At JMU...my team is awesome!
D.C.
Ohio!
Screening at University of Virgina.
No, this wasn't illegal
Launch day for tour!Friday, March 27, 2009
Finally some pictures.
At JMU...my team is awesome! D.C. Ohio!Screening at University of Virgina. No, this wasn't illegal Launch day for tour!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
This is why what we are doing is so urgent...
LRA rebels kill 12, kidnap 40 in northern Congo
* Ugandan LRA rebels kill 12 villagers in attack* Ugandan-led anti-LRA operation ends* Rights campaigner says attacks on the increaseBy Joe BavierKINSHASA, March 20 (Reuters) - Ugandan rebels hacked 12 people to death and kidnapped 40 more in a remote Congolese village near the end of a three-month multinational offensive against them, rights activists and relatives said on Friday.Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) fighters entered the village of Yanguma, around 600 km (370 miles) north of Kisangani, the capital of Orientale province, on Thursday afternoon, the sources said."They were armed, but didn't use their weapons. They used machetes instead. They captured people and killed others," said Aruna Sambia, head of a civil society group in nearby Dungu.The rebels, who have carried out one of Africa's longest running bush wars, fled across Democratic Republic of Congo's border after being driven out of Uganda and Sudan.They are notorious for mutilating their victims and kidnapping children for use as sex slaves and child soldiers.Uganda, Congo and South Sudan launched a joint assault on LRA bases in Congo's isolated Garamba National Park on December 14 after the rebels' leader, Joseph Kony, again failed to sign a peace deal to end his rebellion against the Ugandan government.The operation is winding down and 1,500 Ugandan troops are due to leave by Monday. Congolese and Ugandan government and military officials have touted it as a success and say it has destroyed the rebels' main hideouts, forcing some to surrender.However, the offensive brought a violent backlash by fleeing rebel fighters who have killed around 1,000 civilians, according to rights groups including New York-based Human Rights Watch."One member of my family is dead. He was my uncle. Young people were on their way to the market and were kidnapped. I know three who were taken," resident Bienvenu Akembano told Reuters.INCREASED ATTACKSSambia said the Ugandan pullout has coincided with an increase in rebel attacks on villages left poorly defended by Congolese soldiers and peacekeepers from Congo's 17,000-troop strong United Nations mission, MONUC."There are more and more deaths. More and more kidnappings. They are attacking the population even more," he said.The LRA raided the village of Banda, near Congo's border with Central African Republic, on Sunday, killing or kidnapping an unknown number of residents and detaining two foreign aid workers from the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)."They were held for several hours but succeeded in escaping," said Claude Mahoudeau, an MSF spokesman for Congo."In this region, the population is living in a situation of insecurity and precariousness that is unacceptable," he said.MSF was still trying to locate 12 patients it was treating in Banda at the time of the attack.The joint offensive was unanimously backed by the U.N. Security Council but has been criticised by humanitarian agencies and human rights campaigners. They also accuse the U.N. force, which is mandated to protect civilians, of not doing enough to intervene and stop massacres.The force is stretched across a country the size of Western Europe and is still awaiting the arrival of around 3,000 additional troops approved by the Security Council last year.A U.N. military spokesman said on Friday the mission was in the process of boosting troops numbers in the violence-ravaged north and would deploy at least two attack helicopters in an effort to curb the violence there. (Editing by Alistair Thomson and Angus MacSwan)
* Ugandan LRA rebels kill 12 villagers in attack* Ugandan-led anti-LRA operation ends* Rights campaigner says attacks on the increaseBy Joe BavierKINSHASA, March 20 (Reuters) - Ugandan rebels hacked 12 people to death and kidnapped 40 more in a remote Congolese village near the end of a three-month multinational offensive against them, rights activists and relatives said on Friday.Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) fighters entered the village of Yanguma, around 600 km (370 miles) north of Kisangani, the capital of Orientale province, on Thursday afternoon, the sources said."They were armed, but didn't use their weapons. They used machetes instead. They captured people and killed others," said Aruna Sambia, head of a civil society group in nearby Dungu.The rebels, who have carried out one of Africa's longest running bush wars, fled across Democratic Republic of Congo's border after being driven out of Uganda and Sudan.They are notorious for mutilating their victims and kidnapping children for use as sex slaves and child soldiers.Uganda, Congo and South Sudan launched a joint assault on LRA bases in Congo's isolated Garamba National Park on December 14 after the rebels' leader, Joseph Kony, again failed to sign a peace deal to end his rebellion against the Ugandan government.The operation is winding down and 1,500 Ugandan troops are due to leave by Monday. Congolese and Ugandan government and military officials have touted it as a success and say it has destroyed the rebels' main hideouts, forcing some to surrender.However, the offensive brought a violent backlash by fleeing rebel fighters who have killed around 1,000 civilians, according to rights groups including New York-based Human Rights Watch."One member of my family is dead. He was my uncle. Young people were on their way to the market and were kidnapped. I know three who were taken," resident Bienvenu Akembano told Reuters.INCREASED ATTACKSSambia said the Ugandan pullout has coincided with an increase in rebel attacks on villages left poorly defended by Congolese soldiers and peacekeepers from Congo's 17,000-troop strong United Nations mission, MONUC."There are more and more deaths. More and more kidnappings. They are attacking the population even more," he said.The LRA raided the village of Banda, near Congo's border with Central African Republic, on Sunday, killing or kidnapping an unknown number of residents and detaining two foreign aid workers from the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)."They were held for several hours but succeeded in escaping," said Claude Mahoudeau, an MSF spokesman for Congo."In this region, the population is living in a situation of insecurity and precariousness that is unacceptable," he said.MSF was still trying to locate 12 patients it was treating in Banda at the time of the attack.The joint offensive was unanimously backed by the U.N. Security Council but has been criticised by humanitarian agencies and human rights campaigners. They also accuse the U.N. force, which is mandated to protect civilians, of not doing enough to intervene and stop massacres.The force is stretched across a country the size of Western Europe and is still awaiting the arrival of around 3,000 additional troops approved by the Security Council last year.A U.N. military spokesman said on Friday the mission was in the process of boosting troops numbers in the violence-ravaged north and would deploy at least two attack helicopters in an effort to curb the violence there. (Editing by Alistair Thomson and Angus MacSwan)
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Virginia is for Lovers.
Hey everyone. Sorry for not posting in a while. I will add picture in the next post. My team and I are currently in Virgina. It's beautiful and all of our contacts freaking rock! We stayed with a great family this week who spoiled us with great food and comfy beds! I really have learned a lot about spending quality time with those who support Invisible Children. Our contacts are the ones that make amazing things happen in their cities. They are the high-schoolers, college students, and churches that are making the change in Northern Uganda. Please go to www.invisiblechildren.com/therescue to watch the new documentary. Go to the event nearest to you. For most of you back home, there is a Cincinnati event. So go to it!
My team and I are getting along great and I am so blessed to have them around me. It is crazy to think we have been on the road for 4 weeks and going into our 5th. Kelly and I gave up sweets for lent. That's been challenging, but good. We both had dairy queen for my birthday though. I will post more soon..with pic's and such.
My team and I are getting along great and I am so blessed to have them around me. It is crazy to think we have been on the road for 4 weeks and going into our 5th. Kelly and I gave up sweets for lent. That's been challenging, but good. We both had dairy queen for my birthday though. I will post more soon..with pic's and such.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Memphis
(in front of Heartbreak Hotel)After traveling from San Diego to Arizona; Arizona's dessert and mountains, to New Mexico and then taking a break from a 10 hour driving day in Texas; then from Texas to Memphis (11 hours of driving) we made it! We stayed with a youth pastor Ms. Kris who was super awesome. And now we are staying with one of the best contacts ever. A student who is all for making a change for the children in Northern Uganda. It students like this who make a change in our world. This past Monday my team and I were on Live @ 9 in Memphis (a news morning show). It was great to promote The Rescue (go to http://www.invisiblechildren.com/april2009/index-en.html to find out more). For being our first time with the screenings this week, I think my team rocked it and we got the word out about what is happening in East Africa. Again stay updated at http://www.resolveuganda.org/.
