News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement
Farewell 2022
An end of year message from our Executive Director.
Supporters and friends,
Where did 2022 go? Our mission went by faster this year than any I can remember.
As we prepare to enter a new year, I want to pass along the sincere gratitude of our Sudanese partners. Here are a few highlights that they asked me to share with you:
Incredible progress is still being achieved at the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools, despite many families departing Yida Refugee Camp for their villages in the Nuba Mountains. Attendance at both schools is holding steady at roughly 900 students every day, classroom repairs were recently completed, and roughly 1,400 students at other schools in Yida received national exam preparation support thanks to you.
With your help, we continue to make progress on the clean water project one of our Sudanese partners plans to complete in 2023. Final preparations are being made on the ground now as what should be the final donations roll in. When complete, roughly 7,000 people across five villages in the Nuba Mountains will have clean water.
This is but a small snapshot of the life-changing work done in our mission every day. None of this would have been possible without your generous support! Thank you.
A Strange, But Good Year For Our Movement
If there is a single word that can sum up the past twelve months here at Operation Broken Silence, it is strange. Like many small international nonprofits that are critical to the communities we serve, our mission faced strong headwinds outside of our control.
Inflation, the war in Ukraine, overblown fears of a recession, and cultural sorting in the United States posed significant challenges to our movement-building work. Many of our creative approaches that bore fruit last year gained less ground in 2022. Doors that were once open to us are closed, even as new ones opened. The usually quiet summer months were unusually productive. The busy end of year season has been a bit quieter than usual.
As I was recently telling one of our monthly donors, not much really makes sense right now. There is neither a rhyme nor a rhythm to our work. This doesn’t appear to be cause for concern though. The numbers are shaping up to be a fairly normal year, even though how we got here has been anything but normal. Reflecting on conversations with some of you during events and fundraising, I believe this is a testament to your dedication. Behind numbers are real people just like you.
Not only did we see some new faces join our movement, but our core supporters stuck with us. Membership in The Renewal monthly giving program was impressively stable. Our online fundraisers nearly doubled their impact, making up for lost support from shrinking faith institutions and family foundations that redirected support to Ukraine. And while bad weather plagued our return to in-person events, dedicated supporters turned out.
Again, you made this year possible. Thank you.
Looking Ahead
2023 will likely be another year of unpredictable and chaotic moments. Sudan remains in the top 10 list of countries at greatest statistical risk for mass killing. We don’t know how things will shake out in Khartoum with the vague new agreement. The political system in the U.S. is already gearing up for another heated presidential election. A recession is still a possibility, although we aren’t deeply concerned as recession predictions continue coming up short, the economy is humming along, and inflation is easing.
This season is one in which we can learn about the complex and sometimes harsh environment we are in. Our Sudanese partners have been doing this for some time now. Rather than committing to a hard plan in 2023, we will pursue a few key principles:
Be rooted in the basics. It is clear that making big plans and bold proclamations is not the best idea right now. Instead of anxiously fighting against forces far outside of our control, we’ll be taking everything one day, one week, and one month at a time within the context of what we have always done: serving our Sudanese partners and you to the best of our ability.
Be nimble. We jumped at several last minute fundraising opportunities this year that really paid off. Looking back, there were also a few that we missed. Next month we will streamline some of our internal processes to put some free time back into our leadership team. In the midst of uncertainty there is opportunity, and we need more space to seize every one of them.
Be and think small. We have no plans to expand in 2023. We will focus on sustaining and strengthening our core programming in Sudan and in our global movement. While we have the cash on hand to add a new full-time staffer, we currently have no plans to hire. There are still too many unanswered questions about the future and what are staffing should look like.
In summary, our focus in 2023 is making incremental progress. This perhaps doesn’t sound as exciting as previous years, but there is so much good work left to be done with what we already have in our mission.
As we stand on the cusp of a new year and the hope that comes with it, would you consider making one final tax-deductible donation to Operation Broken Silence? Donations are being matched by a private donor, instantly doubling your impact! Your gift will help one of our Sudanese partners bring clean water to roughly 7,000 people in 2023.
Like many of you, I’m excited for the new year that lies ahead. I hope these last few days of 2022 are restful and spent with loved ones. Take care.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Military junta and pro-democracy group sign agreement, but crisis far from over
Earlier today, Sudan's coup plotters and civilian leaders signed a framework agreement in an attempt to end the junta’s illegal rule.
Sudanese demonstrators in Khartoum demand the return to civilian rule. AP Photo/Marwan Ali.
Supporters and friends,
Earlier today Sudan's coup plotters and civilian leaders signed a framework agreement in an attempt to end the junta’s illegal rule that has pushed the country to the brink of collapse. Signatories include the military, the Forces of Freedom and Change umbrella civilian movement, and a smattering of political parties, rebel groups, and tribal leaders.
