Mitra recently received a $1 million TED Prize for his work to improve education in the slums of Hyderabad, India. His “Hole in the Wall Experiment” started out simply enough. He stuck a computer into a wall in Hyderabad and invited students to learn English. When students asked Mitra how they would learn English, he replied with a simple and challenging “I don’t know, how would you?” Students embraced the challenge, utilized the computer they were given and downloaded the talking Oxford dictionary, which they then fed back into speech-to-text software. As they learned the words and spoke them into the software, they were able to gauge their understanding based on whether or not the computer typed the words correctly. Mitra, much like everyone who hears the story, was incredibly impressed:

“Groups of children can teach themselves almost anything. You take children and put them into groups of four or five and then you ask a big question. The internet is full of answers, but you must ask the questions that turn on the mind…when they find the big answers they believe in themselves, and they believe in the world around them.”

Mitra’s dedication to innovation in the classroom, regardless of where it is, is changing the role of education in impoverished countries. By allowing students to challenge themselves, he’s proving that trust and confidence are two of the greatest things we can offer students.

If you share the same dedication to innovation in the classroom as Sugata Mitra and others like him, we encourage you to apply for the Fourth Estate Leadership Summit. The Summit will equip teachers with the tools needed to promote human rights and social justice within your classroom and community. We’ve set aside 300 spots exclusively for educators. To learn more and to join us in Los Angeles on August 8-11th, click the links below.

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“Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.” – Andy Rooney

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called “truth.” – Dan Rather

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” – Carl Jung

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” -Henry Adams

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” -William A. Ward

The best gift you can give a teacher is a genuine thank you. One way to do that is to invite them to the Fourth Estate Leadership Summit. We’ve set aside 300 spots exclusively for the best teachers in the world. If you believe your teacher fits the bill, then encourage them to apply today. The final deadline to apply is May 15th.

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One day while he was speaking with his psychiatrist Matej Peljhan, he mentioned that he “wished to see himself in a photo, walking around and doing all sorts of mischief.” Peljhan took this to heart and created a collection of beautifully optimistic portraits of Luka in motion. Peljhan gave the pictures a life of their own, giving the young boy a rare chance to play basketball, swim with fish, and chase after a balloon. Peljhan fittingly titled the collection “Le Petit Prince” or The Little Prince, based on the French book of the same name.

Luka’s story just goes to show that you can do anything you set your mind to, especially when you have a little help from your friends. The same is true for The Fourth Estate Leadership Summit. Taking place this August 8-11th in Los Angeles. 1400 activists will gather to discuss the future of global justice, while hearing from several prominent speakers. To learn more about the Summit click the links below. The absolute final deadline to apply is May 15th.

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(Photo credits)

Where has Kony been hiding? The ultimate question. We recently partnered with The Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative and the Enough Project to produce a detailed and lengthy report to try to answer it. Hidden in Plain Sight: Sudan’s Harboring of the LRA in the Kafia Kingi Enclave, 2009-2013 can be viewed in full [HERE] and is summarized below by yours truly.

After two decades, Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) left Uganda for good in 2006. Growing evidence indicates that the government of Sudan has allowed Kony and a large LRA group to hide in the Kafia Kingi enclave, one of the disputed areas on the border between Sudan and South Sudan, from 2009 to at least early 2013. The enclave is in a Sudanese-controlled territory that the African Union (AU) or the United States (US) does not have permission to enter. As long as Sudan permits it, the small enclave can serve as a safe haven from where Kony and senior LRA commanders are able to avoid their pursuers.

“As long as Kony is able to find a safe haven in Sudan, he can avoid pursuit by Ugandan forces by simply crossing the border whenever they get close,” said Michael Poffenberger, Executive Director of The Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative and one of the report’s primary authors. “Sudan should not be allowed to harbor one of the most brutal and notorious war criminals in the world with impunity.”

Sudanese government officials have consistently denied allegations of LRA presence in Kafia Kingi despite the considerable evidence to the contrary. This paper provides the most definitive documentation to date of Sudan’s renewed ties to the LRA. It cites interviews with eight LRA defectors who were eyewitnesses to LRA movements into Sudanese-controlled territory, four of whom provided separate accounts of Kony’s presence and activities there. These testimonies are corroborated by satellite imagery analysis, and additional interviews conducted with local civil society leaders and representatives from the UN, the AU, and regional governments and military forces.

“International efforts to arrest Kony and stop LRA attacks are likely to fail unless the African Union and regional leaders secure Sudan’s full cooperation,” said Paul Ronan, Director of Policy at The Resolve and another primary author.

The bottom line is this: In order to adequately protect civilians and bring LRA violence to an end once and for all, regional and international governments must engage the government of Sudan and ensure that the LRA can no longer find safe haven in Sudan-controlled territory. Addressing this issue with Sudan will be a litmus test for how committed regional and international leaders are to bringing this conflict to an end.

