Watch New Short Film Ani Wa Sa (We Are One) Set in Garamba National Park on Vimeo

Ani Wa Sa, www.dceff.org.

Invisible Children, the organization that created the documentary film "Kony 2012", has released a narrative twenty-eight minute film created for their Mobile Cinema program in central Africa.

Ani Wa Sa

"Ani Wa Sa" (We Are One) was produced by Invisible Children in collaboration with international filmmakers and community partners. It is set in Garamba National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo on the border with South Sudan. The park has been managed by nonprofit organization African Parks in partnership with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation) (ICCN) since 2005.

Elephants in Garamba National Park by Nuria Ortega, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Garamba National Park is known for poaching wars. In the 1970's there were 22,000 elephants in the park. Poachers made up of South Sudanese armed groups, the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) and others have brought that number down to less than 1,200 elephants today.

"Ani Wa Sa" focuses on the relationship between wildlife exploitation and violent conflict. It highlights the ways Invisible Children, central African communities, and conservation actors are working together to promote peace and security.

Novo summarized the plot, writing, "Two brothers who come from a line of central African Zande hunters, seek to protect their local forest from seemingly opposing avenues: one through family tradition and the other as part of a national park ranger team. Though their relationship has fractured, an advancing rebel group seeking to poach and traffic elephant ivory poses a mutual threat and the brothers may need each other to protect the people and wildlife of their homeland for generations to come."

Watch the short film "Ani Wa Sa" for free on the Novo Vimeo channel.



Mobile Cinema Program

Invisible Children has a Mobile Cinema program that uses the power of film to bring people in vulnerable communities together to brainstorm ideas for the role the community can play in ending violent conflict and promoting peace in their own communities. "Ani Wa Sa" has been screened in more than 65 communities in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, reaching more than 27,400 people.

It also screened at the DC Environmental Film Festival in 2020. (Watch many films that have screened at the film festival in past years.)

Mobile Cinema program, Invisible Children newsletter.

Invisible Children

"In 2015, after 11 years of advocacy and awareness campaigns that brought the LRA crisis to the attention of the world and its leaders, Invisible Children was restructured to focus more intensively on our programs in the border region of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan, where multiple armed groups like the LRA continue to operate with impunity. The area is particularly prone to violence because of its severe isolation and lack of governance.

"Our commitment to our founding mission remains as strong as ever. Joseph Kony remains at large, and after more than 30 years of brutal crimes, his impunity continues to be one of the most tragic examples of our world’s failure to treat every human life as equally valuable and worthy of protection.

"Today, we are taking the lessons we’ve learned from more than a decade of working with central African communities to stop LRA violence, and we are expanding our work for an even greater impact. We work with central African communities directly affected by armed group violence to develop locally-led violence prevention strategies, reunite families affected by conflict, and provide world-class conflict analysis."

Continue reading about Invisible Children on www.invisiblechildren.com.

Who are you to end a war? I'm here to tell you who are you not to?

Ready for April 20, 2012?

East Africa: Who What Where Why?

This post is an attempt to summarize what I have begun to refer to as my "self-funded, self-directed fellowship" ... otherwise known as my "East Africa Summer" - May 14 through Aug 22, 2011.

It all started with my Lehigh Comparative Politics class. Our TA Brian had spent a semester abroad in Kenya, and used to meet with a small group of interested students once a week, to show us photographs and tell us stories about Kenya. Years later two close friends, Sharon and Eric left at about the same time for Tanzania, to volunteer for extended amounts of time. I got to experience Tanzania vicariously through them. Then in January 2010 I watched the first Invisible Children documentary about the Lord's Resistance Army and Joseph Kony. I was really touched by Jacob's story, one of the Ugandan boys in the film, and started following Invisible Children's work. Over the course of the rest of 2010, things just kept piling on top of each other. I read Jacqueline Novogratz's book The Blue Sweater, and began going to Acumen Fund events. I started meeting people from San Francisco's social entrepreneurship community, while also reading about other young social entrepreneurs. I wanted my own experience, and I wanted to meet the social entrepreneurs in East Africa and hear their stories in person. Fortunately things culminated in my life in such a way that I was able to just jump in with both feet, and I began to plan an East Africa Summer.

