As you’ve probably heard by now, Invisible Children is making some major changes in 2015. (If you missed the news amidst all the holiday parties and eggnog lattes, get updated here.)
For the last 10 years, we’ve experienced beautiful and powerful victories, and we’ve seen thousands of people become bolder and more compassionate by standing up for something they believe in. We worked to end Africa’s longest-running war – and thanks to your dedication, we’ve seen incredible results. In case you aren’t already overwhelmingly proud and thankful for this movement, we’ve got a few stats for you:
–LRA killings decreased by 92% in the past three years.
–1.8 million displaced people returned to their communities.
–2,659 people abducted by the LRA returned to their families in the last four years.
–11 Ugandan schools were rebuilt.
–6,000+ Ugandan scholarships were awarded.
–3.7 million pledges were delivered.
–Two bills were passed through U.S. Congress.
–And there’s even more where that came from.
We’re getting a little sentimental here, but we are so thankful for you and the role you played in this story. You believed that the world could be better, and you took action against injustice. You proved the skeptics wrong. You attended events and screenings, donated your time, talent and money, made an unknown warlord famous, lobbied your representatives, and you marched and demonstrated on behalf of the invisible children of the world. We hope you’re proud of everything this movement accomplished, because you have a thousand reasons to be.
We’re in the finishing stretch of the counter-LRA mission, but it still isn’t over because the LRA continues to attack communities and abduct civilians, and Joseph Kony still enjoys impunity. Today, we need your help to continue our most essential work through 2015. Here’s how:
–Donate to the Finishing Fund. This is the last time we’re asking you to support our work, and every dollar supports the transition of our Africa programs to sustainable, local leadership.
–Join CITIZEN. Our volunteer network of activists will keep our political representatives accountable next year to stay committed to the counter-LRA mission. It’s really easy to get involved – just sign up here, and we’ll email you when we need you to contact your representative.
–Stay up-to-date on the counter-LRA mission by following the LRA Crisis Tracker.
–Live a life that demands explanation. You’ve proven time and again that when our generation takes action against injustice, change happens. The world needs people who stand up for each other and believe that their voice makes a difference. You are more powerful than you think you are. Keep pursuing justice, empathy and kindness in any way you can. And don’t let fear or anything else stop you.
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our final video. It’s our love letter to any supporter who has said yes to the invisible children of the world.
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