It is with great sadness that we report the death of our friend, John Akuach. John’s life was tragically taken when, this past Sunday evening, he was struck by a car while he walked in Juba, South Sudan. John was a person of character with much to offer his home country of Sudan; he had recently completed law school and was newly married.

John was a great friend to the Campaign. When, in March, Kou, Kait, and Robyn traveled to Kampala, Uganda on their way to Juba, John arranged nearly everything for their arrival, from hiring a driver to helping them to attain entry visas for Sudan. The visit would have been far more difficult without John’s assistance, and we had looked forward to seeing him again on future trips. John Akuach will be deeply missed, and our sympathies are with his family on this terrible loss.

Caroline, Kait, Kou, and John in Kampala Uganda in March (Photo taken by Robyn Skrebes)

For anyone who did not receive a copy of the fall 2008 newsletter in the mail, we are pleased to have it available here. 

Enjoy!

newsletter-fall-2008-small2

Thanks to everyone who came to see our photos from Sudan today! We had a great time and some wonderful food. Thanks also to Common Roots Cafe for hosting our group and for displaying the photos! 

In other news, our quarterly newsletter was sent out last week. In it, we talk about the recent accomplishments of the Save Yar Campaign and Child Protection International as well as our goals for the next several months. If you did not receive a copy of the newsletter and would like one, please email robyn@childprotectioninternational.org.

We are in the back room at Common Roots Cafe (2558 Lyndale Ave So. Minneapolis) from 3:00-6:00. Hope to see you there!

Please join us this Sunday to see photos from our trip to Sudan!

Who: You and your friends!

What: Photo Exhibit

When: Sunday November 9th, 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Where: Common Roots Cafe, 2558 Lyndale Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN

Why: To learn about our recent work, look at photos, and eat great local and organic food

See you Sunday!

Today is the one year anniversary of the tragic abduction of Yar and Ajak Mading from the home of their grandmother in Lillir, South Sudan. This month, of course, also marks the end of the first year of the Save Yar Campaign and Child Protection International. 

Though our original goal of recovering the girls has proven yet unattainable, it is amazing to think of all that we have accomplished and to think of how far we have come from the classroom in Blegan Hall where Kou and Dan implored the class to take this on as a class project. To recap:

• We traveled to Washington D.C., where we met with congressional representatives, NGOs, and against all odds, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir. 

• We engaged Minnesota legislators in ongoing discussions about ending child abduction. 

• We generated dozens of newspaper and magazine articles as well as radio segments which discussed the work of the campaign and global child protection. 

• We traveled to South Sudan where we had face to face meetings with local and international officials, and generated more interest in the case of Yar and Ajak and inter-tribal child abduction. 

• We shared our findings in a congressional briefing in Washington DC. 

• We generated a great deal of student and community engagement in response to child abduction, and raised tens of thousands of dollars to work toward an end to child abduction. 

Needless to say, this is only a short list of the work that we have done. 

This month, we will have photographs from our trip to Juba on display at Common Roots Café on Lyndale Ave/27th St. in Uptown. We will also be hosting an event there, to honor the one year anniversary of the girls’ abdusction, in a couple of weeks. Watch this site to find out the details. 

I want to take this opportunity to say that we could not have done any of this without our supporters. If you have been with us in the past thank you, thank you, and thank you! We would not have made it this far without you!

And, if you have not been a supporter in the past, but would like to be, you can get involved by emailing info@childprotectioninternational.org, or use the donate button to give through this site. 

Here’s to making it through one year and moving into another!

Post by: Robyn Skrebes

Tuesday September 30th at noon, Walter Mondale Law School Room 45. (Please note that I originally wrote that it was on October 1st in room 50- the new information is the correct information. I apologize for any confusion that this may have caused.)

We will be watching a slide show of photos from Juba, South Sudan and talking about the upcoming work of the Save Yar Campaign and Child Protection International. Lunch will be provided. 

And don’t forget to watch our partner blog for news about human rights and child protection: www.cpinternational.wordpress.com. 

See you Tuesday!

About: The 5th population census is one of the most important censuses in the history of Sudan. It is based on the comprehensive peace agreement. It provides hope for Sudanese people to build a new Sudan, with a fair share in power, resources, services and development. To achieve these goals a population census with high accuracy and a full coverage is a necessity. The aim of this paper is to record the efforts which have been under taken by the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Southern Sudan Commission for Statistics and Evaluation as well as the support that has been given by the Sudan Government of National Unity and the International community to make this required population census a reality.