The next part wasn't quite as easy. Invisible Children doesn't have a volunteer program in their Gulu, Uganda office. I had missed the Kiva Fellowship Program application deadline. I hadn't been to East Africa before and didn't have any friends there; I needed to plan out where I would be volunteering, and my return date. I remembered that the Daraja Academy of Kenya had invited me to volunteer at their campus in Kenya, after the successful athletic shoe drive that Caitie and I had organized the previous summer. I applied to volunteer at Daraja for a month beginning on May 14, and was accepted. Next, I needed to propose a project to be completed during my month's stay on campus. I am very interested in access to higher education and love mentoring my Level Playing Field Summer Math & Science Honors Academy students, so I proposed serving as a guidance counselor on campus, for the month. Daraja had a better idea - they needed help researching post-graduation opportunities for the students. Daraja is a young school - the oldest students are in Form 3 (high school juniors). So I would get to do some planning work, which sounded exciting! While I was quitting my job and giving up my San Francisco apartment, I figured that I might as well stay in East Africa for the summer. I reached out to one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who I had met several months prior to see if he had any suggestions. Garang said that he could use my help with a particular project in East Africa, and we decided that I would return to the USA on August 22. So I was all set! I gave notice, gave away a lot of my stuff, packed what was left, drove that stuff and my dog to my mom's in NY, and then I was off to the airport.

I lived on Daraja's campus outside of Nanyuki, near Mount Kenya from May 14 through June 14. I spent most of my time conducting online research, interviewing civil servants (Nanyuki is the Laikipia District seat so there is a government compound in town), helping students prepare for the Music Festival competition, attending Sunday student-run religious services, ran a Blue Sweater Book Club using twenty-five copies of the book that had been donated by the Acumen Fund, participating in the sports program, sitting in on the Women of Integrity Strength and Hope (WISH) classes, and in general trying to get to know the students and the Kenyan education system as well as possible.

I had trouble reaching Garang of New Scholars while I was at Daraja, due to poor telecommunications infrastructure in South Sudan. So at this point it was time to re-invent the summer plans! From Daraja I proceeded to Jinja, Uganda to visit an old friend, Meghan who was volunteering with Light Gives Heat for the summer. I spent about a week in Jinja learning about Meghan's work and meeting her fellow volunteers and the organization's staff, went to Sipi Falls, Bujagali Falls, went white water rafting on the Nile, and spent a lot of time meeting staff and guests at the hostel where I was staying, which is where I learned so much about Ugandan culture, the education system, credit, and development. From there I headed onto Kampala, the capital of Uganda where I was invited to stay with a fellow Pace Law Environmental Program alum, Elaine who was on a Fulbright and was living on the Makarere University Campus. Thanks to Elaine and a Kiva Fellow I met, Michele, got to know the expat community and life in Kampala. I also got to meet the founders of one of my favorite social ventures, AFRIpads! While in Kampala I also explored the city, and learned that Jacqueline Novogratz had tweeted about me! I left Kampala for a few days, to track chimps in Kibale National Park. While there I realized that the water filter that I brought with me from the USA was not working and began to drink bottled water, not realizing that my body was already fighting water-borne illnesses. I'd met two Australian travelers on my first day in Uganda, who had invited me to go up to Gulu, Uganda with them to visit the Invisible Children office. I'd also met Tom, a Ugandan who attends university in Michigan and is active with his campus' Invisible Children Club but was home for summer break, at a coffee shop in Jinja. Tom had introduced me to someone who works in the Invisible Children Gulu office. Visiting Gulu, meeting the Invisible Children staff, staying at one of the Invisible Children staff houses, going to Krochet Kids' compound ... I learned so much! I wrapped up my three and a half weeks in Uganda with one final Nile rafting trip, and goodbye-for-now's to my friends at the hostel, and Meghan. Leaving Uganda ... crossing the border back into Kenya ... that was hard. I loved Uganda.

