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.
Our Mission
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.
Why We Need a New Website
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.
How Our New Site Will Help Make the World Greener
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.
When the judges choose which non-profits will be selected to participate in this year's Challenge they will take into account testimonials from beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, board members and other
In my short tenure with Child Protection International, I have come to love the work that they do. It is a very focused organization that is working hard to fix a very serious problem in the Southern Sudan. Every year, countless numbers of children are abducted from their families in Southern Sudan, often violently. The children are treated as commodities more than anything else by their abductors. It is great to see an organization has identified the problem and has also taken that important next step: ACTION!
Corey (volunteer)
CPI is a great organization comprised of amazing volunteers coming from many different fields. I think a website would really amplify the reach of CPI's work and allow them to share their mission with people all over the world. The situation in Southern Sudan continues to worsen every day putting children at a great risk of abduction and affecting the lives of many. Please support CPI's work by providing them with a new website!
Kori, volunteer
CPI has given me the best experience I have ever had as a volunteer. I have learned more, been allowed to do more and felt more like I really could make a mark on the world we live in. CPI is a group of passionate and caring people. Even with a small group, the organization has made great strides toward addressing child abduction in Southern Sudan, such as meeting with government officials like UN Rapporteur Sima Samar, a meeting I got to be involved in! I know CPI has the potential to become a bigger and even more influential organization. A resource such as a new website is essential to allowing this organization to grow and reach its full potential. I cannot think of a better organization to be awarded a new website!
Kaela, volunteer
This is an organization that was created entirely by students who developed an interest and concern about children's rights. The project started when 2 children, nieces of a student, were abducted in Southern Sudan. Since that fall 2007, students have used their passion and skills to advocate for the rights of children in Sudan and other parts of the world. I believe the organization can build an international following if it uses the internet wisely. This is the cutting edge of human rights advocacy. Your help is critical to carry out this vision.
Barbara Frey, faculty advisor
I have watched this organization grow from a few concerned students into one that includes a number of highly committed current and former students and community members volunteering countless hours to raise the issue of child abduction, not just in Sudan, but around the world. The group has met with the President of Southern Sudan, a United Nations expert on Sudan, United States Congressional representatives, and numerous nongovernmental representatives in Sudan and in the United States – all in an attempt to shed light on a critical problem and to develop concrete steps to address the issue.
An enhanced web presence will enable the group to more effectively share information, network with colleagues, educate the general public, and conduct advocacy campaigns. At a time when human rights advocates are increasingly using electronic media to do their work, I can think of no better deserving group to receive this award.
Rochelle Hammer, Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota (where CPI initially formed)
I started working for Child Protection International as a naive second year student at the University of Minnesota. I had zero experience working in the human rights and non-profit sectors and had no clue to what was happening in Southern Sudan. CPI opened my eyes and has inspired me to pursue a career in human rights. This organization is completely volunteer and its members are dedicated and passionate to protecting child rights around the world. The members and volunteers have offered countless hours of their time to helping bring awareness to, and end child abductions in Southern Sudan. I am proud to work with CPI and will continue giving my time as long as child abductions and human rights violations continue in Sudan.
With a strong web presence CPI can continue their mission and start inspiring other students to get involved in human rights advocacy around the United States and the world.
Nora, volunteer.
Child Protection International (CPI) is a wonderful organization. I have worked with many Student instigated NGOs in the past couple of years and CPI is by far the best. The volunteers are motivated, intelligent, inspiring and effective. They are making progress on combating child abductions in Sudan even against such vast odds.
CPI has many challanges, including difficulties with its website, but despite all of these it continues to progress and make a difference in this world.
Amie, volunteer
Child Protection International is an organization unlike any I have been a part of. The amount of passion and motivation that the volunteers have is great and it allows them to do good things and make connections with people spanning the globe. CPI works to create tangible solutions for problems, like child abduction in Sudan. CPI also gives students and other volunteers the opportunity to engage in real world experiences that they can apply to the rest of their lives. That being said, with a better website, CPI will be better able to use electronic media to promote its cause and further its work in Sudan and at home.
