THANK YOU, DWAG SUPPORTERS!
The Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) would like to sincerely thank our dedicated supporters and followers for their generous contributions toward our cause to empower and enlighten. Your support is immensely appreciated and has helped our organization grow and foster the large community we’ve established today. With your help, the people of Darfur can continue fighting for a better future. Thank you!
Dear Supporters,
This week, DWAG will be organizing a week of appreciation from October 26th-31th. Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) would like to mark our annual symposium event and commemorate the movement that we’ve built together for the past eight years. As you may remember, our International Symposium On Women and Genocide in the 21st Century – The Case of Darfur has taken place around this time in October every year since 2012. This year, we would have had our 9th annual symposium, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, DWAG has made the decision to postpone the event. However, we don’t want to let this important time pass by without reaching out to reflect on our greatest experiences together and express our deepest appreciation for your dedication and commitment to the movement, which we have worked tirelessly to build together. We are extremely grateful for your outstanding commitment to the rights of the affected communities in Sudan and the movement for genocide prevention, and women’s empowerment.
This week we will be sharing pictures, videos and reflection messages from previous symposium attendees to show our appreciation to those who have been working with us to build and sustain the movement for genocide prevention.
The Darfuri people have suffered atrocities beyond imagination for decades and continue to fall victim to the unchecked violence rampant in the area. Attempts for lasting peace and stability have yet to be properly enforced, and the Darfur Women Action Group has been working non-stop throughout the years to combat the forces of oppression in Darfur, but your unending support and passion for change continues to inspire our team as well as members of the affected communities, who relentlessly fight against the genocide and violence in Darfur.
Your presence has demonstrated to us and to the people of Darfur and Sudan that we are not alone. We are truly honored and empowered to continue our fight for accountability for genocide and justice for the victims and sustainable peace in Sudan.
Despite recent developments of the COVID-19 crisis, our work at the Darfur Women Action Group continued as our team, and the rest of the world adapted to the virtual environment. Not only were we able to continue our advocacy online, but thanks to your attentive efforts on our social media platforms as well as your participation during online events, DWAG is able to persist in our efforts for change in Sudan.
As mentioned before, due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and various lockdown procedures, this year’s in-person symposium has been postponed. However, despite COVID-19 challenges, DWAG continues to promote genocide prevention strategies and ensure that the needs of those impacted by genocide are not compromised. In place of the annual symposium, DWAG will be sharing pictures and quotes from the last eight symposiums and appreciation messages to convey our appreciation to those we consider them as heroes who have been engaging and participating in our symposiums since its inception. Additionally, we will be hosting two important virtual panels in early December: Women Resilience in the Face of Conflict and Atrocities and Strategies for Genocide Prevention. These panels will reflect on past symposiums and resume important conversations on women empowerment, genocide prevention, and movement building. Further details on the event will be provided soon. We hope to see you there!
The Darfur Women Action Group greatly appreciates your strong commitment to human rights, women’s empowerment, and justice for all. We hope that you will continue to support our organization by participating in our events in the future and look forward to working together to promote justice, equal rights, and respect for human dignity everywhere in the world.
Sincerely,
Niemat Ahmadi & The DWAG Team
Commemorating Past Symposiums
Reflecting on the 2012 Women and Genocide Symposium:
In commemoration of DWAG’s 1st Women and Genocide Symposium Event, DWAG would like to reflect on our very first Women and Genocide Symposium back in 2012. Additionally, we’d like to show our utmost appreciation to the attendees and speakers who participated and first began our movement towards genocide prevention: Maria Bello, A Hawa Mohamed Abdalla, Fatou Bensouda, Tanotamon Gerais, and Emira Woods.
Special thanks to-Emira Woods has participated in seven of DWAG’s symposiums and is a Senior Advisor at Shine and is a member of the International Working Group, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace, and Dignity.
Tanutamun Gerais has participated in seven of DWAG’s symposiums and is the board member of Voices for Sudan, Human Rights Activist, co-founder of Nubia Project.
