Invisible Children "The rescue of Joseph Kony's Child Soldier" April 25, 2009

1. Check Yes or No
Run, don’t walk to your nearest electronic communications device and sign up for The Rescue on
April 25th (http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com). We need you and your friends to build the masses
and strengthen our voice.
2. R U IN?
If you’ve already signed up via text message, make sure you respond to the confirmation email we
sent- and if it was sent to your spam and you didn’t reply, just resign up online.
3. We’re All Talk
We’ve always said the biggest way to help is by simply sharing the story of the invisible children with
as many people as possible- and it still is. So fill your car with friends that plan to attend The Rescue,
National Lampoon’s style. Christie Brinkley encounter not included.
Pack your ride with these nifty online tools.
• Send this link to 5 friends and personally invite them to sign up and come with you –
http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com
• Use this graphic for your new profile picture.
Click http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/graphics/I-Am-Abducted.pdf
• To join your city’s Facebook group and connect with other supporters attending your event
location, click [http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/houseparties].
• In your city’s Facebook group, you’ll also find more information about how you can volunteer with
us the night of April 25th. It requires a lot of people to make this happen, and they’re a pretty
stellar group of people too. Inquire on the event page or email [email protected] –
subj:[your event city] for details.
A “successful” rescue requires two things. First, an approved media outlet from your area must show
up and cover the event. Second, you and your city must arrange for the attendance of at least one
pre-determined cultural or political leader.* We are calling this person the “mogul” or “rescuer.”
* The list of approved media outlets and moguls for each specific city is listed on http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com.
Therefore, we need you to get the publicity ball rolling by pursuing media and moguls to come to
The Rescue. The fourth page of The Rescue Packet shares how exactly this is done.
Meanwhile, we’re harnessing the promotional power of YouTube to organize our voices into one collective
message. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDUji365-VQ&feature=channel_page to
see what we mean.
4. Grin and Wear It
Tell everyone what you’re doing by wearing Rescue promotional gear. It’s all up for grabs in our
online store. And for those of you that already have your Rescue shirts and bags, it’s time to break
them in. Every day, from now until April 25th, wear them and pair them with your other IC merchandise.
Click http://Store.InvisibleChildren.com to wear your event on your sleeve… or head or wrist.
5. Make That Dolla’ Work for U(ganda)
There’s no such thing as a free meal… or a free international event. From permits to security costs to
insurance- there is a lot that happens behind the scenes and it isn’t on the house. Click here: https://
secure.invisiblechildren.com/donate/rescue.php to donate the $5 that it will cost per head to host
this worldwide rally. It goes without saying that you’re welcome to donate more but we’re grateful for
any financial support.
Context
For 23 years, the government of Uganda and a rebel group called the Lords Resistance Army, led by
a man named Joseph Kony, has engaged in Africa’s longest war. In recent years, peace was seemingly
within reach, largely due to the Juba Peace Talks that began in July 2006. However, despite a
ceasefire signed between the LRA and Ugandan government, efforts toward peace through the Juba
Peace Talks were stalled on several occasions by Kony’s refusal to sign the final peace agreement.
Kony’s absence at the peace agreement signing on November 29, 2008 proved his promises to be
futile and ultimately disabled the peace talks. Furthermore, the ICC has obtained evidence that Kony
used the ceasefire during the peace talks to regroup, regain strength and resume child abductions.
Joseph Kony is the world’s first individual indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes
against humanity.
Since September 2008, hostility in the Orientale province in DR Congo and Western Equatoria in
South Sudan has reached a feverish pitch. In apparent desperation and a renewed will to spread
terror to DR Congo, the LRA murdered over six hundred and abducted more than one hundred and
sixty children to fight amongst its ranks. More than 104,000 Congolese have been displaced since
Christmas in attempts to escape the LRA forces. A civil war, originally contained within Uganda’s
borders, has now evolved into a widespread regional crisis. Invisible Children, in concert with other
policy organizations including Resolve Uganda, The Enough Project, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty
International, now believes an international effort to apprehend Kony and rescue his child soldiers
is the most viable way to end the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today.
The Rescue Event Summary
On April 25th, 2009 the international community will unite to deliver the innocent from Kony’s reign
and ensure he is brought to justice. Thousands of participants will gather in 100 cities across the
world to symbolically abduct themselves to free the abducted.
Your abduction will begin on April 25th at 3pm when you leave your home and meet at a designated
“abduction site”. You will drop off one of your family photos at the abduction site, symbolically leaving
them behind (see below for all items you need to bring). Then you will march as a group, on foot,
to the event location called the “LRA Camp” while carrying any supplies you will need for the night
on your backs. This march will range from 1-3 miles (2 – 5km) depending on the city, and will be
done in a single file line with all participants holding onto a rope. Invisible Children will arrange for
photographers and videographers to film this symbolic march. (If for any reason you are physically
unable to make this walk, please meet us around 4pm at the LRA camp location itself.)
Once you’ve arrived at the LRA Camp, you will set up your “camp” and then wait to be “rescued”. A
“successful” rescue requires two things. First, an approved media outlet from your area must show
up and cover the event. Second, you and your city must arrange for the attendance of at least one
pre-determined cultural or political leader. We are calling this person the “mogul” or “rescuer.”
