In this age of revolution, uprising, and radical defiance, countries that don’t offer their citizens basic civil rights are being challenged in drastic ways. More and more, we are seeing that in order to achieve social change, conflict and violence are frequently used to achieve it – as is the current case in Syria.

After a recent surge in oppression and violence toward dissidents from their president Bashar al-Assad, 33 Syrian soldiers, including one general and two colonials, defected across the border to Turkey.

As more than 33,000 Syrian civilians have fled the country to escape dangerous and violent conditions, military defections have become more frequent, and should be publicized and celebrated for essentially speaking out against their country’s wrongdoings.

The same can be said about the hostile climate in LRA affected areas. Abducted child soldiers who are now generals and high-ranking officials within the LRA are being encouraged (viadefection fliers) to surrender to the UPDF, after which they will be returned safely to their families and communities. By defecting and surrendering to a less oppressive regime, soldiers can set the precedent for their government and their fellow citizens to move forward with peace rather than violence and brutality.

(Photo credit: CNN)

- Sammi

It has been confirmed that Caesar Achellam’s bodyguard, a LRA lieutenant, defected near Mboki, CAR. Reportedly, he surrendered because of threats on his life from LRA members who accused him of deliberately allowing Achellam to be captured. This was accompanied by the report of 5 other LRA officers defecting with the bodyguard.

[This photo of Caesar Achellam was taken shortly after he surrendered in May 2012]

Since Caesar Achellam’s capture on May 13, 2012 by UPDF forces, 260,000 Invisible Children-designed defection fliers with Achellam’s photograph and defection statement have been printed and distributed throughout LRA-affected regions in South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic.

The English translation of his defection statement reads:

“I, Major General Achellam, have come out of the LRA, and am sending a message to my brothers in the bush. Put down your guns and stop fighting. Kony has been deceiving us all, we have nothing to fear. The UPDF did not harm me when we met. Do not fear, the UPDF are our brothers and they want us to come back home. Let us make the war come to an end.”

Get real-time updates on LRA activity at lracrisistracker.com or follow them on Twitter@CrisisTracker.

“The surrender of Acellam’s bodyguard and reports of subsequent defections are signs of the LRA’s weakened and fractured state, and indicate the significance of Acellam’s capture. As thousands of additional fliers continue being created and radio messages broadcast, we’re hopeful that the number of defectors grows in the days ahead.” 
-Adam Finck, Invisible Children Director of Programs, Central Africa

Look closer. These fish are made up of water bottles. #recycle

From June 20-22, the United Nations hosted a gathering of world leaders, NGOs, and brilliant minds in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The conference was called Rio+20: The Future We Want, and according to conference organizers, there were a few core goals that they intended to focus on:

“The official discussions will focus on two main themes: How to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty, including support for developing countries that will allow them to find a green path for development; and how to improve international coordination for sustainable development. Governments are expected to adopt clear and focused practical measures for implementing sustainable development, based on the many examples of success we have seen over the last 20 years.”

To many people, this seemed to be an opportunity to continue moving forward with programs and initiatives that are working across the world, as well as learn from our collective mistakes and take measures that they aren’t repeated. There were also great expectations that the United Nations would be delivering a comprehensive, formal document outlining sustainable development goals.

However, in a recent article from The Guardian, there appear to be a large number of attendees that were upset about the draft that was released at the beginning of the conference, saying:

“…the new text simply acknowledges the world’s dire environmental and social problems without spelling out how to deal with them. …environmentalists were dismayed at the weak language on valuing ecological services and tackling unsustainable levels of consumption and production, anti-poverty campaigners were unhappy at the lack of initiatives on food and financing.”

Here is the full text of the official “Future We Want” document.

Sustainability is one of the most important aspects of our work at Invisible Children, especially when it comes to programs on the ground in LRA-affected areas. We have always been intrigued by discussions surrounding sustainable programs worldwide.

-Brady

(Image from ThisIsColossal)

The LRA Crisis Tracker is a real-time mapping platform and data collection system created to bring an unprecedented level of transparency to the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army. Using information sourced from Invisible Children’s Early Warning Radio Network, UN agencies, and local NGOs, this tool allows for better response from governments, policy-makers, and humanitarian organizations. For real-time updates on LRA attacks, check out LRA Crisis Tracker online, or follow them on Twitter @CrisisTracker.

Between June 12 and June 18, the LRA Crisis Tracker and the Early Warning Radio network reported a total of 8 incidents attributable to the LRA. These incidents included the reported capture of a group of 7 suspected LRA combatants by Ugandan forces, a total of 2 short term civilian abductions, and 1 civilian injury. No civilian fatalities were reported this week.