I headed right back to Nairobi, to begin the third and final part of my East Africa Summer. I stayed at a hostel (Upper Hill Campsite) that had been recommended by my Australian friends, as well as a San Francisco Surfrider friend Jules, who had been through Nairobi recently. I met some people who had been traveling all over Africa, and had interesting stories to tell. Thanks to Michele's roommate in Kampala, I quickly found a room in a Western apartment to sublet, in the heart of Nairobi. I spent most of the next six weeks in Nairobi itself, doing work. Even though I had technically already finished my project for Daraja, I decided to continue my research, independently. I felt as if I was just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding, when I left Daraja. There was (and still is) so much to learn. But it wasn't all work - I took side trips to Maasai Mara National Park "on safari", up to Daraja's campus for a quick weekend to meet Daraja co-founder Jenni who had been out of the country while I was living at Daraja, and to Mombasa and Diani Beach on the Kenyan coast. I met some great fellow travelers white water rafting and on safari, who I later caught up with in Nairobi - Maria, Elien and Jan. I also did a few "day trips" within Nairobi's city limits - to the David Sheldrick Baby Elephant and Rhino Orphanage for the public daily milk feeding and then for the tuck-in, and to Nairobi National Park. I got connected to two Georgetown alums in Nairobi, Angela and Laney, and another American living in Nairobi, Karen. I had so much fun hanging out with them, getting advice about health care when my illnesses started keeping me down, and helping Angela out with the Amanai Art Club that she started for Nairobi street boys. I got to meet two of my friend Sharon's Kenyan friends, two Kiva Fellows in Nairobi, Richard and Nila, and my friend Sowmya's friends from her International Peace Masters Program, Wilson and Edith. I also got to meet Acumen Fund Nairobi office team member Suraj, who invited me to the launch of the Acumen East Africa Fellows Program where I got to meet Jacqueline Novogratz, and to TEDxKibera. Lehigh young alum Freedom warmly welcomed me to Kenya, and helped me plan and run a Lehigh Alumni Happy Hour in Nairobi. I mentioned that one of my plans for my summer was to meet inspiring social entrepreneurs, and to get to hear their stories. I got to meet Jessica Posner, who has been an inspiration to me from the time that I first learned of her work with Shining Hope for Communities. I also got to reconnect with Garang from New Scholars, while he was in Nairobi from South Sudan, and learned how I can help him with his work. I remain so passionate about the work that needs to be done - and opportunities - in South Sudan.

In addition to all of these activities, and learning Nairobi I continued on with the research that I began at Daraja. While touring social ventures in Uganda, I noticed that every venture had social workers on staff. I began to consider that bursaries (college scholarships) were not quite enough - the students need mentors, too. While in Uganda I got to meet with a US Embassy employee who helps Ugandan students access US universities, and then got to meet staff in Kenya who are doing a similar thing. I set up appointments and dropped in on nonprofits and corporate operations that empower Kenyan students via both bursaries and mentoring programs, including Akili Dada, KenSAP, and Equity Bank. (I was invited to attend the two-week long second annual Equity Bank Congress on Kenyatta University's campus, which was an amazing experience - got to meet inspiring students, and was able to collaborate with fantastic bank employees.) While conducting my research at Daraja I learned about some of Kenya's top students, and found that many attended two "national" boarding schools for girls, both located in Nairobi - Precious Blood Riruta and Kenya High School. I was invited to visit both campuses, and learned so much from meeting the Precious Blood students and Principal, and staff at Kenya High School. Meeting John, one of the current Acumen East Africa Fellows, turned some of my thoughts upside down. Wow - one of the best things from my summer was people's willingness to go out of their way to teach me, and help me with my work.

I left Nairobi on August 22, to fly back to the States feeling as if my work was just beginning. I'm still trying to draw conclusions from all that I saw, experienced, and learned this past summer. I remind myself of Jacqueline Novogratz's keynote at the East Africa Fellows launch event, when she reminded us that she has been doing this work for twenty-five years. I can't expect to have figured everything out in three and a half months. And yet ... the best thing is just to begin. Thanks to Sanergy, a eco-sanitation solution social venture in Nairobi, I found out about Kevin Starr's PopTech talk.



It's given me a lot to think about. I also learned a lot from a conversation that I had with Saul Garlick at SOCAP11 (Social Capital Markets Conference) last month. What do I care most about? What is the problem that I want to solve? Forget about the rest of it. Just start with this. I'm working on it, and will update here when I'm ready! But the main theme is empowering young East African women to create change in their communities through mentoring, education, travel and extended service learning.

Thanks to everyone who followed along with my adventures by reading my East Africa blog posts, and checking in with me. It meant a lot!