Norrie Kurtz has participated in six of DWAG’s symposiums, participated actively in online events and advocacy, and is the Chairwoman of DWAG board
Reflecting on 2013 Women and Genocide Symposium:
In commemoration of DWAG’s 2013 Women and Genocide Symposium Event, DWAG would like to show our utmost appreciation to the attendees and speakers who participated in building our movement towards genocide prevention: Mukesh Kapila, Bridget Moix, Emmanuel Itier, and Elizabeth Blackney.
Special thanks to-
Gregory Stanton, who has participated in six of DWAG’s symposiums and is the President and Founder of Genocide Watch and Chair of the Alliance Against Genocide. His work focuses on preventing genocides and providing assistance to genocide survivors.
Eugenie Mukeshimana, who has participated in four of DWAG’s symposiums and is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and Founder of the Genocide Survivors Support Network in the U.S.
Reflecting on the 2014 Women and Genocide Symposium:
About six years from today, DWAG hosted our third annual National Symposium on Women & Genocide in the 21st century: The Case of Darfur. In commemoration, DWAG thanks our attendees and speakers from that day. Each and every individual has dedicated themselves to our movement towards genocide prevention, and we are extremely grateful for Tom Andrews, Dr. Eric Reeves, Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana, Fatou Bensouda, Bama Athreya, Professor Ahmed Adam, Zeinab Mohamed Blandia, Elizabeth Bohart, Amelia Green-Dove, Ismail Omer, Jeffrey Eide, Ikhlas Mohammed, Reverend Dr. Kemi Onanuga, Marion Arnaud, and Reverend Kimberly Barnes.
DWAG would like to feature the following speakers today for their active participation and commitment:
Ambassador Stephen J. Rapp, who has participated in four of DWAG’s symposiums and is the former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues and has led the prosecution in “Media Trial” at ICTR. He has served as Chief of Prosecutions of the ICTR and Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
El-Fadel Arbab, who has participated in three of DWAG’s symposiums and is a Darfur genocide survivor, activist, and educator about the horrors of genocide.
Reflecting on the 2015 Women and Genocide Symposium:
In 2015, DWAG hosted our fourth annual National Symposium on Women & Genocide in the 21st century: The Case of Darfur, Building Strategies for Sustainable Change in Sudan, and today, we celebrate this momentous event by appreciating each and every attendee and speaker fives year later. Without your passion for change and dedication to the movement, our efforts against genocide would not have been able to come so far. Thank you to Shamila Batohi, Zainab Hawa Bangura, Dr. Marja Lehto, Emmanuel Itier, Bol Gai Deng, Dr. Leslie Dwyer, Dr. Sarah Federman, Jacqueline Wilson, Claudine Kuradusenge, Don Kraus, Allyson Neville-Morgan, Martha Boshnick, Elizabeth Blackney, Professor Brian Kurtz, Caroline Sarkis, and DeVan Hankerson.
DWAG would like to feature the following speakers today for their part in helping us build this movement:
Daniel Rothbart, who has participated in three of DWAG’s symposiums and is a professor of conflict analysis and resolution at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason. He serves as co-director of the Program on Prevention of Mass Violence.
Luis Moreno Ocampo, who has participated in two of DWAG’s symposiums and is the founding ICC Prosecutor. He opened investigations in Burundi, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Uganda, and Bangladesh/Myanmar.
Reflecting on the 2016 Women and Genocide Symposium:
In commemoration of DWAG’s fifth annual National Symposium on Women & Genocide in the 21st century: The Case of Darfur, we’d like to once again appreciate each and every attendee and speaker about four years ago who’ve built this movement into what it is today. Thank you to Maureen Murphy, Dr. Lee Ann De Reus, Carl Wilkens Nasredeen Abdulbari, Emily Bove, Al Sutton, Myra Dahgaypaw, Joachim Savelsberg, Chris Mahony, David Smith, and Stephen Lamony.
Special thanks to –
Elisa von Joeden-Forgey, who has participated in four of DWAG’s symposiums and is the Endowed Chair in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College as well as the former Vice President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Her research focuses on genocide prevention, gender and genocide, and sexualized violence.