The following are a few notable reports and updates from the past week:

This week, the LRA Crisis Tracker received an update on the suspected LRA combatant who peacefully surrendered in Bangadi, DRC on June 11. It has been confirmed that this man was an LRA combatant, who had spent 17 years in captivity. He is a 34-year-old Ugandan, and is currently with security forces in the DRC.

On June 15, north of Djemah, CAR, Ugandan forces reportedly attacked a group of suspected LRA combatants, killing 2 LRA and capturing 7 others. The suspected LRA combatants were of Central African, Sudanese and Ugandan nationality, and are currently with security forces in South Sudan. More information on this report is expected in the coming days.

On June 16, near Ngulu, DRC, LRA combatants attacked a group of security forces who were performing a routine patrol of the area. During the clash, however, a 12-year-old boy managed to escape from LRA captivity. No injuries were reported.

On June 14, just northeast of Bangadi, DRC, a group of 4 suspected LRA combatants attacked 2 fishermen along the Nabanda River. The fishermen fled, but the assailants managed to shoot and injure one of the men in the arm as he ran.

For the past year and a half, our world has seen more protests, revolutions and uprisings than ever before. It’s been a time of action, justice and change, and people around the world have been taking a stand to advocate for their right to live as free citizens in their own countries. Though so much of this social action has resulted in positivity, we were reminded on June 20, 2012, World Refugee Day that there is still so much progress to be made.

Over 42 million people around the world have been displaced and over 1 million others have been forced to leave their countries because of dangerous violence and conflict.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon made a special statement yesterday in honor of all those still affected, and he reminded us why we continue to work toward our goal of seeing an end to LRA violence and that there is still work to be done all over the world.

Click Here for the wonderful statement from Ban Ki-moon. 

Over the past few years we have all witnessed the toppling of dictators and regimes across the world. Where has the credit been given for these movements? Most of the time, it’s been given to masses of concerned individuals, many of whom use social media. Because of this, it stands to reason that criminals, dictators, and authoritarian regimes are changing the way they work.

William J. Dobson, the politics and foreign affairs editor of Slate, has written a book called “The Dictators Learning Curve”. This book explores how authoritarian leaders are changing their tactics to stay in power, and how frustrated citizens are keeping them on their toes.

A recent article in The New York Times lays it out like this:

“The Dictator’s Learning Curve” is agile and light on its feet, but among its salient points is that pro-democracy movements need to be more than that. Happy thoughts and hippie clothes are not enough. “Revolutions, if they are to be successful,” Mr. Dobson writes, “require planning, preparation, and an intelligent grasp of how to anticipate and outwit a repressive regime that thinks of little beyond preserving its own power.”

Events may move suddenly, Mr. Dobson writes, “but there is usually a movement or organization that put months or years of dangerous (often tedious) work into making that day possible.”

Since forming revolutions is kind of what we do, and since the way that revolutions are formed and acted out is fascinating to us, you can be pretty sure we’re going to give this one a read. If you want to read it, go ahead and buy it here.

- Brady

(Photo credit: digitaltrends.com)

Yesterday UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon released a report about the mission to capture Kony and disarm the LRA. We hope that the international community will respond to this report about what the operation requires and what it lacks. These words require action. Check out thisChicago Tribune article for a solid overview. Or you can read the original report.

Two important points: First, the mission to stop LRA violence cannot be expected to succeed without adequate resources, and right now the mission doesn’t have adequate resources.

“The initiative itself lacks adequate and predictable funding for its operations,” Ban’s report said. “Without the necessary resources, the African Union will be unable to execute this important task fully.”

Second, regional governments and their militaries need to cooperate within the UN/AU strategy if they’re serious about seeing an end to LRA violence. South Sudan, Sudan, Central African Republic, and DR Congo each need to do whatever it can to facilitate the coordinated efforts to capture Joseph Kony and his top commanders.

“Other challenges remain, including the need to ensure that the armies and governments of the affected countries are fully prepared to work jointly to counter the LRA threat, both at the political and operational levels.”

Just last week, Ban ki-Moon released a report about the violence that Kony and the LRA continue to inflict on children. This report discredits claims that the LRA is a spent force that doesn’t merit global attention. The LRA may be weakening, but it continues to abduct, abuse, and disfigure children.

It’s encouraging to see the UN Secretary General issue two reports about the LRA threat in two weeks. Now that the operation’s shortcomings have been acknowledged, the international community should take responsibility for fixing them.

-Azy

(Photo credit: UN/UNPD)