Invisible Children

Invisible because

No records are kept of their numbers or age

Invisible because

Their own armies deny they exist

Invisible because

They simply vanish...

Three guys. A video camera. 300 dollars = One movement...

What started out as a filmmaking adventure in the Spring of 2003 transformed into much more when three guys from Southern California discovered a tragedy that both disgusted and inspired them, a tragedy where children are both the weapons and the victims...

Jason Russell, Lauren Poole, and Bobby Bailev were in search of a story. With three hundred dollars in their pockets and a camera in their hands they traveled to Uganda. A brief overview goes as is...It all goes back to when the British colonized Uganda. They gave jobs and education opportunities to the Southern Ugandan's however; the Northern Ugandan's were forced to become laborers. After their independence the Northerners rebeled and since then the South and North have fought each other for the utter control of Uganda. In the South Yuweri Musevini came to power (1986) which caused the northerns to rebel. A boy, Joseph Kony joined a group of rebel fighters known as the Lords Resistant Army. (LRA) He rose up to leadership claiming spiritural powers and promised success to those whom fought with him. However; Kony never reached the overcoming of Musevini whom is still President of Uganda today. Over the years Kony began to lose the support of his people. This caused him, out of frustration, to brutally attack them which led him to begin to abduct children to fight for his rebellion. In the last TWO decades Kony has kidnapped well over thirty thousand children for his army. In the year of 1996 Musevini forced the Acholi tribe into Displacement camps. Originally meant to protect the people, the conditions were so horrendous, a THOUSAND die every week waiting for emergency relief.

HOW does one man, Joseph Kony, have the power to terrorize MILLIONs? Well the people of Uganda believe Joseph Kony has spiritual power, that he walks on water, that his eyes turn red, and when the people of Uganda hear his name they run the other way. Kony has made the lives of millions of people miserable and he purely lives for evil. Those whom try to reach peace with Kony and make a peace offering usually do not come back alive. The power and influence this man has over thousands of individuals is unreal. He, himself, believes that he is a god. He mutilates children, and causes masacres were 300 children are killed at one time. Every peace talk has failed, and this war has continued on for the past twenty three years. Ninety percent of Kony's army are children.

A documentary was made "Invisible Children" by Bobby, Lauren, and Jason, which explains the longest running war to ever occur in Africa. It focuses on these children whom are forced to sleep in the streets in fear of abductions. Night commuters flee the rebels and their leader Joseph Kony. Because of this flee, people are living with no jobs, and therefore; the children barely have clothes on their backs. No education is given to them and they have no desire to live. Jacob, a young boy in Uganda, told Bobby, Jason, and Lauren that he does not want to live anymore. That he would rather be dead. To hear a small child utter words of that sort is the most heartbreaking thing a human can handle.

A bracelet campaign was started in order to raise money for these children and in order to help end the war. These bracelets are actually made by the children in Uganda and each one represents the story of a child affected by this neverending war. The proceeds from these bracelets go back to Uganda to provide mentors and education for the children. At this point the three boys recruited more individuals and what once was a small story became a national movement. They began to tour around the country and get the word out about this horrific happening. A nation wide event was also created in order to bring more awareness to the situation called the Global Night Commute. And in April of 2006 eighty thousand people left their homes and slept in their downtown city district just like the Invisible Children in Northern Uganda.

So many children in Uganda are going unseen, and their beautiful faces are becoming nothing but invisible. This movement is life changing, and I have never been so passionate about helping a cause before. I have taken part in displace me, I have seen the documentary multiple times, and I have done so much in the organization thus far and my ultiimate goal is to go on tour and spread the word enough to finally end this war. These children are innocent yet are losing their lives, their families, their smiles, their hearts, and their hope. And for what? For a war that does not need to be occuring. HELP! Please everyone take the time and learn more about these children. They are amazing and they inspire me as a person. All these children want are normal things in life. They too want to have a profession, many want to be doctors, teachers, and lawyers. And for what purpose. They all say they want to take part in these jobs in order to help other kids and keep all safe, healthy, and free.

Go to http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php to learn more. There is a worldwide tour beginning in April in order to continue the word and to ultimately get the children who are forced to take part in Kony's army OUT! When it comes down to it, yes these children are brutally murdering other individuals but they are being forced to. If they do not do so they will be killed, and not just killed by tortured and left to suffer. Also not only will they themselves be killed but all of their family as well.

Help these children get their lives back. Relieve their pain, whether they are girls whom are being raped at the ages of 10 or guys watching their brothers being murdered in front of them. Those whom are told if they cry they will die, those whom are told if they don't do what they are told they will not see the light of tommorow.

Making a difference in one person's life is more than I could ask for out of my own.... How about you?