Have you heard of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group wreaking havoc on northern Uganda? How about Joseph Kony? Better yet, have you heard that Joseph Kony is the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, commonly referred to as the LRA, and that he is in charge of heading up a massive troop of abducted, child soldiers? It’s not surprising if you haven’t heard of these terms. The U.S. barely ever reports on what is going on with the LRA because honestly, why should they? Reporting on the topic would mean they would have to take some kind of responsibility or action against it, and Uganda doesn’t have any oil or anything of value to the United States, so why would they need to put any effort towards the situation? They would virtually be gaining nothing. Unfortunately, the issue is still present, despite efforts by the U.S. to sweep it under the rug. The debacle is now left to passionate college students and young people to urge our government to use their power and influence to stop the horrific crimes being inflicted upon the innocent people of Uganda, Congo, and southern Sudan.
Tonight, a friend of mine introduced me to the new Invisible Children video called “The Rescue of Joseph Kony’s Child Soldiers.” Although many people have seen the “Invisible Children: Rough Cut” film that was introduced in 2003, this second video explains Kony’s horrific war crimes and his unwillingness to end the violence and make peace with the United Nations. According to Invisible Children, it is estimated that the LRA is made up by more than 90% of abducted children. These boys and girls, some as young as five years old, have been kidnapped from their homes and forced to kill innocent people, burn entire households and villages, mutilate and torture other children, and are even used as sex slaves for LRA commanders.
Commentator Leroy Sievers of NPR explained the issue in a simple yet truthful way by saying that “ending the war in Uganda may not be strategically important, but it is morally imperative.” Yes, by fighting for these children we gain nothing — no rich land, no extra resources, and no fancy power; but in doing nothing, we lose everything. We lose our reputation as a country that is powerful in every situation and an advocate towards keeping the peace and fair treatment of all humanity.
The question now lies on you. What will you do to help put an end to the 23-year war that has been taking place in Uganda? It all starts with baby steps. By visiting the Invisible Children website, you can buy t-shirts, films, bracelets, and other merchandise to help spread awareness in your local community and help the organization in their efforts of rescuing the children. Invisible Children takes 50% of their proceeds and puts it towards creating more merchandise used to educate people, and the other 50% goes towards providing food and resources for displaced families of the war. On April 25th, 2009, join me, and thousands of others across the country, as we abduct ourselves in order to help free the abducted. To learn more, visit www.invisiblechildren.com.
