Invisible for now

Years ago, in the states, the Invisible Children documentary toured all around and I was able to see it. There was a global night commute arranged that involved the whole nation. Each city planned their out route, and on the same night, everyone walked miles to some open area where we all slept for the night, and then walked back in the morning, as a demonstration for what the children in Uganda had to do every night. It was to bring government attention to the issue and try to get them involved in helping Uganda find peace. 
The video continued to tour around, outside of the US since then and we were able to have them send us the video along with the script so that we could get czech subtitles and the okay to show it in our town. . 

 

INVISIBLE CHILDREN: THE RESCUE!

And OSTRAVA is trying to be a part of the change :)

Background info:

For 23 years, the government of Uganda and a rebel group called the Lords Resistance Army, led by 

a man named Joseph Kony, has engaged in Africa’s longest war. In recent years, peace was seem- 

ingly within reach, largely due to the Juba Peace Talks that began in July 2006. However, despite a 

ceasefire signed between the LRA and Ugandan government, efforts toward peace through the Juba 

Peace Talks were stalled on several occasions by Kony’s refusal to sign the final peace agreement. 

Kony’s absence at the peace agreement signing on November 29, 2008 proved his promises to be 

futile and ultimately disabled the peace talks. Furthermore, the ICC has obtained evidence that Kony 

used the ceasefire during the peace talks to regroup, regain strength and resume child abductions. 

Joseph Kony is the world’s first individual indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes 

against humanity. 

Since September 2008, hostility in the Orientale province in DR Congo and Western Equatoria in 

South Sudan has reached a feverish pitch. In apparent desperation and a renewed will to spread 

terror to DR Congo, the LRA murdered over six hundred and abducted more than one hundred and 

sixty children to fight amongst its ranks. More than 104,000 Congolese have been displaced since 

Christmas in attempts to escape the LRA forces. A civil war, originally contained within Uganda’s 

borders, has now evolved into a widespread regional crisis. Invisible Children, in concert with other 

policy organizations including Resolve Uganda, The Enough Project, Human Rights Watch and Am- 

nesty International, now believes an international effort to apprehend Kony and rescue his child sol- 

diers is the most viable way to end the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today.  

The Rescue Event Summary 

On April 25th, 2009 the international community will unite to deliver the innocent from Kony’s reign 

and ensure he is brought to justice. Thousands of participants will gather in 100 cities across the 

world to symbolically abduct themselves to free the abducted. 

We were abducted

 on April 25th at 3pm and

 marched in a single file line, on foot, 

to city hall (“LRA Camp”) while carrying any supplies needed for the night 

on our backs.  

Once we arrived at the LRA Camp, we set up our “camp” and waited to be “rescued." - meaning we wanted a politician, famous person, or the media to show up, acknowledge the situation in Uganda, and choose to be a part of the change.  (the first photo at the top is Laura's and its of us sleeping)

While at the "LRA camp," we painted signs and pictures, sang songs, wrote letters to politicians and chose to believe in hope and peace to come in Uganda.



It was so great to be a part of this in Ostrava.  

It is often hard for people to look at injustices that seem beyond repair... and this issue does seem way beyond peace. But i truly love that normal people found the story and cared enough about it to do something and to alter their world. Invisible Children has become a global movement, and it was started by some kids.  It is inspiring. And Im grateful this story has found me again in my life because it has reminded me what it feels like to care about something and reconfirmed my love/fascination/passion for children.