3. Thesis Invisible Children is an organization that creates safe places, such as schools, for children in Uganda who have been abducted and turned into child soldiers.
16. The height of conflict The government forced most of the northern Uganda’s population into displacement camps. Uganda military committed sexual abuse and other crimes against northerns. Many children feared abduction. The “night commuters” slept in school, hospitals, or public areas.
17. IDP Camps - Forced into the camps by the government. - Offer little protection http://www.irinnews.org/InDepthMain.aspx?InDepthId=23&ReportId=65778
18. IDP camps cont. The camps were created to protect civilians from rebel attacks. The Acholi people have been forced into the crowded camp together http://www.irinnews.org/InDepthMain.aspx?InDepthId=23&ReportId=65778
19. In 2005 an estimated 30,000 Ugandan children are “night commuters.”
20. Who is a child soldier “ Any child-girl or boy-under the age of 18, who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group, including but not limited to combatants, cooks, porters, messengers, and anyone accompanying such groups other than as family members. This includes girls and boys recruited for sexual purposes and/ or forced marriage.” (UNICEF)
21. Why use children? Vulnerable Emotionally and physically immature Hoping for food and security Impressionable Too young to resist of understand http://www.hrw.org/campains/crp/fact_sheet
22. Recruitment of child soldiers Peer pressure the children Children are neglected and ignored Promises http://internationalaffairs.suite101com/article.cfm/recruiting_child_soldiers
23. What do child soldiers do Increase the number of fighters. More easily manipulated and controlled. Can hide in tight quarters. Do not suspect children to be soldiers.
24. What do child soldiers do cont. Often fight on the front lines of conflict. Also work indirectly.
26. Abductions Typically abduct children. Some children couldn’t manage the long walks. Forced to watch helplessly. http://www.irinnews.org/InDepthMain.aspx?InDepthId=23&ReportId=65778
28. Abducted girls cont. Were more likely to experience abduction for a short period of time. Performed combat and support roles within the LRA. Only half went through the Uganda army before returning to the communities. The survey of War Affected Youth
36. Survivors cont. Boys who return from the LRA are often seasoned fighters. Malnourished, and abused. Physically and psychologically weakened state. http://www.hrw.org/en/node/12346/section/5
37. The children According to Michael Gerson of the Washington Post (2009) and the Global Security: Children are forced To be foot soldiers and sex slaves. To take part in murdering their communities. To participate in cannibalism. http://www.cfr.org/region/201/uganda.html
38. Peace talks Bring an end to hostility and violence. The recent agreement between the government of Uganda and the LRA to cease hostilities is an encouraging first step. The peace talks must lead to the ending of hostilities. Ircuk.org
39. Government Actions According to David Blair from the Telegraph(2008) Uganda and Joseph Kony have had peace negotiations. Uganda forced Kony out.
40. Human rights abuse Custody of displaces people in camps. Violence against women. Violence of basic human rights.
41. Human Rights Violations Abduction Mutilation Child soldiers Sexual enslavement of women and children. Murder
42. How did he abuse his power He abducted children as young as 7. He cut off the kids noses and lips. He had the LRA help him do all of this.
46. Innocent Night commuter Now 18 and full of confidence. Wants to become a politician. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMission/Bracelet_Campaign
47. Innocent cont. Once a night commuter. Now a smart young man. Shows the hope that is beginning to return to Northern Uganda. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMission/Bracelet_Campaign
48. Sunday Displace 15 year old boy. Now 16 and still living in Atanga IDP. Lost both his parents. Dreams of becoming a doctor. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMission/Bracelet_Campaign
49. Emmy Witnessed his mothers death. Lives with his grandparents and five siblings. Aspects of crime and devastation never seem to far behind of him. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMission/Bracelet_Campaign
50. Emmy cont. Invisible Children has improved his life. Been through the most tragic effects of the war. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMission/Bracelet_Campaign
51. Statistics 77% have seen someone being killed. 39% have killed someone themselves. 52% were seriously beaten. 39% had to abduct other children. 63% have looted or burned civilian property. 97% showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Global Perspectives summer 2004 edition #3
52. Statistics cont. Estimated more then 90% of the LRA troops were abducted as children. 1.8 million people displaced from their homes. LRA murdered over 600 and abducted more than 160 children just as a retaliatory attack against the people of the DR Congo. Global Perspectives summer 2004 edition #3
53. To this day 70% of IDP camp residents are children. 175,000 of the children in the camp are orphans. 1,200 Ugandan children are still being held by the LRA. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/about/history/
54. To this day cont. Many have returned to or near their homes. Some people have been displaced for more than a decade. Since the movie was produced night commuting has stopped. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/about/history/
57. Class activity Take a bag that is passed out. Construct your own bracelet Have volunteers say why they constructed the bracelet the way they did.
