Today in school, we had an assembly, as a students Senior Project. The topic was the children in northern Uganda who are being abducted from their homes at night, to fight for the rebel army, the Lord's Resistance Army. The children taken are anywhere from five to fourteen years old, however even women can be taken. As less and less people wanted to fight in the LRA, they have had to resort to kidnapping. They choose children because they are easy to brainwash into the rebel's way of thinking.
Some children do manage to escape, but they must then live in hiding, and are orphans. To evade the obductors, who often come at night, hundreds of people go into the city of Guli (this is only one of the cities they go to). The children, many orphans, sleep in bus depoes and other places like that. Hundreds are crammed in, like sardines.
Three young film makers had went to Uganda, to see what it was really like, and looking for a topic to film. This was the topic they chose. What they saw appalled them, and they came back to the United States wanting to do something about the horrible wrongs commited in Uganda. They did. They started an organization, and have raised awareness about the situation. The United States has been sending supplies and food to Uganda, for the impoverished people. And the United Nations has since been looking at the situation, and providing aid.
However, I must wonder, why is the Ugandan government not doing anything? But they had. The people being kidnapped are those who live in Northern Uganda. The government had forced the people there into "designated areas", similar to our Native American reservations. I have to say, if the United Nations is starting to come in and provide aid, and a movie is circulating the United States about what is happening, wouldn't you try to do something, just to make you look better? The government has to my knowledge from just watching the video, done nothing to stop the rebels. What I want to know more about is what is the Ugandan government doing to stop the rebel army, and help these people. I think until the rebel army is gone, there will be a problem with the kidnapping.
I have only heard one side of the story though, and will have to do more research to format my opinion. If you would like more information, two sites you can visit are: www.InvisibleChildren.com, and www.unicef.org.
"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..” (Margaret Mead) Kat.
Wow.
If the Uganda government isn't trying to do anything, than they mustn't feel threatended by the rebels.