Depending on the size, scope and fervor you create in the next month for your specific event locale,
the leaders invited to The Rescue may be a Congressional Representative, State Official, local Mayor
or local business/media or community figure. The list of approved media outlets and moguls for each
specific city is available on TheRescue.InvisibleChildren.com. For more information on how to approach
these media outlets/moguls and how to secure their commitment, please reference the last
two pages of The Rescue Packet.
While at the LRA camp, you will write letters to your political representatives, create art/photo projects
and seek out media attention in an effort to petition our governments to develop a strategy and
support existing efforts to rescue Kony’s child soldiers. For all cities that are successful in getting the
media coverage and their Rescuer to come and speak on April 25th, you will stay the night at the LRA
camp and make the march back home at dawn on April 26th. For the few cities that were unable to get
a media outlet and mogul to participate, we ask that you hold out for the Rescue as long as possible.
Because of this, it is important that you begin reaching out to your media and moguls immediately to
ensure your Rescue.
What to Pack on April 25th
• Three photographs of you with your friends, family or guardian. Please place a red circle around
yourself in the photo, symbolizing that you have been abducted. You will drop off one of these photos
at the abduction site, and include the other two with the letters you write to your political
representatives.
• Supplies to set up camp and then wait for your Rescue. You don’t need much. The kids in
Uganda leave for the bush with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Therefore, please bring the
smallest amount of supplies that you need to survive until you are rescued. These supplies could
include a sleeping bag, pillow, warm clothes, comfortable shoes, food, water and a tarp (or sleeping
pad) if it is forecasted to rain. Remember, you will have to carry these supplies for up to three miles
during the march to the LRA camp.
• Supplies to write letters and complete a simple art project. Grab just a small amount of pens or
paint to make your letters and art piece your own. If you have extras, please bring some to share.
• Your official Rescue T-shirt. Invisible Children has released two official Rescue T-shirts. Either
shirt is appropriate, but ideally please wear the Green “AK-47” Tee. Please wear this shirt on the out
side of your clothes so it is visible to the thousands of the people that will see this event.
• Your Rescue Tote Bag. Use this bag to make a statement in the month leading up to the Rescue.
Then please bring it on April 25th to carry your photos and art supplies.
• $5 Dollars, Euros or Pounds. Please bring 5 bucks to the event. This money covers the cost to host
this international awareness event.
What to expect on April 25th
The tone of this event should be very peaceful. We do not want you to bring loud noisemakers, aggressive
signs or graphic images. We want this to be an emphatic demonstration where we stand in solidarity
with the abducted kids in the LRA. Therefore, the march to the LRA camp will require a somber and
respectful mood.
The atmosphere at the LRA camp will be similar. For those of you who’ve attended our previous two
events, Global Night Commute in 2006 and Displace Me in 2007, we loved the feel of those nights.
People were peacefully moving around, meeting new friends and discussing world issues that really
matter… while writing their letters and completing their art projects.
The climax of the night will be when your Rescuer arrives and pledges their support for The Rescue of
Joseph Kony’s child soldiers. When this happens you should be very proud of what your city was able
to accomplish and we hope that you celebrate and then stay until dawn the next day when you march
back home.
Spending the night in the Camp is a unique experience. For one night, you will forfeit the comforts of
home and sleep in solidarity with the thousands of kids who have been abducted during this war. Your
commitment to stay overnight shows the sacrifice that you are willing to make. This sacrifice will speak
to our leaders.
For those cities unable to get their media coverage or Rescuer to attend on the night of April 25th, do
whatever you can to hold out and wait for them to still come. Calling a news station and saying that
you will not go home until they come to your Rescue sends them a powerful statement. We do not
want you to become confrontational with anyone or violate any park rules, but to the extent that you
can- hold out and wait for the Rescue. Of all of the cities participating in The Rescue, these cities will
really show the world your determination and what it is like to be waiting for others to come to your
aid.
Follow-up Lobbying
On June 22nd and 23rd, approximately eight weeks after The Rescue Event, Invisible Children will
host follow-up lobbying campaigns in the capitols of those participating nations. Supporters attending
Lobby Days will act as representatives for the thousands of participants at The Rescue. The Lobby
Day attendants will bring the letters written, photos taken and media created from the April 25th
Rescue event directly to our world’s leaders. They will attend a symposium and receive a briefing from
Invisible Children and our advocacy partners on a consistent and optimal policy message.
Policy/ Advocacy Message
1) Robust effort for the protection and security of civilians in North Eastern Congo and other LRA af
fected areas.
2) Provide support for greater capacity of LRA defections and escapes.
3) Targeted apprehension strategy for Joseph Kony and other top LRA commanders.
4) Strategy for reconstruction of LRA-affected communities and rehabilitation for the rescued child
soldiers.
**Please check your city’s’ specific web page on TheRescue.InvisibleChildren.com to confirm all of the info above, as
some cities have minor changes based upon their unique circumstances. Due to the nature of this event, some of this info
is subject to change.
