5K Schedule

Saturday is upon us!  We have had an amazing response so far--well over 150 people have already formally registered for the 5K!  (If you haven't yet, click here to register for free.)

Here's the schedule for the day:

8:00-9:00 a.m.: Sign-in and registration.  The first 100 people to arrive will receive gift bags and t-shirts!  At the registration table, you can provide us with information about how much money you've raised, or make a personal donation in the amount that you choose.  We ask that all participants make a donation, and 100% of our proceeds will go to Women for Women International's Congo programs.

9:00 a.m.: Race begins!

*During the race we will have kids' activities available, as well as live music and an information table for you to peruse.  Visitors who are not running/walking in the 5K are welcome to remain with us on the lawn, or visit the animals on the farm.

10:15 a.m.: Fun races for kids

10:30 a.m.: Awards ceremony (with prizes awarded for the top three male and female runners, and others) and a raffle with great prizes!

Prizes and raffle items have been donated by businesses and individuals, and include gift cards to Jason's Deli, Cafe Rio, iTunes, Subway, Bed Bath & Beyond, Coldstone Creamery, the Utah College of Massage Therapy, Carino's, and Chili's.  The raffle will also include Mandarin Boards products and other handmade items that have been donated.

And of course, huge thanks to our main event sponsor: the U of U Women's Resource Center!  RoadID is also generously providing us with race-related materials.

We can't wait!  See you on Saturday!

June is Utah Refugee Month...

...which means that the month will be filled with amazing opportunities to get to know communities of refugees in Utah!  Film screenings, soccer tournaments, presentations, and parties will be held throughout the month, and the World Refugee Day celebration will be held on June 18 at Granite High School.

Join World Refugee Day on facebook and check out the online calendar for more information about all of these amazing events: 

June 1 "Utah World Refugee Day" Facebook Photo Contest Begins

June 2 Opening Ceremony & Press Conference, 12:30-2pm, press 1:15 @ International Peace Gardens Plaza (1060 S. 900 W., Salt Lake City)

June 8 Refugee Stakeholder

June 9 Global Artisans African Bead Making, 7pm @ Harriman Library (13011 S. 6000 W., Riverton)

June 9 Refugee Health Fair, 3-7pm @ Granite Peaks Learning Center
(501 E. 3900 S., Salt Lake City)

June 9 English Skills Learning Center Documentary Screening, "Rain in a Dry Land" 6pm @ Columbus Center (2531 S. 400 E. room #105, Salt Lake City)

June 10 &11 Utah State Office of Education "Equity in Action" Conference, 8-5pm @ U of U (June 10 focuses on educators, June 11 on refugee students & parents. Pre-Registration for parents required by June 1, preferred by May 23

June 10-17 Global Artisans Around the World in 7 Days @ participating restaurants in Salt Lake City and Park City

June 11 Hser Ner Moo Center‟s Cultural Celebration, 1-4pm @ Columbus Center Auditorium (2531 S. 400 E., Salt Lake City)

June 11 Run for Congo Women 5k, Reg: 8am, Race begins: 9am @ Wheeler Farm (6351 S. 900 E.) Preregister at saltlakerfcw.eventbrite.com

June 11 Soccer Tournament Begins, 8am-2pm @ (2825 S. 200 E., SSLC)

June 13 Community Dialogue: "We are all Refugees- Exploring our Pasts, Presents and Futures," 6-8pm @ Horizonte (1234 Main Street, Salt Lake City)

June 15 "Why Hire A Refugee" -Employer Panel Discussion, 1-3pm @ Metro Employment Center (720 S. 200 E., Salt Lake City)

June 16 & 17 Refugee Art Exhibit, displayed @ Visage Salon (2006 S. 900 E., Salt Lake City) & Especially for You Floral (209 E. Broadway, Salt Lake City)

June 17 Women of the World Fashion Show, location TBA

June 17 Visage Salon Refugee Donation Drive and Fundraiser, 6-9pm @ Visage Salon (2006 S. 900 E., donations will also be accepted June 18 from 9 am- noon)

June 18 World Refugee Day, 12-6pm @ Granite High School (3305 S. 500 E.)
& Soccer Tournament, 9am-3:30pm @ Granite High School

June 20 Catholic Community Services (CCS) "Refugees in Utah: The Real Story,"
4:30-6pm @ CCS (745 E. 300 S., Salt Lake City)

June 20 Community Dialogue: "We are all Refugees- Exploring our Pasts, Presents and Futures," 6-8pm @ Horizonte (1234 Main Street, Salt Lake City)

June 22 Spy Hop Youth Films screenings, 7-8pm @ Main Library Auditorium
(210 E. 400 S., Salt Lake City)

June 24 Creating Professional Pathways- Refugee Job Fair, 9-4pm @ Horizonte (1234 Main Street, invitation only, contact fmaxfie@utah.gov)

June 25 Youth Day of Service, 12-1:30pm @ Utah Food Bank (3150 S. 900 W., Salt Lake City)

June 25 Rwandese Community Cultural Event, 4-9pm @ Horizonte Cafeteria (1234 Main Street, Salt Lake City)

June 27 Community Dialogue: "We are all Refugees- Exploring our Pasts, Presents and Futures," 6-8pm @ Horizonte (1234 Main Street, Salt Lake city)

June 28 International Rescue Committee and Bhutanese Community‟s Cultural Event,
6:30pm @ Horizonte Auditorium (1234 Main Street, Salt Lake City)

June 30 Facebook Photo Contest Closed, Winner announced July 1 Community Town Hall Meeting, 6-8pm @ Horizonte Lecture Hall (1234 Main Street, Salt Lake City)

Team Hope and the Ogden Marathon

This weekend is the Ogden Marathon, and Run for Congo Women advocates will be there!  Several people (including me and my husband) will be running the marathon to raise awareness and funds for victims of the Congo crisis.  If you'd like to make a cash donation in support and solidarity with the marathoners, you can do so on the Team Hope website.  And in the meantime, wish us luck!