58. Work Citied Achverina, Vera, and Simon Reich. "No Place to Hide: Refugees, Displaced Persons, and the Recruitment of Child Soldiers." International Security 31.1 (2006): 127-164. Project MUSE. Web. 19 Nov. 2009. <http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/international_security/summary/v031/ 31.1achvarina.html>. Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone. New York, New York: Sarah Crichton, 2007. Print. Bradley, Kate. Uganda: Child soldiers at centre of mounting humanitarian crisis. Columbia University Libraries, 10 Oct. 2004. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. <http://www.un.org/events/tenstories/06/story.asp?storyID=100#>. Brynes, Rita M. Uganda: A Country Study. N. pag. Country Studies. Rita M. yrnes, Dec. 1990. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ ugtoc.html>.
59. Work Citied "Children of War." Village of Hope Uganda. SingularFocus, 2007. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. <http://www.villageofhopeuganda.com/index.php/whats-all-this-about/ children-of-war>. Edmondson, Laura. "Marketing Trauma and the Theatre of War in Northern Uganda." Theatre Journal 57.3 (2005): n. pag. Project MUSE. Web. 19 Nov. 2009. <http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theatre_journal/summary/v057/ 57.3edmondson.html>. "History of the Conflict." Resolve Uganda. Paul Ronan, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2010. <http://www.resolveuganda.org/history>. Nanji, Shenaaz. Child of Dandelions. N.p.: n.p., 2008. Print.
60. Work Citied O'Loughlin, Ed. "Brainwashed children of God blaze trail of murder and mayhem in Uganda ." The Independent. N.p., 2009. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ brainwashed-children-of-god-blaze-trail-of-murder-and-mayhem-in-uganda-1243868.ht ml>. O'Neil, Ann. "Stolen kids turn into terrifying killers." CNN 12 Feb. 2007: n. pag. Web. 14 Mar. 2010. <http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/02/12/ child.soldiers/index.html>. Pham, Phuong N, Patrick Vink, and Eric Stover. "The Lord's Resistance Army and Forced Conscription in Northern Uganda." Human Rights Quarterly 30.2 (2008): 404-411. Project MUSE. Web. 19 Nov. 2009. <http://muse.jhu.edu/ journals/human_rights_quarterly/summary/v030/30.2.pham.html>. Pike, John. "Lord's Resistance Army." FAS. Steven Aftergood, 22 May 2002. Web. 3 Apr. 2010. <http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/lra.htm>.
61. Work Citied Pitcher, Gemma, et al. "Uganda." Africa. 11th ed. 2007. Print. Ramondi, Nicole. "Case Study: Uganda." Children of War. Child soldiers across the world. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2010. <http://studentorgs.umf.maine.edu/~pos136-6/Ugandapage.html>. St. Monica Gulu Girls' Relief. N.p., 2010. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. <http://www.stmonicagulugirlsrelief.org/>. "Uganda Today." Invisible Children. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2009. <http://dev.invisiblechildren.com/about/history/>. Wolf, Katherine. Country Profile: Uganda. BBC News, 9 Sept. 2009. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/ 1069166.stm>. Flickrstorm.com Google images
Notes de l'éditeur
My thesis is talking about how there are places for these children to go that keep them from fearing abduction, but once they are abducted there is so much to fear. There is so much behind there smiling faces that they put on everyday that not everyone knows about. So I went in search behind what the general idea of what everyone already knows about Invisible Children.
-In the video clip that you just watched they showed only a couple child soldiers. As you could see they are pretty young to be out on their own carrying a weapon. They are in the middle of the jungle, and most of them have no idea what they are doing out there.
I choose to do my project on Invisible Children because not many people in our school know that much about this topic. I started out only knowing that this topic was about children being abducted and turned into soldiers at a very young age. After spending time and researching, and reading stories about children that were abducted really touched me. I never knew how good I really have it compared to these kids.
If you don’t already know about Invisible Children you should really pay attention to this presentation because you will understand what children in a whole different country are going through. If you already do know about this topic then I hope that I can add on to what you already know. I think everyone should realize that their lives are not as bad as they seem at times.
Three young filmmakers traveled to Africa in search of a story started out as a filmmaking adventure but turned into something else once they uncovered the terrifying tragedy in Uganda.The tragedy revolves around Africa’s longest running war this was is not adults fighting in it, it is children fighting the battle.The rebel armies known as the LRA abduct children using them as troops.
