SAVE DARFUR ANCHORAGE TRIPLES IN SIZE

Yesterday's group meeting was absolutely inspiring. So many new faces, new enthusiasm, and new ideas! Thanks to the showing of The Devil Came on Horseback at the Bear Tooth earlier this month, our group listing on the Save Darfur coalition website, and Tamar's recent speaking engagement at UAA, Save Darfur Anchorage tripled in size in just two weeks. Growth means more people are not only more aware of the current plight of the Darfuris, but more people are also taking action to help end their suffering!

New members include students from UAA, some of which are founding members of the local chapter of STAND (a student anti-genocide coalition), newcomers to Anchorage, and long-time Anchorage residents that are for the first time taking action that, dare I say it, looks a lot like activism. With each new member our skill base grows, our determination is bolstered, and our ability to raise more awareness about the genocide grows exponentially. Perfection, a ridiculously high IQ, and extreme wealth are not requirments for group participation (not that people with these attributes would be turned away), a person need only the desire to do what he or she can to help end a genocide that has gone on FAR too long.

At Saturday's meeting, we decided to increase our outreach to the University of Alaska Anchorage, and our new student members have agreed to spearhead this effort. They will also look into beginning a campaign for divestment of the University's holdings in companies complicit in the Darfur genocide. Any APU students out there?

We are also going to reach out more to faith-based organizations with the help of some of our other new members who have ties to St. Elizabeth's, St. Anthony's, Faith Christian, and other churches. Some of our more seasoned group participants have put together some events scheduled for January: Holy Cathedral will be doing a letter writing campaign and we will speak at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

All ideas for outreach are welcome. All efforts to raise awareness are encouraged. And, all our new group members are greatly appreciated!!