This week, our Director of Civic Engagement, Lisa Dougan, joined a special Google+ Hangout conversation with U.S. Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice, Stephen Rapp, and Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda, to discuss last week’s announcement, and the role that the War Crimes Reward can play in helping to end LRA violence.

The 30-minute discussion, which was broadcast live on the State Department’s website, is available to watch below. Here are a few highlights:

Learn more about our IC|Citizen team [HERE]

On Wednesday morning, the Obama administration officially announced that it will be offering up to $5 million in rewards for information leading to the capture of top LRA commanders Joseph Kony, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen. The reward comes with the expansion of the U.S. State Department’s War Crimes Rewards Program – an expansion that was mandated by the passage of the Rewards for Justice expansion bill (S. 2318) earlier this year.

Invisible Children first called for the passage of the Rewards for Justice (RfJ) expansion bill during the KONY 2012 campaign last spring. With the help of our partners at The Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative, supporters from around the country held local lobby meetings with their members of Congress, urging them to cosponsor the bipartisan legislation, which was first introduced in the House by Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA) and later in the Senate by then Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry (D-MA), and by Senator John Boozman (R-AR).

In addition to local lobby meetings, Invisible Children launched a nationwide calling campaign and a letter-writing effort to help push the bill through Congress. Hundreds of you called your members of Congress and thousands of you wrote letters, which our Citizen Team hand-delivered to Congressional offices.

Our efforts finally culminated with the LOBBY:DC event on November 16th, 2012. More than 800 activists – decked out in KONY 2012 shirts and lobby cardigans – descended on Washington and participated in roughly 300 lobby meetings over the course of six hours. These activists called on their elected officials to support the passage of the Rewards for Justice expansion bill and to continue to support the efforts of the U.S. advisors in central Africa. Needlesss to say, Capitol Hill took notice.

Fast forward two months. Late into the night on January 1st – with just minutes left before Congress closed for the year and amongst all the chaos of the looming fiscal cliff crisis, Congress officially passed the the RfJ expansion bill. On January 15, 2013, President Obama signed the legislation into law, and Invisible Children’s CEO was there to watch it happen firsthand.

That brings us back to this week. Wednesday’s announcement of the new $5 million reward to help bring Kony to justice is a reassuring sign of the Obama administration’s commitment to help bring a permanent end to LRA violence. The implementation of the War Crimes Reward program brings us one step closer to peace and security for communities in central Africa.

In a statement published by the Huffington Post, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on the effectiveness of the program:

While this is an important development, this new tactic will only be effective as part of a sustained, comprehensive effort to end LRA violence. We must continue to remind the United States and the African Union of the importance of staying committed to apprehending Joseph Kony and the LRA. The most important thing you can do right now is tweet the @_AfricanUnion and encourage them to remain committed to continuing counter-LRA operations.

For more details on the War Crimes Rewards program, visit here.

Yesterday we told you that important conversations are happening right now about whether the counter-LRA mission will continue. Those conversations are still happening, and still need our support.

Because of you, John Kerry got a #kerrystopkony tweet every 19 seconds yesterday. It’s safe to say that he was reminded of his personal commitment to seeing Kony captured. Today he wrote an op-ed about that commitment

This morning “Joseph Kony” was trending worldwide on Twitter after the State Department announced that there would be a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. This is a result the Rewards for Justice program that we all worked so hard to pass through Congress last year, and we should all feel encouraged.

But at the same time, counter-LRA operations in CAR are currently suspended, potentially rendering the newly-authorized cash reward largely ineffective. Simply put, if nobody is searching, there will be no arrest and no one to reward. For that reason we have to urge Uganda, the United States, and the African Union to find a way to continue counter-LRA operations. Only then can the Rewards for Justice program be truly effective.

Now that we’ve reminded John Kerry, it’s time to remind the African Union of its commitment:

A tweet is a simple act, but 2,000 tweets with the same request don’t go unnoticed. They raise eyebrows, provoke questions, spark conversations. The counter-LRA mission must continue; LRA-affected communities in CAR have made that clear. Right now it is our job to remind our fellow human beings that they once promised to help protect civilian lives from the atrocities of the LRA and it’s time to make good.

If you don’t have Twitter, send an email to the African Union or a Facebook message. 

Subject: Stand by LRA mission

Dear African Union,

As you address the turmoil in Central African Republic, please stay committed to stopping Joseph Kony and the LRA while keeping civilians protected.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Tweet John Kerry right now, and get your friends to do the same.

