STAND envisions a world in which the international community protects civilians from genocidal violence and elected officials are held accountable for their action, or inaction, in the face of genocide. On July 9, 2011, South Sudan became an independent, sovereign state, ending decades of oppression. On July 11, 2011, President Obama noted that, independence is “a validation of the hard work by al
l of you.”(referring to the work of all of the students of STAND who "shined a spotlight on the suffering and demanded that the world never forget Sudan and its people.” as President Obama said.) The road ahead for South Sudan is not simple and peace is most certainly not assured. Our work is far from done. In the months and years ahead we must continue our tireless efforts on behalf of peace and human rights in a country that for many years has been devoid of them. We must not treat independence as a victory, but rather as a stepping-stone toward our ultimate goal: peace and protection for all of Sudan’s civilians as well as the protection of all humanity from these types of atrocities.
