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NEWS & EVENTS

Sundays, Books and Connections

As I write this, its Sunday. I’m working, but happily so. A day of rest is conducive to sitting with my computer, coffee and no distractions. I know I’m not the only one. It‘s safe to say the i-ACT team rarely stops. I receive emails at all hours and days of the week. But again, happily so. I sit in my room writing and working, I’m surrounded by the books I’ve kept over the years. The pages I’ve read, marked, folded and highlighted. Most having to do with development work, Af

Departing in 10 Days!

Fall is upon us, and I wanted to take a moment out of a busy week to give you an update and a big thank you for the support you have given i-ACT all year. Your presence in our organization is truly what makes our work possible and allows us to continue our relationships with the Darfuri refugees. Let’s reconnect with you after a long summer! We’re currently preparing for i-ACT Expedition 17. Our aim on this trip is two-fold! First, Gabriel, Rachael Rapinoe, and I will be head

Community Led Programs in the Darfuri Refugee Camps

In the past couple of decades, the importance of community-based participatory programs have been highlighted through scores of research articles and publications and is now widely accepted as a fundamental principle of good public health practice. The main concept behind community-based participatory programs is that the community is recognized as an entity and involved throughout all aspects of the planning, implementation, and evaluation process. This is especially true fo

I Miss My Friends

I haven’t been able to travel to the Darfuri refugee camps in eastern Chad for a few years now. In 2011, I tore my ACL, and when I was strong enough to go to Chad for i-ACT 11, we found out I was pregnant. So I rejoined the “home team” as i-ACT traveled to the camps for the R2E Human Rights Library, DDT Sister Schools Program, Darfur United, and Little Ripples. I am so proud to be part of so much, but there are days that I miss my friends. The very first person I met was Fatn

A New R2E Library for Camp Djabal

After hearing about the destructive fire at the home of Camp Djabal’s R2E librarian, communities across the United States and students in California and Hawaii stepped up to raise funds to replace Rahma’s personal belongings and the R2E Mobile Human Rights Library material. Human Rights Watch Student Task Force Schools Canyon High School, Wildwood School, and Carson High School in California raised more than $3,500 for the library. Iolani School in Hawaii helped Rahma replace

A Future Without Genocide

If you’ve ever received an email from me, or read my brief bio on our site, “Educate. Activate. Empower.” might sound familiar. I’ve always believed that the best way to create true leaders is to empower them through education and then engage them in a way that fits their passion and skills. Working with leaders and communities across the United States on Darfur and Sudan is one of the reasons I joined i-ACT so many years ago. I’m proud and enthused at our next step in this j

LITTLE RIPPLES WINE TASTING BENEFIT ON SUNDAY 7/28/13 AT BARSHA WINES MANHATTAN BEACH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LITTLE RIPPLES CONTACT: Jennifer Tang, jennifer@iact.ngo, (510) 673-2638 BARSHA CONTACT: Lenora Marouani, adnen.lenora@barshawinesandspirits.com (310) 318-9080 Supporting preschool programs in Darfuri refugee camps MANHATTAN BEACH, CA – JULY 1, 2013 – Barsha Wines and Spirits Tasting Room will be hosting a wine tasting fundraiser on Sunday, July 28, 2013 from 5pm to 8pm. This evening of wine, food, music, and friends will support Little Ripples, a prog

CARL WILKENS FELLOWSHIP AND i-ACT JOIN FORCES

For Immediate Release CONTACT: Katie-Jay Scott Stauring, 310.738.0285, ktj@iact.ngo Download the pdf of the press release CARL WILKENS FELLOWSHIP AND i-ACT JOIN FORCES To continue a program that strives to build a permanent constituency to prevent and end genocide and mass atrocities LOS ANGELES, CA – June 18, 2013 – The Carl Wilkens Fellowship (CWF), once part of Genocide Intervention Network and United to End Genocide, has partnered with i-ACT, a Los Angeles based, interna

10 Things I’ve Learned – on my 16th trip to Darfuri refugee camps

(in no particular order) 1. Showing up is important. Coming back creates friendships for life. 2. There is absolutely no excuse for the world allowing Darfur to burn for over ten years. 3. You can find other people that will be willing to come out with you and “participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world.” 4. Some children will laugh and play, even when surrounded by violence and suffering. They should not be forced to demonstrate this type of resiliency. 5. Bumpy rides

