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Act Now for Darfur - Event Guide
Event Planning Guide
April 2009 will be a time to honor the past, and for the American people and the American government to lead the world in acting now for Darfur. Add your voice by hosting an event in your community, participating in a commemoration ceremony, signing a postcard to President Obama, lobbying your members of Congress, praying at your house of worship, or asking your local bookstore, library or city council to adopt April as Genocide Prevention Month. The options are virtually endless, and each action is a crucial element in making sure the people of Darfur are a priority.
The following guide will help you plan your event, no matter what form it takes.
Before Your Event
At Your Event
After Your Event
BEFORE YOUR EVENT
Download materials or order a complete kit. If you are not ordering a kit, you will need to order a DVD separately. However, all print materials will be available online.Organize your event:
- Choose the style of your event. Each event should include three elements: Testimony, a Participatory Activity, and a Call to Action. Details on these elements can be found in the At Your Event section.
- Find a suitable location where you can watch a DVD or have a speaker, as well as engage in your participatory activity and film your call to action. Make sure to take into account the potential for photo ops and media friendly elements when selecting your location.
- Read our event planning guide for more tips.
Advertise the event using the poster and flyer templates (coming soon) and fill in all the necessary information. Reach out to local news outlets (using the online media kit - coming soon) to write about the event or include the flyer in their publication. Make sure to invite the media to cover the event as well! Ask faith leaders to announce the event during services and include it in congregation publications. Announce the event at public libraries and through school information outlets. Be creative and get the word out!
Encourage people to sign up for your event at the event RSVP page you created when you registered.
Get your materials ready. Use the online event checklist (coming soon) to ensure that you have everything you need for a successful event.
- Plan for an "action spot" located on a folding table or other surface in a high traffic area of your venue.
- Make copies of the petitions for people to sign at your event.
- Make copies of the Action Guide for people to take home after your event.
- Prepare a fundraising jar (you can print labels using our premade template) to collect donations from participants. We recommend that you sell the wristbands for $2 each to raise money at your event.
AT YOUR EVENT
These events will be powerful opportunities to honor the past and act now for Darfur. We are hoping that you will customize the pieces of your event to best fit your intended audience and venue. Be creative!
The staff at the Save Darfur Coalition is always here as a resource to guide you, but we are counting on you to develop the best event for your community. Any event that raises awareness, earns media attention, creates energy for the movement or makes connections in your community is sure to be a success!
However, to connect these events in a cohesive, powerful call for action, we ask that you include survivor testimony and the recording of a YouTube video or group photo. These two elements will ensure that the voices of the entire nation are unified as voices for Darfur.
Part 1: Survivor Testimony
Hand out postcards as people arrive, so that they can have them filled out by the end of the event.
Start your event with a small remembrance of the Darfur genocide by showing the DVD, Voices from Darfur, or having volunteers read testimony from the camps.
Contact (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you would like help connecting with a Darfuri or other genocide survivor in your community to speak at your event in addition to or in place of the DVD. Speakers may not be available in all areas.
Part 2: Participatory Element - Make it Your Own
Possible Options include:
Rallies, marches and vigils:
- Great ways to unite your community around ending the genocide
- Work best for larger crowds
- Almost always require permits-work with your local government to apply for permits and discuss any law enforcement presence.
A Remembrance Ceremony or Memorial Building:
- Solemn event including prayers for victims and symbolic elements including building a memorial for the victims of the Darfur genocide and other past genocides.
- Teach people about aspects of Darfuri culture or the history of the genocide.
- If you have access to local musicians or bands, you may want to invite them to perform at a concert.
- This can be a free concert, which encourages greater attendance, or a benefit concert to raise money for the Save Darfur Coalition or another Darfur focused group. Other groups can be found on our list of Save Darfur Coalition members.
See our Event Guide for more details on planning these options.
Encourage people to sign their postcards at this point, if they have not already done so.
Part 3: Call to Action and Create a YouTube Video of Your Event
Film a dynamic speaker leading the event participants in the one-minute script provided, then post the video on our YouTube group. If you need help posting to YouTube, read our guide.
TIPS
The Leader can be anyone who is willing to lead the crowd. It doesn't need to be someone who is an experienced public speaker, so long as they are enthusiastic because the crowd will draw on their energy. This person can be anyone who is passionate about Darfur and can move the crowd to participate, from a young child, to a religious leader, to a political figure. The Leader should try to memorize the script beforehand to keep a good rhythm flowing.
A few tips for the leader:
- You can use your hands to point to the crowd when you want them to repeat after you.
- You can put your hand to your ear as if you can't hear them or even say "I can't hear you!" to pump up the crowd.
- If the crowd doesn't catch on right away, you can keep calling out and pointing for them to repeat a couple times and they should catch on.
- If you have people in the crowd who know the script they can get the people around them pumped up and this should help get the momentum going.
While filming this video, encourage the crowd to hold up their postcards and show their green Save Darfur wristbands!
If you do not have a large crowd or if you would prefer to do a different kind of YouTube video, we encourage you to take some of the key points of this video script and make it your own.
You can also take pictures and post them to our Flickr group.
End the event
Make closing remarks and thank the audience for coming.Use the action guide to help your attendees take immediate action now and at home.
Direct people to tables in the event venue designated as "action spots."
Collect postcards and petitions and mail them back to us, so that they can be counted.
Post your video to the YouTube group (learn how) and your photos to the Flickr group.
AFTER THE EVENT
Use the action guide to take immediate and long-term steps to support men, women and children in Darfur.
Log on to SaveDarfur.org. There will be many more ways for you to get involved and make a difference.
Organize a second event and reach out to groups and friends that didn't attend your first gathering.
Collect petitions. Use community gatherings, youth groups, clubs and events at congregations in your community to gather them.
Follow through. Brainstorm with your event committee to determine future activities to keep your community engaged.
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