East Africa Day 50 (Sat July 2): On the Road to the Uganda Invisible Children Office!

I didn’t get much sleep last night – was busy packing up all of my stuff, to take it with me to Gulu, Uganda today, to visit the Invisible Children Uganda office! Who would have thought, when I first became aware of the org, that I’d get to visit the Uganda office in the not-too-distant future!

I had called Richard, who works at the office, who Tom had introduced me to – the Michigan college student that I’d met in Jinja, recently. Richard invited me to the office on Monday for a tour. I also connected with Charlie and Annette, two Australians that I met at NRE when I’d first arrived, who have a friend, Nikki, who is interning at Invisible Children’s Uganda office for six months. They happened to be leaving Kampala for Gulu today, so I joined them for the trip. Perfect timing!
I met them at the Kampala Post Office this AM – this time allowing myself plenty of time to get there, so that I wouldn’t miss the bus! It was a longer ride than the ride to Fort Portal, but it was fun – one of the Post Bus employees on my bus had helped me with one of my previous Post Bus trips, and he remembered me – yep, I’m a fan of the Post Bus! I slept most of the way, but did notice that the scenery heading north towards the Sudan border where Gulu is located is flatter and more open than other parts of Uganda that I’ve seen, from the Post Bus windows:)

We arrived in Gulu in the early afternoon, and found our hotel which had been recommended by Richard. It’s hot up here – hotter than I’d expected. And unfortunately there are mosquitos, which I am now a little apprehensive about. I’m typing this from my bed, tucked underneath my mosquito net, with the windows closed as much as possible, even though it’s quite hot in here. Just say “no” to Malaria.
We went to a local restaurant for lunch, and then bought chapattis off of a street vendor. It was my first time buying street food in East Africa, and it might be my last – not feeling particularly good:)

Nikki was out of town with Invisible Children today, but will be back tomorrow afternoon. There’s an internet café across the street from the hotel – looking forward to uploading these backlogged posts to my blog in the AM! Aside from that, Gulu is a pretty small, quiet town from what we saw, walking around this evening. It’s a big change from Kampala, and even from Jinja! Reminds me more of Nanyuki, in Kenya – near Daraja’s campus.

April 25: The Night of your Life

I love Invisible Children. Where will you be on April 25? Ready to win a trip to Uganda?

25 Instructional Video from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Create your profile page here. Stay Classy designs and manages the Invisible Children fundraising pages. They're awesome and are also based in San Diego!

Fall Out Boy & Invisible Children

When I come across things like this, it reminds me of how disappointed I am that Fall Out Boy broke up. Ah well.

From the Invisible Children website:

Ever since Pete Wentz heard about Invisible Children, Fall Out Boy has gone above and beyond to use their unique platform to spread the word about northern Uganda. Throughout 2007, FOB promoted our nationwide event Displace Me through a video shown to every audience on their tour. They continued to get involved by traveling with us to Uganda in July 2007 and filming their music video “I’m Like a Lawyer,” which IC co-produced.

Resolve recaps 2010

So inspired by the work of Resolve and Invisible Children.

Resolve Looks Back on 2010 from The Resolve on Vimeo.

Donations to Resolve can be made here.

Want more from Resolve? I watched this video just last night - made me cry.

Resolve's DC Vigil from The Resolve on Vimeo.

Invisible Children & Resolve urge you to VOTE tomorrow

Remember all of my posts about the Invisible Children and and the campaign to get Senator Coburn to release his hold on the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act?

Here's a summary of what the Invisible Children, Resolve, and their allies did to get the bill passed, and why they think you should vote tomorrow.

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Millennium Campus Network National Conference :: Sept 17 - 19, NYC.

The Millennium Campus Network (MCN) is a national network of student organizations dedicated to the eradication of extreme poverty and the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The MCN's goal is to build a generation of leaders who are equipped with the tools they need to make ending extreme poverty a reachable goal within our lifetime.

MCN does this by holding monthly assemblies in each MCN District, where reps from MCN Member Orgs meet to discuss a different topic.

The MCN also holds a national conference every 2 years - the next one takes place this weekend @ Columbia in NYC! Registration is only $10 and meals are included. Register here. In addition to skill-building workshops and info sessions, students will get to hear from speakers including Dr. Bernard Amadei (Founder, Engineers Without Borders USA) and filmmaker Bobby Bailey (Co-founder, Invisible Children). YEAH BOBBY!



