The Bill: What you need to know…
With LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 now in Congress, much of our work here at Invisible Children is spent ensuring that this bill is passed. How do we do that? Making sure that the people of America know what it says, and why it is the best chance for peace. (we never thought we’d become law makers, but I guess this is what being a grown-up millennial looks like: keeping your converse sneakers on while you storm the White House)
Reading through legislation can be exhausting, and while we strongly encourage you to read over the full bill to educate yourselves and spread the news, we’ve pulled out some of the key points and pushes for the act.
Consider this our gift to you – no one else is going to give you Legislation Cliffsnotes.
Use this information to talk to everyone you know about the bill. Call your representatives and senators and tell them how important it is to you to see this bill pass. Really, do anything you can to educate yourself and get the word out. That is the single most influential thing you can do. Our political system was set up to give people like you and I the ability to make major things like this happen. Take advantage of that right and power.
So, without further ado, here is “What You Need to Know about The LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009.”
Abstract
To support stabilization and lasting peace in northern Uganda and areas affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army through development of a regional strategy to support multilateral efforts to successfully protect civilians and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army and to authorize funds for humanitarian relief and reconstruction, reconciliation, and transitional justice, and for other purposes.
This bill was created to:
- Eliminate the threat posed by LRA to civilians and regional stability through political, economic, military, and intelligence support
- Arrest or otherwise remove Joseph Kony and his top commanders from the battlefield
- Disarm and demobilize LRA fighters
- Further support comprehensive reconstruction, transitional justice, and reconciliation efforts and subsequent resolutions
To accomplish these goals:
- President Obama must develop and submit to the appropriate committees of congress a regional strategy to guide United States support to protect civilians from attacks by the LRA
- Strategy must include:
-
-
- Plan to protect civilians from attacks by the LRA and eliminate threat, while building institutions in the affected areas that can help to maintain rule of law and prevent long-term conflict
- A description of how this engagement will fit within the context of broader efforts and policy objectives in the Great Lakes Region
- A framework to evaluate the progress and effectiveness of the United States strategy toward eliminating the threat posed by the LRA.
-
President Obama should work with the people of northern Uganda and the Government of Uganda to:
- Assist internally displaced people in transition by helping revive economic growth, supporting livelihoods, helping to alleviate poverty, and advance access to basic services at return sites, specifically clean water health care, and schools
- Ensure accountability and administrative competency of local governance institutions and public agencies in northern Uganda
- Strengthen operational capacity of civilian police in northern Uganda to enhance public safety, prevent crime, and deal sensitively with gender-based violence, while strengthening accountability measures to prevent corruptions and abuses
- Rebuild and improve the capacity of justice system in northern Uganda, including the courts and penal system, with particular sensitivity to the needs and rights of women and children
- Establish mechanisms for the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of former combatants, including vocational education and employment opportunities
- Promote programs to address psycho-social trauma, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder
US should help establish:
- A body to investigate the history of the conflict, inquire into human rights violations committed during the conflict by all sides, promote truth-telling in communities, and encourage the preservation of the memory of events and victims of the conflict through memorials, archives, commemorations, and other forms of preservation
- A special division of the High Court of Uganda to try individuals alleged to have committed serious crimes during the conflict, and a special unit to carry out investigations and prosecutions in support of trials
- A system to making reparations to victims of the conflict
- A review and strategy for supporting transitional justice mechanisms in affected areas to promote reconciliation and encourage individuals to take personal responsibility for their conduct during the war
The bill will be paid for by:
- Taking $40 million from Department of the Air Force’s budget appropriated to purchase excess secondary inventory (which the Air Force itself has acknowledged that it does not need)
vanessa torres
STOP JOSEPH KONY!!
Sep 24, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
Donna
I hereby sign this petition to stop Joseph Kony from continuing to abduct, enslave and abuse these defenseless children.
–Donna Johnson
Oct 16, 2009 @ 6:30 am
Sandy Buckler
I plead that action is taken to stop the attrocities happening in Uganda through the Lords Resistance Army.
What if it were your child or grandchild being abducted?
– These are children just as precious as ours are to us.
Nov 16, 2009 @ 7:29 pm
Noelle Finnell-Spencer
Join me in becoming more active in making a difference. This is too great a cause to sit back and do nothing.
Nov 16, 2009 @ 9:54 pm
Lindsey Evans
Together we can stop this unbelievable amount of violence, and free these hopeful and wonderful children!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 3:25 pm
Alexis
We need to stop him from continuing to abduct, enslave and abuse these defenseless children and having them kill others
Nov 18, 2009 @ 9:32 am
kahmil
This is not right!!! This is not okay. We must help in anyway that we can. This will be my 1st fight that is not my own. This is a battle that we can win America. Do it for the kids and those faces that want to see there parents.
We don’t have problems, we create them!!!
Sincerely,
Kahmil of Paul Mitchell School of Atlanta
Nov 18, 2009 @ 10:59 am
Samantha Boner
We should not continue to ignore those in need. Even the homeless in America are safe, but in Uganda, no child is safe. Give a little to help a lot. Educate at least one other person of Africa’s longest running war. Kony has not negotiated and never will.
Nov 18, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
Thomas Todd
I sign this petition to stop joseph Kony
Nov 18, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
Darielle Ratliff
I sign this petition to stop Joseph Kony!!!!!!!!!!
Nov 19, 2009 @ 9:34 am
Will
Not only do I sign this petition to stop Joseph Kony, I sign it to endorse the real message of love met in Jesus Christ. Not at any point in Jesus’ ministry did he advocate enslavement and abuse of children. We must not only protect the precious men, women and children of Uganda but we must also protect the freedom to live justly and respectfully. And as much as our feelings and emotions get the best of us, Jesus did preach in his Sermon on the Mount regarding our enemies. We must remember his desire for us to love everyone, including our enemies (this, however, does not mean condoning violence and of course consequences arise as a result of bad choices by the rebels):
Matthew 5:43″You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Let us love the helpless children, and let’s remember that even the worst of people God can take and make out of him/her a miracle (look at Moses…he was a murderer! look at David…he was an adulterer!…look at Paul…he was a Christian killer!). Vengeance is God’s…let us love one another in peace.
May God’s grace cover the sweet, precious children who need the arms of a Loving Savior. Amen.
Nov 19, 2009 @ 10:43 am
Kelsey
I sign this petition to stop joseph Kony
Nov 19, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
scott wallace
I am 17 years old, When i was 9, 10 even 11 years old i was playing football out in the garden having FUN! At 17 i have happy memories to look back on. Right now a child is probably being abducted maybe worse he or she has just been killed, maybe the ones being killed are the lucky ones they don’t have to suffer anymore thats it over for them. The ones that grow up and look back at 17 years old to when they were 9, 10 even 11 years old they don’t remember kicking a ball laughing, they remember crying, violence, killing. NO ONE in the world today has the right to be the person causing this. The difference between 6,692,030,276 human beings and 1 insignificant person is huge, Joseph Kony is not a human being! So if one person can destroy so many life’s, then 6 billion can most certainly destroy one, His!
Nov 19, 2009 @ 4:06 pm
-Courtney
Yesterday *November 19th* Amy and another guy came to my school and talked about this… I thought about all those kids and wanted to sign the petition. As a 9th grader I feel that Joseph Kony is a very bad man and what he is doing should be put to a stop. Uganda doesn’t have to suffer, and niether do the familys of the children that have been abducted. Stop Joseph Kony Today!
Nov 20, 2009 @ 7:23 am
Devon Roth
i sign this pitition to stop Joseph Kony from continuing his act of kidnaping and killing inosent children.
Nov 20, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
Jolene Jackinsky
I sign this petition to STOP JOSEPH KONY. The Heavenly Fathers will be done in Africa and in DC where these 1st steps need to be taken for peace, and restoration of families and communities in Uganda….In Jesus name I pray.
Nov 25, 2009 @ 5:37 am