Mona Ali Khalil, who has participated in four of DWAG’s symposiums and is an Affiliate of the Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict as well as Former Senior Legal Officer in the UN Office of Legal Affairs. She is also the Founder of MAK LAW, an organization that provides consulting and advisory service to Governments, NGOs, and IGOs.
Reflecting on the 2017 Women and Genocide Symposium:
In commemoration of DWAG’s sixth annual National Symposium on Women & Genocide in the 21st century: The Case of Darfur, we’d like to once again appreciate each and every attendee and speaker about four years ago who’ve built this movement into what it is today. Thank you to Fatima Ghazali, Malingo Namata-Elangwe, Mukesh Kapila, Aicha Elbasri, Ryan Boyette, Daniel Rothbart, Dr. Douglas Irvin-Erickson, John Hubbel Weiss, Dr. Jo-Marie Burt, Elfadel Arabab, Adil A. Taha, Adotei Akwei, Fatima Haroun, Abdelmonem Makki, and Tomi Sodimu.
Special thanks to –
Mike Brand, who participated in three of DWAG’s symposiums and is Director at Stand Up Republic as well as an advocacy and strategy consultant focused on human rights, atrocities prevention, and peacebuilding.
Dr. Jo-Marie Burt, who has participated in three of DWAG’s symposiums and is a professor of Political Science and Latin America at George Mason University.
Reflecting on the 2018 Women and Genocide Symposium:
For DWAG’s 7th annual National Symposium on Women & Genocide in the 21st century: The Case of Darfur, we’d like to thank our attendees and speakers: Savita Pawnday, Dr. Jeff Bachman, Dr. Nitza Nachmias, Ambassador Mulamula, Eugenie Mukeshimana, Emily Sample, Savannah Wooten, Dr. Sadia Aden, Ryan Boyette, Emira Woods, Ambassador Stephen Rapp, Daoud Hari, and Luis Morena Ocampo
With special thanks to:
Savita Pawnday, Deputy Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. She is involved in developing mechanisms to prevent mass atrocities and leading the Centre’s engagement with UN peacekeeping.
Savannah Wooten, the Previous Student Director of STAND: the Student-led Movement to End Mass Atrocities. She is currently the Coordinator for the #PeopleOverPentagon campaign.
Reflecting on the 2019 Women and Genocide Symposium:
For DWAG’s 8th annual National Symposium on Women & Genocide in the 21st century: The Case of Darfur, we’d like to thank our attendees and speakers: Elmuez Nur Eldeen, Elisa von Joeden-Forgey, Mona Ali Khalil, Mariam Ibraheem, Renifa Madenga, Salih Mahmoud Osman, Congressman Jim McGovern, Behar Ali, Fata Acquoi, Dr. Abdelhadi Eltahir, Ryan Allman, Patrick Realiza, Tanutamun Gerais, Mohamed Hamid, Mutasim Ali, Mike Brand, Bridget Moix, Ambassador Kelley Eckels Currie, Kale Mohamed, Billie Fletcher, Jr., Dr. Gregory Stanton, Kate Nahapetian, Donna Robinson, Norrie Kurtz, Jill C. Morrison, Senator Mobina Jaffer, Layla Talo Khuder Al Ali, Hadi Babashik, Maesoon Hassan, Kawaar Mahmoud, Eiman Badr Eldeen, and Hashim Mekki
With special thanks to:
Donna M. Robinson, Founder and Director of Robinson Law Office, LLC, a global law firm and consultancy that advises governments and business on corporate social responsibility. She has over 14 years of experience advocating for an end to the genocide in Darfur and has worked with DWAG since 2011. Today, she serves as the Legal Advisor for DWAG.
Department of State: Office of Global Women’s Issues, Ambassador Kelley Eckels Currie, Current Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, previously led the Department of State’s Office of Global Criminal Justice and served in the U.S. Mission to the United Nations as Representative to the Economic and Social Council. She has specialized in human rights, reform, and development over the course of her career.