On June 8-10, one million handmade bones will be displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC The one million bones is part of a social arts practice of the same name that uses education and hands-on art making to raise awareness of ongoing genocide and mass atrocities taking place in areas such as Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Burma, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

For the past three years the organization has been working with students, artists, and activists to craft handmade bones made from material such as clay, paper, and plaster. The bones symbolize the lives lost to mass genocide, and those fighting to survive ongoing conflicts, while reminding participants of our common humanity.

The Bezo’s Family Foundation will match $1 for each bone up to $500,000 dollars, which will go to CARE, and the organization’s relief work in Somalia and the DRC. Other beneficiaries of the project include Women for Women International, United to End Genocide, and our partners at The Enough Project.

One Million Bones is committed to leveraging the power of art to inspire activism, and believes that art is a powerful tool when used to affect social change and offers an immediate and visceral connection to difficult issues. The three-day event will include international speakers, performers, educational workshops, an interfaith candlelight vigil and advocacy led by The Enough Project. Leigh Durham, who is helping to organize the event, describes the impact this event will have on participants:

“I’d say we hope that  participants walk away feeling more deeply connected to one another, more hopeful for a more peaceful future, and more energized to continue working to resolve these conflicts. It’s been a pretty amazing journey and we realize more each day what a powerful tool art can be to introduce people to overwhelming concepts like genocide and mass atrocities.”

One Million Bones is still in need of volunteers within the Washington DC area to help with the event. To learn more and register, visit the One Million Bones website.

(Photo credit)

One of which is the Social Progress Index. The SPI measures the progress of countries who best provide for the social and environmental needs of their citizens and is quickly gaining recognition among experts. The index includes 52 indicators in various categories, all stemming from three main prerequisites:

The report surveyed 50 countries and found that Sweden is the most socially advanced country, with the United States ranked 6th. Among many other findings, the report discovered a trend amongst countries with higher GDPs. The United States for example, who spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country, ranked just 11th in terms of health and wellness. Similarly, Australia who ranks 7th overall, ranked 22nd for shelter.

On the flip side, Rwanda, which ranked 46th on the index, ranks 9th in terms of primary school enrollment. And Uganda, which ranks 48th, ranks 3rd in ecosystem sustainability. View the report in its entirety here.

Invisible Children believes that each human, regardless of where they live, has inherent and irrefutable basic rights. Through innovative statistic gathering, the Social Progress Index creates a clear and transparent view of the world in terms of upholding these rights, and in turn the well-being of citizens within their own country.

The Fourth Estate Leadership Summit is a practical way for students and educators to garner the knowledge and tools to  fight for social justice on a global scale. The Summit is a four-day conference, where 1400 people will gather to  learn about justice, advocacy, and global citizenship through new IC media, amazing speakers, tangible action steps, and, obviously, an epic dance party.

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(Photo credits: 1, 2, 3)

As I sit down to write this, my heart is heavy for the people of Boston and the victims of Monday’s senseless bombing. Despite this devastating attack, my own experiences give me optimism knowing that the city of Boston will make it through this turbulent time and come out of it stronger than ever.

On Friday, I will join Oklahomans across the world as we reflect on the 18th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing which killed 168 people and shook America’s heartland. The evil that occurred in my hometown nearly two decades ago was defeated because a community stood together against it. My optimism stems from my confidence that the resolve of the people of Boston is stronger than any force of evil or hatred.

I was five years old the morning that Timothy Mcveigh set off a bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah building. I vividly remember feeling the highway shake violently and hearing a breath-taking boom in the distance as my mother drove me to school. In the days following the bombing I remember seeing images of the aftermath: a firefighter carrying a mangled child in his arms, a chain-link fence covered in flowers, stuffed animals, and notes – a makeshift memorial to the victims of this heinous act. A memorial which still stands to this day. I remember how thousands of people came from all over the nation to help relieve the hurting and search for the missing.

Even now, stories are coming out praising the countless heroes who responded without hesitation to help their fellow Bostonians. To paraphrase Edmund Burke: ”Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.” It was clear 18 years ago and it’s clear today. Evil has not triumphed, because good men and women have chosen to do something.

Several months ago I found myself in a garden in Birmingham, Alabama. As I stood in front of a young tree with the sun glistening magnificently against the dew of its leaves a man explained to me that it was a seedling from the Survivor Tree – the lone Elm that stood tall against the earth-shattering blast in Oklahoma City.

