Invisible Children shines new light
on long war
by Kathleen Sprouse, posted April 18, 2008
MU students gathered at Conservation Auditorium on Wednesday, April 16, to witness a film — Invisible Children — which documents the crisis created by the war in Uganda. The rebellion, its forces comprised of mostly young children, marks the longest ongoing war in Africa to date.
The film’s music was invigorating, the camera angles were captivating, the faces of the innocent children grabbed your attention, and their tears made students’ eyes tear, as well.
The Ugandan conflict began in the 1980s when a Ugandan woman, Alice Lakwena, believed the Holy Spirit wanted her to take over the Ugandan government. Her followers became known as the Holy Spirit Movement. But when Lakwena was exiled, her cousin, Joseph Kony, took control of the movement and further developed the rebel army into the Lord’s Resistant Army, LRA.
In 1996, when the Ugandan government was forced to evict thousands of its citizens because of LRA’s attacks on villages, more than 1.5 million Ugandans were forced to live in camps. The innocent in the camps suffer from disease, starvation and poverty, and are barely surviving. Young children comprise more than 80 percent of the LRA. These children were abducted when the rebel army lost support. More than 20,000 Ugandans were abducted from the camps and forced to fight for the LRA.
“Being in camp is like being in prison,” said Okello ‘Sunday’, a 15-year-old Ugandan boy featured in the film.
The film followed Sunday into the fields where he works tirelessly to raise money for his education fees so he can be a doctor. The film depicts young Sunday as a hero because he “fights, day after day.”
“I invite the U.S. to join us in the fight,” Sunday said. “Because they should know more about our suffering […] to solve this problem.”
The U.S. brought attention to the Ugandan crisis by officially declaring the LRA a terrorist organization in 2001. In 2004, the U.S. congress passed the Northern Uganda Crisis Response Act to help the people living in the midst of this disaster.
We can help by “continuing pressure from U.S. to bring attention to this because it is so easy to give up,” said Sean Poole, speaker and Invisible Children volunteer intern. “It is hard to see the light […] but we are the closest we have ever been to peace.”
Poole and the film encourage students to write letters to their U.S. representatives in the house and senate, buy a peace bond and purchase Invisible Children bracelets and clothing.
“I have always been weary of America getting involved in all these wars,” said Ashanya Indralingam, a sophomore pre-journalism major. “But hearing from the mouths of people affected by the war that they want help, makes me think maybe America has a moral obligation to help.”
MU students were writing letters after the film, buying Invisible Children bracelets and clothing to offer their support.
“I feel like I need something more than my International Studies degree now,” said Roshani Mahadevan. “Like a specialization in education or economics in order to offer something more to help.”
Invisible Children is more than a movie. It is an organization focused on educating Ugandans so that they can be independent and peaceful. The organization provides individuals with mentors and scholarships, and makes and sells bracelets to raise money to help Ugandans rebuild their homes and lives.
“I want our generation to be known for something, for peace,” Poole said.
Students can help end the Ugandan crisis by writing letters to their political leaders, buying Invisible Children bracelets, t-shirts and bags, or donating to Invisible Children. To learn more about the movement and what you can do, visit the Invisible Children Web site.
