I wanted to share with all of you something that I don't think people know enough about. I learned about Invisible Children through a girl from my high school a few years ago and became fascinated. Before I tell you how you can help out Invisible Children, I am going to tell you a little bit of what it is about. It started with the war in Northern Uganda. This war has been called "the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today." The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda have been waging a war for the past 23 years that has left nearly two million innocent civilians trapped. The Government of Uganda has failed in many attempts to protect its citizens from this rebel militia. The LRA rebel movement started with a woman named Alice Lakwena in the 1980s. Lakwena believed the Holy Spirit spoke to her and ordered her to overthrow the Ugandan government for being unjust. Lakwena soon gained many followers and the became known as the Holy Spirit Movement. A lot happened through the years, and the rebels resorted to abducting children and adding them into their ranks. As a response to the LRA attacks , the Ugandan government began forcibly evicting thousands fromt heir homes starting in 1996. They began relocating them into overcrowded camps where they struggle to survive among the effects of poverty, rampant disease, and starvation. In recent years many acts were passed including one which declared the LRA to be a terrorist organization. The Government of Uganda and the LRA still to this day have yet to find a peaceful solution. The motives of the LRA become more and more ambiguous and their crimes only become more horrific. Invisible Children remains committed to "seek sustainable solutions to foster an environment that encourages peace." Invisible Children addresses the need for education and economic development. There are thousands and thousands of families suffering everyday from starvation, rape, and other forms of violence. There are so many ways that we can help. Please go to the Invisible Children website:
www.invisiblechildren.com to help. Remember that it can only take a small amount of our time and money to help.
