The Urgent Message and the Amazing Movement to Alert the World about Uganda's "Invisible Children"

BCN Exclusive by Aimee Herd : Apr 10, 2006
Invisible Children, Inc.

A Quest and the Discovery:

Friends Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole, all three in their twenties and from Southern California, decided to take a trip to the Sudan to find out more on the reports they'd heard of the suffering there from civil war.

The boys traveled by themselves, arriving in the Sudan at the beginning of the war in Iraq, in 2003. Finding things desolate and still in search of a story to document on film, they followed the trail of many of Sudan's refugees, traveling to Northern Uganda. It was there they were told of "the children," and how scores of young Africans walk miles upon miles every night just to sleep in the town, for fear of being abducted from their homes by the "rebels." The boys had found their story.

Jason, Bobby and Laren were able to film the children as they walked the roads in the last of daylight, reaching the town and settling down to sleep in the hospital verandas and the floors of the bus depot, only to pick up their blankets and walk home at dawn. One of the most heart-wrenching parts of the documentary showed thousands of children asleep, packed together wall-to-wall, taking up every available inch of space in the room.

In talking with the children and interviewing several adults-some humanitarian aid workers, some officials, others with just a strong compassion for the young refugees-the three boys were able to piece together the reason for the children's daily trek. If they remain in their homes at night they will eventually be abducted by the rebel army, taken to "the bush," and there tortured and brainwashed into becoming a soldier of the rebellion.

The various tortures and brainwashing methods the children described to the young filmmakers were sickening, but the three knew their story must be told. Jan Egeland, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs said, "It's a moral outrage to see thousands of children that have been abducted, that have been maltreated. They are going through the most horrendous torture by the rebel movement and that same group is now being neglected by the whole international community. I cannot find any other part of the world having an emergency on the scale of Uganda with so little international attention."

Invisible Children - the Movie and the Movement:

Before Jason, Bobby, and Lauren left Uganda, one of the children asked if they would soon forget about them when they went back to America. They promised to remember, but before long, they found that simply remembering was not enough.

Their film Invisible Children: Rough Cut was edited and produced, and what was meant to be viewed by friends and family, wound up being seen in churches, youth groups and by individuals all across the country. People's hearts were stirred in compassion for these "invisible" children, and donations began coming in to help them.

Now an established non-profit organization, Invisible Children, Inc. directly benefits the thousands of young people in Northern Uganda who have become both the "weapons and the victims" of a civil war that continues to this day.

According to a press release on the website, Invisible Children, Inc. is currently employing over 150 people in war-torn Northern Uganda and is putting 300 children through school with hopes that that number will grow into the thousands.

Global Night Commute:

In an effort to raise greater awareness of the Ugandan children's desperate situation, Invisible Children, Inc. has scheduled a special Global Night Commute, as both a commemoration of the children's nightly commute to safety, and a way to get the word out, hopefully ending the suffering.

The Global Night Commute will take place on April 29th of this year with young people from 136 cities in America participating. People taking part will commute to their city's designated location to sleep outside on behalf of the children of Northern Uganda.

Jason Russell, director of the Invisible Children: Rough Cut film and one of the three founders of the organization, said, "The Global Night Commute is an opportunity for Americans to rally with one voice. We are asking people to lie down and close their eyes with us for one night, so that we can open the world's eyes to this unseen war."

Other Ways to Help:

Invisible Children, Inc. has many other ways that people can get involved and help the children directly or help to raise awareness of the situation. A Bracelet Campaign gives jobs and employment to "un-employable" Northern Ugandans as the handmade bracelets are sold in America and the money from them is sent right back to help Northern Uganda's needy children. The "National Tour-Suburban Safari" brings a camper-full of trained Invisible Children, Inc. workers to venues across America to show the film and spread the word about the growing movement. And individuals wanting to get involved in helping with the Invisible Children, Inc. mission can host a "House Party," to show the DVD to friends and discuss how they can be a part.

The website states that Invisible Children Inc. is not backed by any one major corporation but is being promoted by concerned individuals across the nation, primarily young people. Their mission statement reads, "Invisible Children, Inc. is dedicated to providing financial resources to invisible children by documenting their true, untold stories in a creative and relevant way, resulting in positive change." The organization is also working toward releasing the film as a major feature in standard movie theaters, possibly in December of 2006.

To find out more and get involved, log onto: www.invisiblechildren.com or click on the link below.