Last week, several dozen heroic Oklahoma college students showed us what it means to be committed to doing the right thing, and what it takes to hold a powerful elected official to account (at least if that official is Tom Coburn.) They are responsible for doing what 99 fellow Senators could not: They got Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to end his hold on a bill aimed at neutralizing the terrorist Lord's Resistance Army, providing aid to its victims and rehabilitating former child soldiers.
They did it by camping out in front of Sen. Coburn's office in Oklahoma City, and promising to stay there, facing subfreezing temperatures at night, until he agreed to do the right thing. There is much to celebrate tonight as we all get to learn from an inspired -- and inspiring -- group of young activists how it's done.
Activist Michael Poffenberger wrote in an email:
Kenneth Transier, one of our staff in Oklahoma, gave a shout out to all you supporters:
"To the people who slept next to me for eleven nights in the shadow of the Chase building, and those who supported us: You helped convince the most stubborn Senator in modern history to accept a compromise. You played a part in bringing $40 million to help rebuild four nations, and in creating what we hope is a big step toward the end of the longest running war in Africa."
Thank you. Victories like this don't come often, and our progress is not always so dramatic. That's why we are going to celebrate this one like crazy.
-Michael
Resolve Uganda added in a press release:
We did it.
After dozens of activists held out for 262 hours outside the Oklahoma City office of Senator Tom Coburn, a compromise was reached today that -- barring any holds placed by other Senators -- should allow the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act to pass the full Senate later this week. SUCCESS
The Oklahoma Hold Out gained enormous local press coverage, putting pressure on Senator Coburn's staff to negotiate a solution to the legislative impasse. Starting with just 30 committed young people, it grew to over 70 and continued to gain momentum. After seeing the Hold Out on the news, several middle-aged Oklahomans -- who were previously unaware of the LRA's atrocities -- even decided on the spot to join.
Senator Coburn had blocked the bill's passage due to funding authorizations of $40 million intended to help communities victimized by LRA violence. The compromise language reached uses slightly different wording in calling for the funding and added an emphasis making clear that the allocation should come from the existing foreign aid budget instead of adding to it.
Now, focus will turn to the House of Representatives, where the bill will soon be considered by the Foreign Affairs committee before being voted on by the full chamber.
Mark Nehrenz, the Oklahoman who coordinated the Hold Out, was overcome with emotion in response to news of the victory:
"First, I want to join with a chorus of Oklahomans in thanking Senator Coburn for listening to our voices and hearing our cries for the children of Uganda and central Africa. Over the the last eleven days and nights, I have stood beside, slept beside, and frozen beside amazingly committed individuals from this state and all over this country. It has been painful and cold, but worth every last second.
"I have never been prouder to say I am from this state. The support we have received from everyday people and students in downtown Oklahoma City moves me to tears. I want to thank each and every person who was a part of this stand in some way. We all did this together. What has happened here has been a monumental achievement towards peace and justice in central Africa, and for each of us it has been a life-changing affirmation of the power of our voices.
"We have seen the strength in engagement and dialogue as opposed to an 'us vs. them' battle. We believe that our actions speak louder than our words, and as we have turned from 'the kids sleeping in the street' to 'our friends outside', we have seen the world start to change.
"We hope this bill is the beginning of the end of Africa's longest running war, but this stand has been the beginning of something else: A new kind of activism and engagement, rooted in passion, respect, dignity and dialogue. We believe in building relationships in order to change hearts and minds.
"As a movement, we found our voices this week, and we will not be silent. We are here to stay."
Join the celebration at Dr. No Please Say Yes and at the live feed, below
Learn more by visiting the Enough Project and Resolve Uganda