News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement
Soirée For Sudan: Bridging The Gap
We have rescheduled Soirée For Sudan for August 29. While we are disappointed that our celebration is being delayed, the need for Sudan's most vulnerable teachers and children still remains.
Operation Broken Silence supports two schools in Yida Refugee Camp. 24 Sudanese refugee teachers and 1,200 students depend on us to keep the doors open.
With COVID-19 top of mind for all of us, we wanted to give you an update on our upcoming event in Memphis on March 28, 2020. We have rescheduled Soirée For Sudan for August 29.
While we are disappointed that our celebration is being delayed, the need for Sudan's most vulnerable teachers and children still remains. The support raised at Soirée For Sudan is critical to the schools remaining open in 2020.
In short, we need you more than ever.
To bridge the funding gap from delaying Soirée For Sudan, Operaton Broken Silence still needs to raise $23,000 to support teachers with salaries and students with school supplies. If this funding is not raised, the schools will have to significantly downsize and possibly close.
If you have not registered for Soirée For Sudan yet, please do so right now. If you cannot attend the event, please make a donation.
Your support will help bring Operation Broken Silence one step closer to reaching our goal and therefore, one step closer to our vision of a Sudan with strong, self-reliant communities.
For check donations, please make payable to Operation Broken Silenceand send to PO Box 770900, Memphis, TN, 38177-0900.
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give today.
Do Justice Campaign: Jafar's Story
The camel-mounted attackers wielded AK-47s when they raided the farm. Jafar fled.
"They shot at us and each other for no reason."
-JAFAR
The camel-mounted attackers wielded AK-47s when they raided the farm. These men are members of the Popular Defenses Forces, a feared regime militia that has wreaked havoc across Sudan for decades. They opened fire and killed Mohammed, an unarmed farmer, for no reason at all.
A regime army unit passing by saw the militiamen and ordered them to stop. Full of rage, the militiamen opened fire on their allies in the army. The soldiers fired back. Chaos ensued.
Jafar was visiting a nearby farm and heard the fighting. He fled. Over the next several days, more regime militiamen raided farms and shops. The army and police refused to protect unarmed Sudanese civilians.
These attacks in the Habila area of the Nuba Mountains didn't happen several years ago, when the regime's genocidal onslaught against the Nuba people was at its peak. No, they happened in November, just a few months ago.
A lot of the news coming out of Sudan is that peace is taking hold. A ceasefire has prevented massive military operations, but attacks like Jafar witnessed are still common. Regime paramilitaries listen to no one in the transitional government.
How are children supposed to learn in this environment? Many have fled to Yida Refugee Camp, where it is much safer. So have teachers. In fact, so many live in Yida that the fledgling education system has been overwhelmed for years.
We're helping by fundraising for 24 teachers in Yida. A lot of work still needs to be done though. We need 200 families and individuals to give monthly for their salaries. Will you join us? Even if you can only pitch in $10 a month, that will go a long ways. Every dollar counts right now.
Do Justice Campaign: Arogo's Story
Like many Sudanese, Arogo doesn't know his birthday. He was born sometime in 1996, years into the first genocide the Bashir regime committed in the Nuba Mountains.
"I don't see the change the world is talking about."
- AROGO
Like many Sudanese, Arogo doesn't know his birthday. He was born sometime in 1996, years into the first genocide the Bashir regime committed in the Nuba Mountains.
Arogo never went to high school. The war took many of his family members. The regime stole his childhood. He's never fully recovered.
Arogo has been living in Yida Refugee Camp since the second war began in 2011. His home was torched by the Popular Defense Forces, one of the regime's jihadist paramilitary outfits that still prowls around the region. He can't return to rebuild.
But Arogo isn't concerned about himself. Everywhere he looks, he sees his story being repeated: no real peace agreement. No real change. And thousands of children unable to get an education.
Life in Sudan's oppressed periphery regions is very different than life in Khartoum. From the Nuba Mountains to Darfur, the most vulnerable Sudanese are in danger by regime forces who have not disbanded. Many can't return home.
This is barely reported on. This isn't right. This isn't justice.
As Arogo points out, Yida Refugee Camp is one of these places. The education crisis in Yida took a turn for the worse in 2019. Several teachers were forced to leave because their salaries disappeared. They aren't coming back. If more teachers leave, this crisis will turn into a catastrophe. Period.
We launched this campaign because we can fix this together. If we all pitch in what we can each month, we can turn this crisis around. Arogo can know that the next generation, who he is so deeply concerned for, can move their people towards a brighter future.
