We did it! LRA Bill passes Congress!
For those of you watching C-SPAN just now…. we assume you were cheering/crying too!
In the span of one year, we have made history. In April of 2009, 80,000 of us stood in solidarity with the child soldiers trapped in Joseph Kony’s war. In June, we were two-thousand strong on the lawn of Capitol Hill, asking our leaders to consider the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. In January of this year, we delivered 253,512 signatures to the State Department in support of Kony’s arrest. Our tenacity, annoying phone calls, hundreds of local office lobby meetings, and certainly our sleeping bag assaults (Oklahoma) paid off and the bill has been passed. Getting a bill passed through Congress is an enormous accomplishment. In the last session of Congress, only 3% of bills introduced were actually passed. We’ve done the impossible.
Now, it goes to President Obama’s desk to be signed into law. We expect him to sign the bill into law within the next 10 days.
Lawwwww. We have made it law to pursue Joseph Kony. Let that sink in.
This is confirmation that young people have a powerful political voice. We have asked our government and our President to pursue Joseph Kony and other top LRA commanders, to disarm and disband his militia, and to restore stability to those areas of Africa that have been terrorized by the LRA. They have heard us, and now we will hold them accountable to their commitment.
Our generation has become educated and empowered in the quest to resolve this conflict. While American intervention in foreign conflicts is always complicated and often discouraged, we believe in the moral mandate of the international community to come to the aid of the most vulnerable peoples in the world. There are none more vulnerable than abducted children forced to be soldiers in a region ill-equipped to protect them. We are not advocating international meddling. We are asking our leadership to respond to this unique crisis of conscience with the strategic expertise and capability unique to our nation. This is an entirely solvable conflict. In the aftermath of Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Darfur, it is with our generation’s united voice that we proclaim national self interest is no longer our only priority.
We celebrate this victory with our partners Resolve: Uganda and Enough Project, and now we must pressure the Obama Administration to follow through on this important mandate, to set a precedent for justice, and to protect these children who have too long been trapped in a war against their will. We will see them come home.
Fist pumps and aggressive status updates with too many exclamation points are encouraged. (sorry news feed… making history wins)
Sincerely!!!!!!!!!!!!
Invisible Children.
I just cried reading this…at work. This is an amazing feat and I can’t even find the words to express the joy that I feel in knowing that this has finally passed! I would like to say WELL DONE to EVERYONE who has supported this cause!
Amazing!
May God bless each and every one of those children we have been fighting for.
Yes!!!!!! i watched the whole thing on c-span and started cheering the minute it was passed! This is so exciting and much needed. Can’t contain my excitment!
I cried sooo bad watching it on tv haha. together we are free!!!!!!!
Rock it, IC! I couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of this movement. And I can’t wait to see how God uses this next.
Praise God!!! All that have supported and rallied to the arrest of Joseph Kony, God bless you! We have done the impossible!!! God bless the children who have lost their childhood because of this evil man. May you finally be in peace and go back to your families! I will not stop praying for all of you! God bless you fighters and believers for a better world & the freedom of these Invisible Children.
This just made half my life :) The other half would be going to Africa and meeting and helping these children personally :)
Philippians 4:13, I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
<3
YES YES YES!!!! We did it. I’m so sad I didn’t watch the C-Span, but I’m so happy to hear this. WE WANT OBAMA
I’m crying right now I’m so happy.
WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
I watched all of it!!!! I was sitting in my chair shaking/holding back tears. I knew it would happen!! WE WANT OBAMA!!!!! i love Invisible Children!!!!
AMEN!! The Lord loves His children. :]
Is it weird that I cried more when Coburn released his hold?
Guys… we did it. A bunch of us youngsters just passed a revolutionary bill in Congress.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAH BURNING MONEY HAHAHAAHAH
I HOPE JUSTICE & HOPE CAN BE BROUGHT TO ALL
THIS CHILDREN, AND TO ALL PEOPLE WITH RESOLVE
UGANDA, ENOUGH PROJECT & INVISILE CHILDREN
AND ALL ALL OF YOU THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!
INCREDIBLE NEWS. GOD SAVE ALL OY YOU AND NORTHERN UGANDA.