When the filmmakers returned to the states they created a documentary called “Invisible Children: Rough Cut”. The film showed the realities of Northern Uganda’ night commuters and child soldiers.The film was originally shown to friends and family now the movie has been seen by millions of people.
Lord’s Resistance Army.Led by Joseph Kony. Located in Northern Uganda and Sudan.-LRA wanted to overthrow the Ugandan government.-LRA estimated to have 2,000 members that operate in Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan.The government of Sudan supports the LRA.
Known as being brutal and cultish. Enormous impact. Ended up turning to violence to solve problems.
LRA rebel movement can be traced back to a women name Alice Lakwena Alice believed the holy spirit ordered her to overthrow the Ugandan government for being unfair to the Acholi.Lakwena and her followers were known as the Holy Spirit movement they gained power as resentment toward the government increased.When Lakwena was banished and no clear leader of the movement was left, Joseph Kony stepped forward he claimed to be her cousin. He took control and transformed Lakwena’s rebel army into the LRA.
The crimes that he was charged for were humanity and war crimes.Has yet to face justice for his actionsthey have not captured him yet for him to serve his time.Rarely seen hiding somewhere near the Congo-Sudan border.Thinks he can predict the future and control the minds of his fighters he tells his fighters what they want to hear. He says what ever it take for them to believe him.
Kony’s LRA didn’t receive the same support as the Holy Spirit movement.With decreasing approval for their cause and heightened government offensives, the rebels resorted to abducting children and training them into their ranks.
Had them work as child soldiers, porters, sex slaves, and human shields.-Abducted children forced to commit physical acts on civilians, fellow abductees, and/or family members.-The children feared going back to there communities after the criminal acts they committed.-The ones that tried to escape were killed.
For over two decades the LRA has terrorized communities throughout central Africa causing one of the longest, most violent conflicts on the continent. The crisis in Northern Uganda is essentially two conflicts the fighting of the LRA which was initially waging war against the Ugandan government and terrorizing the civilians in the north. The second conflict is the wrong of the Northern Ugandans against the existing government.The LRA rebel group lost popular support in the north instead terrorizing the people it claimed to represent and relying on abducted children to sustain itself.
Many as 1,00 people died each week in these camps.Displacement camps- A temporary facility for people that have been forced out of their homes. Failing to protect them from frequent LRA attacks.Left their villages every night to walk for hours to reach the relative safety major towns.- Nigh commuters- children that feared they were going to be abducted by the LRA, so they left their houses to find a safe zone.
IDP Camps- Internally Displaced Persons Camp If they stay in their home it seems as if they have joined forces with the LRA. made little difference to the number of abductions.
The camps have become just as much of a target for the attacks as the villages once were. The LRA has followed them in search of food and slaves.
They walk every night, leaving their homes to look for safe places to sleep. Returning back to their homes in the morning, but walking again when night time comes back around.Walk without the protection of adult family members all risk harassment, physical abuse, sexual exploitation and rape on the way to a safe place.No security in their own home or villages this is when the children escape the danger of being abducted by the LRA.
Young enough to have then trained the way Kony wants them to be.They hope that they will get more food and security then they ever did when living in the camps or their homes.The children are easily influenced to do things that they normally would not do.So young that they do not ask questions when they are told to do something.
They are peer pressured into protecting their families and villages from getting attacked. Children that lack attention or respect are lured in to join an army. The promises the army makes is that there will be new power and respect for them.
There is more of them.They are more likely to follow orders without questions. They are physically smaller then adults. They can slip through many security checks unexamined.
They serve as scouts, spies, trainers, decoys, guards, and landmine cleaners. As porters and domestic servants.
From 1986 to 2005 25,000 children have been abducted by the LRA.Large number of civilians. Victims are children and young adults.http://www.unicef.org.uk/bigearth/images/conflict1.jpg
From schools, boarding schools, homes, and villages, and forced them to walkcarrying the LRA’s loot, to LRA bases inside Southern Sudan.Some children couldn’t manage the long walk through the bush the children that couldn’t keep up were simply left behind while others were punished for lagging behind.Many children are forced to watch helplessly. Forced to watch beatings, killings, abductions, rape and murder of other people, who sometimes may end up being close relatives.