More soon, but time is limited...love you all. -Shan
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Scandalous
Here are our awesome new roadie shoot photos!!!
Mid-Atlantic
Mexico
Great Lakes
Deep South
Pacific North West
Mountain West
New England
East Coast
Texas
Mid-Atlantic
Mexico
Great Lakes
Deep South
Pacific North West
Mountain West
New England
East Coast
TexasThis coming week is launch week. We all hit the road on Thursday and we are all really excited. It will be filled with booking, and lots of training!
I did get some info today from the New York times that you all can read. It is a bit sadening about the U.S. involvment with this war that just came out, but at least they can see the mistakes they made. This rebel control needs to end and the children need to be rescued. Read the article!!!!!! http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/world/africa/07congo.html?_r=1&hp
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
An Influx of Emotion
Things are still trucking along in San Diego. Living in a house with 50 people all getting home at the same time and cooking dinner has become a bit interesting for sure. I work from 7:15am to about 6 or 7pm every night. We are booking our tour which is exciting, but also exhausting. I always remind myself that it's to end a 23 year war that has been going on in Uganda and if we don't do something now it is going to get worse. I'm not working for free...I'm working for freedom of innocent people displaced from their own homeland.
After about 5 failed attempts through peace talks, that really had no backing, there is a realization that 1.) Joseph Kony, the rebel leader of the LRA isn't going to come out of the bush to sign the agreement after he said he would multiple times, and 2.) The U.S. and international communities need to back the effort to arrest Kony and rescue child soldiers. Just from September to now the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has massacred over 1,100 people and abducted 500 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This isn't a problem in only Uganda anymore. It is happening across borders.
Here is part of a report from January 28th that Resolve Uganda (our partner organization) put out:
We now face what is essentially a hostage situation. With Kony’s refusal to sign the peace
agreement and his decision to continue committing brutal atrocities throughout the region, it is
time for the US and international community to get behind a serious effort to attain his arrest.
Without US leadership, it won’t happen. Regional governments lack the capacity to do it on
their own, and the alternatives are to either continue supporting the indiscriminate offensive
that endangers countless LRA captives and innocent civilians, or to seek a return to the
negotiating table without indication that Kony would either sign this time or stop his brutal
attacks.
That’s why we are now advocating for the US government to develop a viable strategy to
apprehend Kony. Our government has the power to see him arrested by committing the
resources and diplomatic leadership needed to develop a targeted military operation that also
involves regional forces, the U.N., and our partners in Europe.
Any strategy to arrest Kony has to be designed to avoid harming LRA captives and civilian
populations. If such a plan succeeds, it will be possible to implement the peace agreement
and convince remaining LRA fighters to return home. Even if he is not ultimately arrested,
developing such an operation could pressure Kony to finally sign and adhere to the peace
agreement.
It is the first step on the straightest path to peace that exists today, and we think that we can
make it happen. But first, it has to be more of a priority for our leaders.
That’s where you come in. We’re going to need every man, woman and child who thinks that
the kids caught in the crossfire of this war deserve a chance at peace to speak up and say
so. It‘s going to require getting this crisis past the political tipping point, from a fleeting
fascination to a permanent priority. Until Kony is behind bars and the kids in this region can
sleep safely, we have work to do. There is no one else and no other way. Peace is still within
reach.
