NEWSBYCORRIE HULSE

As the New Year came upon us, many took part in the time-honored tradition of making resolutions.

There are the standard resolutions to finally lose that weight, quit smoking, or tackle that project you have been putting off for years. Some of us might even resolve to fulfill our resolution we so miserably failed at last year. These are all worthy, if unimaginative, goals to set for ourselves.

But as we make our way into a new decade, I challenge you to make a New Year's resolution in which your own betterment is not the focus... This year, make a resolution for peace.

STAND, a student project of the Genocide Intervention Network, suggests that this year you make a New Year Conflict Resolution. After the referendum on independence for southern Sudan, which will most likely split Africa’s largest country in two, many fear that another civil war is imminent. What can we do to help ensure a peaceful transition in Sudan?

The US news media has been completely taken by the tragic shooting in Arizona. But on the other side of the world, arguably the most significant international development in years is unfolding: the potential split up of Sudan.

A referendum on independence for southern Sudan has so far gone surprisingly smoothly... with two exception: Abyei.

Known by many as the “bridge” between the north and the south, the contested city of Abyei sits on the border between the two and stands as a microcosm of the larger conflict in Sudan.

This city is home to the Ngok Dinka, a tribe with a strong southern identity and a history of joining forces with the South during the most recent civil war. Abyei is also the frequent home to and long time grazing grounds for the nomadic Misseriya tribe, which strongly identifies with the North. The two tribes have shared this land for centuries, and battled for years for control of the region. Further complicating matters, both the northern and southern governments are continually maneuvering for the oil-rich city to fall within their borders.

There is a sense of excitement and hope among Darfur advocates today after the Obama Administration announced the appointment of Dane Smith as the Senior U.S. Diplomat for Darfur.

This is a great victory for Darfur activists and the people of Darfur. A Change.org petition calling for a high level diplomat for Darfur and signed by over 100 members was created by Operation Broken Silence as part of a nation-wide campaign of multiple advocacy organizations urging President Obama, Secretary Clinton and Congress to create a better and more comprehensive policy on Sudan and Darfur. The appointment of a high level diplomat for Darfur is an important component of the Sudan Peace and Stability Act of 2010, currently making its way through congress.

STAND also led a call-in campaign last month, with over 1600 calls placed to Secretary Clinton asking for this appointment. Sudan Now, an alliance of Sudan advocacy groups, released a statement expressing their excitement over the appointment and their hope that it will lead to the establishment of a team to work with Dr. Smith to “help focus efforts on revitalizing the Darfur peace process, securing humanitarian access, and introducing accountability for human rights violations.”

“Millions of Americans are investing, unknowingly, inadvertently, and against their will, in companies funding genocide.”

Such was the testimony of Eric Cohen, co-founder and chairperson of Investors Against Genocide (IAG), at a congressional hearing last week in front of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade.

For many, it would seem like common sense: genocide is bad, don’t fund it. But the US currently has no framework in place for regulating whether citizens' investments are funding genocide or other such crimes against humanity, and it is quite possible that your money has been or is currently being used to fund genocide.

Cohen and his organization are pushing for regulations that will encourage “genocide-free investing.”

While the international community focuses on the ongoing tension between the two Koreas, for many on this small peninsula, border tensions are the least of their worries - what truly concerns them is their next required health check and the HIV test that comes with it.

What happens to someone who tests positive? Does such a result lead to counseling and medication? Nope, it leads to immediate deportation to your native country.

Suffice it to say, South Korea is not the place to test positive.

With the newest installment of the Harry Potter series hitting theaters this week, fans are wondering just how scary these 'Deathly Hallows' are? Will our young heroes be able to defeat "he who shall not be named" and his frightening 'Dark Arts'?

But while the fuss surrounding the upcoming film is electrifying, even more exciting are the successes of a children's human rights group known as the Harry Potter Alliance!

Founded in 2005 by Andrew Slack and Paul DeGeorge, the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) saw an opportunity to train the next generation of human rights activists, harnessing the passion and exuberance of young Harry Potter fans into focused campaigns for social change.

"We needed an organization to act as Dumbledore's Army for our world, full of Harry Potter fans wishing to embody the message of the books to create social change," said Slack.