John Kerry, pls prioritize solutions on CAR overthrow & stand by mission to arrest Kony @StateDept #kerrystopkony http://spr.ly/ker

If you don’t have Twitter, send a message to the State Department:

Topic: U.S. Foreign Policy, Africa
Subject: Stand by LRA mission

Dear Secretary Kerry,

Please prioritize finding solutions around the Central African Republic overthrow and stand by the U.S. mission to arrest Joseph Kony. You have supported the mission for years, but it needs your leadership now more than ever.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Learn more about why we’re tweeting John Kerry 

The expansion of the War Crimes Rewards program, which will now include Joseph Kony and other top LRA commanders indicted by the International Criminal Court, is the result of legislation that Congress passed and President Obama signed into law in January of this year. Invisible Children activists were very involved in lobbying for the passage of this legislation through local lobby meetings, phone calls, letters, and a lobby day in Washington, DC last November. As a result, Invisible Children’s CEO Ben Keesey was invited to join President Obama for the signing of the bill at the Oval Office on January 15, 2013.

President Obama signing the Rewards for Justice bill on Jan 15, 2013

Incidentally, the bill was originally introduced in April 2012 by then Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, who specifically hoped that an expanded War Crimes Rewards program would help put Joseph Kony behind bars. Mr. Kerry now serves as Secretary of State and we’ve been urging him to stand by his commitment to help bring Kony to justice by ensuring that the U.S. continues its efforts.

For the next 48 hours we are tweeting at the African Union to encourage them to continue their counter-LRA efforts and ensure that civilians remain protected. 

Securing this $45 million is a victory worth celebrating, not only because of the concrete impact it can have on efforts to end LRA violence, but also because it is further evidence that our collective voices – here in the U.S. and from LRA-affected communities – are keeping members of Congress engaged and committed to seeing LRA violence ended once and for all. All the more reason to make sure we keep speaking up.

(Photo credit: Pete Souza/White House via Getty Images)

For the past two months, Invisible Children’s in-house crew of political advocacy experts (A.K.A. our Citizen Team) has been working with supporters across the U.S. to ensure some key members of Congress stay committed to ending LRA violence. These representatives sit on committees in Congress that will decide in the coming weeks and months whether or not the U.S. will continue to invest resources in arresting Joseph Kony, preventing LRA violence, and supporting affected communities in central Africa— making them particularly important to the movement.

Our Citizen Team continues to be amazed by the people they get to work with – many of whom have never lobbied their representatives until now (to be clear, these rookies are crushing it!) Below are a few snapshots from the dozens of lobby meetings that have already taken place across the country, along with some messages from activists about why political advocacy is so important to them.

Stayed tuned for updates on the direct impact these activists are having in Washington. For more details on what we’re lobbying for and to see if we need YOU to lobby your member of Congress this spring, visit our Citizen site.

Activists Mallorie Oetman, Giuliana Ruiz-Moreno and Stephanie Oetman with Congressman Visclosky (D-IN)

“Lobbying is one of the best ways we have to truly be involved with our democratic processes. It’s also the most effective way of having our representatives hear our voices. It’s incredibly powerful to meet with your representatives and see bills passed as a result of it. We have seen that lobbying works and our representatives are eager to hear from us. Having our voices heard in such a way is incredibly empowering.”

- Lisa Dieckman, age 18, Arlington Heights, IL

Activist Kateland Gough and Ciara Doherty meeting with a staffer from Senator Mark Kirk’s office (R-IL)

“I interact with my government officials because this is one of the greatest powers I possess not only as a citizen of the United States, but also as a global citizen. I hope to inspire our leaders to take action by sharing the stories of success and perseverance of everyday people in central Africa and those here at home in the U.S. By illustrating our passion for the social justice, my hope is that swift and positive large-scale change can occur for central Africa.”

 - Garrett Moore, San Diego, CA

Activists Jaclyn Licht, Cassidy Bennett, Gianna Sollitto, Rachel Tecirea, and Cheynne Caveault with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)

 “I love being involved in political advocacy because as a high school social studies teacher, I love to show my students how easy it is to meet with your representatives and how important it is that we keep up a dialogue with them. So many people fought for us to have these rights and this type of representative government, and I feel like it’s an injustice not to utilize it.”

 – Sara Hutton, age 21, Monroe, CT

Activists Erin Keating, Michael Arredondo, Laura Weldy and Tony Bazilo on their way to a meeting with Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA)

“The government is there to serve us and our representatives are just that — our representatives. They don’t know that we want something unless we tell them.”

– James Buckhorn, age 19, Carmel, IN

Well, we think that sums it up pretty well. Huge thanks from our Citizen Team — and the entire Invisible Children staff — to everyone who has volunteered to lead or participate in a lobby meeting this spring.

Find out more about our IC Citizen team and how you can get involved with the political leaders in your area [HERE].

