Child Protection International (CPI) began in response to one incident in a remote town of Southern Sudan. In October 2007, University of Minnesota graduate student Gabriel Kou Solomon learned that his two nieces, Yar and Ajak Mading were violently abducted by armed men during a cattle raid on their village.Students affiliated with the Human Rights Program at the University of Minnesota joined together to advocate for the rescue of the two girls by launching the "Save Yar Campaign". While the girls have not yet been found the campaign has grown into an international NGO, Child Protection International (CPI). CPI works to bring attention to the global problems of child abduction, trafficking, and exploitation. CPI's advocacy for improving the security of children emphasizes: 1. Accountability: Holding governmental bodies accountable for the protection of child rights. 2. Awareness: Informing international and local actors about our research on child abduction patterns and child rights. 3. Development: Acknowledging that conflict and poverty are aggravating factors in child abduction, we advocate for development assistance for the affected communities. Robyn Skrebes Our 501c3 status has been pending since June 2008, and it is very likely that we will be able to provide the necessary paperwork before March. Furthermore, our fiscal agent, the Human Rights Program at the University of Minnesota will provide information on their tax exempt status as soon as possible. As mentioned above, our pending paperwork has been sent to Mark Malmberg for review. Minneapolis 2010-01-07T21:57:28Z 2010-01-07T21:39:18Z Kori Tudor All staff members are volunteers and space and supplies are donated by the Human Rights Program and other supporters. Therefore annual expenses are 0. 612-626-2242 Currently our organization is forced to use paper filing systems for important documents because the website does not provide an efficient organizational of documenting information and publishing reports. In addition, our advocacy campaigns thus far have been postcard campaigns rather than online petitions that will save in paper and are more easily accessible to a larger audience. A new website will give us the opportunity to eliminate all paper waste with the creation of a logical and functional information database as well as electronic advocacy methods. Moreover, these positive steps toward sustainability will be transmitted to start up community based organizations in Southern Sudan who use our website as a tool. 45 It is nonexistent. CPI's work revolves around education, advocacy and awareness both locally, nationally and internationally. A strong web presence is necessary for the effectiveness and widespread impact of our mission. Currently our website is an intimidating heap of information that is not user friendly, overwhelming and extremely difficult to navigate. Most people visit the website, get empowered by our story but don't know what to do next. We do not have the capability or capital to redesign the website. Another issue we are faced with is the inability to easily update and make changes to the website, which prevents us from keeping our supporters connected with the constantly evolving situation in Southern Sudan. A new website will allow us to accomplish the following: 1. Making our website easily accessible and user friendly, will allow for more efficient dissemination of information to our international partners, with which our only contact is through internet. This will aid in our main objectives of education and awareness, while also providing our volunteers with a sense of connectedness to the mission and the families and children affected by child abductions. 2. As a solely volunteer organization an interactive website with clear "take action" initiatives will allow for first time visitors to feel empowered, connected and involved with our mission. This is crucial to successfully fulfill our advocacy efforts by immediately engaging interested supporters through campaigns, blogs, social media etc. 3.A functional website will allow us to develop a widespread network of concerned citizens locally and abroad, who will be the voices of our mission and of the children who are unable to speak for their rights. 4.An important aspect of our website is the resource library which provides ample information for community based organizations within Southern Sudan as well as our national and international partners working on child rights issues. A system that provides easy access and organization to this mound of information will allow for supporters, universities, international organizations, volunteers etc to use these resources not only as educational material but as tangible tools for change. 5. A new website will provide a functional and secure option for supporters to make contributions and support our work. /system/logos/45/normal/CPI_Logo.JPG?1262901415 image/jpeg CPI_Logo.JPG 93517 2010-01-07T21:56:55Z Mission: Child Protection International works to end systematic child abduction and address its root causes. Our organization is guided by international human rights standards including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its affirmation of a child's rights to not be separated from his or her parents against their will nor deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily; to preserve his or her identity, nationality, name and family relations without unlawful interference; and to be protected from sexual and economic exploitation. In accordance with the Convention, we hold states accountable for undertaking all appropriate measures to implement children's rights and to prevent the abduction of, the sale of, or trafficking of children for any purpose or in any form. Child Protection International (CPI) 763-232-6000 Our annual revenue is below 500 USD, and we don't qualify for an audit yet. true true MN 214 Social Sciences, 267 19th Ave S We are in the process of recieving our 501c3. Our pending paperwork has been sent to Mark Malmberg. 2010-01-11T21:06:27Z http://www.childprotectioninternational.org 55455