If you haven't yet heard of Invisible Children, you're either not 19 or don't watch Oprah. You are, however, not alone. This youth-oriented organization has inspired tens of thousands of young people and seeks to get all active Americans on board to help free the thousands of child soldiers forced to fight against their will by the Lord's Resistance Army and warlord Joseph Kony in northern Uganda.
In one of the most underreported humanitarian atrocities of the last several decades, Kony has actively kidnapped and detained thousands of innocent children and put them on the front lines of a civil war that's raged in central Africa for nearly 25 years.
Invisible Children, a nonprofit organization started by three friends from southern California in 2003, has led a tireless campaign to educate Americans about the Ugandan crisis and to urge action.
In April, 80,000 activists from around the globe participated in The Rescue, a campaign to catch the attention of celebrities and politicians. In June, IC activists descended upon our nation's capital for How It Ends, a lobbying event in support of The LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. Now, Invisible Children's latest campaign is going after the big man himself, President Obama. Here is what they want him to do:
- Commit the USA to lead an international effort to arrest Joseph Kony and announce this strategy through a public statement by Christmas 2009.
- Commit to sign and implement into law The LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act.
- Commit to the recovery and rehabilitation of the LRA affected communities in Uganda, South Sudan, CAR and DR Congo.
One of the strongest messages of Invisible Children is that this is an issue that can be solved with international pressure and moral willpower. You can go to the Invisible Children website right now and sign the Citizens Arrest Warrant for Joseph Kony. You can also call and e-mail your Congressional representative to ask them to sponsor the bill.
Watch Invisible Children's latest video:
For more background on Invisible Children and the crisis in Uganda, visit Causecast.org and read about how you can help end human trafficking.