Movement Spotlight: Emily Selby Smith
Operation Broken Silence is a small nonprofit with a big mission of empowering Sudanese heroes in some of the most oppressed parts of their country. We’re only able to do this with the help of our movement, which includes donors, fundraisers, volunteers, and partnerships found around the world.
We want to share about a recent partnership that benefits you and everyone else in our movement, and beyond! Meet Emily Selby Smith, a graduate student in the Anthropology Department at the University of Memphis:
“Currently, I am a master's student in UofM’s Applied Anthropology program. I was drawn to the department and UofM because they are deeply engaged with helping the community.
My research interests are in genocide education and recovery, so working with community organizations collaboratively is very important to me. One thing that drew me to genocide education and recovery is the need to discuss what is happening, often it can be so difficult to speak about it but with more education efforts I believe that things can change!”
Sudan is not well-known to many people, and that’s not their fault. The country is rarely in the news for sustained periods of time and makes even fewer appearances in high school and college textbooks. Learning about the diversity of people living there and their challenges is not as easy as it should be.
Emily has partnered closely with our team since May 2023 to help us begin changing that. She worked across the organization to overhaul and expand our educational materials so they can be more useful to teachers, students, and people who want to learn more:
“After some preliminary searching of what is out there, I began to interview supporters, educators, and people within the organization to understand how they used the Educators and Learners pages, what they would like to see, and what steps could be taken in the future. I then continuously worked to write, rewrite, and edit while paying attention to the images and videos we could use.
One thing that stood out to me during my research was the lack of resources on women’s experiences in Sudan. Often it can be both difficult to address and underreported, but many interviewees shared that they hoped to be able to teach about it and have the language and resources to do so. By creating a resource page specifically for women’s experience I believe that it brings together this very difficult topic to address in ways that can spark hope and change.”
As the crisis in Sudan continues to escape the world’s attention, resources like these are critical to closing knowledge gaps with veteran and new supporters alike, as well as help to bring in new faces who want to learn more and get involved. Emily says:
“Often violence does not start out of the blue, and the violence in the Nuba Mountains and Sudan highlight that. The new resources are able to inform teachers and students about the multiple and complex issues of Sudan while also presenting information about international genocide prevention and protection. By presenting both sides, I believe it shows not only what is happening but how international processes work and might bring about change in the future!”
Our desire is that partnerships with Operation Broken Silence benefit and encourage everyone involved. For Emily, that meant deepening her educational drive and benefiting others along the way:
“After speaking with teachers and supporters about how they use these resources it gave me a larger drive to continue genocide education. But also, being able to make changes based on what everyone wanted to see to benefit all in the future was such a fulfilling experience. Changing and adding resources only helps the OBS and the people of Nuba for more visibility and advocacy.”
Thank you to Emily and our friends in the Anthropology Department at the University of Memphis for helping us with this critical project. Improving our educational resources was not something we could have accomplished on our own, and we are always encouraged when we get to partner with the university.
Join Our Mission In 2024
The current crisis unfolding in Sudan is now the most dangerous and destructive humanitarian catastrophe in the world. Entire communities are being destroyed by extreme violence and hunger. Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the war spreads and program costs skyrocket.
In 2024, we’re searching for 100 supporters who can give $50/month to their life-saving work. ⚡️Your first three monthly gifts will be matched by a private donor.⚡️
The Renewal is our passionate family of monthly givers supporting Sudanese heroes. When we match their grit with a monthly financial commitment, we become an unstoppable force for good.
91 more monthly givers are needed.
You’ll receive updates from our partners roughly every 4 months and an annual giving statement at the beginning of each year.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Other Ways To Help
Online Donations - You can make a one-time gift above by selecting One time.
Checks - Make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Stocks & Mutual Funds - Use this giving form to donate stock. To give from a mutual fund, download our Investment Fund Transfer Form and follow the instructions. Please note that all stock and mutual fund donations are nonrefundable.
Cryptocurrency - Use this giving form to donate crypto. Please note that all crypto donations are nonrefundable.
Fundraise - Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give! These last few days of the year are the perfect time to fundraise.
