign up to be one a lobbying delegation here: http://darfur.amnestyusa.org/

-wook

We're just a week away from the start to the National Week of Student Action 2007! Now is the time to put your promotional activities front and get ready to raise awareness of crisis in Darfur. Start publicizing events by making posters and flyers and ask your friends and community to join this great event. It's a lot to do when the time come closes, so start now and make sure everything is on track!

Haven't you received the organizing kit yet? You can also download the organizing guide in Amnesty International Website. Click here

If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know. It's always good to hear from you!

Best wishes,

wook

This year's National Week of Student Action (NWSA) "Make Some Noise for Darfur" lobbying week will take place on April 2nd thru the 6th. We here at NSYP, hope that all Amnesty members and participants of NWSA will participate in our lobbying week. We will be asking Representatives and Senators to press China to use its significant influence in Sudan to help protect civilians in Darfur.  Here are a few ABC's that will help you speak to your Representative or Senators.

ACCURATE: Have credible information. Do not bluff. Let them know if you don't know the answer to a question and let them know you will find out and get back to them. For any help on something you don't know please called Amnesty's Grassroot Lobbying office @ 202.544.0200.

BRIEF: Members of Congress are busy people so be sure to get to your main point and respect their time. Many staffers are very knowledgable about Darfur and you may not need your whole presentation.

Courteous: Always be courteous. A friendly greeting always works.

Also, be sure to gauge their interest, be specific, and be persistent. Make sure you have several follow up calls.

Good Luck!!!

Also, if you haven't signed up for the National Week of Student Action and are interested in participating, it isn't too late to sign up. Register online here . The organizing kit to help plan your week of action is available online.

 -Nausheen

Learn about a human rights issue....

&

Take a stand!

Issue: Amnesty International reports that there are currently an estimated 200,000-300,000 child soliders in twenty different countries through out the world. These children are as young as nine years old. Often times, child soldiers are forced into joining these armed groups because of poverty, the loss of family, and with no place to turn. Child soldiers are used for many purposes such as, spies, messengers, sexual purposes, porters, or to lay clear landmines. These children are given guns right on the front line of combat. Many of the young girls who are recuited as child soliders are gang raped and sexually abused.

What you can do: Demobilization programs have been established in many countries, but they often lack funds or resources. You can write, call, or meet with your representative and convince him or her to support funding for countries that have demobilization programs in place. Find your representative by visiting http://www.house.gov/Welcome.shtml

Find more information on child soliders by going to --->http://www.amnestyusa.org/child_soldiers/index.do.

 -Nausheen

The National Week of Student Action is only two weeks away and we think that it might be a good idea to go through quickly for events we are going to have. As you all know, Amnesty International USA's campaign for this year is Make Some Noise for Darfur. During the week of March 26^th, you will convince your senators and representative to urge the government of China to support human rights in Sudan. The rallies will be held at the China embassy in DC and consulates in New York, Huston, and Chicago on March 30^th. If you need any help with any of your activities, please don't hesitate to contact us at youth@aiusa.org or each Amnesty International regional offices.

-Northeast Region: aiusanero@aiusa.org

-Southern Region: aiusaso@aiusa.org

-Midwest Region: aiusamw@aiusa.org

-Mid-Atlantic Region: aiusama@aiusa.org

-Western Region: aiusaLA@aiusa.org or aiusasf@aiusa.org

The time to act is now. Get ready to raise awareness of human right issues and support for people in Darfur!

best,

wook

The National Week of Student Action is coming up soon and so are the student action week's closing rallies. The rallies will be happening all across the U.S. Cities signed up to participate in the rallies so far are New York, Washington D.C. and Houston.

These rallies will be a great way to put pressure on China into using its significant influence on the Government of Sudan so that civilians are protected in Darfur.

If you are interested in attending or helping organize any of these rallies check out the information on www.amnestyusa.org/nwsa!

 Good luck to all!

-Nausheen

On June 12^th, Amnesty International USA and Warner Bros record will release a compilation album: Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur- Featuring more than 20 songs of John Lennon recorded by Green Day, Christina Aguilera, Jack Johnson, R.E.M, Snow Patrol, and many more. Supported by Yoko Ono, who has donated all music publishing royalties, the royalty of the CD will go to Amnesty International's campaign to end the Darfur genocide. "Music has a special power to incite social change, and the songs of John Lennon inspire people to fight for justice and strive for peace like no other artist," says Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "With Yoko Ono's extraordinary gift, Amnesty International hopes to move the world closer to John's vision of global peace and justice." I encourage every one of you to buy the album and to have a great opportunity to save Darfur. For more information about Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur, please visit http://www.instantkarma.org/  or www.amnesty.org/noise.

 Best wishes,

wook

Make it official! Register your NWSA event!

Holding a film festival? Rally? Teach-in? Register your NWSA events with AIUSA and let others in your area know what's going on near them. Let us know what you're up to and we'll add your event to an online listing of activities going on during this year's NWSA. By doing so, you'll increase your turnout and add your voice to those of other event organizers across the country. Just fill out the entry form here and watch for your event to be posted online!

Interested in attending an NWSA event near you? Check out the NWSA Event Listing and find an event near you!

Today is international women's day! March 8^th is a major global day of connecting all women around the world and celebrating their achievements and emphasizing the need for continued awareness and action for women. The United Nation's theme for International women's day in 2007 is "Ending Impunity for violence against women and girls." According to Rachel Mayania, the special advisor in UN, "girls and women are subjected to violence everyday in every country and the violence transcends politics, culture and religion, race, class, income and age." In order to eliminate violence against women and girls, she also states that we must take swift and concerted action to eradicate all forms of discrimination against them, and ensure women's equality with men. There are many women who have been abused and have had their rights stripped away from them. Women's international day should be a day to celebrate women's accomplishments, but also a day to think about the difficulties women have had to overcome throughout history.  

Best,

wook

The National Week of Student Action is real close! We hope all preparations for NWSA are in place and you guys have many exciting things planned for the week. One of the ideas we suggested in our activities section was a concert.

Amnesty International group 536 (Adam's Morgan) has already schedules a concert fundraiser to raise money for Darfur.

If anyone is in the DC Metro area, I encourage you all to attend. It should be a great night of fun and awareness.

Here is the info:

Thursday March 29th, 7 pm

Guapo's Restaurant: 4515 Wisconsin Avenue NW

Featuring: JohnStone Roots Reggae and Impossible Hair

And a silent auction

Funds will support Genocide Intervention Network's civilian protection project and Amnesty International's human rights work.

If anyone is interested in planning an event like this, please e-mail us at youth@aiusa.org for any ideas or help.

-Nausheen