According to their website, the Harry Potter Alliance's goal is to “use parallels from the Harry Potter books to educate and mobilize young people across the world toward issues of literacy, equality and human rights.”

They call it 'compassion fatigue', a staple of conversations surrounding civilian activism and charitable giving, referring to the feeling one gets when overwhelmed by the enormity of humanitarian crises, ranging from natural disasters to violent conflict. The sense that the situation is bigger than you leads to the notion that you as an individual could not possibly effect change, and it is all too easy to let this sort of fatigue become a barrier for action.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan is the perfect example of a situation which was once new, shocking and powerfully motivating for those who would wish to see peace come to the region, but with violence and instability continuing seven years later it is easy to see how many begin to feel overwhelmed and hopeless.

But we need to ask ourselves, what exactly can I do to truly make a difference for the people in Sudan?

The answer is simple, and currently lies on the floor of the US Congress: the Sudan Peace and Stability Act of 2010.

If your twitter feed looks anything like mine, you might agree that calling tensions in Sudan "high" would be the understatement of the year. Every day I read numerous stories about escalating violence in the region, and concern over the Independence Referendum coming up this January. Many fear that if the vote does not go well, civil war will again erupt in the region. As it has only been five years since the end of the previous civil war, which raged for  21 years and left two million dead, falling back into war would be devastating for the people of Sudan.

In 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) which represented the south, and the National Congress Party (NCP) which represented the north. A major stipulation of the CPA was a January 2011 vote on secession for the south. What this means is that the south has the opportunity to break off and become its own country, taking with it a large portion of the country's oil supplies.

Between oil, ethnic violence, and power considerations, there is much to be concerned about as the Referendum draws near. With less than 100 days until the vote, it is crucial that the government of Sudan and the international community stay focused on bringing peace and stability to the region. As President Obama reminded us at the Sudan Summit, "at this moment the future of millions of people hangs in the balance."

In the spirit of the International Day of Peace, we here at Change.org wanted to take a moment to highlight a national initiative focused on the prevention of youth violence. The Peace Alliance, in coordination with a group of dedicated members of Congress, has introduced before the House and the Senate the Youth PROMISE Act, which aims create a new vision for the prevention of youth violence in the United States.

With the acronym standing for Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education, the PROMISE Act is being touted as the "most innovative youth violence intervention and prevention legislation ever before congress." While according the Center for Disease Control (CDC) levels of youth violence are not as devastating as they once were, homicide remains the leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24. It is in light of such a statistic, and the desire to prevent the "cradle to prison" trend, that the Youth PROMISE Act was born.

In brief, the Youth PROMISE Act aims to change the way we deal with juvenile justice in the U.S., focusing on developing new evidence based strategies. This bill not only amends the previous Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act of 1974, but calls on local councils to develop prevention and intervention plans that are specific to their needs and realities. Rather than merely dealing with youth violence on a national level, the creators of the bill see the importance of empowering communities to come together and work to curb violence on a local level. In addition to encouraging the creation of local plans, this bill also offers up to four years of funding for communities to create and implement new strategies.

In honor of this International Day of Peace, and keeping in mind that Septem

As a perpetual optimist, even I am starting to become pessimistic about Sudan and the potential for the U.S. to step up and implement a successful Sudan policy. With the Obama administration still “mulling over” potential policy changes, tensions are definitely not dissipating in the country. Bashir continues to flaunt his ability to expel aid workers and travel to countries that are party to the Rome Statute without fear of consequence.

In his recent column, Nicholas Kristof refers to this slow movement by the Obama administration as their first mistake in Sudan. According to Kristof, such hesitation to decide on and enact policy in the country has attributed to a loss of momentum and only served to embolden Bashir.

Activists and organizations are becoming frustrated with a president who, as a senator, was outspoken about the need for action in Sudan. His failure now to make Sudan and the people of Darfur a priority is disappointing to say the least. For many, it is devastating. At this point, it seems the only person truly fighting for the people of Darfur is UN Ambassador Susan Rice. She has been a long-time advocate, and is fighting an uphill battle with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special Envoy Scott Gration who are both content to keep the current policy in place.