Invisible Children, the organization that has been working since 2003 to build awareness about the continuing war in northern Uganda, returned to Mississippi State University Thursday.
The tour, which consists of a film and a call to action, details the plight of the thousands of children kidnapped every year to fight in the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel terrorist group in the region.
Initial awareness of the political and social crisis in northern Uganda was set forth by three young filmmakers: Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole.
In 2003, the trio traveled to Uganda and saw first-hand the devastation caused by the war – devastation that included the abduction of young children for use in the rebellion’s army. Russell, Bailey and Poole documented these happenings in their first Invisible Children film, now called the “Rough-Cut.”
The film inspired hundreds of thousands of people to participate in rallies and to write letters of concern to their senators.
The support generated by the film helped to set several changes in motion, including the ending of night commuting of children, the replacement of 800,000 displaced people back to their homes, and the commencement of peace talks between the LRA and the Government of Uganda. However, because of the refusal of LRA leader Joseph Kony to sign the peace treaty, peace talks between the two sides came to a halt. The second Invisible Children video provides this update of the situation and issues another call to action.
The film itself made an emotional impact on those who viewed it. Some said they were surprised by how little awareness existed about the situation in Uganda.
Clara Hutzler, a roadie for Invisible Children, said finding a way to help the cause is imperative.
“This is an emergency situation,” Hutzler said. “There is such an urgency to end this war; it’s been going on for 23 years.”
She said people can bring attention to the situation by attending upcoming “Invisible Children” programs.
Despite the financial and time-related constraints that many college students feel, outgoing Student Association President Braxton Coombs said he is confident that the MSU student body can make a positive difference in this crisis.
“I do believe it is possible, not only by contributing to organizations such as Invisible Children, but also by helping to create awareness.”
When asked what specifically MSU students could do to help, freshman kinesiology major Karla Easterling said significant contributions can be made through simple gestures.
“Writing letters [to U.S. senators] can really make a difference; we’ve seen that in the video. In a year’s time, they can make a ton of difference,” she said.