Do Justice: Our 2020 Campaign
We have a new campaign launching Monday, March 16. Here’s what you need to know.
Hello friends and supporters,
This week we are launching a new campaign: Do Justice. Here’s some information on what it is about.
Throughout 2019, more teachers then ever before showed up at our schools in Yida Refugee Camp, hoping for a job. Well over 1,000 refugee students showed up and begged for an opening. Often times with tears in their eyes, the Nuba teachers at our schools turned them away. The resources just weren't there to expand. They still aren't there. And this crisis is not getting any better.
Do Justice is the most important campaign in our history. It's an all-in effort to halt the education crisis in Yida before it morphs into a catastrophe. We're also going to bust some myths about Sudan along the way. That's why we're throwing everything we have, know, and believe into Do Justice.
The campaign launches this Monday. Here are three ways you can help:
Share our posts as they pop up in your social media feeds.
Get ready to learn about this crisis and become involved next week.
Contact us if you can't wait to get involved.
We’ll see you on Monday.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Operation Broken Silence
Tennessee Advocacy Alert: HR 6094
If you are a Tennessee resident, we need your help securing Congressional cosponsors for important new legislation about Sudan.
New legislation will help the United States foster a successful democratic transition in Sudan. If you are a Tennessee resident, we need your help securing Congressional cosponsors for The Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Financial Transparency Act of 2020 (H.R. 6094).
We need you to call your Representative and ask them to become a cosponsor. If you don’t know who your Representative is, enter your zip code here:
Step 1
Find the contact information for your Representative’s local office that is closest to your home below.
We recommend calling your local office instead of the Washington DC office. We’ve found that calling local offices is more effective.
District 2: Congressman Tim Burchett
Knoxville: (865) 523-3772
Maryville: (865) 984-5464
District 1: Congressman David “Phil” Roe
Kingsport: (423) 247-8161
Morristown: (423) 254-1400
District 4: Congressman Scott DeJarlais
Murfreesboro: (615) 896-1986
Columbia: (931) 381-9920
Cleveland: (423) 472-7500
Winchester: (931) 962-3180
District 3: Congressman Charles “Chuck” Fleischmann
Chattanooga: (423) 756-2342
Athens: (423) 745-4671
Oak Ridge: (865) 576-1976
District 6: Congressman John Rose
Cookeville: (931) 854-9430
Gallatin: (615) 206-8204
District 5: Congressman Jim Cooper
Nashville: (615) 736-5295
District 8: Congressman David Kustoff
Memphis: (901) 682-4422
Jackson: (731) 423-4848
Dyersburg: (731) 412-1037
District 7: Congressman Mark Green
Clarksville: (931) 266-4483
Franklin: (629) 223-6050
District 9: Congressman Steve Cohen
(901) 544-4131
Step 2
Prepare to make your phone call by editing our call script template.
We highly recommend that you make small edits so that your call is more personal. The Congressional staffer you talk to will know that you really do care a lot about this.
Copy and paste the following template to your computer or phone to edit:
Hello, my name is ___________ and I live in zip code _____. I am calling today to ask that Congressman _____________ cosponsor House Resolution 6094, The Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Financial Transparency Act of 2020.
This bipartisan legislation authorizes assistance for Sudan’s transition to a democracy, requires the Trump Administration to submit a strategy to Congress for supporting the civilian-led Government of Sudan during the country’s current transition period, and more.
Last year, Congressman _____________ voted in favor of House Resolution 432, making it clear that the House of Representatives supported the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people.
By becoming a cosponsor of HR 6094, Congressman __________ will continue helping to improve U.S. policy toward Sudan and ensure that our country continues to play an indispensable leadership role on the world stage. Thank you.
Tips To Personalize Your Call Script
Note Your Past Involvement: If you have given or fundraised for the programs we support in Sudan, or advocated with us on a previous campaign, be sure to mention that. It will let the Congressional staffer know that you’ve been involved for a while and are serious.
Be A Little More Casual: We know that our call template sounds kind of nerdy. Change some words up and simplify sentences to make it sound a bit more down to earth. Just try not to take out important information, like what the bill does or the resolution number.
Keep It Brief: Congressional staffers are busy people. They really do appreciate it when constituents are polite, but also direct and to the point. Make your call script personal, but don’t turn it into a novel.
Step 3
Use the number you selected and the script you made to call your local office!
Nervous about calling? Find a few more tips and some information below to further prepare yourself.