My team and I did our first screening for charter school high schoolers today. It was so much fun getting to show them media about what students just like their selves can do to change our world, especially Northern Uganda. I realized this is why I am doing what I am doing. I want to educate, advocate, and experience other people going through life change, realizing they can do something to change our world. It makes me excited.
Thanks everyone for all of your prayers and support. I couldn't do it without you.
Love and Peace-Shannon
After about 5 failed attempts through peace talks, that really had no backing, there is a realization that 1.) Joseph Kony, the rebel leader of the LRA isn't going to come out of the bush to sign the agreement after he said he would multiple times, and 2.) The U.S. and international communities need to back the effort to arrest Kony and rescue child soldiers. Just from September to now the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has massacred over 1,100 people and abducted 500 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This isn't a problem in only Uganda anymore. It is happening across borders.
Here is part of a report from January 28th that Resolve Uganda (our partner organization) put out:
We now face what is essentially a hostage situation. With Kony’s refusal to sign the peace
agreement and his decision to continue committing brutal atrocities throughout the region, it is
time for the US and international community to get behind a serious effort to attain his arrest.
Without US leadership, it won’t happen. Regional governments lack the capacity to do it on
their own, and the alternatives are to either continue supporting the indiscriminate offensive
that endangers countless LRA captives and innocent civilians, or to seek a return to the
negotiating table without indication that Kony would either sign this time or stop his brutal
attacks.
That’s why we are now advocating for the US government to develop a viable strategy to
apprehend Kony. Our government has the power to see him arrested by committing the
resources and diplomatic leadership needed to develop a targeted military operation that also
involves regional forces, the U.N., and our partners in Europe.
Any strategy to arrest Kony has to be designed to avoid harming LRA captives and civilian
populations. If such a plan succeeds, it will be possible to implement the peace agreement
and convince remaining LRA fighters to return home. Even if he is not ultimately arrested,
developing such an operation could pressure Kony to finally sign and adhere to the peace
agreement.
It is the first step on the straightest path to peace that exists today, and we think that we can
make it happen. But first, it has to be more of a priority for our leaders.
That’s where you come in. We’re going to need every man, woman and child who thinks that
the kids caught in the crossfire of this war deserve a chance at peace to speak up and say
so. It‘s going to require getting this crisis past the political tipping point, from a fleeting
fascination to a permanent priority. Until Kony is behind bars and the kids in this region can
sleep safely, we have work to do. There is no one else and no other way. Peace is still within
reach.
My team and I did our first screening for charter school high schoolers today. It was so much fun getting to show them media about what students just like their selves can do to change our world, especially Northern Uganda. I realized this is why I am doing what I am doing. I want to educate, advocate, and experience other people going through life change, realizing they can do something to change our world. It makes me excited.
Thanks everyone for all of your prayers and support. I couldn't do it without you.
Love and Peace-Shannon
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Cracking Down!
So life at Invisible Children is going great. Of course there is lots of cracking down now. We are trying to book screenings at schools for our tour and it is crucial to keep Invisible Children going. Northern Uganda depends on so many things that Invisible Children does, such as schools, a scholarship program for vulnerable children displaced by war (but with academic aspirations), micro economic programs, a bracelet campaign which gives people jobs so they can invest and save their money and that money raised goes back to the schools in Uganda. There is so much to share I suggest you all check out the website and explore. (www.invisiblechildren.com)
Here are some more recent articles of what is going on in east Africa: (copy and paste)
1) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/africa/la-fg-congo-massacre11-2009jan11,0,1024430.story
2) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-ugandarebels25-2009jan25,0,3037835.story
Here are some more pictures
Balboa Park
4 of my 50 roommates
Here are some more recent articles of what is going on in east Africa: (copy and paste)
1) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/africa/la-fg-congo-massacre11-2009jan11,0,1024430.story
2) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-ugandarebels25-2009jan25,0,3037835.story
Here are some more pictures
Balboa Park
4 of my 50 roommates
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Meet my roadie team: Mid-Atlantic here we come! (and som pictures)
The sunsets are awesome here.