The agreement signed today paves the way toward a supposed two-year transitional period that begins with civilian groups appointing a new prime minister. The military’s formal role is set to become a defense council headed by whomever the new prime minister is. Elections are supposed to occur at the end of the two year period.
Critical issues such as transitional justice, security sector reform, and plans to uproot and end corruption and state violence —all of which are critical to securing the buy-in of protesters in the streets— were not included in the agreement. Many pro-democracy Resistance Committee leaders, who have been critical in organizing protests over the last year, are already calling for demonstrations against this agreement. Some protesters are back in the streets as a result.
As we have said for years, agreements such as these are only ink on paper. They neither guarantee sustained progress nor ensure the safety of the Sudanese people. The military has a three decades-long history of breaching and destroying agreements just like these when they feel their power is even marginally threatened. At today’s signing ceremony, Sudan’s defacto dictator General Burhan warned that this dynamic has not changed:
“The army will go back to its barracks but the political parties have to aim for the elections, instead of ruling in the moment. We are committed to exit from politics and stop interfering in the political life and we expect the politicians to stop interfering with the army.”
So, what does all this mean?
Sudan has been ruled at gunpoint by the military and a plethora of brutal security and paramilitary forces since the generals overthrew a fragile transitional government in October 2021. As we mentioned several weeks ago, the abuses of the resurgent junta over the past year have been horrifying. Over 7,000 peaceful protesters have been seriously wounded by junta forces. Regime-backed violence continues to surge in the country’s oppressed hinterlands. The economy is in tatters and a third of Sudanese children cannot even attend school.
While we sincerely hope that this is a more permanent turning point to a better Sudan, we have serious doubts about this arrangement because many of the Sudanese people have serious doubts. Operation Broken Silence has always acted on the belief that it is up to the Sudanese people to determine the future of their country. Our secondary role as their determined ally and helper remains unchanged. There are now so many unresolved and worsening issues in Sudan that no single agreement can set the stage for fixing everything.
But any agreement worth serious consideration should address at least some of the core issues so there is more buy-in from the people. This one appears to have not gone far enough.
There is of course a real chance that a future agreement will address more issues. But that will require civilian leaders “interfering” with the army. Military and security sector reform is required for Sudan to move in the direction the people want and the head of the military is already shooting that idea down. It doesn’t bode well for the future.
But the courage of the Sudanese people remains unfazed, which means we must remain unfazed. They are still protesting. Their voices are relentless in the face of the junta’s intransigence. They are proof that a different Sudan is possible in our lifetime. And it falls to us to deliver the support they need to reach their aspirations.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working next to our Sudanese partners on the ground for over a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why empowering local solutions in the oppressed Nuba Mountains region is our top priority.
Building clean water infrastructure goes beyond ensuring basic health needs. Clean water improves security by keeping people closer to the safety of their communities. It empowers women by putting time back into their day. And clean water means children can go to school instead of spending hours searching for dirty water.
We’re taking on this water project because we listened to the people living here and because no one else will serve them. The fastest way to help is to make a quick one-time donation online or setup a monthly gift. Your gift will be matched by a private donor!
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give! These last few months of the year are the perfect time to fundraise.
Join The Renewal, our monthly giving family that never stops fighting for change.
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Water in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900
Thank you again for being a part of this movement. As we enter these final days of the year, I hope you will join us as we wrap up fundraising for this critical clean water project.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Giving Tuesday 2022
Another Giving Tuesday is in the bag! Thank you for joining us on this global day of generosity.
Friends and supporters,
Thank you for participating in Giving Tuesday this year. Like many nonprofits, we’ve faced some serious fundraising headwinds this year from inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the cultural sorting underway in the United States. We went into Giving Tuesday with low expectations for these reasons.
But you surprised us! Your generosity and fundraising on Giving Tuesday brought in $8,300 for our Sudanese partners. Donations are still trickling in, including from many new faces in our movement. These are much needed funds that will be put to good use in the clean water, education, and healthcare programs we support in Sudan.
This was also an encouraging day for our team. 2022 has been one of the oddest years of fundraising and movement building we’ve experienced. The usually quiet Summer months were incredibly productive and the always busy Spring and Fall months were much more difficult to find progress in. Needless to say, being surprised with a mostly normal Giving Tuesday was refreshing. Thank you.
The Giving Season
In this final month of the year, we have an incredible opportunity to help bring clean water to 7,000 people in the Nuba Mountains. Our goal is to wrap up fundraising for their clean water project by December 31. That means we need to raise $23,000 in the next 31 days!
A generous private donor is still matching gifts to help us make progress quickly. When you give, they give.
Reaching this goal will provide the missing building block needed to make progress after years of war. Clean water is the gift that keeps on giving, helping to get their schools, markets, and places of worship back up and running.
