Ending a war by dropping pieces of paper out of an airplane is kind of bizarre. Before working at Invisible Children, I had never even heard of a “defection campaign” before. So hang out with us for a second as we explain what this program is, why it’s the perfect way to rescue more men and women from the LRA, and how you can send a message to captives in the bush.
Last week, we gave you a comprehensive look into the lies and brainwashing tactics used by Joseph Kony to manipulate child soldiers into staying in his army. According to our International Programs Director, Adam Finck:
“[Fighters] have been told lies by Joseph Kony and his top commanders that they will be killed immediately if they escape, that their families will never accept them, and that their communities will reject them. So they have to weigh what Kony is telling them alongside what we and our partners are telling them. It’s a matter of whose voice is louder.”
Hence, Invisible Children, in conjunction with expert partners, have created a strategic defection campaign, which is essantially fancy language for make the voice of truth louder than Kony’s lies. Or, if you prefer a more technical definition, a defection campaign is a strategic communication plan that is specifically designed to target armed combatants with messaging that will encourage their surrender. Think of it as a marketing campaign, but rather than being bombarded with advertisements convincing you to buy a certain product, this campaign is persuading fighters to lay down their weapons and go home. Bearing in mind the lies told by Joseph Kony, the below infographic explains how these air-dropped postcards are designed to prove that it’s safe to come out of the bush, that families are waiting for their child’s return, and that there are people and resources standing by to make one’s escape easier.
As unusual as this message system might be, it’s working. Opondo, the Mboki Five, Joseph Kony’s former wives, and multiple others have all used these cards to motivate their escape and guide them to safety.
This program has seen incredible success, but unfortunately it’s not free. The cost of designing, printing, and air-dropping the postcards adds up very quickly: 1 flier = $1. Right now, we are launching a Flash Alert donation campaign in the wake of LRA killings and abductions in South Sudan last week. From the attacks, we can identify LRA-inhabited territory — so we are capitalizing on this opportunity to drop 30,000 fliers in the region to encourage men, women, and children to flee the LRA.
There is a direct correlation between the funds we raise, the amount of postcards we can drop, and the number of lives that are saved. Take action by donating to fund a flier drop.
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