We stood in height order: Me, Kelly (from Phoenix), Brady (from San Diego), Jonathan (from Ontario Canada) (yes, he is 6'9)
This is at our office in San Diego. These are the vans each roadie team will be taking out on the road!
Monday, January 19, 2009
In San Diego and working hard to end a war.
Hey friends, family, and anyone else who stumbles across this blog. I here it is real chilly in Cinci. It has been beautiful in San Diego. Actually, seasonably warm, in the 70's! I started work at Invisible Children last Monday and we got right into it. We have learned about the history of the war in Northern Uganda, which I will brief you on what I know. Here is the short version.
There has been a civil war raging in Northern Uganda for about 22 years, now going across borders. BUT, this conflict has been going on far longer, which has been about 100 years.
Starting in the 1830's Arabic's came down to Northern Uganda by the Nile and abducted the people there. They called them Acholi meaning "I am human". In the 1860's the British came into the country to find the source of the Nile, exploring. There was then the Berlin Conference which was this idea of dividing and conquering, which was led by King Leopold of Belgium. Eventually Protestant and Catholic missionaries came in and stole peoples land. (ex. "Close your eyes to pray" then they took the peoples land!) By 1894 the Kingdom of Uganda was divided into tribes by the way they looked. This idea of colonization stayed around.
Jumping to 1962, King Mutesa became president and Uganda gained Independence. Then this guy Milton Obote, well, the Prime Minister, basically said "F you Mutesa" and overthrew Mutesa's reign. Obote then decides to go to Singapore for a commonwealth summit and asks this guy Idi Amin (who was apart of the British colonial regiment) to watch over while he was gone (they had already had some tension between them though). While Amin was watching over, he decided to take over. About 300,000+/- ended up dead through this military coup, ethnic persecution, and political repression. (1971)
Then....this guy who goes by the nickname M-7 (Yoweri Museveni) who was in his 20's and going to school in Darsalam gets together with his roomates and friends (Gurang, Kigami, Kibila...I think that's how you spell them) to take over east Africa. Amin was exiled.
Obote decided to take over again, after Museveni took over. Museveni said "No way Obote!" This is when 100-300,000 more died through this conflict. A theory is that Museveni and his crew would dress up like Obote and his regeim and blame Obote for killings...ex. "Look at what Obote did".
1985- Tito Okello (was president for 6 months) took sides with M-7(Museveni) and they meet in Nairobi, Kenya to sign an agreement to share power. They came back to Uganda and he decided to tell Okello to peace out and leave. (People think they can never trust him because he was unfaithful to his signing in Kenya with Okello). M-7's army came in to take over while that agreement was going on. (lots of back stabbing in history) This is when it all started....
1986-The Holy Spirit Movement (HSM) came in to play, led by Alice Lakwena. They were supporting a spiritual movement focusing on the ten commandments and promoting peace. This faltered and a man by the name of Joseph Kony said "Hey I am her cousin". He took control of this movement and transformed it into the LRA (Lord's Resistant Army). They did not get the same support as the HSM got because of their extreme tactics, so with not as much support these rebels resorted to abducting children and putting them in their ranks. (and estimate is 90% of the LRA's troops are children) Some really intense stuff!
This is why many children started commuting at night (finding a place to hide), so the LRA would not abduct them to be in their army at night time. Through the efforts of the international community there has been more attention put on this crisis. In 2001 the LRA was listed as a terrorist organization. 3 peace agreements have been met on and signed, but there are 2 more agendas remaining. (5 agenda items have to be agreed on). It's getting close to an end, and we can smell the peace ahead.
All of this said, this is why I am on this tour. I want to get the word out about what is happening in Northern Uganda. The LRA is moving into the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan, and maybe moving into the Central African Republic still abducting children with the youngest on his front line. This is a political movement and we want to see people raise a voice this year about it.
