Hey there! Kimmie and Dan here. In case you are unfamiliar with who we are, we have been sent out on assignment by a non-profit organization, Invisible Children. Both of us have a history with Invisible Children, and were beyond pumped when the opportunity to take it to another level came our way. We did a bit of training at the San Diego headquarters with the other Street Team Leaders on how to best “make Kony famous” within our respective assigned cities. Well-equipped with support, “zines”, pocket projectors, and more, we were off.

Upon arrival – more honestly, upon going viral – we were no longer sure how to explain ourselves, and our first task at hand (since YouTube and Vimeo took care of “making him famous” within hours). But as Kony 2012 began trending, and impersonators popped up, we rallied in excitement over our booming amount of support. After multiple miniature panic attacks, we made some of our first attempts to distinguish ourselves in our new city as event coordinators, public relations, remote office organizers, and stationary roadies. I’m here to tell you, none of these is exactly right, or wrong. As a Street Teamer, or a “City Coordinator”, we have learned to wear many hats. Something, I’m sure, with which Roadies (past and present) can identify. And luckily each hat is guaranteed to look, at least alright if you’re willing to pair it with your “sweet attitude” and a little laughter.

We were eager to set up meetings with Chicago culturemakers, risk takers, students, Senators, bar owners, coffee shop goers, park wanders, artists (canvass, electronic, and street), soccer moms, and Fourth Estaters…and more. What we were and are attempting is to create a new kind of community among the people of this city. A community in which its people seek to better themselves and their neighborhoods, down the street, and oceans away. So after hours of Googling everything possible about the city, we realized the best way to be a part of this movement is to literally jump into the city with both feet.

So we closed our laptops and hit the streets.

On any given day we might be:

Organizing meetings with our local volunteers

Talking with small business owners in our community about our work and seeing if we could volunteer alongside them, or hang up a poster in their storefront

Meeting with our local representatives to share with them just how passionate we are about ending this war

Having creative sessions with our boss, Hailey, and our counterparts in the four other cities

and going to concerts, hoping to meet talented and kind people- like Kevin Andrew Prchal- performing his song, Terrified. -that may want to set up living room concerts for our supporters.

All in hopes to make this year eventful. In hopes to ensure joy in those we meet, and within our daily work. In hopes to create and cultivate lasting proof of possibilities, within all those who take part in this campaign. And in promise to do, anything necessary, to end this war.

We came to Chicago, in hopes that by 2013, we would be celebrating…. Celebrating the end of decades of senseless violence.

And may that celebration light a fire across the world, so that anyone, anywhere, may understand that justice knows no bounds, and peace should know no limits. And as long as we stand beside each other, our liberty will indeed be bound together.

Each day we call ourselves something different – student, senator, street team. No matter the label, the task is the same. We came to do what we can, where we are. To wear our many hats, with our sweet attitudes, and a smile.