Film seeks to end civil war

To some students, armed conflict and Africa are synonymous with one another, a testament to the seemingly endless strife that has plagued the mother continent since the colonial era. But to the members of Invisible Children, a nationwide non-profit collective of activists and independent filmmakers, every conflict deserves its own specific attention. Among the conflicts, the 23-year-old Ugandan Civil War is at the top of its list.

Using its powers of persuasion, Invisible Children, founded in 2003 in San Diego, Calif., has existed for the sole purpose of preventing what it sees as the greatest injustice happening in the bush of Northern Uganda; the abduction and forced militarization of children on behalf of the rebel fighters in the region.

“There are children who are 9 and 10 years old who are carrying AK-47s,” said Kathryn Glushefski, a public relations major and president of the VCU chapter of Invisible Children who also contributes to VCU Student Media.

According to Glushefski making a difference starts by reaching the public through such events like Wednesday’s scheduled screening of Invisible Children’s “The Rescue of Joseph Kony’s Child Soldiers,” an in-depth account of the struggle in the region with footage as recent as two months ago.

The longest running civil war in the history of post-colonial Africa, the war plaguing Northern Uganda has resulted in the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more. The documentary hopes to reach audiences and governments around the world to bring attention to the problem.

“It gives a really good look about what’s going on right now and gives a very understandable synopsis of the war and why it started and where Invisible Children is in stopping the war,” Glushefski said.

The collective has put out nine independent documentaries so far. Other endeavors include bracelet campaigns and book drives, like last year’s “Books for Uganda” campaign, which funnel money and educational resources into the traumatized region. Both types of events also inform the public of where their funds and efforts are going.

“People in Uganda make the bracelets that come with a DVD telling the story of a child soldier,” Glushefski said. “It’s surprising that something feels so personal while it’s so far away.

Even after working with several non-profits in the past, Glushefski said she was touched by the gravity of the situation affecting so many young people and their families.

“This war is happening in East Africa, but out of all the work that I’ve done with any non-profit, this one is closest to my heart. I found out there was a VCU chapter and wanted to get involved and help out in any way I could.

Adam Litchfield, mid-Atlantic coordinator for Invisible Children, said he hopes the film screening will pave the way for greater action on behalf of the abducted children.

“We’d like to see an end to these rebel groups and this civil war,” Litchfield said. “We’d like to see a new chapter start and time of reconstruction and a time of peace.”

According to Glushefski, the screening is merely designed to pave the way for Invisible Children’s world wide awareness-raising event, a second screening of “The Rescue of Joseph Kony’s Child Soldiers,” scheduled to take place in 100 cities in nine countries on April 25. In addition to the film, the event will feature guest speakers and will last through the night, during the time when most of the abductions occur.

“The idea of the event is that you abduct yourself to free the abducted child soldiers,” Glushefski said. “The number of people who will hopefully come out will raise awareness to the point that it becomes obvious to governments that this needs to end and we need to bring the children home.”

The VCU Chapter of Invisible Children presents “The Rescue of Joseph Kony’s Child Soldiers” Wed., March 18 at 12 p.m. at the Commons Theater. Admission is free to the public.