-1,000 of them conceived children.Young girls used as sex and labor slaves.Sold, traded, or given as gifts to arms dealers in Sudan.Forced to become wives.http://www.unicef.org.uk/bigearth/galleries/2/standard/9.jpg
Female abduction periods tended to be longer then males.The vast majority were not used as sexual slaves.Only a third went through the reception centers set up to cater to the needs of the formerly abducted.
- The boys were forced to join so that they had some where to be where they thought was a better place then the IDP camps. Forced to kill their own parents and siblings.
Half the LRA commanders had five or more forced wives.Lower level fighters had two wives.The LRA normally doesn’t let them go because they want to keep them making children so they have more soldiers.
-Half of the forced wives have birth to children from these relationships.-They had no other choice but to have children, which would end up fighting in the LRA as well.
-Very few forced wives have been released by the LRA.-The LRA normally doesn’t let them go because they want to keep them making children so they have more soldiers.
They have to watch there children and take care of them, which makes school not one of there priorities. They do not wish to see the husband/or man that fathers there children.
-All formerly forced wives and forced mothers live apart from their captor husbands.- They do not wish to see the husband/or man that fathers there children.
The children that escape or released that make it home will find that one or both parents are missing either because they are displaced, abducted, or even killed.Many children fear going home because of what they were forced to do by the LRA. Some girls come home with babies and they are sometimes rejected by their families.
Knowledgeable about the LRA activities. Often arrive with only the clothes on their back.
-Peace was in reach-Peace talks were stalledimprove the security thought the region. The talks must continue to address the root causes of the problem. Focus on reconstruction in Northern Uganda.
- Kony is now believed to be in Congo.
Made the people move into IDP camps because that was the only somewhat safe place for them to go. It has become common in Northern Uganda in recent years. Grown rapidly both inside and outside the camps.
The LRA would injure the children if they didn’t do what they were told. (mutilation) Children under the age of 18 were fighting battles and were learning how to use weapon. (child soldiers)The children and LRA soldiers would murder people. The children would murder anyone that they were told to murder and the LRA would murder people who wouldn’t cooperate, or listen. (murder)Kony and the LRA would abduct children and adults. (abduction)Would have women and children as forced wives. (sexual enslavement of women and children)
He would cut off the kids noses and lips if they cried or complained about anything. He wanted them to know who was in charge and that they had to be strong. The LRA would listen to what Kony told them to do and do these horrible things to the children if any of them cried. Cutting off the lips and noses was most common with women.
-This is only one of the punishments they would face for not doing what they were told to do.- This is also another punishment if they cry or complain.
This is another punishment that was given.It was more common for women to receive this punishment.They would receive this punishment if they cried or refused to be with the soldier that made them their wives.
Combines the power of market-driven development with the lifelong benefits of education.They are handmade from reed and recycled wire.Choose people in the camps.They are trained in bracelet making and supplied weekly with the necessary materials.Each bracelet means something.Each color is for a different person and the story about what they have gone through.
Walked three or four hours a day to reach a safe place to sleep. Saw friends, relatives, and peers abducted by the rebel army and forced to commit horrifying acts against their own family. Senior at Busoga college in Southern Uganda.Hopes to serve as a member of parliament, working his way up the political ladder to end the war.
He was filled with fear of the rebel army that they would come and capture him. He is now excelling in his studies and school.Children are starting to get out of the LRA and starting their lives over.
Doesn’t know if returning to his original home will be possible. Now lives with his aunt and uncle.
She passed away from and advanced case of Aids.Attends Laroo primary school, where he enjoys studying English and Social studies.An offender set Emmy’s house in Gulu on fire and lost all his belongings.
- Invisible children are his school fees so that he doesn’t have to worry about the payments.
IDP- internally displaced person The children do not have any family. There family members have either been killed or abducted. The children are still being held captive and the LRA is not letting them go.
The security has improved a lot. Everything they use to know how to do is gone.The children no longer have to walk miles just so they can sleep safe.
- I have learned that there is more behind the tragedy then the general idea of kids being abducted. Kids in Uganda go through so much more then any of us have experienced. The kids there have to take care of their families as well as protect themselves and their loved ones. They have to walk for hours just so they know they are safe sleeping. Doing this topic has made me realize how good I really do have it here. There are things that I have to worry about but I do not have to worry about anything extreme like those children.
- I choose to do an awareness video because I thought this would be the best way to capture someone’s attention. It took me a few weeks to put this video together. I interviewed several people about what they know about Invisible Children. There were many people that have no idea what this topic was, or they never heard of it. It was very difficult to find at least one person that knew more about this topic then young kids being abducted, even though that is the general idea. I would like this video to show people what is really going on in Uganda and what the children and families suffer from there.