John Legend supports the MCN. Check out this related PSA from John Legend, directed at college students:



Participate in the campaign John is promoting, here.

What's Your Move?

Just heard about this today via an email from Invisible Children. Beautiful video.



Digging a little further ...



"ACDC" otherwise known as "Adam/Chu Dance Crew" is composed of the film "Step Up 2: The Streets" director Jon M. Chu, plus Adam Sevani.

There is only room for Hope

I am so proud ... moved ... I don't know. Resolve Uganda.

I emailed President Obama sometime within the past week, upon the request of either Resolve Uganda or the Invisible Children (don't remember which) asking President Obama to make a public statement on his support for the bill.

He did it! Check out the statement from Invisible Children here.

Then the video summary of the day here:



Read Obama's statement on the occasion of the bill signing here.

You can help save Uganda's Child Soldiers by sending an Email. Come on ... you know you have a minute!

Received this message from Resolve Uganda tonight. PLEASE take action. They are so close to a big victory, but need our help!



Nicole --



Yesterday, your continued support for legislation in Congress seeking to address LRA violence helped overcome yet another major hurdle on the bill's path to President Obama's desk.

After disagreements among members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs threatened to delay the bill's consideration for months, more than 5,000 people signed a petition to Committee leaders. As a result, it was added last-minute to the agenda of yesterday's Committee meeting, where it was approved unanimously. (We also hear the Coburn campaign was fresh in the minds of several Members of Congress…)

Now it is on to a vote in the full House of Representatives, which we expect in the next two weeks. If we act quickly, we have one last chance to convince Members of Congress to speak out and make sure the bill passes.

Click here to e-mail your Representative to request that they issue a "floor statement" when the bill comes up for a vote.

These statements from Members of Congress are crucial to securing the votes needed for the bill's passage. They also send a clear message to President Obama that Congress and activists across the country expect serious new action toward peace.



The importance of sending this message is simple. Last time we e-mailed you, it was with news of a devastating LRA massacre in northeastern Congo. Such a tragedy can be prevented from happening again if our leaders take the steps called for in this legislation.

Passage in the House of Representatives is the last step before the bill gets sent to the President. If we succeed in achieving this final milestone, we look forward to joining all of you in celebration as he puts his pen to paper and signs this legislation into law.

Sincerely,

Paul Ronan
Director of Advocacy, Resolve Uganda

A message from Invisible Children :: Wanted: Roadies and Textbooks

Got this in an email yesterday from Invisible Children. In addition to the below, check out my January 26th post that recaps Invisible Children and talks about their previous Roadie opportunities.



With the Senate passing legislation mandating President Obama to lead the efforts to stop Joseph Kony, this fall’s Schools for Schools tour will be packed with the most potential yet for long-term, effective change in northern Uganda.

And we want you to be a part of it. We want you to be a roadie. Three months on the road, sharing the stories of Invisible Children, will help transform the lives of an entire country affected by Africa’s longest running war.

The May 10th application deadline is right around the corner. Visit our website and apply today.


Now, a message for our college friends:

This spring, don’t get stuck waiting in line to sell your books back at the bookstore. There’s a better way. A much better way. Go here and click the button that says “Get $$ For Your Textbooks”. You’ll get a fair price and IC will benefit at the same time. Every book you sell raises funds for our programs, plus you can choose to donate a little something extra at checkout.

Help us by sharing this link with others on your campus and making it your Facebook status before finals.

Thank you,
Invisible Children

P.S. - Booking for the Schools for School Fall 2010 Tour has commenced. If you would like to bring the tour to your town give us a call at 619.562.2799

Brett Dennen covers Citizen Cope for The Voice Project

From an April 6th Paste Magazine article that I came across today, thanks to Mick Management's Facebook page:

... Soldiers who escape from the LRA [Lords Resistance Army in Uganda aka child soldiers] often take cover in the bush, too ashamed of what they’ve done to return to their homes. In an effort to bring home the men living in self-imposed exile, the women of Northern Uganda have begun singing songs of peace, welcoming and forgiveness, which are passed by radio and word of mouth out to the bush. And, as a result, the soldiers are finally beginning to come home.

