Peacebuilding and reconciliation meeting in Bangui, CAR
A cross-border civil society meeting was organized recently in Bangui, CAR to discuss strategies to stop the LRA. Initiated by the Regional Civil Society Task Force on LRA, leaders and civil society representatives from LRA-affected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR), and South Sudan, and members of the Gulu […]
Once upon a time there was a high school named Deerfield…
Each December, the student body at Deerfield High School holds an annual three-week charity drive, which they’ve dubbed School Chest. They fundraise by holding the most creative events we’ve ever heard of – Deerfield Idol (yes, a singing competition), silent auctions, Mr. DHS (a “beauty pageant” for senior boys to show off hidden talents), a […]
The Defection Projection
As part of Invisible Children’s ongoing promotion of safe surrenders for LRA combatants, our design team has partnered with Acholi leadership in Uganda to create defection fliers. By using photos and quotes from recent escapees, these fliers directly target and reach out to LRA groups and encourage them to peacefully surrender. We work with various […]
What peace means to me
Years of peace in northern Uganda have brought hope and opportunities for improved livelihood to the communities there. Wednesday, World Vision in partnership with Gulu District and the Acholi Peace Initiative held an event for International Peace Day. Invisible Children Uganda (ICU) was invited to have a booth at the event to display our Mend […]
Centre Elikya: photo update
Progress is continuing on Centre Elikya, the very first rehabilitation center in DR Congo focused on LRA-affected youth. Invisible Children, along with our partners, have been working diligently since January 2011 to complete construction. This new photo update features the new matron and patron houses, the girls dorm in its finishing stage, the kitchen/dining structure, […]
Supporting students in community affected by LRA
Invisible Children supported a new school in Dungu this month with tools and equipment, giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a variety of trades. Dungu has been hit hard by the affects of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and has a large population of displaced people, placing an intense strain on already […]
Abbé Benoit celebrated for Human Rights Award
Human Rights Watch recently awarded Abbé Benoit Kinalegu with the Alison Des Forges Award “for his commitment to protecting civilians and ending the threat posed by the LRA.” On August 18th, the community of Dungu and Human Rights Watch recognized his advocacy work on behalf of vulnerable populations affected by the LRA. Several community members and […]
Livelihood: fresh water
Invisible Children Uganda’s (ICU) Livelihood team headed to the field last week to survey communities and determine where future boreholes should be drilled. Partnering with TechnoServe, ICU is planning to drill 8-10 more boreholes in rural communities in northern Uganda, in addition to the 20 they already drilled. The purpose of the survey is to […]
Resolve: A look at LRA abduction patterns
An informative, thought-provoking piece on LRA abduction patterns from Paul Ronan at Resolve, one of our DC-based advocacy partners: The LRA has long been associated with child soldiers, and rightfully so – UNICEF estimates that the LRA has abducted at least 35,000 children since 1986. But LRA Crisis Tracker data on abductions […]
safe ha·ven: A place of refuge or security
Today, the Enough Project released its latest issue brief and map illustrating access that troops pursuing the Lord’s Resistance Army have in the region. The publication details the issue of LRA safe havens in Congo, the Central African Republic, and Sudan and offers solutions for battling this continuing problem. In all three countries, the existence […]