The Honors College Assembly hosted representatives of the Invisible Children organization Tuesday to screen their 2009 documentary, “The Rescue.”
Invisible Children’s films focus on the violence and poverty that plagues east and central Africa because of the actions of warlord Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army. Invisible Children is one of the most well-known groups striving to raise awareness of Kony’s crimes and provide aid and hope for the troubled people in the region.
The original 2004 documentary depicted the abuses of Kony in northern Uganda. Kony’s crimes since he gained power in 1987 are many, including the brutal practice of abducting children from local villages and brainwashing them into being the LRA’s “child soldiers.” The film sparked a national movement and Invisible Children, Inc. was formed to more actively combat the issues. Since 2005, the organization has been involved in bringing awareness to Kony’s activities by releasing films that are toured around the country at venues ranging from Sunday school classrooms to college campuses.
Last year, former director of academic engagement of the HCA, Austin Lafferty, invited the Invisible Children “roadies” to bring their movement to The University of Alabama.
“Having a nonprofit like Invisible Children come to showcase their work, ask for help, have those discussions and even take constructive criticism from our student body can really help us to see what is being done and discover something about our own responsibilities as human beings, whether that’s with Invisible Children or in some other way,” Lafferty said. “My college career has drastically changed as a result of that. I went from falling into my default of a business career to actively pursuing a career in human rights law.”
Apwonjo, a campus group that works to raise awareness about and provide aid in sub-Saharan Africa, co-sponsors Invisible Children events with HCA.
Brian Kraus, the secretary of Apwonjo, said simply donating and sending food, while beneficial, is not enough.
“It’s so much more rewarding and effective if you actually really understand all sides of the issue and really can, not just cure a symptom, but actually get at the root of it,” Kraus said. “I think Invisible Children does a really good job of that.”
By sponsoring these screenings once or twice a year, Apwonjo and the HCA hope to bring these issues to the attention of UA students, because students can truly make an impact.
“Invisible Children was the first thing that made me look at a global community, outside of right here,” Maddie Haddock, president of Apwonjo, said. “I think that’s really important for college students to be exposed to.”
For Archie Creech, Jr., an active member of Apwonjo, the message is directly tied to his life as a student, especially in the light of the devastation of the April 27, 2011 tornadoes, which still lingers near campus.
“The tragedy of the April 2011 tornadoes showed us that we are all bound together in our lives on this Earth,” Creech said. “Our belief in justice and equality and morality is insulted every time an atrocity happens in the world.”
Creech said students can learn more about the conditions in central Africa and become involved in providing aid through on-campus groups such as Apwonjo, International Justice Mission and Unified for UNIFAT.
Invisible Children will be releasing a new documentary in October and will be back to screen it on campus next semester.
