Genocide Intervention Network’s mission is to empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide.

Established in 2005, Genocide Intervention Network is mobilizing the first permanent anti-genocide constituency committed to stopping the worst atrocities around the world. It includes a worldwide coalition of investors, a national fellowship of local leaders across the United States and over 1,000 student chapters at colleges and high schools. The organization focuses on situations of genocide and mass atrocity, which we define as the systematic killing, severe torture or rape of civilians on a massive scale.

Genocide Intervention Network’s goals are ambitious, and mission is critical – they hold world leaders accountable for the commitments they’ve made to prevent genocide and develop targeted programs to impact the lives of those at risk of violence and mass atrocity. They work closely with policy experts, world leaders, and anti-genocide activists in the fight to prevent and end genocide.

The organization addresses the root cause of the world’s failure to stop genocides — the lack of political will — by creating an educated and empowered permanent anti-genocide constituency at the national scale. It is this constituent pressure that can make genocide prevention an important and relevant political priority for elected officials and policymakers.

Genocide Intervention Network has expanded its efforts beyond Darfur, to include conflict areas such as Burma, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Find out more at www.genocideintervention.net.

1-800-GENOCIDE : Leveraging Technology to Drive Activism

In 2007, Genocide Intervention Network (GI-NET) launched the anti-genocide hotline 1-800-GENOCIDE. Since then, the hotline has directly enabled nearly 30,000 callers to lobby their elected officials on important Darfur and Sudan-related initiatives. The hotline has been a critical tool in the fight to end the genocide in Darfur and bring peace to Sudan.

How it Works

Advocates call 1-800-GENOCIDE where they are asked to enter their zip code information. The caller is then presented with connection choices based upon their zip code, including the offices of their U.S. Representative, U.S. Senators and the White House. Once a selection is made, the caller receives customized talking points before being connected through to the elected official’s office. Callers can also be patched through to GI-NET if they have any questions or would like more information.

Benefits of the Hotline

All calls to the hotline can be effectively tracked.  This in turn strengthens our conversations with elected officials because we are able to directly demonstrate and account for constituent pressure. Additionally, we can re-activate previous callers for future initiatives. When urgent action is needed, we’re able to contact people who have taken action previously and offer them an opportunity to be connected with key elected officials for free.

In developing 1-800-GENOCIDE, GI-NET has created a streamlined mechanism for anti-genocide activists around the country to make their voices heard. As we have seen, these calls serve to empower activists, educate politicians and make effective calls for action from Congress and the Administration. The hotline is a powerful tool that directly enables constituents to build the political will necessary to prevent and stop genocide and mass atrocities.

The hotline played a direct role in the following successes:

• Successfully passed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act;
• Helped ensure adequate funding for the peacekeeping mission in Darfur; and
• Effectively encouraged the appointment of a Special Envoy for Sudan.

Endorsements

The hotline has been mentioned in publications such as the New York Times, People Magazine, and Time Magazine. It has also been mentioned on Larry King Live, MSNBC and CNN. Notable endorsers include Don Cheadle, Angelina Jolie, and Mia Farrow.