The Voice Project “is an attempt to support these incredible women and the peace movement in Uganda, and an effort to see how far a voice can carry.”

It seeks to amplify the voices of the women of Northern Uganda by joining them, asking artists to cover one of their favorite songs by someone else to pass the message of peace and solidarity along.

Paste is proud to premiere The Voice Project’s first video, in which Brett Dennen covers Citizen Cope’s “Healing Hands.”

Watch the video here.

... and we're only 3 months into 2010 ...

Received this update today from Invisible Children:

Citizen Arrest Warrant Hand-Off from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Senator Coburn AND the US Senate said YES!

I received this email from Oklahoma City, OK 3 days ago.



All:

Big news.

We will send out a more serious blast later this week when the bill passes the full Senate, but you deserve to know now: Senator Coburn agreed to lift his hold on the bill today!

The Hold Out lasted 262 hours before a compromise was finally reached. Dozens of local news stories carried the story of the heroic activists who refused to leave the Senator's office in downtown Oklahoma City until they were successful, and the Senator's office was flooded with thousands of phone calls this past week. The Senator himself will be getting on the phone with organizers in just an hour to talk about how we can continue to work together.

Now, our focus turns to the House of Representatives, which must still pass their version of the bill before it can be sent to the President to be signed into law.

Kenneth Transier, one of our staff in Oklahoma, gave a shout out to all you supporters:

"To the people who slept next to me for eleven nights in the shadow of the Chase building, and those who supported us: You helped convince the most stubborn Senator in modern history to accept a compromise. You played a part in bringing $40 million to help rebuild four nations, and in creating what we hope is a big step toward the end of the longest running war in Africa."

Thank you. Victories like this don't come often, and our progress is not always so dramatic. That's why we are going to celebrate this one like crazy.

-Michael
Resolve Uganda


photo: OK City, OK celebration


Then I received this email today:

Nicole -

We couldn't be more overjoyed.

At 7:08PM last night, the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act passed the United States Senate with more bipartisan cosponsors than any Africa-focused legislation in at least three decades.

In short, this is huge.

Our focus now has to turn to the House of Representatives, which must pass the bill before it can reach the President's desk. Will you email your Representative now?

We can't say thank you enough. This is an achievement truly worth celebrating, one that will undoubtedly benefit families enduring the costs of this war for years to come.

The first good news actually came earlier this week. Under considerable pressure, Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma agreed to lift his hold on the bill. Dozens of activists had refused to leave the Senator's Oklahoma City office until he allowed it to pass. Their "hold out" lasted 262 straight hours, generated significant media attention, and galvanized thousands of phone calls to the Senator's office.

The effort was a remarkable show of commitment from everyone involved. In the words of Oklahoman coordinator Mark Nehrenz, "As a movement, we found our voices this week, and we will not be silent. We are here to stay."

Senator Feingold, ecstatic about the achievement, said that it "sends a message that the United States will no longer stand by and watch the Lord's Resistance Army terrorize innocent civilians across central Africa, kidnap thousands of children and force them to become child soldiers" and commits our country to help "change the conditions that have allowed this war to persist for so long."

Senator Inhofe even gave you all a shout-out, acknowledging that none of this would have been possible without "the hard work and effort of all those who have believed in the importance of this legislation."

But it's not over yet. Far from it. And we're grateful to have you with us as we continue to move forward.

Sincerely,

Michael
Resolve Uganda


Check out this update from OK City, OK -

The Next "An Inconvenient Truth" - Roadie Summer 2010 Opportunity :: Apps Due March 15

I don't usually post specific internship opportunities, but this one was too cool not to mention. It immediately reminded me of the (now closed) Invisible Children "roadie" Summer 2010 opportunity.

Global Zero :: A World Without Nuclear Weapons

The new film "Countdown to Zero", aims to do for anti-nuclear proliferation what "An Inconvenient Truth" did for the environmental movement. It doesn't hurt that "Countdown to Zero" was produced by Lawrence Bender, the same guy who produced "An Inconvenient Truth" - as well as "Inglourious Basterds" and a number of Quentin Tarantino films.

I can't find a trailer, but more info about the film here.