So unbelievably proud of you guys. Everyone at charity: water will be celebrating with you.
Scott
Unbelievably awesome. Way to go Invisible Children!! Who would have thought that a handful of young people would change the course of world history!?? Thank you for caring for and fighting on behalf of those kids!! Glory to God!
This is FANTASTIC NEWS!!! FB status with too many explanation marks has been posted!!!
Thank you IC and fellow supporters for staying with this project!!!
I can’t wait to hear more, more, more!!!
I am in awe of what we all accomplished by working together. Thank you to everyone who had a part in making history. The children are free!
Congrats!!! Celebrating with you!
Keep in mind that a single bill being passed DOESN’T mean you have suceeded. Much can still go wrong. PS: I cried teirs of GREIF when I heard this passed. >8(
Truly historic! ALL of you should be proud! Young people can stand up for what’s right! We start here & put an end to violent militia groups (like the Janjaweed) all over Africa! RWANDA & the SUDAN & COUNTLESS OTHERS–NEVER AGAIN!!!!
What a tough hill to climb but you DID it–you stayed vigilant & what a way to be rewarded!! Our generation spoke loud & clear at the ‘08 elections & we are speaking out now to an injustice that should have NEVER been allowed to happen! Keep fighting the good fight!
Congrats to all…we love & stand behind you!!!
JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED! I am so proud of all the efforts from all people across the U.S. to stop Joseph Kony and the LRA. I stand behind everything that Invisible Children does, and will continue to do so.
God bless you guys!
I am so excited. I dont have words to describe how awesome this is.
All of the work, phone calls, parking tickets, wet days, sleepless nights,..
Where is the bubbly? I LOVE THIS.
omg… all the raising money and donating for invisible children.. i know now why we did it.
IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!!!
WE DID IT!!!!!!
=DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
I love you Uganda Children!!!
May you all be safe again!!!
So, what i see is that were getting a bill to The President’s desk that’s going to propose that we peruse a militia leader along with his militia in another country, by sending our men and women to battle? Seams like starting another war when were not done with others, just stretching our resources.
I feel stupid asking this, but what does the law actually do??does it mean that someone is going to arrest kony?
Tears. God is good. We must press forward.
Speachless – In Awe – Praise God! That is amazing! Way to go!
This just makes me want to cry.
God bless IC, you guys are just so incredible.
You inspire me so much, I’m really going to try so much harder to help. I’m just so happy there are people like you in the world. What you’ve done is incredible. <3
YESSSSSSSS WE PASSED THE BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D
I cannot tell you how ecstatic I am right now. My friends and I are cheering across the nations at the moment. The fight isn’t over yet! We got this!
Well Done to everyone involved. this is a huge historical win for not only the youth of the USA but those affected in Africa. God bless everyone and am so proud to be a part from Down Under.
We still have one more battle to face even after president Obama passes the bill. We have to make sure that he doesn’t pocket veto it. we must pressure him to go to Uganda and meet with their press and their president.
we need to issue the obama cards and actually flood his mail with them, maybe even a certain color envelope or something.
yep. definitely just cried. this is epic.
I just got the chills reading this. this is so good. lets keep pursuing this. there is something bigger than us out there!
may god bless these people
and help bring freedom to our friends in uganda
So happy this passed!!!! Praise God! And thank you guys for all your hard work!!!!!!!
Keep up this spirit guys, this is always the uniqueness of the American people. Thank you for the love.
Greetings from Uganda.
Peace!
i wa so happy when i found out the bill was passed by congress! it makes me feel so good that all of our work and support have paid off.
this is so good!!!!!!!
well done guys!
From Australia
WOW, WE HAVE REACHED OUR FINAL STEP. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR. THIS WHAT WE HAVE DONE. BE PROUD <3
Wonderful news. I hope his capture does not take long.
Yes, it was probably the first time i ever watched c-span let alone cry while watching it.
This is truly amazing and so hopefully it is al down hill from here in bringing this man to justice.
It’s a good day!!!!!!!