Join us by giving once or through The Renewal, our family of monthly givers. You can find additional key dates and ways to pitch in during this season of generosity below.
Dec 1- Dec 31: Friends & Family Fundraising
It’s not only the best time to give, but also the best time to invite loved ones to pitch in! You can start a fundraising page and send the link to friends and family asking them to donate.
Your page comes with the campaign video and information about the project. And with donations being matched the hard work is already done!
Dec 7: Holiday Brews at Wiseacre on Broad
For our supporters in the Memphis area, you are invited to this free gathering. It’s a great time to connect with fellow movement members and our team!
The event is free but registration is required as spots are limited. Your ticket includes a free beer, good conversation, and a 50% discount code to our Soirée For Sudan event in 2023!
Dec 26-31: Year End Gifts
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of US law.
All online gifts must be made by midnight on December 31.
Personal checks must be dated and postmarked by December 31. Make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Checks from donor-advised funds must be dated and postmarked by December 31 and can be sent to our PO Box as well. If the manager of your donor-advised fund prefers electronic transfers, they can contact us for wiring instructions.
Dec 26-31: Year End Investment Gifts
Stock donations must be processed by close of market on Friday, December 30. Crypto gifts must be processed by midnight on December 31.
We strongly encourage you to make investment gifts before these deadlines to ensure brokers and blockchains have time to process your donation.
Select the type of gift.
Enter the specific investment and amount.
Type in your information and complete the form.
Confirm your gift and complete the instructions!
You will receive a tax receipt at the email address you provide. Stock and crypto charitable donations are processed by The Giving Block and are nonrefundable.
To donate a mutual fund, download our Investment Fund Transfer Form and complete the process. Your broker will help with the electronic transfer.
If you have questions about giving or would like to direct your gift toward a different project, please contact us for assistance.
Thank you again for bringing some much needed stability to our mission and Sudanese partners this Giving Tuesday. As we enter these final days of the year, I hope you will join us as we wrap up fundraising for this critical clean water project.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
The 13th annual Eden's Run 5K
On November 12, our supporters celebrated thirteen years of Eden’s Run 5K, a race helping to bring clean water to 7,000 people in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan.
On November 12, our supporters celebrated thirteen years of Eden’s Run 5K, a race helping to bring clean water to 7,000 people in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan. This was our first in-person run since 2019 due to COVID-19.
It ended up being an unusually chilly day, so cold that most of our runners let us know they’d be sitting this one out despite previously buying tickets. Thank you to all of you who showed up despite the cold weather, and thank you to those who registered and gave through the run!
Eden’s Run 5K was made possible with a generous donation from Siskind-Susser Immigration Lawyers. Our friend Zack Jennings designed and served the passionfruit mimosas at the run. We would also like to thank the University of Memphis’ Center for Service Learning and Volunteerism, Fellowship Memphis Student Ministries, and our board members and volunteers for managing the run.
DOWNLOAD PHOTOS
Hit the button below to download your photos, or find them on Facebook.
As we continue to rebuild following a difficult few years, we look forward to growing Eden’s Run 5K into something new and great with you —our dedicated supporters— to benefit our Sudanese partners.
If you would like to join us on this journey, we encourage you to make a one-time donation or become a monthly giver to our Sudanese partners.
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. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
Preparing For The 2022 Giving Season
With the giving season just around the corner, there is a lot on the line right now in Sudan.
Friends and supporters,
With the giving season around the corner, there is a lot on the line right now in Sudan.
October marked the first anniversary of the military coup. As we noted, this is a difficult moment for Sudan’s besieged pro-democracy movement. More than 7,000 peaceful protesters have been seriously injured and dozens more murdered by junta security forces. Regime-backed violence is surging to horrifying levels in the country’s oppressed periphery regions. Sudan is backsliding as the coup leaders attempt to pull the country into the dark days of the Bashir regime, merely for their own benefit.
But there have also been encouraging signs of strong resistance and flashes of real hope this year. It can not be understated that the courage of the Sudanese people remains unfazed. They never stopped protesting against a resurgent regime. From the protesters in Khartoum to the oppressed citizens who refuse to be silenced in the Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile, and Darfur, the people are proof that a different Sudan is possible in our lifetime.
As we prepare to the enter the giving season, we have an incredible opportunity to help 7,000 of these people in the Nuba Mountains region. Our goal through the end of the year is wrapping up fundraising for their clean water project.
Accomplishing this will provide the missing building block needed to make progress after years of war. Clean water is the gift that keeps on giving, helping to get their schools, markets, and places of worship back up and running. Make an early gift right now and it will be matched! You can also find key dates to prepare for this season of giving below.
Nov 1- Dec 31: Friends & Family Fundraising
It’s not only the best time to give, but also the best time to invite loved ones to pitch in! You can start a fundraising page and send the link to friends and family asking them to donate.
