HIGHLIGHTSFROMTHE2012YEAR‐ENDDIASPORAENGAGEMENTPROGRAM
VoicesforSudan(VFS)hostedkeyDiasporaleadersandindividualsfromacrossSudanforayear‐endgatheringDecember17‐18,2012inWashington,D.C.Activitiesincludedtrainingworkshopson
advocacytechniquesandcommunications,brainstormingandreflectiononissuesofimportancetotheDiaspora,dialoguewiththeadvocacycommunityandpublicpolicymakers,andanappreciationdinner.
ParticipantsintheVFStrainingsand/oradvocacymeetingswere:AbdallahBabikir,BlueNileAssociation;AmirLibiss,SudaneseAmericanPublicAffairsAssociation(SAPAA);ElmontasirMohamed,
SudaneseAmericanPublicAffairsAssociation(SAPAA),HawaAbdallahMohammedSalih,DarfuractivistandrecipientoftheSecretaryofState’s2012InternationalWomenofCourage;KhalidGerais,NubiaProject;MiassAbdelaziz,SudanHumanRightsNetwork;RebeccaDeng,Diasporaactivist;plusJimmy
Mulla,presidentandco‐founderofVFSandBabikirBabiki,VFSprogramassistant.
Thisyear‐endeventwasafollow‐uptoadialogueinitiatedbyVFSinFebruary2012,whentheDiasporawasengagedinasimilardiscussionofimportantissues.ThedialogueinitiativewithpolicymakersandtheadvocacycommunityhasnowbecomeapartoftheVFSeducationprogram,whichiscenteredon
connectingtheDiasporacommunitywithpolicymakersandSudanesedelegations.ThroughVFS,theDiasporahasinvitedandhostedanumberofvisitingdelegationsinWashington,DC.
December17‐TrainingWorkshopsforSudanAdvocates
PattonBoggs,aninternationallawfirmthathasevolvedintobeingthenation’sleadingpublicpolicylawfirm,generouslyhostedtheVFSworkshopsforSudanadvocatesattheirWashington,D.C.headquarters.
Inpreparationforthenextday’smeetingswithgovernmentofficialsandlawmakers,PattonBoggspartnerRussellV.Randlepresentedthetrainingonadvocacy,coveringsuchtopicsashavingbothfacts
andarationaleforwhyapolicymakershouldcareabouttheissue,thenatureof“lifeontheHill”,wheremeetingscantakeplace–fromasit‐downwithastaffmembertoaone‐minutewalkinthehallwithalawmaker,andtheimportanceofcorrectetiquetteandfollow‐up.
VFSalsoappreciatesthesubstantivecontributionstothistrainingmadebyVFSboardmemberRichard
Parkins,DirectorofAmericanFriendsoftheEpiscopalChurchofSudan(AFRECS),whocoordinatedtheprogramwithPattonBoggsandmademanysubstantivecontributionstotheworkshop.
PauletteLee,APR,alsoaVFSboardmemberandaninternationalcommunicationsspecialist,gaveatrainingon“Integrating‘NewMedia’intoEffectiveCommunications”.Thisnon‐technicalpresentation
andlivelydiscussionfocusedonhow"newmedia"ingeneral,and"socialmedia"specifically,canbeincorporatedintostrategiccommunicationsplanningtostrengthenpublicrelationsandadvocacyefforts.
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TrainingatPattonBoggs:above,lefttoright:AbdallahBakikir,ElmontasirMohamed,AmirLibiss,JimmyMulla,RichardParkins,RebeccaDeng,KhalidGrais,MiassAbdelaziz.
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December18–MeetingswithPolicymakers
Afive‐memberdelegationmetwithStateDepartmentofficials,andsixSudaneseactivistsmetwithCongressionalstafferstoemphasizetheneedforacomprehensiveU.S‐Sudanpolicy,urgehumanitarian
aidforthestarvingSudaneseciviliansintheNubaMountains/SouthKordofanandBlueNileState,andstresstheneedforcivilianprotectionandunfetteredinternationalaidinDarfur.
AttheStateDepartment,above,lefttoright:AbdallahBabikir;HawaSaleh;JimmyMulla;LarryAndre,Director,OfficeoftheSpecialEnvoyforSudanandSouthSudan;BabikirBabiki;JessicaHuaracayo,
SeniorSouthSudanDeskOfficer;AmirLibiss.
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OntheHillbelow,lefttoright:AbdallaBabikir,AmrLibiss,,JimmyMulla,BabikirBabiki,CongresswomanKarenBass(D‐CA,chairoftheBlackCongressionalCaucus),HawaAbdalla,Miass
Abdelaziz.
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OntheHill,atleft,lefttoright:BabikirBabiki,AmrLibiss,HawaAbdalla,ChristinaTsafouliasaideto
CongressmanMichaelCapuano(D‐MA),co‐chair,SudanCaucus,MiassAbdelaziz,JimmyMulla,Abdallah
Babikir.
AtUSAID,lefttoright:MiassAbdelaziz;AmrLibiss;HawaAbdalla;AngelaStephens,DevelopmentOutreachandCommunications
Officer,OfficeofSudanandSouthSudanPrograms/AfricaBureau,USAgencyforInternationalDevelopment;JimmyMulla,
BabikirBabiki,AbdallahBabikir.
December18–Year‐EndAppreciationDinner
Thetwo‐day,VFSyear‐endeventculminatedwithanappreciation
dinnerattheD.C.officesoftheAmericanJewishWorldService(AJWS),attendedbyAmbassador
PrincetonLyman,U.S.SpecialEnvoytoSudanandSouthSudan(picturedatright,seated,thirdfromleft).
AmbassadorLymanbriefedthegatheringonU.S.diplomaticeffortsvisàvistheSudans,thepoliticalclimate
invariousregionsofSudanandSouthSudan,andAfricanUnionmediationeffortsinAddisAbaba,Ethiopia.
VSFpresidentJimmyMullathankedtheU.Scareerdiplomatforhistirelesseffortsintryingtobringpeacetotheregion,andforhispresenceatthedinner.Mr.Mullaalsoextendedhisprofoundthanksto
IanSchwab,AssociateDirectorofAdvocacyatAJWS,formakingthearrangementstohosttheevent,andtotheattendees,whoweretreatedtoSudanesecuisineandotherdelicacies.ThedinnerwaspartofVFS’ongoingeffortstoshowappreciationforitsmanyfriendswhocontinuetosupportthe
organization’smissionandgoals.
Best wishes from all of us at VFS for a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2013!
JimmyMullaPresident&Co‐Founder
VoicesforSudanInc.Telephone202‐440‐5392
E‐mail‐[email protected]
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