About Us

Who is i-ACT?

Mission

i-ACT empowers individuals within communities, institutions, and governments to take personal responsibility to act on behalf of those affected by genocide, mass atrocities, and crimes against humanity. i-ACT is a global team dedicated to putting a face on the numbers of dead, dying, and displaced while creating mutually enriching relationships between those in danger and those willing and able to act, fostering a new culture of participation.

i-ACT, a South Bay-based grassroots organization, combines innovative technology with personal connection to help victims of mass atrocities and crimes against humanity.  i-ACT goes beyond reporting on the current situation of victimized populations by putting a face and a voice to the numbers, creating a venue for advocacy and on-the-ground change.

i-ACT officially became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2009.  Previously, it had existed as a portion of Stop Genocide Now, which was founded in 2005 by Gabriel Stauring and Rachel Veerman.  The two organizations branched off into separate directions as i-ACT became involved in more projects focused on humanitarian aid, education, and technology.   i-ACT is the only group from the United States that consistently returns to the Darfuri refugee camps in Eastern Chad, and is widely acknowledged as the expert organization.

Nearing the end of 2011, i-ACT is now a team of four full-time staff members and 12 volunteers from all walks of life – including community organizers, software engineers, psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and graphic artists.

Accomplishments

  • Visiting the refugee camps in Eastern Chad 10 times since 2005.  The personal relationships with the refugees is i-ACT’s most treasured accomplishment.  i-ACT has friends in camps Djabal, Goz Amer, Kounoungo, Mile, Oure Cassoni, and Farchana.
  • Installing two CommKits (a backpack that includes a laptop, satellite modem, camera, and solar-powered charging unit) in Camps Djabal and Goz Amer, and developing a unique social network connecting refugee schools to students in the United States.
  • Partnering with Darfur Dream Team to improve the quality of education, build schools in the camps, and ensure that funds are utilized to make on-the-ground improvements such as putting desks, materials, and floors in classrooms – and roofs on top.
  • Facilitating conversations between the refugees and powerful advocates such as The Nobel Women’s Initiative, John Prendergast, and celebrity humanitarians Mia Farrow and Angelina Jolie.  i-ACT is the only organization to hold live-streamed events from a Darfuri refugee camp, including a 4-hour World Refugee Day event, School Assembly, and Town Hall.
  • Building the world’s largest resource of documentary footage of Darfuri refugees, and providing it for use to advocates, educators, documentarists, and students around the world.View i-ACT’s financial information here.