Your page comes with the campaign video and information about the project. And with donations being matched the hard work is already done!
Nov 1-Dec 31: Matched Crypto Giving
Our friends at The Giving Block are matching all crypto donations to Operation Broken Silence from now through the end of the year, up to $50,000 total. This is an excellent way to double your impact on the water project! Here’s how to give:
Select a token and enter the amount.
Type in your info or choose to give anonymously.
Make your gift!
You can elect to receive an automatic tax receipt at the email address you provide. This donation confirmation will help you close the loop when calculating your taxes.
Crypto charitable donations are processed quickly and safely with The Giving Block. Please note that all crypto donations are nonrefundable.
Nov 29: Giving Tuesday
Join us for one of the biggest giving days of the year! Our goal is to raise $5,000 toward the water project on Giving Tuesday alone. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and join our email list for updates. Donations will be matched!
And if you’re in Memphis, drop by our free Giving Tuesday event at Wiseacre Brewing Company on Broad Avenue between 5-7:30PM. RSVP here.
Dec 26-31: Year End Gifts
Operation Broken Silence is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of US law:
ONLINE GIFTS - Make by midnight on December 31.
MAIL A CHECK - Date and postmark by December 31. Make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. Checks from donor-advised funds can be dated and postmarked by December 31 and sent to our PO Box as well.
STOCKS & INVESTMENT FUNDS - Investment gifts must be processed by close of market on Friday, December 30. We strongly encourage you to make investment gifts before this deadline to ensure your broker has time to process it. We accept common investments such as stock and mutual funds.
If you have questions about giving or would like to direct your gift toward a different project, please contact us for assistance.
With so much uncertainty in Sudan, your generosity can bring some much-needed support and encouragement to our Sudanese friends. Let’s make this season of giving a bountiful one, for them.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Followup Sudan Sanctions Letter To Biden Administration
Operation Broken Silence is joining 100+ NGOs, Sudanese activist leaders, and experts in calling on the Biden Administration to initiate targeted sanctions on coup leaders in Sudan.
With the security and political crisis in Sudan worsening, Operation Broken Silence is once again joining 100 NGOs, Sudanese activist leaders, and human rights experts in calling on the Biden Administration to impose targeted sanctions on the military leaders of the illegal coup.
One year ago today, Generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti, overthrew Sudan’s transitional government. Both men were holdovers from the brutal Bashir regime, which was swept from power during the country’s peaceful 2019 revolution.
These military figures are connected to previous and ongoing human rights abuses and war crimes. Since their coup, conservative estimates put the number of protesters seriously wounded by security forces under their command at over 7,000 people. But it is marginalized Sudanese in the long oppressed hinterlands who continue to suffer the most under a dangerous mix of severe regime violence and aggressive governmental incompetence.
Recent fighting in Blue Nile state has consumed the state capital and several more communities, killing over 250 people and leaving thousands more homeless. In Abyei, outbreaks of political violence have tripled since last year alone. Regime-backed attacks on defenseless civilians in Darfur have surged this year. And violence by regime-backed Misseriya tribes against Nuba communities in West Kordofan recently became so severe that it prompted a temporary and dangerous ceasefire collapse between the regime and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North. (Note: Operation Broken Silence works in the Nuba Mountains nearby, which is controlled by the SPLM-N.)
There are zero signs that such abuses will end, with diplomatic efforts and ongoing peaceful protests across the country failing to change the dark path these men have put Sudan on. Reality demands a more robust international response, including a minimum of targeted sanctions against the primary individuals responsible for derailing Sudan’s fragile transition to democracy and denying the aspirations of the Sudanese people.
Sanctions should not be used in a vacuum. They should be connected to rapidly evolving events on the ground, the aspirations and needs of the Sudanese people, and a broader overall strategy to help restore the democratic transition in Sudan.
THE LETTER
Operation Broken Silence is again joining 100 NGOs, Sudanese activist leaders, and human rights experts in calling on the Biden Administration to impose targeted sanctions on the coup leaders. Our last letter was delivered in September 2022 and has received no response.
Read the letter and see the full list of signatories.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working next to our Sudanese partners on the ground for over a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why empowering local solutions in the oppressed Nuba Mountains region is our top priority.
Building clean water infrastructure goes beyond ensuring basic health needs. Clean water improves security by keeping people closer to the safety of their communities. It empowers women by putting time back into their day. And clean water means children can go to school instead of spending hours searching for dirty water.
We’re taking on this water project because we listened to the people living here and because no one else will serve them. The fastest way to help is to make a quick one-time donation online or setup a monthly gift.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give! These last few months of the year are the perfect time to fundraise.
Join The Renewal, our monthly giving family that never stops fighting for change.
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Water in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900