MANIFESTO
Sunduq Al Sudan is an umbrella initiative to support mutual aid groups carrying out critical humanitarian work in response to the crisis in Sudan. The initiative was created by a diverse group of actors working outside Sudan inspired by the brave work done every day by tens of thousands of volunteers across the country and in response to the lack of international awareness and funding reaching Sudan. Sunduq Al Sudan will serve as a multifaceted platform powered by mutual aid, advocacy, artivism, and archiving that amplifies and connects localized grassroots and mutual aid groups on the ground with international relief efforts and support.
Sunduq Al Sudan is modeled after alsunduq, meaning “the box” in Arabic, a traditional and highly effective mutual aid mechanism popular across Sudan. This community savings account rotates between members and is especially popular amongst women-led households.
Sunduq Al Sudan will provide four types of support:
1. Raising funds and making connections for mutual aid efforts.
Sunduq Al Sudan collects funding from allies which will be distributed monthly to community-led initiatives on the ground in Sudan, with a new group profiled each month. You can donate to Sunduq Al Sudan through our Just Giving page, and soon by subscribing on Patreon. Through this rotating donation mechanism, we will highlight and amplify diverse initiatives in Sudan and feature local stories through various media (videos, photos, stories, documentation, etc). Simultaneously we will highlight and connect other relief efforts being carried out by diaspora initiatives funding local grassroots initiatives in Sudan. Working together means we can learn from each other and ensure support is being spread out geographically instead of concentrated in one area.
2. Archiving and sharing stories of the inspiring work being done to raise awareness now and for future generations.
As more and more initiatives get highlighted we will collect these stories into an open source platform as a form of radical archiving for future generations to understand this vital point in Sudan’s history. Coordination with Sudanese media efforts in the diaspora will be an important facet of this archiving and amplifying. This will be used as irrevocable proof of the efficiency of these mutual aid groups and the vital need to direct aid funding to them and to include them in conversations with international donors and NGOs as major stakeholders in any effort to rebuild the infrastructure of Sudan.
3. Advocating for the voices of youth and volunteer-led initiatives to be heard, and making connections with partners and allies around the world.
The mutual aid work in Sudan is part of a long history of struggle for peace and democracy in Sudan and is in dialogue with many other struggles for justice around the world. During the revolution that overthrew Omar al-Bashir, regular classes were held on global uprisings from Black Lives Matter (BLM), to Palestinian Resistance, to Syrian Mutual Aid groups which echoed similar themes of resistance and the factors of interference. However, this connection often seems missing from the conversations around Sudan, leaving its struggle isolated from other global south movements and conversations. A vital part of amplification and awareness building is to bring Sudan’s crisis into the same sphere of conversations as Palestine and others and connecting the people’s resistance efforts in intersectional solidarity.
4. Serving as a platform for artivism and creative activities to bring attention to the crisis in Sudan and the critical role of mutual aid.
Art has long been at the vanguard of positive change in Sudan. Sunduq Al Sudan is eager to provide a powerful platform for art that illuminates the incredible work being done by Sudanese on the ground as well as art that advocates for peace and provides hope for the future. Please get in touch if you are an artist who wants to make art for Sudan.
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As a community effort, we are eager to collaborate with new partners, allies, and groups in Sudan. Please contact us at sunduqalsudan@gmail.com to get involved. Or join the upcoming Sudan Solidarity Week! Visit sunduqalsudan.org for more details.