STAND Raises Genocide Awareness with One Million Bones Campaign

Ohio University’s chapter of STAND Against Genocide hosted a bone-making event in support of the national One Million Bones campaign, an advocacy organization that aims to spread awareness about genocide.The event, organized by STAND, brought students together with the goal of raising awareness, specifically about the genocide in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Burma, and STAND’s goals of making Ohio University a conflict-free campus.Attendees were given clay, and with a demonstration by ceramic fine art major Kaitlyn Getz, went to work molding bones. The bones, with others created at events throughout the rest of the school year, will be display at an Ohio University STAND event to be held on College Green sometime next year. In spring, they will be added to a one million bone display with those from around the country on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.Co-President Sarah Volpenhein led the event, showing educational videos about Thembo Kash, an illustrator and political cartoonist in Congo and how he, in his own way, attempts to subvert the violent national army and various militias that control Congo’s regions and economy. Also featured were videos about Yole! Africa, an organization that hopes to bring the African people together through creative self-expression.“We, who are in such a privileged position to be in the United States and to have electronics that we do, have a very huge opportunity to make a difference, and I think it’s sweet that we’re all here now, coming together, as a group, and trying to make a difference,” said STAND member Luke Kubacki.Despite the upbeat tone of the videos, they produced a somber response from the audience given the weight of the matters being discussed.The event featured a simple presentation outlining STAND’s objectives as a group to both raise awareness about the bloody genocide in the DRC, but also to convince Ohio University’s administration to adopt a conflict-free procurement and investment policy for the university’s electronics.The DRC is known for its militia-controlled mineral mines that native people are compelled to work in for little to no pay to support their families. The money the armed groups make by selling these minerals to electronics companies around the world helps fund their warfare and human rights abuses in various African countries.“As you may know, Congo has been termed the ‘Rape Capitol of the World.’ There are many human rights violations that the various armed groups operating there commit, and the deadliest forces 5.4 million lives were lost between 1996 and 2003…,” Volpenhein said.The event was well attended, with almost 50 students, including those in STAND. This was the first year the group has organized a One Million Bones bone-making event.“We’ve been blessed with great attendance all year. All of our events have really shown that people are interested. I can’t explain it… I think that there’s a lot of people who know about STAND and if they know about STAND they know about what we do,” said Co-President Jack Spicer of the event’s success.The event was funded by the Appalachian Peace and Justice Network, the regional non-profit organization that a supports organization with causes pertaining to international peace.STAND hopes to organize at least one more bone-making event in the coming months to help contribute to the One Million Bones Project.