A Mission of Visibility
May 1, 2009by Shannon Whiting
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, iReport, video chat, texting, live feed…
With so many options for networking, where does one begin? Try all of them.
This is the tactic being used right now by a movement called Invisible Children – a small team of people dedicated to end an otherwise-ignored 23-year war in Northern Uganda. Thanks to their moving documentaries, recent Facebook groups and YouTube and Twitter campaigns, their team has exploded in the last few months to an untraceable number of students around the globe.
Their latest movement, The Rescue, called students to congregate in 100 major cities worldwide on April 25th to stand in solidarity with East Africa’s abducted child soldiers. Over 100,000 students “abducted” themselves by gathering in a public place until “rescued” by media coverage and a mogul pledging to spread the word about an ignored war.
Though I’d participated in an Invisible Children event in college, I still never considered myself an activist – I wasn’t creative enough to start anything, and I hated how small my contributions looked. But this time, I couldn’t shrug off the campaign.
This wasn’t just a reminder to shut off lights, a plea to empty my wallet, or a silly picket sign shoved into my hand. No one was guilting me into anything. Instead, three young filmmakers – Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole – were inspiring. They shared the stories, one face at a time, of the war’s most innocent victims, and revealed a simple, world change game plan: spreading the word.
By Monday evening of The Rescue, that word had successfully spread to media and moguls in all but six of the selected cities. With Chicago still waiting, and its abductees dwindling, I decided to add what numbers I could and lift the spirits of a few cold and rain-drenched college kids.
I took off from Madison after work with four sleeping bags and three friends in my car. At 9:30 p.m. I half expected to find a wet and weary bunch wrapped in blankets. Instead, we stepped into a church gymnasium that felt more like a summer rock fest. One hundred twenty-five young people were clumped in the center of the room, breaking it down together to the tunes of Kanye West.
A few smiling faces greeted us to ask where we’d just arrived from. After introductions, we skirted the sweaty dancers to find a bare spot of floor by the wall. Before we could even unroll our sleeping bags, Kanye stopped rapping, and a student’s voice began yelling, “Hey 
everybody, listen up – four people just arrived from Madison, Wisconsin!”
The entire crowd turned to face us and burst into wild cheers.
Though moved by the camaraderie of complete strangers and the enthusiasm of the students I talked to that night, I wondered how the movement’s leaders were feeling about the turnout.
Two days later, I got that question answered. I showed up with friends again, this time with Chicago as the only remaining city. The gym floor was buzzing once more with the chatter of sleep-deprived and un-showered students, who had now tripled in number. At 1 a.m., I looked up from a growing card game to spot filmmaker Bobby Bailey crossing the room.
Recognizing my chance, I tiptoed around a maze of student-filled sleeping bags to reach him on his way to a more private floor space, bed gear strapped to his back. He was bleary-eyed, but still smiling and fully believing in the slowly growing crowd.
“Yeah, ending the war is possible,” he said. “There’s just not public will behind it,” hence the simple yet incessant use of online networking. “That’s our only way to make a difference at this point,” Bobby said, “given that all of us are activists bent on awareness rather than impulse.”
The Chicago team was determined to stay their post in the city until either Oprah Winfrey or President Obama agreed to rescue them. Regardless of whether that goal could be attained, Bobby told me the efforts were still worth it.
“This event here even now is not in vain,” he said, gesturing to the nearly 400 students camped out on a gym floor. “I mean look at this – this is ridiculous! These people will speak to their people and we’ll speak to those of influence about these ones that have endured and that will make a difference,” he said.
I left just a few short hours later to return to work in Madison, just as the troops were reinforced by the Los Angeles team up to a full 500. Yesterday they rallied their creativity to choreograph moves to an inspirational version of U2’s “In the Name of Love” and performed it outside Harpo Studios.
Bobby’s hopeful words were fulfilled today, May 1, 2009, when Oprah stepped outside her studio to invite the three filmmakers inside to help her rewrite the show for the morning. Invisible Children will appear on Oprah’s show nationwide at 4 p.m. today.
Though they’ve achieved their impossible goal, Invisible Children is not done. Spreading the word will continue on June 22 and 23 for lobby days they've titled "How It Ends" – when students will take letters written at The Rescue to their senators. Until every child soldier in East Africa can return home, the networking and the belief in its influence continue to grow.
“Anyone born after the year 1980 are millenials,” Jason told CNN on Wednesday. “They grew up on the internet, they know the power and access to technology.”
While that web knowledge has been the key to increasing their numbers, Jason, Bobby and Laren are far more concerned with how the message translates.
“Regardless of the celebrity that comes out, it’s more about the heart change that happens in us," Bobby said, "and that’s what we consistently come back to."
To learn more, watch the Invisible Children documentary that led up to The Rescue.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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