Stand up for Zimbabwe

Stand up (for) Zimbabwe Campaign

Concept for “Stand Up (for) Zimbabwe” Day

The 25 May is commemorated annually as Africa Day, recalling the founding of the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union, in 1963. Flowing from the communiqué issued by the African Civil Society Meeting held in Dar es Salaam in April 2008, we ask concerned organizations regionally and internationally to commemorate Africa Day, Sunday 25 May 2008, as one on which to show solidarity for the people of Zimbabwe - a "Stand Up (For) Zimbabwe" Day.

Although the concept originates with a group of southern Africa-based NGO's, concerned for issues of democracy and human rights, in Zimbabwe, it is intended that people all over the world build on this concept and that the "Stand Up For Zimbabwe" campaign have varied and multiple dimensions, not controlled or explicitly coordinated by the originating organizations.

It is thus envisaged that on this day there would, for example, be protests and assemblies outside offices of the Zimbabwean government, like embassies; outside offices of SADC, the AU and the UN calling for stronger action; outside offices of those individual governments which have roles to play in resolving the crisis (specifically southern African governments). All such protests and assemblies might be marked, for example, by a few minutes silence in which all those assembled stand in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe.

But the campaign can also be carried out through other activities: through asking congregations assembled at places of worship to rise and stand in solidarity with those beaten, tortured and killed in the post-election violence in Zimbabwe; by asking those gathered to watch sporting events to do the same.

HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR "STAND UP (FOR) ZIMBABWE" ACTIVITIES FOR 25 MAY 2008

The day in a nutshell:
We are asking organizations and people from around the world to "Stand up (for) Zimbabwe", by planning and participating in a series of activities around the African continent and the world that seek to show solidarity with those Zimbabweans impacted by the escalating post-election violence. We ask that you plan these events to around the week of the 25 May 2008, a day traditionally commemorated as Africa Day, being the day on which the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) was founded.

The theme
The theme of the International Day of Action is "Stand up (for) Zimbabwe" to highlight that the people of the region and the world are standing up and with the people of Zimbabwe in their desire for a democratic, peaceful transition of government and an end to the violence that is so much part of their lives.

Useful materials and news items can be downloaded from the www.standupforZimbabwe.org [1] webpage, currently under development and available here: www.standupforZimbabwe.org [2]. You can also register your activities on the website.

Before the event:

1. Your organization will want to think about what type of activity/event is most suitable for it to plan and organize. You may want to plan a protest outside the nearest Embassy of Zimbabwe or an assembly outside the nearest African Union offices. It may be that you organize for your local church congregation to stand and observe a few minutes silence in solidarity with those affected by the violence in Zimbabwe.
2. Before the event your organization should contact relevant media outlets to inform them of the day of action, where and when it is taking place, and contact information if they need further information. You may want to do this as a press advisory. Your organization may want to focus on the following messages when communicating with the press and others:
3. a. the people of the world stand with Zimbabweans in their desire for a peaceful democratic transition
   b. the people of the world/Africa call on their government, the AU/SADC/UN to:
   -- ensure an end to the crippling violence in Zimbabwe
   -- resolve the governance crisis in Zimbabwe

We will also be creating a central website, www.standupforZimbabwe.org [3], where you can find further information regarding the day of action including materials to distribute, contact information of organizations in other countries coordinating similar protests.

Depending on your resources, you could also reach out to stadiums and arenas which are planning on holding events to ask the audience 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 (hopefully) masses of people standing
3. The photographs should be distributed to the local press soon after the event and posted on www.standupforZimbabwe.org [4]