Pointlife
Student organization seeks to support victimized children
The Pointer
mbaum925@uwsp.edu
In a war-torn world there is a need for student activism. A newer student organization, Invisible Children, seeks to do just that.
The purpose of the group is to help end a 23-year-old war in northern Uganda, in which the rebel leader Joseph Kony has kidnapped thousands of children, desensitized them and forced them to fight.
What separates Invisible Children from other child relief foundations is that it was started by three young filmmakers just out of high school. It grew from just one documentary to a worldwide movement. Its focus is to free the child soldiers forced to fight against their will.
The organization has plans for the remainder of the year on a local and national level. Rusty Birkholz, a residence hall delegate for the group, reflected these thoughts.
“For the rest of the school year, we are doing some small fundraising activities in the residence halls and getting ready for the next school year, as it is too close to the end of this year to do much more,” said Birkholz.
On a national level, on April 29, in over 130 cities across the country, thousands laid down to demand that the United States government take a stand and put an end to mass child abduction and the Ugandan war.
Invisible Children is slowly outreaching to fellow organizations but have yet to form affiliations with other groups and finds that Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group is the only other organization similar on campus.
Over time, the organization looks to establish a strong link with the student body.
“The organization hopes to have delegates for each residence hall quad who will work with the staff and governments of the halls in each quad. We also hope to have benefit concerts and showings of documentaries to help raise money and get the word out,” said Birkholz.
Birkholz expects greats things for the future.
“As of right now, the goal is to just get up and running strong. Next semester, we hope to be running at an operational capacity and will be raising money to donate to Invisible Children,” said Birkholz.
Meetings for Invisible Children are held Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. in 073 in the DeBot Dining Center.
