Photo: AFOLABI SOTUNDE/Corbis.Back in April, an armed Islamist group called Boko Haram abducted over 200 Nigerian girls. Estimates today report that the number of girls is closer to 300. This week, the United States deployed FBI agents to aid in the search, but more and more pro-active citizens on the home front are looking for ways to help.
Calls to action are, on one hand, small when compared to the larger issue at stake. But, small things add up. Over a million people have already joined the #BringBackOurGirls campaign on Twitter. The Human Rights Watch told ABC News: "The campaign has helped to galvanize action within the country and has raised tremendous international media attention." #BringBackOutGirls has become a symbol for the anger and progress in preventing history from repeating itself. "Our immediate concern is getting the abducted girls home safely as soon as possible," the CEO and president of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF said, "and caring for them in the aftermath of this trauma." UNICEF has urged those who care to chime in for change to use the hashtag.
There are other ways of making a difference, as well. A petition calling world leaders to action has almost met its goal on change.org. The End Military Use of Schools campaign is asking teachers and students to press governments to respect human rights standards. Even calling, writing, or e-mailing your government officials urging them to put pressure on Nigeria to search for the girls and improve educational safety can help.
Staying informed is key, though. The Global Coalition has created a succinct summary of education injustices over the last five years. There is also an interactive map highlighting the same thing. And, if that's not enough, The Human Rights watch has compiled an in-depth report highlighting what's happening, how it affects the rest of the world, and, more importantly, how anyone can help. Stay educated, stay informed, and chime in. A Tweet might not seem like much, but it makes the call to action scream louder than before. (ABC News)
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