Matt, volunteer
When I joined the CPI volunteer force this last semester I was immediately excited and impressed. The passion and commitment of this group is truly extraordinary. I have continued to be amazed by the foresight of the leadership and the group's ambition to take on intimidating projects in hopes of creating a voice for children and families in Sudan. Founded on compassion, CPI has carried this trait into its work. On top of that, these people are smart, motivated, and resourceful in the face of a big challenge.
Its essential that CPI is able to fully employ the web to its advantage. An improved website could help this incredible organization realize its potential: for itself and for those it works to help!
Sadie, volunteer
CPI is a young organization where student are doing something wonderful what will change live children in Southern Sudan. That process will take some time but someone should made the first step and started action which give a chances for better live thousands children in Sudan. Students from CPI are doing that and they had a lot energy and passions to accomplish they project. I join CPI when I heard from UMN Professor Barbara Frey what a challenging goal do they have to complete. When I heard story about they project concerning “birth registration” I was impress. It will be not easy looking for Sudan infrastructure, environment and political situation, but with support one the most powerful media as is internet nowadays and by creating web page via which thousands of peoples will get news about that action final success will be very close … .
Gregory Lewocki (Polish Department of Justice) - Humphrey Fellow 2009 -2010 UMN Law School
CPI is an organization powered almost entirely by the passion of the individual members. The enormity of these issues does not escape us but we see the potential to make change, even though we are so removed from Sudan. One of the greatest assets to our organization is the internet. We are a group of students in Minnesota trying to support people, the majority of us have never met, halfway across the world. That span is made smaller by the internet. With a strong web presence we can continue to grow, both here in MN and around the world.
Allison, volunteer
As a teacher for 33 years I always knew that one of the most important tools we could give our students was the personal courage and skills to tackle important problems - to make a real difference in the world. CPI is just such an effort. It is giving University students an organization for them to work on serious problems in the world seeking real solutions. In any such effort in this era the internet is one essential tool. It levels the playing field so that from anywhere in the world it is possible to assist in this work. It will also be a world-wide presence that could very possibly be found by people in dire circumstances and by others seeking a way to solve the same problems that CPI is focused upon. These links are invaluable.
Paul Rogne - Retired teacher of Government and Psychology, Anoka High School, MN
I have been a part of Child Protection International (CPI) from the start. In the beginning, we were just a group of students in a human rights class who took on a challenge—to find two girls hidden in the deserts of Sub-Saharan Africa, and uncover the roots of child abduction in (scarcely) post-conflict Southern Sudan. Over the past two and a half years, we have grown into an international advocacy organization with expertise and skills that have enabled us to make a positive impact on human rights in East Africa.
Since its early days as a semester-long class project, CPI has not only continued, but has grown and flourished. Members of CPI have overcome the challenges that are inherent in developing a non-profit—operating on a shoestring budget, coping with nearly non-existent staff capacity, and proving the value of a new organization—and have furthermore succeeded in becoming international human rights advocates in a post-conflict, severely under-developed, semi-autonomous country. CPI created some of the earliest publicly-available advocacy materials on inter-communal child abduction in Southern Sudan, and has made this otherwise obscure topic comprehensible and accessible.
Since 2007, CPI has built a team of volunteer-staff which currently includes students from the University of Minnesota as well as Twin Cities community members. Staff members of have done phenomenal work; this is evidenced by the fact that they have gained audiences with high level officials of Southern Sudan, the United States, and the United Nations. Notably, Child Protection International staff members have had conversations with, among others, President Salva Kiir of Southern Sudan, former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Richard Williamson, and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Sudan Sima Samar.
A new website would be a huge asset to the work of Child Protection International. With a new website, CPI would be able to bring in more volunteers, offer better educational tools and reports, and engage more effectively with organizations on the ground in Southern Sudan. CPI could also look more seriously into expanding its work beyond Southern Sudan to other under-scrutinized issues of children’s rights.
Robyn Skrebes, Outgoing Director, Current Steering Committee Member
