Tuesday, January 15, 2013, President Obama signed Rewards for Justice legislation. Our CEO Ben Keesey was invited to represent Invisible Children and all of the people around the country who have supported this effort. Also invited were a handful of human rights organizations including our partners and friends at Resolve, Enough, and Humanity United.
In the shortest of explanations, this is legislation that will strengthen efforts to locate and arrest Joseph Kony by enabling the U.S. State Department to offer financial rewards for information that directly leads to his arrest. (Get the full picture of what the bill means and how it came to pass).
This victory belongs to everyone who attended LOBBY:DC or called their members of Congress and to everyone who helped make stopping Joseph Kony a priority for the United States. Without you, this bill would not have passed. But you applied pressure and it paid off…and then some.
In President Obama’s words, “We have made unmistakably clear that the United States is committed to seeing war criminals and other perpetrators of atrocities held accountable for their crimes, and today’s legislation can help us achieve that goal.”
We are encouraged by President Obama’s words and look forward to seeing even more action from his administration when it comes to stopping LRA violence. We also thank the men and women in Congress who cosponsored the bill– especially those that led the charge:
Finally, we thank our TRI members for their sustained dedication to seeing an end to LRA atrocities. Your monthly donation makes Invisible Children’s advocacy efforts possible and powerful.
Keep an eye out for Ben’s personal account of his experience in the oval office. The photo below was taken just before the Signing Ceremony–Ben is standing outside of the White House with Michael Poffenberger of Resolve.
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