Invisible Children

I recently participated in a showing of the documentary Invisible Children, which left me in an indescribable and confused emotional state. Only one thing was clear – something has to be done. The movie was created in Spring 2003 by a group of three students from Southern California. They travelled to Uganda to document, learn, and share about the plight of the children who commute nightly from their village homes to bus stations or hospitals where they sleep in large communities. Why would anyone, let alone children, do this on a daily basis? In short, the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army regularly raid villages and kidnap children between the ages of 5 and 12 (they are strong enough to carry the guns and machetes but still small enough to sneak into small spaces) in order to join the fight in the bloody civil war against the Uganda government. Anyone who tries to escape or refuse is shot or butchered, often at the hands of other children already indoctrinated in the ways of the LRA. The numbers are staggering and the stories are frustrating and depressing. Colin Powell is quoted as saying, “…America has leadership responsibilities around the world, and nowhere is more important than here in Africa.” Please visit the website and read about what you can do to help. This stuff is truly breathtaking, be sure to check out the trailer and spread the word!