The Tree Ring: Hike In Show

Joel P. West has been a long time supporter of Invisible Children and collaborated with Sundance award winning director Destin Daniel Cretton for this dreamy video of his band THE TREE RING.

The concert was in the middle of the woods at Mt. Laguna and the cost to get in was a 30 minute hike out there. We even picked up some hitch-hikers (no pun intended) along the way.

The shoot was intended to be part of a mini Brita documentary but why not turn it into a full music video?

A little piece of trivia is that Joel wrote all the music for Destin’s film I AM NOT A HIPSTER and is also scoring the new KONY 2012 film.

Also… if you stalk our podcasts and website like a true IC supporter, you’ll notice a handful of IC staff and interns in the video.

Enjoy!

xKL

Something to write home about

A picture is worth a thousand words. Pictorymag is a website full of photo stories divided into showcases from contributors all over the world. Anyone can submit one – all you need is a great image that tells a great story. There are gorgeous moments everywhere, the trick is to notice they’re there. And better yet, make it real by sharing it. The below pictures are from the showcase Something To Write Home About.

Flashback Friday: Mutual Benefit

Now that our Kony 2012 national tour has launched and half of our office is now traveling America, it’s time for the office to rest. We’re taking the day off to:
1. Sleep
2. Snooze
3. Slumber

Only seems fitting that today our Flashback Friday video be Mutual Benefit. Kenny, Alex and the gang had been eyeing a few trees during the Silver Series filming, but no bands were up to the challenge. That is until it was Mutual Benefit’s turn to film. They climbed trees. They explored. They felt like kids again. No better way to relax after weeks of prepping for tour than having some good ol’ fashion fun.

SILVER SERIES // MUTUAL BENEFIT “Here” from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

KONY 2012 Tour launch

Today marked the beginning of Invisible Children’s first year-long campaign, KONY 2012. The Roadies departed caravan-style from Mt. Soledad in San Diego, to head to their various destinations around the nation (and Canada!) We already miss the noise and enthusiasm that constantly accompanies their presence. These next 10 weeks will shape our world’s future.

-TM

Oh the places they’ll go

KONY 2012: Ready to Launch from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

The Roadies and Street Teams are about to leave the nest (aka Invisible Children headquarters in San Diego) in pursuit of promoting the heck out of our new film, KONY 2012. As they spread their wings and embark on their journey, we hope they remember where they came from (the roadie house) and all the lessons we’ve taught them (don’t eat yellow snow). We will miss them immensely and hope they remember to write to their moms and dads (aka Invisible Children staff).

Oh the places they’ll go.

Invisible Children – Sucré Video Premieres on MTV

Invisible Children Presents: Sucré “When We Were Young” from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

We had the pleasure of shooting a very new band, Sucré, at an abandoned zoo in LA’s Griffith Park. Sucré is made up of music veterans Stacy King (Eisley), Darren King (Mutemath) and Jeremy Larson (who composes string arrangements for practically everyone).

They originally called IC wanted to do a Take Away Show style video to raise awareness about our efforts to end Africa’s longest running war. We rallied an amazing string quartet the day before, took aim for the park, and winged it from there.

We’re really proud of this video and honored that the band innovated an opportunity to raise awareness about what’s happening in Central Africa. Read more about it on MTV BUZZWORTHY.

Special Thanks to:

Eric Clabeaux and his buddy Jonathan for capturing the sound,

Tim Iler at Voltage Productions for an amazing mix,

the wonderful string players Emiko Bankson, Corinne Olsen and Lydia Sewell

and our good friend Brandon Chamberlain for making it all happen.

Love. KL

Update on U.S. advisory troops in Central Africa

Washington Post published an article today with updates on the U.S. troops stationed in Central Africa. Initially deployed in October, the 100 U.S. advisory troops are now stationed across 4 countries and are directly involved in operations on the ground. Invisible Children does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions in the article, but we were very pleased to see Resolve’s latest report referenced.

US troops stationed in 4 Central African countries in fight against LRA rebel fighters

By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, February 22, 9:10 AM

NAIROBI, Kenya — U.S. troops helping in the fight against a brutal rebel group called the Lord’s Resistance Army are now deployed in four Central African countries, the top U.S. special operations commander for Africa said Wednesday.

The U.S. announced in October it was sending about 100 U.S. troops — mostly special operations forces — to Central Africa to advise in the fight against the LRA and its leader Joseph Kony, a bush fighter wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

Rear Adm. Brian L. Losey, the top U.S. special operations commander for Africa, said the U.S. troops are now stationed in bases in Uganda, Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic.

“We’ve already seen a decrease in the lethality of LRA activities, which we think is attributable in part to the pressure we and our partners are applying,” Losey said in a telephone briefing to journalists.

Losey said counter-LRA actions will increase in frequency and effectiveness in coming months.

The LRA began its attacks in Uganda in the 1980s, when Kony sought to overthrow the government. Since being pushed out of Uganda several years ago, the militia has terrorized villages in Central Africa.

A top State Department official, Karl Wycoff, said that Kony has shown the ability to mobilize combatants and militant leaders to carry out “horrible atrocities” for the LRA, which he called “some kind of cult,” given that the group has no clear agenda. He said the U.S. effort was not just aimed at Kony but at all the LRA leaders.