There’s a chance that the staffer you talk to won’t know much about Sudan. That’s okay! They may have a few questions for you. Here’s some more information to make sure you are prepared:
Why This Bill Is So Important
For the first time in 30 years, Sudan is awash in hope for real change. Decades of genocidal wars, brutal oppression, and extremist rule may finally be coming to an end.
In 2019, mass protests calling for civilian rule swept across Sudan. Regime security forces responded by murdering, raping, and torturing them. But the Sudanese people didn’t back down. In April of 2019, military leaders arrested dictator and indicted war criminal Omar al-Bashir in hopes of holding onto power themselves. Protesters refused to go home.
After several more months of regime violence and mounting international pressure, military leaders begrudgingly started to give ground. A half-win was achieved: three years of joint civilian and military rule followed by supposed free and fair elections.
But Sudan’s future is still hanging by a thread. Members of the regime remain at the highest levels of the transitional government. Their paramilitaries are still attacking ordinary people in Sudan’s oppressed hinterlands. And there have been several coup attempts by those who are trying to drag the country back into full-blown extremism.
While it is ultimately up to the Sudanese people to move their country forward, the United States can play a constructive role by helping to foster a successful democratic transition in Sudan. To do that, The Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Financial Transparency Act of 2020 (H.R. 6094) needs to pass out of Congress with bipartisan support.
What H.R. 6094 Does
The Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Financial Transparency Act of 2020 (H.R. 6094) does the following:
authorizes assistance for democratic governance, rule of law, and human rights, including support for free, fair, and credible elections;
authorizes support for development programs, including those focused on providing economic opportunities for youth and previously marginalized populations;
supports long-term peace and stability in Sudan by authorizing support for conflict mitigation, including efforts to strengthen civilian oversight of the Sudanese security and intelligence services;
promotes accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide by authorizing support to build Sudan’s judicial capacity to pursue prosecutions in domestic or hybrid international courts;
supports debt relief and multilateral financing from international financial institutions provided that certain governance and fiscal transparency benchmarks are met;
advances effort to assist the Government of Sudan in recovering stolen assets;
authorizes sanctions on any individuals who commit human rights abuses, participate in the illicit exploitation of natural resources, or undermine the political transition in Sudan; and
requires the Administration to submit to Congress a strategy for supporting the civilian-led Government of Sudan during the transition period.
If you want all the nitty gritty details, read the full text of the bill here.
Step 4
Call your local office back once a week until you get an answer.
Stay polite and brief. If your Congressman does become a cosponsor, be sure to say thank you!
Have questions before calling?
Stay Involved: Join Our New Campaign
Operation Broken Silence is battling a massive education crisis right now in Yida Refugee Camp. Tens of thousands of the Sudanese people have been living in Yida since 2011, when Sudan's military launched a genocidal war against the Nuba Mountains region.
Today, Yida looks less like a refugee camp and more like a permanent settlement. Schools dot the landscape; however, not a single one is fully supported. Nuba teachers are so severely underpaid that some have been forced to leave their profession altogether.
The beating heart of education is not classrooms, chalkboards, or textbooks. It is teachers. These teachers in Yida are so critical because they have lived through the war in Sudan, just like their students have. They are the only teachers in the world who fully understand what some 20,000 children in Yida have been through. They are irreplaceable.
Making sure these teachers can keep doing what they love is our top priority. You can keep them employed by joining our new campaign.
We need all the help we can get. Every penny counts right now. Please join us in empowering these teachers in Yida Refugee Camp.
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give today.
December 2019 Yida Education Update
An update from the schools you sponsor in Yida Refugee Camp.
Since 2015, our movement of fundraisers and donors has been fighting the education crisis in Yida Refugee Camp alongside of our Nuba education partner. This is an update on how your support is empowering the schools, teachers, and students Operation Broken Silence partners with in Yida.
People in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan have been living in emergency conditions since June of 2011, when Sudan's military regime launched another genocidal war against their communities. The regime banned all aid and media organizations from the Nuba Mountains in an attempt to cover up their war crimes and increase suffering on the Nuba people.
Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup in April 2019. Sudan now has a fledgling transitional government that is seeking to move the country toward civilian, democratic rule. In October, Sudan’s Council of Ministers granted permission for the World Food Programme (WFP) to visit Kauda, the opposition capital in the war-torn Nuba Mountains region, for the first time in more than eight years. Sadly, this new government has not lifted the humanitarian blockade, nor has a permanent peace been achieved.