This Week in Congo:

It's been a busy week for the Congo advocacy movement in the U.S.  A much-anticipated study is being released in the Journal of Public Health that finds that rape statistics in DR Congo are 26 times higher than those that have been previously reported.  The new statistics:  1,150 women raped every day.  That comes out to 4 women raped every 5 minutes.  We are talking about 2 million people here.  The report got tons of media attention this week, and it seems that many people are reading the articles and seeing just how widespread this particular human rights violation is within the Congo conflict.  You can read articles about the study here, here, and here, and in a number of other news outlets.


Then, on May 12, a letter signed by 77 organizations was sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Take a minute to read the letter if you can; it outlines specific steps that the U.S. government should take in order to "bolster and better coordinate U.S. diplomacy and assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to help avert a further deterioration of the situation there."  One of the key points of the document revolves around appointing a Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region of Africa, who would report directly to the Secretary of State as they craft and implement American policy in DR Congo.


This week online activists will be participating in a virtual protest on facebook, expressing their support for the appointment of a Special Envoy to DR Congo.  You can join in!  All you have to do is "like" the Special Envoy Now facebook page, then download some photos of yourself (and your family and friends) holding protest signs.


And... remember that we are less than a month away from the 5K!  We already have three times as many people registered as we had last year, but if you haven't registered yet, here's the link.  We are looking forward to seeing you.

Presentation this Saturday, May 7, in SLC! Bring your friends!

The deadliest conflict of our generation is happening right now, in

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO:

·       7 million people killed

·       3 million people raped

·       Systemic violence and insecurity

Join us for a presentation by Missy Lambert and Utah for Congo

to learn more about the conflict in DR Congo: Its historical roots,

the current situation, and what you can do.

Saturday, May 7

At 6:30 p.m.

Free Speech Zone

411 S. 800 E. (Salt Lake City)

Lots of good news today...

GLOBALLY,
Last night the FY2011 budget compromise passed through the U.S. Senate, and I'm happy/relieved to report that nearly all of the funding for international humanitarian aid programs remained intact.  This is great news for people around the world who are helped by these initiatives.  Thanks to everyone who signed petitions, wrote letters, and made phone calls expressing your support for international aid.

NATIONALLY,
The California State Senate passed statewide conflict-free regulations!  Under the new legislation, state agencies would be barred from contracting with businesses that aren't making efforts to comply with the new Dodd-Frank legislation that passed last year.  Not only is this an important legislative landmark, but it's also a sign that awareness of the Congo conflict is spreading across the country.  As more people become aware of the crisis, we can expect to see more grassroots movements, legislative action, and commitment to the cause.  This awareness is so critical.  I think of something Nicholas Kristof wrote in an op-ed last year:

"An ugly paradox of the 21st century is that some of our elegant symbols of modernity — smartphones, laptops and digital cameras — are built from minerals that seem to be fueling mass slaughter and rape in Congo. With throngs waiting in lines in the last few days to buy the latest iPhone, I’m thinking: What if we could harness that desperation for new technologies to the desperate need to curb the killing in central Africa?"

LOCALLY,
Preparations for our June 11 5K are rolling along!  We now have printed large posters that we are ready to start distributing around the Salt Lake area.  Would you like to put up a poster or two (or 3, or 10) for us?  Leave a comment or contact us on our facebook page and we can make arrangements to get posters to you.  We also need help contacting local businesses about in-kind donations for our prizes and our raffle items.  If you would like to donate something or help  us contact businesses, let us know.

Thanks, everyone, for your support!

Sign a Petition for Congo

It is a critical time for DR Congo and people around the world who are suffering from the effects of poverty, conflicts, and natural disasters.

Right now the U.S. legislature is threatening to make devastating cuts in international aid, slashing emergency assistance as well as programs that fight AIDS, malaria, and global hunger. Proponents of the cuts claim that they are designed to reduce the deficit, but these cuts deal with such a small proportion of the budget that they won't even make a dent. Studies show that most Americans believe that 25 percent of our national budget goes to international aid--but in reality, it's less than 1 percent of our budget.

Sign this Oxfam petition to let your representatives know that you won't tolerate these cuts, which are purely symbolic in terms of deficit reduction but that have real, tragic, devastating impacts on the lives of impoverished people around the world.

And while you're getting your petition on, check out this Change.org petition that asks President Obama and Secretary Clinton to appoint a Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region in Africa. The mass atrocities aren't showing any signs of slowing down in DR Congo, and the United States needs to step up our international leadership as we seek to understand and respond to the conflict as a global community.