I read this during my class just now and I started to jump up and down in my seat and my teacher also supports Invisible Children and she asked me if there was something wrong and all i could say was no! everything is right for once! we passed the bill through congress! and she started to jumping up and down and the whole class was like what’s going on? and we told them about Invisible Children and most of them were actually interested in the what’s going on!
Thank you so much for everyone’s hard work!!
I am doing a project on the children in Uganda and ever since I have started i have been so touched and moved. This is really a great step forward to helping these children. This made me extremely happy when I saw it.
We got one right , Thank you
Yessss! This is absolutely amazing!!
I’m so happy because of this!
This is a remarkable accomplishment and worth a grand celebration- but my experience tells me to keep focus on the ultimate goal, the arrest of Joseph Koney, the freedom and return of the abducted, and the return to a new normalcy in the area. This feat helps shine a light on the big prize!
I was seriously crying as well while I was watching it live on CSPAN. My heart was overfilled with joy and I couldn’t believe it! WAY TO GO INVISIBLE CHILDREN AND ALL OF US INVOLVED! We do have a voice, so we should keep using it!
This is the most exciting news ever! I just wish I was with all my friends who helped in IC events, and celebrate, instead of being at work. Can’t wait till the day a new chapter starts in Uganda and Sudan, and Joseph Kony’s terror ends!
LAR Bill Passes Congress, Kony’s War is at a Crux…Come on Obama, don’t let us Down. The Child Soldiers in Africa need you to be a Hero. Need you to be Just. They need you to be, an American President. Let’s End this Now!
This is amazing but it’s only the beginning! I can’t wait to hear that Kony is in custody and trialed for all of his horrible actions!
hopefully I’ll be out of ranger school by the time we start going after him and his boys. I’d like to see how well they think they can hang with the U.S. Rangers coming after them HOOAH!
Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into another black hawk down.
This is Amazing, what would be more amazing is if all you supporting this actually put on a U.S. Military uniform and completed what you started.
This will be Operation Gothic Serpent all over again, but it’s okay! because it wont be you(supporter) getting shot at.
we all have our jobs…you and I, veteran? we shoot things ;) we’d go to jail if it weren’t for people like them giving us someone to aim at.
DARN STRAIGHT!!! Barack better follow through with his promise and deliver us the CHANGE WE NEED!! :D
I’m so happy right now. I’m praying that Obama does the right thing. I know I have yet to meet them, but I love those child soldiers and I can’t wait for them to be reunited with their families. God is good.
@ Marcus.. We do have jobs, you’re right. I signed up to defend & fight for this country. Not bully others into believing what I think is right.
With 1500 women and men fighting for the LRA, if our troops do go over there, they will be fighting these women and children. They don’t just stop fighting for their cause because we show up.
When I watched the video I cried. Let’s hope the US can implement a proper strategy to get the job done.
prayers answered. thank God, literally :D
The last thing USA should do is invading yet another country.
Just what the world needs….more global American interventionism. We have such a good track record on that front!
You have made the world a brighter place! Thank you for your hard work and tenacity…Job Well Done!
Maybe you haven’t had time to think about how the humanitarian and mission efforts will play out, the road has been long and hard…we are thankful for the progress we should see, thanks to ALL of YOU! Outstanding! Bravo! Hallejuha! Shouts and Tears of Joy!
Wondering what you all will do next :)
yes im so happy that they passed the bill..i hope that they arrest joshep kony
I really hope that they find that irresposible man!
Shut the front door!!! This is the best post ever on this blog!
Yay for all the work, and all the tears, and blood paying off
GOD IS SO GOOD! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CARED ENOUGH…WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS THIS MOMENT! WE HAVE MADE A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT…NOW WITH GOD’S GUIDANCE WE WILL CONTINUE THE FIGHT…UNTIL OUR CHILDREN ARE FREE!
thanks for all who sign.we need change.let him work.barrack do some thing.
Blessed are the peace Makers for they shall be called the sons of God.
I am so happy to know that I was a part of making this happen, a part of being one step closer to releasing Joseph Kony’s soldiers!
more than a week after video the video for the first time, smiling at the screen and wiping happy tears off my cheeks, I still feel that glow of gratitude and appreciation for how things are turning out. Thanks for leading this IC. :)