Kunangbangate Belaha keeps a list. It’s a reminder of what has been stolen from his community in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and way a to keep track of when it is returned. Kunangbangate, also know as Kun, refers to this list as “the list of invisible children” and on it are the names of children who have been kidnapped by Joseph Kony and his brutal Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). When the LRA first came upon his remote village of Banda they abducted 60 young people, including some of his own relatives.
But for Kun, tragedy would not define him or his village. He made a decision to go to school and improve his English so that he could help his community communicate with English-speaking foreigners, who he knew could help protect Banda from the future LRA attacks.
In 2010 Kun met Invisible Children’s International Programs Director, Adam Finck. After showing him the list and telling him the many stories of abduction, Finck took Kun’s message back to the U.S., rallied for support in Washington DC and Invisible Children supporters across the country. During the 2011 Fourth Estate Summit, Finck and the team revealed plans to build an early warning radio in Banda – the first of its kind in the region. The radio, which is part of a larger network, alerts surrounding communities of LRA attacks on a daily basis. These advanced warnings have helped to significantly decrease abductions and killings, and provides communities with the tools they need to protect themselves. Kun explains the importance of the network:
“Because there was no means of communication, that’s the reason why they stayed here overnight doing as they were willing. But today I don’t think they will be able to repeat the same behavior because we have the high-frequency radio now.”
The communities in Banda don’t stop with protecting themselves. They go one step further and with grace, compassion, and forgiveness, they use the radio network to encourage captives to escape the LRA and return home. By recording and broadcasting messages of hope, former combatants are able to dramatically influence the defection of current LRA members.
For his unwavering efforts towards peace in his community, Kun was invited to UCLA’s Royce Hall where he was presented with the 2013 Peace Award during Invisible Children’s Fourth Estate Summit. This self-proclaimed “incredible invitation” marked the first time Kun had been out of Banda in his entire life. After a standing ovation, Kun peered into the crowd, took a small step forward, raised his hands and fittingly proclaimed, “Good evening young people of the Fourth Estate.” His salutation was well received as was his convicting acceptance speech. In it, he thanked those in attendance for “working together as young people in the United States to try to end the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army.” He then thanked Invisible Children CEO Ben Keesey, and a handful of other staff for their support of his community.
Actor and activist Don Cheadle proudly presented Kun with the award, saying that “the world around us is often filled with actions of individuals who step up in times of challenge and surpass anyone’s realistic expectations of them” and praised Kun for “rising above the rest and finding the strength necessary to be a hero amongst his peers.”
You can watch Kunangbangate Belaha’s entire speech (as well as Cheadle’s) starting 2:01:53 of the video below. To learn more about how you can help fund the life-saving programs that Kun has helped implement, visit our new #zeroLRA campaign page. Kun’s dedication to peace is an inspiration to all of us at Invisible Children, and we hope you’ll join us in thanking him for all that he does, by channeling his dedication and compassion in everything you do.
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