Right now, a fragile ceasefire is holding together in the Nuba Mountains. There have been several targeted attacks by regime forces in frontline areas over the past few months. No aerial bombing has been reported.
Yida Refugee Camp sits just south of the Nuba Mountains across the international border that divides Sudan and South Sudan. Yida is one the primary places displaced and persecuted Nuba civilians have fled to over the past several years. Current estimates place Yida's annual population, which can fluctuate quite a bit, between 45,000-55,000 people.
One of the largest demographics in Yida is children under the age of 14. Despite this reality, there are only a handful of schools in Yida that receive little to no outside assistance. This largely unknown education crisis is threatening the next generation of Nuba leaders and their futures.
Operation Broken Silence sponsors the high-performing Endure Primary and new Renewal High Schools in Yida. Both schools are staffed entirely by Nuba teachers. They run the show, not us. Our fundraisers and donors provide the funding to help pay teacher salaries, give basic school supplies, support classroom construction and repair, and more.
Renewal High School is staffed by a principal, secretary, and 12 teachers. The school has been in a soft-open phase all year with 120 students. The semester ended at Renewal High on December 9, and classes will begin again on January 27.
In 2020, our Nuba education partner hopes to double the number of students as Renewal High continues opening more grades and classes. As we outline below, current teacher salaries at the school are not fully met yet, so growing the school will depend entirely on additional monthly giving.
Renewal High is one of two secondary schools in Yida. Earlier this year, the other secondary school was badly damaged during the rainy season. This only made the need for Renewal High that much greater.
Endure Primary School is staffed by 12 teachers, 1 cook, and 1 guard. The cook and guard serve both schools, but are budgeted to Endure Primary.
964 students have attended the school this year, which is the maximum number allowed. 48 students in the P8 class, the final grade, are beginning to prepare for their final exams and graduation in 2020.
Classes are still in session at Endure Primary and will soon break for Christmas. The small sports program at Endure Primary includes male and female soccer teams and male and female volleyball teams. Matches regularly draw in small crowds from and help build community in Yida. And the small student choir continues to tour around the refugee camp from time to time singing traditional Nuba songs.
In early December, our education partner delivered another batch of supplies to the schools. Here are a few recent videos and photos from the schools:
Video: Students and teachers thank our supporters as 2019 comes to a close.
Photo: Renewal High students celebrate recent grades near the end of the semester.
Photo: Notebooks delivered to the schools by our Nuba education partner in December.
Photo: Students at Endure Primary School hold their new notebooks.
Photo: Students from both schools gather for an end of semester celebration.
We couldn't be more amazed at how much the teachers at the Endure Primary and Renewal High Schools have accomplished this year, especially considering the challenges they face.
Thanks to a generous donation from one of our supporters, the schools will soon receive the weatherproofing materials requested by our education partner. This will help make classrooms safer during the annual rainy season.
Current Needs At The Schools
Endure Primary and Renewal High have several needs going into 2020 that are unmet:
Critical Need: $2,500 in monthly giving for teacher salaries
$1,025: Printer for grades and testing
$3,750: New chalkboards for classrooms
$11,500: Two more classrooms for Renewal High
It's common for children across Yida to show up at the schools every week hoping that a spot has opened up for them. Our projection is that the schools will remain at their current size through 2020 due to a lack of funding and current needs not being met. For now, this means very few spots will open up in classrooms at both schools.
Simply put, our movement and Nuba education partner have a lot of hard and good work ahead. 2020 marks the beginning of a new decade. We ask that you join us in helping the teachers and students in Yida get off to a good start.
Operation Broken Silence is one of only a few nonprofits in the world working alongside of the Sudanese people to end the education crisis in the Nuba Mountains. Here are three simple ways you can help us meet the basic needs at the schools in Yida:
1. Give Monthly. The Renewal is our unstoppable family of monthly givers who never stop fighting for change. They give automatically each and every month to these two schools, providing consistent support to the 24 teachers and nearly 1,100 students from the Nuba Mountains. This is the best and easiest way to get involved! SIGN UP »
2. Become A Fundraiser. If you can’t give monthly right now, start an online fundraising page for the schools and ask your friends and family to give. Your page comes complete with the all information and two videos about education in Yida, so all you have to do ask people to give to your goal. BECOME A FUNDRAISER »
3. Give Once. Not ready to commit with a monthly gift or fundraising yet? That’s okay, making a one-time gift is the best next step to get your feet wet! GIVE HERE »
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