CUSAMS

Who We Are

        We are CU·SAMS, a student abolitionist organization affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder. In the fall of 2008, a group of like-minded students driven by love and justice, came together to bring the modern abolitionist struggle to the University of Colorado and the city of Boulder.

        We have looked at the facts, read the stories, seen the plight of the 27 million people currently enslaved in our world today, and have decided to do something about it.

        We believe that ending slavery should be the forefront social issue in our society. We believe that freedom is a right, and using our role as students, we can help bring slavery to an end.

What We Do

From Awareness to Action

        Through our own initiatives, and by partnering with others on campus and non-profit organizations, we seek to fight modern slavery and human trafficking by creating a large, influential abolitionist movement at the University of Colorado and in the city of Boulder at large.

We seek to do this by:

» Educating students and the public and raising awareness of the existence of slavery in our world, nation, and backyard.

» Raising funds to support the organizations and people working on the front-lines of the battle against slavery.

» Encouraging social and political action against slavery in our homes, schools, cities, and governments, by connecting everyday people to the resources they need to make a difference.

A Brief History

        In the fall of 2008, a group of six like-minded students, driven by love and a passion for justice, came together to bring the modern abolitionist struggle to the University of Colorado and the city of Boulder. They looked at the facts, read the stories, saw the plight of the 27 million people currently enslaved in our world today, and decided to do something about it. CUSAMS still holds to the beliefs of this core group of students- that ending slavery should be a forefront social issue in our society, that freedom is a right, and that using our role as students, we can help bring justice to the issue by advocating for those who cannot speak for themselves.

        Over the past two years, CUSAMS' membership has expanded beyond the original six to a network of over 260 students, professors, community members, and partners in the abolition movement.

        Student leaders were invited to meet with Cambodian Opposition Party leader and abolitionist, Mu Sochua, and were nominated to attend the Colorado Student Leadership Forum in Denver in May of '09. Our events over the past two years have received attention from student abolitionists across the country and have been reported on by the Colorado Daily and the CU Independent (on multiple occasions).

CUSAMS has also been extremely priviledged to partner with

Brad Riley of iEmpathize;

David Batstone and Pam Harvey of Not for Sale;

International Justice Mission;

Boulder's own human rights attorney and anti-slavery activist, Beth Klein;

John Buchner with Colorado's Mercy Project;

Claude D'estree and University of Denver's Human Trafficking Clinic

and several other frontliners.

Alive and thriving, CUSAMS is entering the Fall 2011 semester with as much passion and enthusiasm as we began with.