The film had its world debut at the Sundance Film Festival this January. This summer, the film will be touring the USA - to campuses, churches, conferences, and camps around the United States.

To do this, the organizers, Global Zero, need your help. Actually, they need you.

Apply to be a Global Zero Roadie this summer - applications accepted on a rolling basis (positions will be filled as they receive applications); absolute deadline March 15, 2010.

They are looking for 12 highly motivated, intelligent volunteers who are willing to be at the forefront of a growing global movement. You must be at least 18 years of age and have attained your high school diploma. Possession of a valid driver's license and clean record is preferred.


Internship Details:
DATES & LOGISTICS
- Start in Washington, DC on March 20, 2010
- End in New York City approximately May 31 (exact date TBD)
- Your team will cover a region in the United States. You will be assigned to a team before you arrive in DC.

In mid-April, you will hit the road with your teammates in a freshly painted, officially branded Global Zero van, traveling to college and high school campuses all over the country to build a movement and cultivate an environment in which to empower student leaders and inspire them to be active in this worldwide effort to eliminate nuclear weapons.

While on the road you and your teammates will be responsible for setting up screenings, planning the day's events, selling merchandise, handling deposits/accounting, managing inventory, and continuing investment and follow up with new supporters that you'll meet on each campus and at each screening.

When your 6-8 week tour comes to an end there will be a time of debrief, sharing, and celebration!


HOUSING/TRANSPORTATION COSTS
During training, you will be provided housing in Washington D.C. that will be within walking distance of the office in Dupont Circle. While on tour, you will stay with contacts and host homes from Global Zero's networks. All transportation costs necessary for your internship, including your trip home at the end of the internship, will be covered.

You will be provided with a small weekly food stipend. We encourage each of our interns to raise support anywhere between $1,000-$1,500 USD to supplement your food stipend and to cover any additional personal costs you may have. We will provide materials that will assist you in raising support. We are committed to making sure you are mentally and financially confident before hitting the road.


INTERNSHIP CREDIT
If you are a currently enrolled student, we will do everything we can to work with your academic institution to provide you with credit for your internship.


Check out these short interviews with international youth who attended the the Ground Zero 2010 Paris Summit:

"Dr. No, Please Say Yes" Update :: Live Video from Outside Sen Coburn's Office

This post is a follow-up to last Wednesday's post "Dr. No, Please Say Yes":

From Oklahoma City, OK News 9:




photo: Emma, a S4S representative that won a trip to Uganda this summer.

Check out the live stream from outside of Senator Coburn's Oklahoma City, OK office:

Watch live streaming video from invisiblechildren at livestream.com

photo: sleeping on the job, outside of Senator Coburn's office

The photos were taken from the Invisible Children's Facebook page - check it out for the latest updates.

If you are in Washington, DC then join the Invisible Children for this International Women's Day "Meet Me On The Bridge" Event on March 8th.

Dr. No, Please Say Yes! :: Join the Invisible Children Oklahoma Campaign ASAP

This is an open call to US Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) asking him to meet with Invisible Children in Oklahoma City this February to re-consider his hold on the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act.

Coburn Say Yes from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

How You Can Help:

* Sign the petition addressed to Senator Coburn here.

* Join the Facebook group here and help spread the word.

* If you can make it to OK on Friday, February 26th, then join this event "OK Says Yes" -

We are gathering at the Oklahoma State Capitol Building, where we will hear from a handful of speakers including Papito Francis, a young man from northern Uganda whose life have been severely affected by LRA violence and who is featured in Invisible Children's documentary GO!

From the State Capitol Building, we will march 2 miles to Senator Coburn's Oklahoma City office downtown and hand-deliver all of our letters.

From that point on, we wait. For the few crazy and brave individuals willing to hold out, we will wait at Senator Coburn's OKC office until he removes his hold on the bill. Yes, that may take days. Yes, it will be cold. And yes, this is crazy. But we believe sincere commitent and sacrifice of comfort is the strongest way to tell our leaders that this crisis is unacceptable. So join us if you are willing.

This event is for Oklahomans and non-Oklahomans alike. If you are willing to make the trek - and if you are willing to hold strong with us - we are honored to have you join us.


This film will be screening at the Invisible Children's Legacy Tour Oklahoma tour stops. If you live outside of OK, then check the tour dates for your state here.
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?