I flew into that little spot of Blue (Austin) in the Big Red Lone Star State a few days ago to attend the Texas Conference for Women. Expecting many rah, rah sessions on how to manage my career, how to be an exceptional leader & how to succeed in corporate America, much to my delight & surprise - seminars were offered that were closer to my heart.
The session that affected me the most was, Ordinary Women / Extraordinary Change. I was introduced to a young woman, Margie Dillenburg and the movement she directs, Invisible Children.
If your image of young people is that of clueless, My Spaced out, Paris wannabes, take a few minutes to allow me to help change your mind.
Margie's creds:
Margie, 27 earned her degree from Notre Dame (Peace studies and Computers) and her MA at the University of San Diego. As an undergraduate student and an Americorp volunteer she helped start a school targeting the underserved population and watched it transform from a business plan to a fully functioning school over four years. Now she is the movement director for Invisible Children and as she describes, a learner, traveler, potter, reader, amateur historian, gardener, lover of the water, or an adventurer.
The movement:
Invisible children is the brain child of several young, bright, creative people who in 2003 visited Uganda in search of a story and had their lives forever changed. If you, like me, were ignorant of the Ugandan children's plight, this bit from their website sums it up: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/
Even at this moment, in Uganda, Children as young as 8 are methodically kidnapped from their homes by a rebel group called the "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA). The abducted children are then desensitized to the horror of brutal violence and killing, as they themselves are turned into vicious fighters. Some escape and hide in constant fear for their lives.
Most remain captive, and grow to maturity with no education other than life "in the bush" and fighting in a guerilla war. Of the many ramifications that a 20 -year-long war can cause, the film "Invisible Children: Rough Cut" highlights what the community refers to as "NIGHT COMMUTERS." We watch thousands of children "commute" out of fear, from their villages to nearby towns each night in order to avoid the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army)abductions. They sleep in public places, vulnerable, and without supervision.
Not realizing I would need tissues during this seminar, within a few minutes of watching a brief clip introducing the audience to their organized protest, "Global Night Commute," I was uplifted to tears upon the realization that caring young people were indeed out there and plugged in.
Please take a few minutes to watch this clip and be inspired. In it they proclaim that their generation will be defined by these three things:
1. The digital revolution
2. The War on Terror
3. What they did or did not do to put the fire out in Africa
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/...
Still being idealists, these young people didn't let the things that drag down some of us still sitting on the sidelines, get in the way of making a difference.
They developed a mission to facilitate positive change, organized a symbolic protest, made a movie documenting this tragic truth & are organizing a world tour to educate and bring awareness to this plight. Through hip, creative means, that speak to young people, they have found ways to bring financial resources to help this community.
Please read up on the team of 20 somethings making a change and feel inspired.
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/...
Damn, their parents done good!!