Promoting the introduction of a new product or service is a challenge for any PR professional. But how does one go about promoting awareness of an ongoing genocide in a
distant country? For the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), a key mission of its inter-congregational communications has been raising awareness about the ongoing
crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, where an estimated 400,000 black Africans have been killed and approximately two million have been driven from the homes during the past
three years by Arab Janjaweed militias, acting at the behalf of the Sudanese government.
According to Janet Hayes, UUA information officer, the decision to focus on Darfur came from the top. "This is a personal commitment from Rev. William G. Sinkford, the UUA
president," says Hayes. "He is an African-American leading a historically white congregation. He made racial justice a priority."
The first part of the UUA's PR campaign was digital: Darfur-related stories were prominently featured on the UUA Web site and communications was distributed to electronic
listserv channels targeting Unitarian-Universalist ministers and social activists. "We were reaching out to the activists in the individual congregations - most congregations
have a social activist committee," says Hayes.
Rev. Sinkford made numerous personal appeals, visiting several Unitarian-Universalist congregations each month. His primary message was to alert parishioners to the "Million
Voices for Darfur" campaign, which is coordinated by the nonprofit Save Darfur Coalition with the goal of gathering one million postcards to be delivered to the Congress at
a Washington rally on April 30.
Hayes reports the reaction among the congregations has been "overwhelming" and she notes many parishioners were getting their first true understanding of the Darfur genocide
via the UUA's efforts.
Contact: Janet Hayes, [email protected].