When Stand UBC began furiously promoting Burnaby, B.C.’s ‘Darfur’ premier, I didn’t stop to think about what watching the film would feel like. Out at UBC, we had a bit of a struggle promoting the screening as it was being held about an hour away. Despite that, Aneil Jaswal, Adi Burton, and Nadine Qureshi led our group in an incredible promotions effort and when we saw the theatre start to fill up, relief washed over all of us. Then, the film started and I began to get anxious. The hand-held camera with shots of arid landscapes, the remote community, vibrant clothes, expressive faces – It all seemed real and familiar. In the several years that I’ve been involved with Stand, these shots are what I’ve pictured in my mind when I think of Western Sudan. I got increasingly apprehensive as the suspense built up, until, when a young boy was grabbed and shot point-blank in the face, my emotions became uncontrollable. I had to leave the theatre. This gore was not superficial for me, it was representative of the horror that I, along with the rest of Stand, have been vehemently fighting against. It is important to remember why we’re doing this, but to imprint blood and anguish filled scenes of genocide into our minds – fake or not – is not useful for most of us. Don’t get me wrong, the film has a purpose – It was incredibly effective at capturing the attention of audience members who were not fully aware of the Darfur atrocities. Read the rest of this entry »

A New Way to Event Plan!

Essentially impact is the ultimate goal and change we aspire to, and which is a reaction of various outcomes that derive from the results of our activities . The input is the work that goes into the creation of activities, such as resources expended and hours of the day taken up for planning and setup. Activities refers to events that are held, such as action booths or guest-speakers (Debbie Bodkin!), which thus fuel output which are the immediate results (word of mouth, letters to the MP, etc). Output is different than outcome, as it is does not yet directly manifest the greater impact, which should constitute a change in societal values and processes. Read the rest of this entry »

Find out what your local chapters are doing to raise awareness

Stand McGill & Stand Concordia present: Stand Jam Night part deux!

JAM NIGHT IS BACK featuring amazing local acts!

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010 at 9:30pm Read the rest of this entry »

Interested in new leadership opportunities?  Want to learn more about Rwanda or development?  Check out these new and exciting opportunities

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On March 18th, 2010, Stand Chapters across the country will come together to honour those who have fallen victim to the genocide in Darfur. Join us as we each light a candle in honour of those who have died and take action for those who are still suffering.

Some of the events in the works are a Rally for Darfur in Toronto, a Walk for Darfur in Guelph, and a Jam Night in Montreal. For up to the minute information on what’s happening in your city, follow us on twitter (@standcanada) or check the Stand blog at www.standcanada.org.