Stand Up for Zimbabwe

Organise an event

HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR “STAND UP (FOR) ZIMBABWE” EVENT

The day in a nutshell:
People and organizations around the world are called upon to “Stand up (for) Zimbabwe”, by planning and participating in activities  that seek to show solidarity with those Zimbabweans affected by post-election violence. We ask that you plan your actions for around the week of the 25 May 2008, a day traditionally commemorated as Africa Day.
 
The theme
The theme of the international day of action for Zimbabwe is “Stand up (for) Zimbabwe” to highlight that people of the region and the world over are standing up and with the people of Zimbabwe in their desire for an end to organised, systematic political violence that is so much a part of their lives and a democratic, peaceful transition of government. 
 
Useful materials and news items can be downloaded from the materials webpage. You can also register your activities on this website.
 
Before the event:
 
  1. You or your organization may want to think about what type of activity/event is most suitable to organize. You may organise or participate in a protest outside the nearest Embassy of Zimbabwe or assemble outside the nearest African Union or United Nations offices. It may be, for example, that you organize your local church congregation to stand and observe a few minutes silence in solidarity with or offer a special prayer for those affected by the violence in Zimbabwe.
  2. Before the event you should contact local media to inform them of the day of action, where and when it is taking place, and give them contact information if they need further information. You may want to do this as a press advisory.
  3. You may want to focus on the following messages when communicating with the press and others:
a.       the people of the world stand with Zimbabweans in their desire for a peaceful democratic transition
b.      the people of Africa and the world call on their governments, the  Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations to take effective action to ensure an end to the political violence in Zimbabwe and resolve the country’s longstanding governance crisis.
 
                                  
Depending on your resources, you could also contact organisers of other public events to be held in local stadiums, arenas and other public venues to ask those gathering to stand up at the specific time. 
 
On 25 May
  1. We call on people from around the world to literally stand up at a scheduled time and observe a few minutes silence. If you have a banner, buttons or T-shirts, ensure they are visible. It would be ideal if the protestors were standing up in a place that is usually reserved for sitting, for example a stadium. But it need not be. 
  2. You should appoint someone to take photographs of the people standing or taking other action.
  3. The photographs should be distributed to the local media as soon as possible after the event and posted on this website.
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