The Survivor Tree represents profound resilience, and resilience has roots in the communities that plant it. So whether it be a seedling in Alabama, a mighty elm in Oklahoma, a maple tree in Boston, or a dense forest in Central Africa, here’s to the resilience of those who stand together for justice. May we stand as tall as the Redwoods, as strong as the Elm , and as far reaching as the Manzanita. Though some may try to cut us down, we will never be destroyed. For under the surface our roots spread far and wide and as long as we are grounded in resilience we can never be uprooted.

(Photo credits: Lisa Jeter)

Logan narrates, “The elite tracking team from the Ugandan military is searching for Kony in some of the most remote jungle on Earth. You don’t have to spend much time here to understand why it’s so hard to find Joseph Kony. It’s as isolated and unforgiving as it gets. The undergrowth so thick, every step is a battle.”

The broadcast featured interviews with several different people, including Maj. General Casear Achellam, who was captured by Ugandan forces last May. The high-ranking LRA commander spent 20 years with Kony and for much of that time was his Chief of Intelligence.

Maj. General Caesar Achellam

Caesar Acellam: Kony is only struggling for survival.

Lara Logan: As Kony fights for his survival he’s still killing people. He’s still terrorizing villages.

Caesar Acellam: Yes, he’s doing it.

Among the other interviews was Col. Kurt Crytzer, a veteran Green Beret of 23 years, who took command of the U.S. Special Operations mission not long after President Obama decided to send in troops 18 months ago.

Kurt Crytzer: Some things you just can’t turn a blind eye to, and I believe this is one case of that.

Lara Logan: The U.S. turned a blind eye to Joseph Kony for more than 20 years.

Kurt Crytzer: I can’t account for why we did or why we didn’t come. What I can tell you is we are here now.

Notably absent was the mention of the hundreds of thousands of youth activists around the world that have rallied support for the counter-LRA mission and encouraged governments to proceed in their operations.

The 14-minute story did include the defection efforts that Achellam is supporting by his recorded messages that are broadcast over areas of the jungle where Kony’s soldiers are believed to be hiding, as well as the defection fliers that are distributed throughout the region.

Kurt Crytzer: You have a picture of Caesar Acellam on there. That’s pretty powerful.

Lara Logan: So the idea is if members of the LRA see someone who was as senior as Ceasar Acellam and he’s safe and well that that will convince people that there’s a safe way out of this?

Kurt Crytzer: That’s correct.

Col. Crytzer says he knows it’s working because Kony’s soldiers have been defecting in increasing numbers, and his army is down to just a few hundred men.

It is encouraging that a respected and widely viewed show such as 60 Minutes is covering the news of the mission to catch Kony (their last coverage of the conflict was in 1998.) With the recent suspension of the mission due to political unrest in Central African Republic, one can only hope that the mission will resume so that Kony can at last be apprehended

Lara Logan: How has one man been able to evade so many forces for so long?

Kurt Crytzer: He’s a survivor. He’s not an admirable human being, but he’s an admirable adversary.

Lara Logan: Do you think you and the Ugandans are getting closer to Kony?

Kurt Crytzer: I believe we are. I can now wake up in the morning honestly and say, “Is today the day?”

Here’s to hoping.

A transcript of the full 60 Minutes broadcast can be found [HERE].

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]

The world’s newest social media celebrity hasn’t been on the planet in nearly five months. Despite this, his Twitter feed has gone viral, surpassing well over 600,000 followers. The key to his success? His tweets are literally out of this world.

The man behind the tweets is Canadian astronaut Chris Hartfield. He became the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station last month after NASA astronaut Kevin Ford who has held the role since November 2012 handed over the reigns to Hartfield on March 13th.

What sets Hartfield apart from those who have come before him is his innate sense of social media. Since arriving at the ISS in December, he’s been sharing his experiences on Twitter, Facebook, and even Reddit. His eclectic collection of photos along with his down to earth commentary has impressed thousands, including Forbes, who has called him “perhaps the most social media savvy astronaut ever to leave Earth.”

During an “Ask Me Anything” forum on Reddit, Hartfield was asked if he had any advice for a young person who wanted to join the field. His response resonates not only with future astronauts, but with anyone who has a dream worth pursuing:

“Decide in your heart of hearts what really excites and challenges you, and start moving your life in that direction. Every decision you make, from what you eat to what you do with your time tonight, turns you into who you are tomorrow, and the day after that. Look at who you want to be, and start sculpting yourself into that person. You may not get exactly where you thought you’d be, but you will be doing things that suit you in a profession you believe in. Don’t let life randomly kick you into the adult you don’t want to become.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. If you have a passion for human rights, media, journalism, or non-profit work, then The Fourth Estate Leadership Summit is the perfect place to start sculpting yourself into the person you want to be. The Summit is a conference for students who want to meet the people, learn the skills, and get the experiences that will help them make a difference in their own communities and abroad. You can expect hands-on workshops, new Invisible Children media, an epic dance party, and one thousand accomplices in the pursuit of justice.

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