Invisible Children Screens "The Rescue" at PSU

Invisible Children screened their 2009 movie "The Rescue: of Joseph Kony's Child Soldiers" for PSU students on Weds., Oct. 3^rd. With the help of PSU's student organization, Ending Genocide Around The World (EGAW), Invisible Children hoped the screening would inspire students to help end the crisis in central east Africa.

"The Rescue" documents the journey of director Jason Russell and two others from California to East Africa in their efforts to expose the tragedies of Africa's longest running war. The world's worst war criminal, Joseph Kony, leads the Lord's Resistance Army in abducting children to fight as soldiers and attacking thousands of civilians with no clear purpose. The film shows the failed efforts to get Kony to sign a peace agreement and the devastation his refusal brought to the country and the members of Invisible Children.

"The issue in general is very important. We should care about not only ourselves but everyone around the world," PSU student and member of EGAW Zach Goldenberg stated.

Invisible Children has produced over twelve documentaries on the LRA atrocities to inspire global action and advance efforts to end the crisis. Their upcoming documentary "Move" will premiere on YouTube Oct. 7 and over 10,000 supporters are expected to participate in the corresponding movement in Washington D.C. on Nov. 17 to push for government attention.

"A lot of promises have been made. We need to see follow through," stated PSU alumni Bryan Funk, who is now a regional manager for Invisible Children. Move D.C. will push for the $50 million needed to fund the intelligence and equipment in order to capture Kony.

"People who are less familiar with the organization thought 100% of the donations went directly to the children, when the funds are needed to mobilize and create the media to get the attention," Goldenberg explained.

"Kony 2012" captured America's attention towards the crisis but created major backlash for Invisible Children and their use of donations. Invisible Children now displays the 2011 financial statement on their website to rid the doubts.

To end the screening and presentation, Oyella Jane from Northern Uganda spoke to the group about her experience with the crisis. "This started in '86 and I was born in '88. My entire life was seeing these atrocities," she stated. Thankful to Invisible Children for their efforts, she hoped to inspire PSU students to get involved and stated, "It's not enough to know what is right unless you do what is right."