Invisible Children

I went to see Invisible Children tonight. I saw it last year in high school, but there was an update at the end, which was wonderful to see. Wow, it is astounding to see, even when I've seen it before. The first time, it made me cry. I held back this time, but very easily could have. I don't understand how you can remain indifferent to that kinda thing. The thing I love the most about the organization is that they give really practical methods of helping, as well as the really over the top ones. For example, just talk to people. Awareness raising and education is HUGE. One of the biggest reasons, I think, why people don't do anything, is because they don't know that there needs to be anything done. I know I had never heard of the problems in Uganda, regarding children, before I saw the video. I mean, I knew there was a war, and lots of ethnic conflict issues (as if those aren't bad enough on their own, right?) but I had no idea that children were being abducted and forced into military service. On the other extreme besides simply communicating, you can sign up to go and work with these kids.

My parents are always asking me, what are you going to do with International studies and PACS? Like, what is that possibly good for? I've always struggled to find good, concrete examples. But I feel like IC is one. I've always wanted to work with kids in developing nations; I picked PACS not because I'm a truly nonviolent person, although I think violence is too often chosen as a first or second resort, but because I feel like kids are often taken advantaged of, or completely neglected, in conflicts. I want to understand how conflicts work, how they can be managed and used more efficiently, so I can use that knowledge to help protect and promote children's rights in areas with war, currently or recently. I just sent my mom the link for IC; now she can know what I want to do, generally, and possibly specifically.