Mission
The mission of the Genocide Intervention Action Group, a Shir Tikvah organization is to: educate about genocide; advocate for non-military resolution to global conflicts; support security and humanitarian aid in troubled parts of the world. The GI-Action Group will develop congregation-wide activities to enact this three-fold mission. We will focus at present on the current conflict in Darfur.
The longer-range goal is to support efforts for mandatory genocide education in the public schools and to raise awareness of conflicts in other parts of the world, such as Burma and Congo.
We anticipate the following steps:
- Education: Our Religious School teachers are integrating age-appropriate curricula to introduce our youth to these important issues. For adults, we will have films, lectures, book discussions, forums, and special meetings.
- Advocacy: We will contact elected officials and encourage the enactment of special legislation designed to prevent the escalation of ethnically based conflict. We will work with other local and national groups to mobilize people by showing public displays of concern for Darfur, and encouraging divestment from businesses that support the Sudanese government’s ongoing violence against Darfurians.
- Fund-raising: One of the most crucial steps is to insure security for those whose lives are in danger. We will raise money for non-lethal support of the African Union peacekeeping troops in Darfur, and we will also support humanitarian aid.
The GI-Action Group will report to the Social Action Committee and will be open to members of all ages. We hope for a broad congregational commitment to these important issues; to save one life is to save the world. Please watch for congregational announcements about upcoming meetings and events. For more information, contact Ellen Kennedy at (952) 832-5142.