We did it!! The LRA Bill passes through CONGRESS!

Invisible Children — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:15:28 -0700

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, by voice vote without a single objection.

Over the course of 30 minutes, seven Congress members spoke on behalf of the bill, calling on President Obama, in response to the atrocities being committed in central east Africa, to form a plan to remove Joseph Kony from the battlefield. Eight additional Members of Congress submitted written statements expressing their support for the bill.

Can you believe it? The leaders of our nation, for 30 MINUTES, stated and restated the atrocities committed by Joseph Kony and the urgent need for a strong response from the United States.

As if that weren’t enough, America’s young activists got their recognition too.

We can still only marvel that the youth of America made so much noise that their Congressmen and women felt compelled to mention their efforts on the floor of the House of Representatives.

We celebrate this victory with our partners Resolve: Uganda and Enough Project. You can be sure that at 3:30 PDT yesterday, the entire Invisible Children office was gathered in the conference room, breathlessly watching history be made. (The picture below was taken right after Invisible Children was mentioned by name, hence Jason’s ninja kick)

We celebrate this victory wholeheartedly, but we know that our work is not yet finished. Now we must pressure the Obama Administration to follow through on this important mandate, to set a precedent for justice, and to protect these children who have too long been trapped in a war against their will. We will see them come home.

This victory is yours, and we want you to know everything that there is to know.

This Q&A was put together by Resolve Uganda will answer every question you have about the significance of the bill and what will happen next.

This 2-minute highlight reel cuts together some of the most spine-tingling portions of the speeches. Be proud. They are talking about you

This video express our thanks to you, our supporters, and illustrates just how much has been accomplished since The Rescue.

LOVE,

Alex and the ENTIRE IC Team.

"I'm just a bill - I'm only a bill"

Invisible Children — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:16:30 -0700

Invisible Children never started as a political movement. It started as a simple story - told by the characters themselves and amplified by a few young boys from Southern California with a couple cameras bought on eBay. And 6 years later, we are on the verge of something truly historical, especially from a political perspective.

So if you've ever needed to know anything about this movement, know this:

A brand new BILL has been introduced on behalf of the abducted children in northern Uganda called the LRA DISARMAMENT AND NORTHERN UGANDA RECOVERY ACT, or Senate Bill 1067. Here are the main highlights of the bill:

•First, to stop Joseph Kony: Develop a comprehensive strategy for working with international partners to ensure LRA captives are rescued and rebel leaders are prevented from committing further atrocities.
•Help the people he’s terrorized: Increase financial assistance to address the urgent needs of families forced to flee their homes by LRA attacks.
•Commit to lasting peace: Make long-term recovery for communities affected by the violence a priority in the region.

I don't know your political affiliation, and frankly I don't think it matters much in this conversation. This isn't a partisan issue; this is an issue of humanity. Right now.

What you can do right now is simple: call or e-mail your senators daily! Make it part of your morning drive. The official U.S. Senate website has contact information for each senator. And for the House of Representatives, you can find contact information for your district’s representative here.

Here is a simple script that you can use when you make your calls:

Hello, my name is ______ and I am a constituent of Senator/Representative ____. I am calling to urge the senator/congressperson to take strong action in supporting Senate Bill 1067, the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act 2009.

Senator/Representative _ should support Senate Bill 1067 because:
•First, it urges President Obama to create a strategy to prevent LRA violence.
•Second, it invests in sustainable peace to help rebuild and heal war-affected communities and prevent future conflicts.

The issue of peace and stability in central and eastern Africa is very important to me and as one of your constituents, I am asking that my government do everything in its power to help bring sustainable peace to this region. Thank you.

Definitely watch this comprehensive video when IC lobbied on Capitol Hill in the link below:

HOW IT ENDS