Our ask is simple, we are demanding ACTION. We aim to draw attention to the conflict because drastic
times call for drastic measures. So we’re calling on various media outlets and cultural/political leaders
(a.k.a. “moguls”) to come to The Rescue. Because if no one sees what is happening to these children,
then nothing will happen. Change will never come.
Nowadays, seeing is believing. But what if they saw something unbelievable? That’s what we’re getting
at.
Our approach is not so simple, it will require a STRATEGY. You will not find a generic formula here. We
seek out each Rescuer with a unique message that will compel them to respond. Let’s break it down.
Your Local Leaders (Senators, Mayors, Radio Hosts, Coaches, Athletes, etc.)
These leaders are locally accessible in their respective event cities. They are to be contacted through
their offices or other conventional means of assault. So let’s stick with what we know works- letters,
emails, phone calls, personal visits.
We’ve drafted a sample “Rescuer Invite” letter. It is the last page of this packet. The letters/emails should
follow the format of this letter and any phone calls should convey the same message.
Your Not-So-Local Media Celebrities (Actors, Major Musicians, etc.)
We are asking everyone to reach out to these celebrities via the cultural phenomenon that is YouTube.
No, we are not asking you to record a John Mayer cover or create a slideshow of Drew Barrymore. Our
idea is slightly more engaging and less awkward (fingers crossed). For instance, Justin Timberlake is
from Memphis, TN and you are too. Record a video explaining that you are from his hometown and why
you care about this event, and then invite him to The Rescue.
Due to the nature of celebrity work schedules, they usually spend the majority of their time in New York
or Los Angeles. They may be in one of those event cities on April 25th so we want to offer a general invitation
to the event (“COME TO THE RESCUE”), while emphasizing that their hometown cares about this,
and if at all possible, to come there.
You are not limited to making a video for celebrities from your city; feel free to urge other celebrities
to take part in this. Click below to see a YouTube instructional video that further explains what
we are saying and how we are saying it. Check it.
VQ&feature=channel_page
Local and National Media Outlets:
Almost every single media outlet that exists (Local News Stations, Local Newspapers, National Newspapers
and International News Stations) provides the public with a way to contact them for story ideas.
Search around their website to find the appropriate email address and appropriate phone number, and
then start pitching the story. Use your personal story on why you think they should cover this event, as
well as language from the sample letter on the next page. The more calls and emails that they receive
from different people, the more likely they are to show up and cover the event.
Tie a String Around Your Finger
And don’t forget to direct all media/mogul contacts to email [email protected] to learn
more or confirm attendance. We’ll then coordinate with them through our network of regional managers
regarding the night of the Event and their respective point persons.
Dear ___________,
On April 25th 2009 Invisible Children is hosting The RESCUE, a rally in 100 cities across ten countries, to
bring attention to the plight of the children abducted and forced to fight as soldiers in Central East
Africa. For the past 23 years, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda (GoU)
have been waging a war that has left nearly two million innocent civilians caught in the middle. We are
asking governments and international bodies to develop a strategy and support existing efforts to rescue
the child soldiers abducted by the LRA.
The evening of April 25th, we will be hosting a Rescue event locally in ________________. We are inviting
you to join us. Thousands of young people will be at this event, and your attendance will strengthen our
voice to inspire a generation into action.
The RESCUE is a radically unique event, requiring supporters to ‘abduct themselves for the abducted’.
Participants will travel by foot to a pre-determined location in their city that will serve as their “LRA
Camp”. There, they will remain ‘abducted’ until a person of great influence or cultural significance arrives
and ‘RESCUES’ them by making a public statement on behalf of the child soldiers.
We would like that person to be you.
The call to action: rescue the child soldiers and help finally bring Joseph Kony to justice for his unspeakable
crimes against humanity and his continued unwillingness to sign peace. We simply invite you to
stand with us and make these children visible.
Here’s how you can help –
1. Come to the meeting place in your city at 4pm on April 25th and “lead” the group to the event
location, a.k.a.“LRA Camp”. This will be about a 2–3 mile walk on foot.
2. Come to the camp anytime between 7pm and 11pm. Get up on stage, show your support and
introduce a speaker on behalf of Invisible Children.
3. Be the ‘RESCUER.’ Your arrival would represent global attention to this issue and it would “free” the
thousands camping out on this night for the child soldiers.
The Rescue on April 25th follows the success of Invisible Children’s previous events, the Global Night
Commute in 2006 and Displace Me in 2007, which included nearly 150,000 people collectively. The attention
generated from these events widely contributed to the start of the peace talks between the LRA
and the Government of Uganda, supported by special envoys from the United States and other nations.
The political impact of The RESCUE is anticipated to be historical not only for northern Uganda and its
surrounding areas, but for the world as a new generation of activists set a precedence for justice and
change through a simple unified act.
We will follow up in the coming days to answer any questions you may have and we are happy to provide
additional information on this war along with our initiatives dedicated to ending it. Should you be able
to join us on April 25th, we will work with you and your team to coordinate specific times, VIP meeting
places and other such details.
We sincerely thank you for your consideration in joining us.
[Signature]
Your Name

Official Website: http://http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/