Resolve

Posts by Amber

Resolve’s Michael Poffenberger to speak at the Council on Foreign Relations

May 4, 2011 by Amber

 

On Thursday, May 5, Resolve’s own Michael Poffenberger will be one of two invited speakers at the Council on Foreign Relations as part of the Great Lakes Policy Forum discussion entitled, “The Lord’s Resistance Army:  Implementing Policy to End an Enduring Problem.”  Joining Michael as the other discussion panelist will be Karl Wycoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Africa. Alan Goulty, Former British Ambassador to Sudan, will moderate the forum.

Michael’s comments will explore what has changed in the one year since President Obama signed the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act into law, and what steps should be taken next.

As the forum’s invitation explained:

Operating without any clear political agenda for nearly 25 years, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) may be one of the most enduring and perplexing militias in the Great Lakes region.  They have used a cease-fire and peace talks to scout new territory, have consistently replenished their numbers through child abductions, and they continue to brutally attack civilians.  Yet fighting them has been described as “shooting at bees.”  When under attack, as in Operation Lightning Thunder (which began in 2008), they have dispersed, attacked civilians, and then regrouped in new, larger territories.  Nearly a year ago, President Obama signed a law committing the United States to helping resolve this problem.

Michael and Paul have been preparing for this important discussion and see it as another opportunity to push the Obama administration to dedicate the resources needed to end the LRA crisis.

We’ll update Resolve’s Facebook page with a quick note of how it went tomorrow afternoon.  And, look for more analysis of the forum in a few days.

– Amber

The Resolve Tour: An update from the road

March 23, 2011 by Amber

 

After two weeks of concerts and advocate workshops and more than 3,250 miles in the van, Brian Pappalardo, Resolve’s Organizing Fellow, took a few minutes to answer a few of my questions about the Resolve Tour.

Resolve:  What was the best part of the first two weeks of the tour?
Brian Pappalardo:  We knew going into it that this tour was a little bit of a crazy idea.  We really had no idea what to expect.  Even though we had been planning this tour for months, when the moment came where we were standing on stage in front of a group of people about to share our story, there were nothing but questions going through our heads. “Will they listen?  Will they care?” (more…)

And our survey says…

March 16, 2011 by Amber

 

In our quest to do whatever it takes to end the violence being perpetrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), we’re often coming to you with requests to “hold-out” (like we did just a little more than one year ago), sign on (which you are welcome to do RIGHT NOW) and join meetings.


While we absolutely appreciate how you always step up to help us accomplish our goals and we promise to have more requests like those in the future, today we pause from our normal programming to ask a quick favor.

Will you help us do our work more effectively by taking a brief survey?

Whether you just learned of our work or you are a die-hard who creates your own t-shirt for each action we suggest, we’d like to learn more about who you are, and how you are connected to us. The survey will take just a couple minutes. (It’s easy and even has a few fun questions.)

Thank you for helping Resolve by taking this survey.

- Amber

Beiber Who? The Resolve Tour is where it’s at!

March 4, 2011 by Amber

 

Alright, folks. The time has come and we want to get this party started right. After months of planning, the Resolve Tour is hitting the road. This March, April and May we’ll be traveling to venues large and small to showcase the amazing talents of Koji, an artist and activist from Harrisburg, PA, and encourage those in attendance to connect with others who share a passion for music and the ability to use creativity to right social wrongs.

So if you’re in the Lynchburg, VA area this Monday, March 7… or Charlotte, NC on Tuesday, March 8… or in ANY OF THESE GREAT PLACES over the next few weeks, you’ll have the chance to check out the first ever Resolve Tour, featuring music and conversation with Koji.

The theme of the tour is “Connect. Collaborate. Create Change.” because each event is followed by a workshop for attendees to go deeper in exploring ways they can engage locally to affect change globally.

When Koji approached Resolve with the idea of a tour, he explained that, to him, a successful tour is about more than playing music. His concerts feature a combination of music, storytelling, media and visual art, all aimed at empowering young people to create positive, lasting change and build community with each other.

Resolve and Koji are determined to help stop the violence being carried out by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – many of whom are children, abducted and forced to fight as soldiers against their will. Koji’s music has proven to be an awesome way to bring people together, and our hope is that those groups of people will share our commitment to ending this crisis and will want to learn how they can help.

Each event on the Resolve Tour will include music and conversation with Koji, a brand new Resolve video produced by our friends at Discover the Journey which highlights stories and messages from communities in central Africa affected by LRA violence, and an optional workshop in which participants will explore creative and effective ways to convince our nation’s leaders to responsibly confront these kinds of injustices.

So, if you are ready to hear some stellar music, engage in awesome conversations and connect with some amazing people who believe positive change in our world is possible and they want to be a part of it, then join up with the Resolve Tour when we come through your city.

– Brian

The OKC Holdout: A walk down memory lane……

by Amber

 

One year ago, I was privileged to be part of a small group of committed activists as they rallied together in Oklahoma City, hoping to convince one senator to help save a piece of legislation called the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. That small, motley crew of activists represented tens of thousands of you, all across the country who had worked tirelessly for more than a year to see that legislation passed and to see U.S. policymakers take needed action to help finally end the violence perpetrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Let’s take a little walk down memory lane, shall we?