However, Col. Felix Kulayigye, the spokesman for Uganda’s military, said the hunt for Kony was an important aspect of the anti-LRA effort.

“Kony is the LRA and the LRA is Kony,” he said. “Other than Kony the only other person who had the capacity to sustain the LRA was (Vincent) Otti, who is gone. You get Kony and you have the LRA done.”

Otti, Kony’s former deputy, has been presumed dead since the failure of peace talks mediated by South Sudan ended in 2008. Ugandan army officials say Kony ordered his death, fearing he was about to defect.

The LRA’s tactics have been widely condemned as vicious. The U.S. troops are helping to fight a group that has slaughtered thousands of civilians and routinely kidnaps children to be child soldiers and sex slaves.

The anti-LRA group Resolve in a report released Wednesday urged the U.S. to encourage Uganda to dedicate more troops and helicopters to their counter-LRA operations. The group also urged the U.S. to fund more transport helicopters and improved communications equipment for Ugandan troops, and to increase intelligence gathering by expanding the use of aerial surveillance.

Losey said there are no drone aircraft currently being used by U.S. troops involved in the counter-LRA fight. U.S. forces are working on improving communications in the region and how to integrate intelligence.

Many of the U.S. forces are stationed in Uganda. Others are based in Obo, Central African Republic; Dungu, Congo; and in Nzara, South Sudan, Losey said. Each of those locations had established bases where troops from partner countries have been based.

The LRA operates in an area the size of California, Losey said.

(Photo credit: Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock, U.S. Air Force)

Schools for Schools: The science of inspiration

Students in Uganda have been scoring low in science exams, and teachers are working hard to change those results.

Schools for Schools (S4S) held its first chemistry teachers’ review meeting to equip teachers from Invisible Children’s 11 partner schools with skills that will improve students’ grades in science.

The teachers strongly welcomed the training and were thrilled to learn about new developments in the science curriculum that they had not known about, like updates to the Periodic Table of the Elements.

A number of issues were addressed, like teachers focusing too much on exams and not enough on making sure that students understand the subject. In addition, teachers were encouraged to spark the interest of their students so that science will become a subject they enjoy.

Having teachers who are excited about their subject is a good start. Otoo Steven, a chemistry teacher at Sacred Heart and Sir Samuel Baker, has been looking forward to this training since January.  “I can’t wait to share what I have learned with my students,” he says.

-Germina

Teacher Exchange: Rosemary’s journey

Seventeen years ago, when Rosemary first began teaching in northern Uganda, chances are that she had no idea that nearly two decades later she would be sharing her love for English literature with students in the US. But just last month, Rosemary spent her winter holiday in Florida, teaching and living alongside fellow English educators through Invisible Children’s Teacher Exchange program.

The Teacher Exchange is a program designed to help both Ugandan and international educators improve their teaching methods and provide a cultural exchange for a school’s student body. With the aim of energizing Ugandan teachers and their international counterparts by expanding their skill sets, the TEX brings 20-30 secondary school teachers from abroad to teach and interact with Ugandan teachers for six weeks each summer, and sends a group of Ugandan teachers to do the same in the U.S. each winter.  This winter, Rosemary was among a group of 5 teachers from northern Uganda who made the trek to the United States.

Participating in all aspects of American school culture, Rosemary taught in the classroom, attended club meetings and sporting events, and shared the history and culture of northern Uganda with those that she met.  As a result, her partner teachers and students  were greatly impacted by the experience. “Meeting someone from a different part of the world has offered us something that we never would have been able to have otherwise,” one of Rosemary’s partner teachers, Rick, explained.

Matt, another teacher who worked closely with Rosemary saw the difference in his students at the close of the exchange. “We have had incredible conversations about ourselves and our culture,” he said. “I could really see how meaningful it was for the students as well.”

Returning to Uganda, Rosemary brings with her a wealth of new ideas and experiences.  Her time in the US was “all around meaningful,” she explained. “My partners, my students being free with each other and me – it broadened my knowledge. The whole experience has been so great…I learned games and teaching methods from them, which I plan to take home. I feel enriched in all areas. I feel so grateful.”

This is important: The duty of the Fourth Estate

“The Fourth Estate is a recognition of human identity in the face of global connectivity and the responsibility that flows from it. It is a blueprint for the future founded on humanity’s bold endeavor to seek a more perfect peace, a more perfect unity, and a more honest expression of success.”

2011 marked a change in our world. Discontent with current systems and government inadequacies, there have been distinct worldwide advancements toward equality. Of course it still remains early in the establishment of these changes, but the idealism that comes with youth has us all hoping for a better future. The efforts of the Occupy movement were aided and organized through this newly connected world. The demonstrations and protests in the Arab nations were initiated and sustained because of technical connectivity, and the support of world that knew and cared.

This is my question to you: Because we live on the same planet, in an interconnected world, are we responsible for the mistreated and abused? Or is it more important and logical to focus on national interest? Are their problems ours? Should we not just focus on ourselves? Why or why not? Will an equal social and economic standing even make people happy?

Discuss. Be respectful, be honest, and be friends.