EXCLUSIVE: Frightened Rabbit Video Premiere and eBay Auction

We’re excited to announce a couple of things on this fine Wednesday afternoon from our San Diego, non-hurrican hit, offices. If you remember, we blasted out a video of Scott Hutchison (Frightened Rabbit) covering Death Cab for Cutie’s “Different Names For The Same Things” near a river bend a couple weeks ago. During that same filming session, we were able to capture an acoustic version of a brand new Frightened Rabbit song from their latest EP called “Scottish Winds”. Without further adieu, here it is.

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Do you lose your humanity behind a lens?

Courtesy of This American Life-NS

Morning in Baghdad.

IC|Exclusive: Fourth Estate Stories

There is a reason we chose to feature this person. Seth Williams is an Invisible Children all star. He’s been here since the beginning and yes, that means the Spring Valley office. This quiet soul has gone on four different tours and inspired so many people to realize their own strength. He is far from just normal, he is extraordinary. The Fourth Estate is pleased to present: Seth Williams.

Next we’re also featuring the writing talents of Nicki Macgregor from the writing track as she interviews Angie Cummings, a Fourth Estate participant. For those of you who couldn’t participate, here’s a day in the life of a Fourth Estate attendee.

Angie Cummings

The Fourth Estate is an event playing host to 650 like-minded individuals,

coming together with the same vision: to change the world, and to stop

the atrocities in Uganda and the CAR and Congo regions. Each of these

amazing individuals has their own unique and equally amazing story. Angie

Cummings is included.
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When two robots meet in a bar…

Scientists wanted to know what would happen when you put two intelligent-speech robots in the same room and let them speak to each other. What we learned? Chatbots are pretty metaphysical and women are rude and nonsensical. Hey, it’s science. – JJ

Tour Launch: Roadie Mixes

It’s that time of year- fall tour is upon us so as the 100+ roadies wrap up booking, load their vans, and prepare for three long months of taking the story of Invisible Children into classrooms and churches all over North America. We like to do our part but providing them with some much needed road mixes. Personally, I like to separate two mixes, one more mellow and soft, and another more upbeat. I call these “RoadLife” and “SleepLife”.

This will be my last mixes for the roadies as it is my last week at Invisible Children. I’ve been working for Invisible Children on and off for nearly three years now, so it’s on to the new chapter. I’m so excited and so sad- but I know that I’ll take this place with me wherever I go. I feel honored to have been apart of this movement and to have had the ability to share my mixes with you all.

So if you’re curious to know what the roadies will be pumping in their vans for the next couple of months- download them here, yourself. Thanks, it’s been a wonderful ride!

-Nada

DOWNLOAD MIXES HERE:

RoadLife

SleepLife

Selecting our new university scholarship students

Our Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP) recently announced 112 openings in our University scholarship program.  Since then, the LSP team has been busy collecting application forms and is now in the process of selecting the students who will move on to the next level – individual interviews.

Once accepted into the LSP, each student receives two things: A full paid, merit-based scholarship and mentoring from one of ICU’s full-time mentors.

Some of the greatest needs and largest gaps in development in northern Uganda can be attributed to the region’s limited access to secondary and post-secondary education. To address this problem, Invisible Children created the LSP, an initiative that develops the leadership and life-skill capacities of promising students.  Launched in 2005, the program focuses on increasing access to post-primary education and providing mentoring from local leaders.

Stay tuned for more updates!
-Bernadette

Photojournalist’s harrowing speech on losing his legs in Afghanistan

On October 23rd, 2010, photojournalist Joao Silva was walking with American troups in southern Afghanistan looking for undetonated mines. Although the soldiers were the ones trying to find the devices with a metal detector, Silva found one by stepping on it. He spoke at the Bronx Documentary Center about his experiences documenting modern warfare. What his word uncovered were a stark analysis of the role of a photojournalist and just how hard and important that role can be. -NS
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Photographs by Joao Silva are on exhibit at the Visa Pour l’Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France. Mr. Silva spoke at the Bronx Documentary Center on Aug. 2, during his first visit to New York since he was injured in Afghanistan. The following week, he went into surgery. He is doing well.

Mr. Silva’s speech, which appears below, has been edited and condensed.

‘A Rough Time For the Industry’

It’s been an amazing experience. One would not choose to go through it, but I’ve gone through it. It happened. My time came, I guess. From the very moment that I stood on that land mine, that morning on Oct. 23, 2010, I was pretty pragmatic about the whole thing. So many people had been killed around me — friends dying at my feet, no exaggeration — that when it happened to me, I was like: “O.K. My number came up. It’s time to move on.”

And here I am, nine months later. I’m standing upright, seeing a lot of wonderful faces looking at me, and it’s an absolute pleasure.
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Behind Frontline Tour: Team Southeast

TEAM SOUTHEAST

Addie Horn, Max Angles & Matt Pack

Team Southeast.  Welcome to Behind Frontline Tour.  Tell us of what the Southeast region consists.

Matt Pack (MP): North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

Awesome.  If you had to choose one thing you most want to see on tour, what would it be?

Max Angles (MA): I just want to see Nashville.  In general.  As a city, it seems super cool to me.  The other one is – seasons.  I just want to know what it’s like.  Palm trees just stay the same all year.

MP: My mom.  Put that on there.  She’ll cry.

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