Abducted from their families and forced to kill, child soldiers fighting in Africa's longest-running war are invisible to most of the world. A group called Invisible Children is working to change the fate of these children and end a war that has been destroying Central Africa for 23 years.
Free the Slaves, a campus group committed to ending modern slavery, will give students the opportunity to learn more about Invisible Children at a showing of their newest documentary tonight at 7 in Cardinal Hall of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.
Invisible Children is an organization that "uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony's rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in Central Africa to peace and prosperity," according to their website.
The LRA, or Lord's Resistance Army, is a band of rebel soldiers fighting the Government of Uganda and is made up of children who have been kidnapped and forced to fight. LRA leader Joseph Kony is the focus of Invisible Children's newest documentary, "Kony 2012," which discusses the political side of ending the war.
Invisible Children roadies will be on campus tonight to show this documentary and talk to students about what they can do to help.
This will be Invisible Children's third visit to campus. Members of Free the Slaves said previous Invisible Children events have led to increased awareness on campus of the war and of Invisible Children's efforts.
"I think it was more of a shock to people, like, ‘Wow, that's really going on,'" said Free the Slaves President Dana Watkins about the reaction to past Invisible Children events.
The vice president of Free the Slaves said she hopes that the upcoming event will lead to even more awareness and support on campus.
Andrea Kocken said the goal is "definitely just that — that more people know. Whether they come and they already knew about it and they just tell their friends ... or that people who don't know about it come, and they just learn about it."
Awareness is an important factor in helping the child soldiers. This war has been called "the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today," according to Invisible Children's website.
Kocken, a freshman social work major, said organizing events like this for Invisible Children is something she is very passionate about.
"It's really just an awful thing that's happening, and it makes me feel like I can do something about it," Kocken said.
Watkins, a senior hospitality and food management major, has high hopes that this event will be effective and inspire students to support Invisible Children.
"I think this will be a good one because it's new; nobody's seen it before," said Watkins, referring to the documentary.
Students interested in learning more about Invisible Children should attend the event tonight or visit the group's website — invisiblechildren.com. Those interested in supporting Free the Slaves can email freetheslavesbsu@gmail.com to get on the group's email list.
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