Wow. Today is a day that I will never forget. Just 48 hours ago, I got word that a Presidential signing ceremony for the Rewards for Justice bill was being considered. And just a few hours later, I was on a plane from San Diego to Washington DC to represent Invisible Children in the oval office signing event.

On the trip out here, before we were able to share the news of this event, I was thinking about how hard it is to change U.S. policy. Our democratic system, especially with the current dynamic in Congress, is at-best slow to act and at-worst, stuck in gridlock of partisan politics.

But there have been a few issues that are so well supported by people around the U.S. and so morally clear, that they keep moving forward despite the status quo in Washington. And this effort took another step forward today, when President Obama signed the Rewards for Justice Rewards Program Update and Technical Corrections Act of 2012. This bill broadens the U.S. governments ability to use monetary rewards to individuals who come forward with information that leads to the arrest of people who are indicted by international war criminal tribunals like the International Criminal Court.

We started supporting this bill shortly after it was introduced in Congress in early 2012. It was authored and supported by both Republicans and Democrats, including Ed Royce (R-CA) in the House and Senators Kerry (D-MA), Isakson (R-GA), Coons (D-DE) and Boozman (R-AR).

Through letters, emails, local lobby meetings and MOVE:DC, thousands of you helped make the passage of this bill become a reality. And the President acknowledged that personally.

I got to the White House gate with Michael Poffenberger [of Resolve] at 1:40PM. After processing through security, we entered the White House through the West Wing. Standing in the White House and waiting for the President is a surreal feeling. After greeting the leaders of six other amazing organizations that were in attendance and saying “hi” to some of the key White House officials that work on the LRA conflict, I was getting a little nervous…thinking about what I would say to President Obama if I was able to say anything during the event. And just a few minutes later while we were all in the Roosevelt Room, President Obama opened the door to the oval office and said, “Hi everybody, come on in.” After greeting the President at the door, we took our places behind his desk to watch him as he officially signed the bill into law.

After he signed it, he talked to us about his commitment, and the commitment of the U.S. government as a whole, to end the atrocities of international war criminals and how this expansion of the Rewards for Justice program will be a new tool that they can use. He talked about how important the work that our organizations do to rally support in communities all over the country and said that he simply wanted to say “Thank you.”

Just a few minutes later as the short event was wrapping up, there still hadn’t been any opportunity to say anything to the President, but just as he was about to send us on our way, I was able to catch his attention and say “Mr. President, 2 1/2 years ago we stood together in this same room when you signed the LRA Disarmament Act which committed the U.S. to assist in the arrest of Joseph Kony and the end of LRA violence, and as we stand here today, I am excited to report that major progress has been made. The rate of LRA killings have decreased substantially, and the rate of defections have increased over the same period. However, on behalf of all of our supporters around the world, we ask you to follow- through and help see the top commanders arrested and the violence ended once and for all.” In response he said, “That is what we intend to do.” It was incredible.

Thank you to everyone who made their voice heard and made the signing event possible. We are changing history and showing that the world can and will be a safer, more peaceful place for invisible children everywhere, when concerned citizens rise up and stand for justice and peace.

We are doing that and we will not stop in 2013. I am honored to be on this journey with you.

Sincerely,

Ben Keesey

Ben reflects on the signing of Rewards for Justice legislation from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013, President Obama signed Rewards for Justice legislation. Our CEO Ben Keesey was invited to represent Invisible Children and all of the people around the country who have supported this effort. Also invited were a handful of human rights organizations including our  partners and friends at Resolve, Enough, and Humanity United.

In the shortest of explanations, this is legislation that will strengthen efforts to locate and arrest Joseph Kony by enabling the U.S. State Department to offer financial rewards for information that directly leads to his arrest. (Get the full picture of what the bill means and how it came to pass).

This victory belongs to everyone who attended LOBBY:DC or called their members of Congress and to everyone who helped make stopping Joseph Kony a priority for the United States. Without you, this bill would not have passed. But you applied pressure and it paid off…and then some.

In President Obama’s words, “We have made unmistakably clear that the United States is committed to seeing war criminals and other perpetrators of atrocities held accountable for their crimes, and today’s legislation can help us achieve that goal.”

We are encouraged by President Obama’s words and look forward to seeing even more action from his administration when it comes to stopping LRA violence. We also thank the men and women in Congress who cosponsored the bill– especially those that led the charge:

Finally, we thank our TRI members for their sustained dedication to seeing an end to LRA atrocities. Your monthly donation makes Invisible Children’s advocacy efforts possible and powerful.

Keep an eye out for Ben’s personal account of his experience in the oval office.  The photo below was taken just before the Signing Ceremony–Ben is standing outside of the White House with Michael Poffenberger of Resolve.