Last night when I was lying in bed -- proud of the fact that I had managed to do so at a relatively early time -- I was partaking in my ritual pre-bedtime Facebook perusal when I came across a bombardment of statuses and links all sharing this video. Those who posted this video had nothing in common with each other, deepening my interest in the content of this video.
Subsequently, I opened the video link, and was hooked.
Thirty minutes later, I was disgusted.
This video tells the story of Joseph Kony, the leader of the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army, who has managed to systematically terrorize and manipulate central Africans in order to stay in power for 26 years. He still remains at large.
But I was also heartened. For the narrator of the video was none other than Jason Russell, the co-founder of Invisible Children, an organization that strives to enlighten youth around the world about the atrocities that Joseph Kony and the goons of his Lord's Resistance Army commit every day. I had learned of this wonderful organization last year at a NFTY-MAR (North American Federation of Temple Youth - Mid-Atlantic Region) event, and was proud then to see the work of fellow youth advocating for issues that were near to the heart.
Last night, I was even prouder.
Invisible Children, an organization now many hundreds of thousands members strong, began as a small grassroots organization in San Diego. Through the apt utilization of social media and word of mouth, Invisible Children was able to reach for the stars.
This video is an ultimate consummation of that drive to inform.
Through action (and continuing action), Invisible Children has been able to take advantage of governmental policy (or change such to reflect its mission) in order to not only demonstrate the agency that America's youth still possess, but also the potential of youth-driven advocacy. Despite the woes of naysayers, the American system still works. Otherwise, as the video relates to its audience, the United States would not have dispatched 100 U.S. troops to Uganda this past year.
This video informed me of the existence of a concept that many Americans have refuted and even denied: justice.
I hope that you join Invisible Children in the fight to end the despotism of Joseph Kony by watching this video. In light of the accomplishment of the youth's galvanization of the destruction of several Arab governments in a few months (a once unfeasible task), and the passion with which American youth advocated against SOPA and PIPA, I believe that the goals for which Invisible Children aim to satisfy are largely realistic.
Take advantage of this moment, and become a component of a system that will ultimately revel in the destruction of the Lord's Resistance Army and the ever amplifying voice of the world's youth.
Take your first step by watching this video.