Invisible Children joins local leaders to call for action on the LRA

Last week, Invisible Children and our partners at The Resolve traveled to Brussels for a week-long advocacy gathering with local community leaders from LRA-affected areas of Central and East Africa, and with European human rights organizations EurAc, IKV Pax Christi, and Conciliation Resources. The goal of the gathering was to urge International political leaders to take specific, urgent action that can help end LRA violence and assist affected communities in their recovery.

The coalition of local community leaders and NGOs worked together to produce a joint analysis of the LRA conflict and a list of political recommendations, which were then presented before the European Parliament and the International Working Group on the LRA — a coordinating body comprised of senior officials from the European Union, the United States, the African Union, the United Nations, the World Bank, and European member states.

The three most urgent needs emphasized by the group were:

• Increased international support for efforts to protect civilians from LRA attacks.

Increased international support for efforts to effectively reintegrate former LRA members back into their home communities, and continued support for efforts to help current LRA members peacefully defect.

The week in Brussels provided a rare and important opportunity for local leaders from all areas affected by the LRA to collectively have an audience with high-level representatives from international governments that are currently involved in efforts to address the LRA crisis, or whose engagement is needed to help bring the conflict to an end. Invisible Children was also proud to have 15 of our most dedicated European activists – representing seven different countries – join these local leaders at the European Parliament to support their message and call on European leaders to take action.

Read the full joint statement and policy recommendations, and read a press statement about the event.