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SWA
Participates in the
“Global Day for Darfur”
On September 17, 2006, SWA
members joined hundreds of thousands of others representing
more than 30 nations over a span of 6 continents to participate
in the “Global Day for Darfur.” It is estimated
that 400,000 men, women and children have been killed in
Darfur, a western province of Sudan, since February 2003,
when the Sudanese government armed the Janjaweed militia
and started targeting civilians in the war-torn region.
Since then, about 3 million refugees have been driven from
their homes and, due to security risks, many are not receiving
aid. This event was organized as a sign of solidarity for
those suffering in Darfur with the goal of pressuring the
Sudanese government to allow a UN peacekeeping force into
the region immediately.
As part of this global event, SWA members
in the New York region took part in the “Save Darfur”
rally in Central Park’s East Meadow, sponsored by
the Save Darfur Coalition (www.savedarfur.org),
an alliance of 176 faith-based, human rights, and civil-society
organizations who share a common goal of ending the genocide
in Darfur. The rally featured speakers such as former Secretary
of State Madeleine Albright, members of the US Congress,
Amnesty International’s Executive Director Larry Cox,
actress Mira Sorvino, religious and community leaders, journalists,
and Sudanese activist Simon Deng, as well as musical performances
by Big & Rich, O.A.R, Suzanne Vega and others.
On the African continent, the Student World
Assembly members in Ghana joined forces with the Amnesty
International Ghana Section (AI-Ghana) to commemorate the
Global Day for Darfur event. The event took the form of
a press conference, and was attended by 5 television stations
as well as many other print and electronic media houses.
The 80 seat Gifty Afenyi Dadzie Hall, of the Ghana International
Press Centre, was filled to capacity with human rights organizations,
journalists, students, and the public. The purpose of the
press conference was to draw attention to the worsening
crisis in Darfur and to put pressure on the Ghanaian Government
and the international community to speak up against these
injustices.
Student World Assembly members were grateful to have been
given the opportunity to stand with the rest of the world
in calling for support for the millions of refugees and
intervention in this devastating humanitarian crisis.
Click
here to view more photos of these events...
New SWA Chapters In Various Regions Around the World
Please join the Student World Assembly in
welcoming Desert
Mountain High School to our membership as the second
SWA high school chapter ever! Desert Mountain High School,
located in Scottsdale, Arizona (USA), is an International
Baccalaureate World School that fosters personal and academic
growth in order to prepare students to contribute to the
global community as life-long learners. Chapter founder,
Dan Christensen, reports that the new chapter looks forward
to holding a Kick-Off event in during the fall semester.
Desert Mountain High joins the South
Portland High School Chapter (Maine) to make up SWA's
now two high school chapters out of over sixty college and
university chapters currently in existence worldwide.
In addition, a new chapter was established at the University
of Florida in Gainesville, east Florida (USA).
The University of Florida is the oldest, largest –
the fourth largest in the United States – and most
comprehensive university in the state of Florida. It has
a long history of established programs in international
education, research and service, and admitted more International
Baccalaureate students last year than other university in
the world. Welcome to this very international university!
Last but not least we would like to welcome the Alexandria
University chapter to our membership. SWA has now established
its first chapter in Egypt! Founded as an independent university
in 1942, Alexandria University offers undergraduate and
graduate degrees in Art, Law, Science, Commerce, Medicine,
and Agriculture. Alexandria University also works in cooperation
with a large number of Arab and foreign Universities and
International Organizations (such as the WHO, FAO, and UNICEF,
to name only a few) in the fields of research and academic
exchange programs, in order to strengthen academic and cultural
ties.
Let us all congratulate these new Chapters and their members—
and thank them for making Student World Assembly even more
global in its democratic discussions and endeavors!
Click
here to learn more about SWA Chapters...
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Highlights |
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2006-2007
"The Year of the Chapter"
Bring Global Democracy
to your Campus: help Student World Assembly reach
its goal of having 100 established chapters by June,
2007! The staff and volunteers of the Student World
Assembly are proud to announce the 2006-2007 academic
year as "The Year of the Chapter!"
With over 60 registered chapters around the world,
SWA's global membership has proven the critical
role chapter structure plays as a way to increase
membership connections, education, participation
and most of all, action! From Canada to Nigeria,
New York to Saudi Arabia, our SWA Chapters are taking
the lead in their communities and beyond. Chapters
are the best way to bring SWA's pressing global
issues right to the campus, as well as to local
member communities.
SWA's largest and most successful events, such as
panel discussions, protests, and lectures, have
all been the result of strong group planning and
member coordination in the host chapters.
It is an overall great way to get friends together
to network and make a difference for global democracy.
Starting a Chapter on your campus is easy and fun.
Click
here to download Chapter Start-Up Kit...
Have questions about the Chapter process? Want to
learn how to start
one at your school? Email Hannah Dunphy, SWA's Chapter
Coordinator at hannah@studentworldassembly.org.
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Suggested
Reading
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Powerful
Times: Rising to the Challenge of Our Uncertain
World
At
first in human development came colonization,
then industrialization, and now globalization,
which is transforming our world in ways that we
never imagined. The Wharton School of Publishing
brings us a new book by Eammon Kelly, the CEO
and president of the Global Business Network,
a renowned future-oriented network and consulting
firm. Kelly has focused his study on our new world
of globalization, nuclear proliferation, and emerging
technologies, and how all aspects of society are
creating a new frontier for mankind.
The author has been at the forefront of exploring
the emergence of a new, knowledge-intensive economy,
and its far-reaching consequences for society,
organizations and individuals.
Purchase
Here and Support SWA...
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Submissions |
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SWA Update
Send
your information to
Ginger Albertson, SWA’s Publications Coordinator,
at
ginger@studentworldassembly.org |
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