LOS ANGELES-BASED NGO DEPARTS FOR 16th VISIT TO DARFURI REFUGEE CAMPS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Katie-Jay Scott Stauring, ktj@iact.ngo, 310-738-0285 i-ACT to open preschool program for Darfuri children LOS ANGELES, CA – May 27, 2013 – Monday, i-ACT departed to Chad for their 16th expedition. The main purpose of this trip is to prepare for the opening of Little Ripples, a comprehensive early childhood education program, in Camp Goz Amer. The team includes Gabriel Stauring, the Director of i-ACT, Jennifer Tang, Project Coordinator for Littl

June 8th: a Magical Day

Exactly a year ago, I was in Iraq with an all-refugee team from Darfur making its first appearance in an international competition. The Viva World Cup was one of those beautiful and surreal experiences that I’ll never forget. Today, I was in refugee camp Goz Amer, at the official presentation of a beautiful preschool for the refugee community. Being there with the young refugee women that are the first generation of Little Ripples teachers is hard to describe. After more than

Little Ripples Teacher Training and Assessment

The i-ACT team continues their time in refugee camp Goz Amer with the new teachers and students of Little Ripples! Here are a few excerpts from recent blogs: Jennifer, i-ACT’s Little Ripples Coordinator, writes, In the afternoon I helped out with the assessment side of things. We asked a group of ~5 mothers to bring their Little Ripples aged children in for the interview team to practice going through the three-part questionnaire. I think so far this has been the best part of

Little Ripples Teacher Profile: Haleyma

Haleyma, now twenty-one, was twelve years old when she started first grade of primary school—a week after she arrived in refugee camp Goz Amer. She was very afraid to come to the camp because people were telling them that “there is people that eat people in that camp,” to scare them away from coming. Her parents told her and her eight siblings to not be afraid, “Those are lies.” Haleyma had not started school when she was younger and still living in Darfur because her fathe

Goz Amer Community

In preparing for the opening of the first Little Ripples early childhood education center, the i-ACT team met with community and tribe leaders from various camp “neighborhoods” or sectors. They also met with mothers and future Little Ripples who might attend the school. In the coming days Nathan from the University of Wisconsin Survy Center will be training refugees to help conduct a baseline and control group assessment. One of our priorities is to ensure that our program is

New Darfuri Arrivals

After 10 years of devastation in Darfur, renewed violence has led to more than 300,000 newly displaced in the region. Here are images of Darfuri families who have just arrived in refugee camp Goz Amer. With annual rains already falling, relocation and resettlement is even more challenging in a region where supplies are not readily available. The i-ACT team visited the newly resettled refugees and delivered care packages funded by the i-ACT community. [monoslideshow id=15] [di

Darfuri Jacks

[divider_2] Support i-ACT i-ACT is supporting programs in the camps that are important to the refugees, like education and sports. Please support them! Donate [divider_2] #ACT #Darfurirefugee #refugees #Support

Video: The First Little Ripples Center!

We did it! The first Little Ripples center is set to be finished this week and we got to tour the amazing campus with the whole LR team. Here’s a video of our project coordinator Jennifer Tang presenting the beautiful center to the world. Thanks for all your support, we couldn’t have done this without the Little Ripples community! [divider_2] Support i-ACT i-ACT is supporting programs in the camps that are important to the refugees, like education and sports. Please support t

A Kind of a Stopwatch

There’s a classic Twilight Zone episode called “A Kind of Stopwatch” in which a man comes into possession of a stopwatch that can stop time while leaving him free to move around the world unwatched and alone. He goes to rob a bank, but drops the watch, breaking it and thereby freezing time permanently. The episode ends with him desperately trying to reanimate the world and screaming “Somebody move!” But the world remains motionless, petrified. I was reminded of the episode to

Little Ripples: Planning and Preparing for Teacher Training

Today was such a productive day! The team got the chance to talk with a few of the primary teachers today. Ahmed Hassan Yagoub, who teaches first year students (students who are between the ages of 6-8 years of age) was especially helpful. Jocelyn and I had many questions about the daily teaching routine. Ahmed was able to provide us with insight into the primary grade students daily schedule. We also had great discussion about the current lack of education for younger childr

Reuniting with old friends in Djabal

i-ACT’s Gabriel Stuaring and James Thacher are in eastern Chad documenting the stories of Darfuri refugees. This trip, i-ACT #16, coincides with the 10th anniversary of the start of the genocide in Darfur and the more recent influx of 300,000 new refugees into the region. i-ACT and the Enough Project land in refugee camp Djabal. Quickly they are surrounded by old friends. [galleryview id=13] [divider_2] Support i-ACT i-ACT is supporting programs in the camps that are importan

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