The NIC Sentinel

Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: Life

Media Credit: Sarah Andrews Students march down Garden Street during a demonstration raising awareness for kidnapped Sudanese kids.

t was the day the war in Iraq started in 2003 that three young men from California made their way to Sudan in search of a story. Once they traveled farther to Uganda, they found their story that is now a documentary.

On April 13 "Invisible Children" was shown in Todd Hall and motivated Students for Progressive Change to be a part of the movement to help these children that are being captured to become soldiers.

"I think it needs to be known world-wide," said Annie Blake, 19. "I didn't know about 'Invisible Children,' and I'm sure that there are a lot of other schools that don't know anything about it."

For the past 20 years a war in Sudan has been responsible for more than 2 million deaths and more than 5 million evacuations. Thousands of children have been separated from their families or abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

The children that are taken by the LRA are between the ages of 5 and 12. According to the documentary, they are chosen at this age because they are big enough to carry guns but small enough to sneak into schools to steal more children. Once the children are taken, they are brainwashed and taught to kill, turning them into children soldiers.

After the showing of the film, the Students for Progressive Change and adviser Sharla Chittick walked down Sherman Avenue to help raise awareness of this issue. Saturday they will be going to Seattle to participate in a nation wide event called "Displace Me." They will need to bring water, crackers and cardboard that can be made into a tent like sleeping area, along with sleeping bags.

"I want to go to Seattle and be displaced," Blake said.

In Seattle these students will become displaced for 24 hours and will imagine what it is like to be one of the many displaced children in Uganda. The goal for this rally will be to ask the government to support the peace talks in Uganda and the hurting children in the displacement camps.

Throughout the night there will be different guest speakers there. More than 45,000 people have signed up to meet in one of 15 cities that will be having this event. In Seattle alone, more than 2,200 people will participate.

For information on 'Invisible Children' or how to become displaced visit http://www.invisiblechildren.com.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools