An Oct. 19 screening on Main Campus for the “GO” documentary by Invisible Children brought attention to their efforts to bring peace to Northern Uganda.
Team Leader Dale McCarthy said, “Invisible Children is about doing what you can from right where you are. It’s about getting involved for the benefit of humanity.”
According to the presentation, for almost 25 years Northern Uganda has suffered a civil war between the Ugandan government and Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. Kony is accused of abducting and brainwashing thousands of children. Filming for Invisible Children began in 2003, and according to its mission statement, Invisible Children “are a movement seeking to end the Ugandan conflict and bring innocent children back home. Seeking to rebuild schools, educate future leaders, and provide jobs in Northern Uganda, we are the motivated misfits and masses redefining what it means to be an activist.”
The “GO” documentary features three high school students from varying backgrounds raising funds to travel to Northern Uganda for the summer where they relate with the foreign children and unite to reconstruct schools that were destroyed due to the war.
The documentary focused on three Ugandan children, Pepito, Gloria and Lillian.
At the event, vendors sold Invisible Children merchandise featuring T-shirts, wristbands and DVDs, with all proceeds supporting the education of children from Northern Uganda.
After the screening, Dale McCarthy introduced Sunday Douglas who benefitted from donations by American students to attend college. “I encourage students to learn more about the LRA who terrorize five African countries,” Douglas said. “Join Invisible Children to help people like you did with me.”
Freshman Keli Marks was born in Ghana and luckily although she did not endure the war that plagued Uganda, Marks supports Invisible Children.
“I came to this screening for extra credit, but I wanted to know what it was about,” Marks. “Now I am registering to become involved because I want to help. After all, Africa is my home.”
John Corrigan can be reached at john.corrigan@temple.edu.
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