I will write more, soon, about my thoughts, but for now...keep it humble. Love you guys.
There has been a civil war raging in Northern Uganda for about 22 years, now going across borders. BUT, this conflict has been going on far longer, which has been about 100 years.
Starting in the 1830's Arabic's came down to Northern Uganda by the Nile and abducted the people there. They called them Acholi meaning "I am human". In the 1860's the British came into the country to find the source of the Nile, exploring. There was then the Berlin Conference which was this idea of dividing and conquering, which was led by King Leopold of Belgium. Eventually Protestant and Catholic missionaries came in and stole peoples land. (ex. "Close your eyes to pray" then they took the peoples land!) By 1894 the Kingdom of Uganda was divided into tribes by the way they looked. This idea of colonization stayed around.
Jumping to 1962, King Mutesa became president and Uganda gained Independence. Then this guy Milton Obote, well, the Prime Minister, basically said "F you Mutesa" and overthrew Mutesa's reign. Obote then decides to go to Singapore for a commonwealth summit and asks this guy Idi Amin (who was apart of the British colonial regiment) to watch over while he was gone (they had already had some tension between them though). While Amin was watching over, he decided to take over. About 300,000+/- ended up dead through this military coup, ethnic persecution, and political repression. (1971)
Then....this guy who goes by the nickname M-7 (Yoweri Museveni) who was in his 20's and going to school in Darsalam gets together with his roomates and friends (Gurang, Kigami, Kibila...I think that's how you spell them) to take over east Africa. Amin was exiled.
Obote decided to take over again, after Museveni took over. Museveni said "No way Obote!" This is when 100-300,000 more died through this conflict. A theory is that Museveni and his crew would dress up like Obote and his regeim and blame Obote for killings...ex. "Look at what Obote did".
1985- Tito Okello (was president for 6 months) took sides with M-7(Museveni) and they meet in Nairobi, Kenya to sign an agreement to share power. They came back to Uganda and he decided to tell Okello to peace out and leave. (People think they can never trust him because he was unfaithful to his signing in Kenya with Okello). M-7's army came in to take over while that agreement was going on. (lots of back stabbing in history) This is when it all started....
1986-The Holy Spirit Movement (HSM) came in to play, led by Alice Lakwena. They were supporting a spiritual movement focusing on the ten commandments and promoting peace. This faltered and a man by the name of Joseph Kony said "Hey I am her cousin". He took control of this movement and transformed it into the LRA (Lord's Resistant Army). They did not get the same support as the HSM got because of their extreme tactics, so with not as much support these rebels resorted to abducting children and putting them in their ranks. (and estimate is 90% of the LRA's troops are children) Some really intense stuff!
This is why many children started commuting at night (finding a place to hide), so the LRA would not abduct them to be in their army at night time. Through the efforts of the international community there has been more attention put on this crisis. In 2001 the LRA was listed as a terrorist organization. 3 peace agreements have been met on and signed, but there are 2 more agendas remaining. (5 agenda items have to be agreed on). It's getting close to an end, and we can smell the peace ahead.
All of this said, this is why I am on this tour. I want to get the word out about what is happening in Northern Uganda. The LRA is moving into the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan, and maybe moving into the Central African Republic still abducting children with the youngest on his front line. This is a political movement and we want to see people raise a voice this year about it.
I will write more, soon, about my thoughts, but for now...keep it humble. Love you guys.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
It's starting!
Hey everyone. I hope I find you in a pleasant mood and ready for the new year! I'm excited to keep you updated on my advetures with Invisible Children for the next 5 months. Please check out the website at www.invisiblechildren.com for more info, which most of you have been briefed on by me at some point. I leave this Sunday and I am so stoked to get to be a roadie and educate others. I will be keeping you updated on this blog so keep it under your favorites. I just ask for your prayers and support while gone. Feel free to email me ase well at shannonconstable@gmail.com
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