Canalblog
Editer l'article Suivre ce blog Administration + Créer mon blog
Publicité
Sarah in Paris
13 juin 2009

Invisible Children...

Dear Everyone,

I had no idea about the following, had never heard of Invisible Children Inc, nor the film. I knew of course about the child soldiers in Africa, but not to this extent. I only heard of this on Wednesday evening. Nicole's friend Jenna told her about it and had wanted to help....don't we all...but where to start? It's back to the age old problem of who to help on this planet of inequality, and then how. how does one decide who deserves our cash and who doesn't. how do we select? I guess the most important thing is to make a difference somewhere. It doesn't really matter where. Children are children wherever we cuddle them. Roumania, Uganda, Madagascar...

From Wikipedia:

"Invisible Children: The Rough Cut is a film about the plight of child soldiers and night commuters in northern Uganda. The documentary was filmed in 2003 when three young men from Southern California—Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole (then 24, 21, and 20, respectively)—traveled to Sudan "to find a story".

Instead, their adventure took them into the depths of northern Uganda where they discovered thousands of people affected by the brutality and attacks of a rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The documentary chronicles their experience as young Americans learning firsthand about a conflict largely unknown to the international community, while also informing audiences about the great humanitarian crisis of child soldiers.

The film was screened for the first time on June 22, 2004 at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego to friends and family of the filmmakers. Soon after, students across the United States were passing along DVDs of the documentary and wanted to know how to help the children in northern Uganda.

Out of the overwhelming public response, the filmmakers co-founded the nonprofit Invisible Children Inc. – an awareness and development organization.

Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole remain instrumental in the success and creativity of the nonprofit and are currently working on the feature film, tentatively scheduled to release in theaters in 2009."

The below article comes from The Mirror of Drury University and was printed in 2007.

Saving the invisible children of Uganda

Catie Gillette

Issue date: 3/12/07 

Americans in protest of the social injustices currently taking place in Uganda will once again participate in

Americans in protest of the social injustices currently taking place in Uganda will once again participate in "Deplace Me.," a program organized by Invisible Children, Inc. on April 28.

In northern Uganda, children often called "night commuters," as young as six years old cram themselves into a broken-down hospital and search for a spot to sleep for the night. They walk numerous miles each night trying to find shelters to avoid abduction by the Lord's Resistance Army.

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group, was formed in 1987 in Northern Uganda and Sudan. They are rebelling against the Ugandan government because they wish to establish a state based on their leader's interpretation of the Acholi religion and Premillenialism (a Christian eschatology that believes that Jesus Christ will reign for 1,000 years on Earth during his second coming.)

Their origin is traced back to Alice Lakwena in the 1980's, who believed that the Holy Spirit had spoken to her and ordered her to overthrow the Ugandan government. After her death, Joseph Koney claimed to be her cousin, took over the rebel army and cultivated it into the LRA. The LRA has been accused of widespread human-rights violations, including the abduction of civilians, use of children soilders, torture, murder, rape and mutilation.

But these children are not going unnoticed. Last April, more than 80,000 Americans nationwide traveled to their inner-city districts to sleep outside in the name of these children, who number in the thousands. Invisible Children Inc. is the non-profit organization that has organized events to raise awareness about the children in Uganda.

Invisible Children began when three college filmmakers from San Diego filmed a documentary about the thousands of people displaced in Uganda. They interviewed men, women and children about their fight to survive against the insurgency of the Lord's Resistance Army.

After creating the documentary, Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole and Jason Russell, also created a nonprofit organization under the same name. This organization raises awareness not only about the displaced people in Uganda but also how people in the United States can help.

Two months after Invisible Children's Global Night Commute event last year, peace talks in northern Uganda ensued and the rebel activities and child abductions have decreased. Children had been abducted because they were the easiest people to brainwash into joining the LRA forces. The LRA would often use fear, abuse and threats to force the children to fight for them. Night commuting by the children in Uganda has also declined.

Still, the ongoing war is disrupting life in the African country. More than 1.8 million Ugandans were evicted from their homes and transported to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. According to the U.S. Department of State, these camps which have been in existence for over ten years, lack adequate food and water, sanitation and any form of education. Also, the displaced Ugandans are fighting alcoholism, sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS and the immeasurable damage to the culture and people of Acholiland, Uganda.

The Potter's House, a Christian coffeehouse across from Missouri State University, had hosted Invisible Children Inc. as a part of their educational video tour. Invisible Children Inc. showed their film in the Plaster Student Union and then later showed their merchandise and answered questions for students at the Potter's House.

"I believe college students have an incredible heart for responding to needs of hurting people around the world. I further believe that when they are exposed to a variety of needs, locally, nationally and internationally, they can and will respond with their time and money," said Steve Proffitt, the director of the Potter's House organization. "Perhaps just one student may see the need and respond. Maybe that one student can make a difference. I believe this generation has, within itself, the ability and resources to stop the oppression of innocent victims wherever they are found."

On April 28, Americans can take part in Displace Me, an event organized by Invisible Children. There will be fifteen strategic locations determined by Invisible Children Inc. announced at a later date. By gathering overnight, Americans hope to send a message to the U.S. government that they care about the suffering of millions of people living in Uganda's displaced camps.

While Drury's student chapter of Amnesty International is not working with Invisible Children directly, it will be hosting a National Week of Student Action whose theme is "Action in Darfur."

"Given that displaced children are obviously a large aspect of the current genocide in Sudan, some activities might focus on that element," said Jessica Schneider, president of Drury's chapter of Amnesty International. "We will finish off the week with a Rock for Rights Concert that we are currently in the midst of planning."

The comments that followed this article swung from 'you are doing more harm than good' and 'you people don't really believe this do you?' to 'my God, I won't sleep tonight'. If you're feeling courageous, please have a look at this video. It's 55 minutes long and personally, I'll have trouble sleeping tonight, too - nothing to do with a nasty bout of sinusitis...

Publicité
Commentaires
M
Bravo Sarah! Congratulations for posting this information here. Hope people who read this blog will realize the enormity of wrondoings being committed in other parts of the worl. The systematic kidnapping of children in order to turn them into fighting zombies is an unprecedented crimes, it defies any imagination regarding the evil spirit in man.
Sarah in Paris
Publicité
Archives
Derniers commentaires
Publicité