In January of 2010, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) placed a “hold” on legislation that would require President Obama to take action to stop the violence being perpetrated by the LRA against families in central Africa. With the Senator’s hold posing a huge threat to the bill’s passage, Resolve sounded the alarm bells.

Almost immediately, activists from around the country grabbed their sleeping bags and backpacks and made their way to Oklahoma City.  On February 26, 2010, we rallied together at the State Capitol and marched to The Chase Building, Coburn’s downtown office, where we delivered hundreds of letters asking “Dr. No” to please say yes and remove his hold on the bill.

For the next 12 days and nights, through biting Midwest winds and subfreezing temperatures, activists camped out in front of the Chase Building, committed to “hold out” as long as he did.

And then, on the morning of March 9, 2010….victory! Coburn agreed to a compromise and removed his hold on the bill.

We put up one heck of a fight to make sure the bill didn’t die because we knew potential costs of failure and we knew that any struggle, any sacrifice, was absolutely worth it – and just plain right – in light of the lives that the legislation could affect. The amazing thing is, it worked! Our united voices made major waves in D.C.

The success of the Oklahoma Holdout was a historic moment in the journey to see the LRA crisis ended once and for all.  I think I speak for all those who held out in OKC when I say that it’s been an encouragement to reflect back on that remarkable chapter in a larger story that continues to unfold.

– Lisa

p.s. Here are a few reflections from some of those amazing Holdout participants, one year later:

“What I remember most about my experience in Oklahoma City is the support and encouragement we received from people all around the country. During those times when we doubted the effectiveness of what we were doing, someone brought us food or sent an email or a new person arrived from a far-away state. They reminded us that we have the privilege to plead the case for those who have no voice, that it was about more than just getting the legislation passed, and that regardless of the outcome, these children were worth it.” – John Parkhurst

“Not all social activists are hipsters; some of us slept on the concrete and dressed hurriedly into slacks and a tie before working an 8 to 5 job.  The Holdout community demonstrates a nonsensical love that can turn the world right-side-up, because it unites dissimilar people with a similar mission.” – Robert Hurlocker

“I have never met a family quite like the people I met at the Holdout a year ago, and I could never imagine one I’d rather be a part of. This Holdout family, proved to me that there is a love like no other that is embedded in the hearts of people spread all across the nation, and that we can come together in that love and do what is seemingly impossible. It is what continues to drive us to sacrifice time or comfort so that our brothers and sisters across the world can know that we stand with them; to know that their lives are just as important as ours.” – Jannelle Breeding

“The holdout was more than just convincing Senator Coburn to say yes, it was when a lot of us woke up to how much we still had to learn. In Oklahoma, I watched the effects of a father telling his son he was proud of him for the first time, a deli worker spend his hard earned money on feeding the crazy young people outside the building, a hungry demonstrator give his lunch to the homeless man down the street, and the list goes on. I learned how powerful a community can be, how passion can carry you through the most frustrating times, and that I’ve gained the best friends I could ask for.” – Abby Freeman

“Through the Holdout I learned that nothing can come between those with common purpose and who stand together on principles of love, service and integrity, even if they start their journey as perfect strangers.  Something was ignited inside us through that experience – the need to be active in seeking a solution to the conflicts in our lives instead of remaining a spectator.  I hope none of us ever lose that spark and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.” – Liz Gould

Museveni declared winner in Uganda elections but opposition protests results

March 2, 2011 by Amber

 

On February 20, 2011, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner in his fifth presidential bid.  This was the second election since the restoration of multi-party democracy in Uganda, but all six opposition candidates protested the results that were reported by the country’s official electoral commission.

The opposition, led by Dr. Kizza Besigye, who came in second in the election with an official tally of 26 percent of the vote, said throughout the campaign that a skewed voter registry and partisan electoral commission made the vote “fundamentally flawed.” Besigye produced a list of complaints – from rampant voter bribery, to ballot stuffing and military intimidation – that he said proved the elections had been systematically rigged. The Ugandan electoral commission denied the allegation.

Check out below reports and statements about the elections from the African Union, European Union and US – many of which echo concerns voiced by the opposition.

Four of the six opposition candidates, including Dr. Besigye, encouraged Ugandans to participate in countrywide peaceful demonstrations to force Museveni out of office.  So far, all remains calm in Uganda, but there is widespread discontent at the prospect of President Museveni adding another five years to the 25 he’s already been in power.

African Union
The African Union’s Election Observer Mission to Uganda’s preliminary statement regarding the election seemed to support some of the opposition candidates’ claims.  As noted in their statement:

The AU Observer Mission was deployed to all regions of Uganda and observed the following:

• The elections were preceded by robust campaigns by candidates across the nation;
• The people of Uganda were enthusiastic about exercising their democratic right and indeed, there was a reasonable voter turnout;
• The Electoral Commission deployed human and material resources to Polling Stations in all the regions, and
• Voting was conducted in a generally peaceful and orderly manner compared to previous elections;
• Counting of votes at Polling Stations was done in full view of the voting populace and other stakeholders;
  However, there were several shortcomings:
• Many Polling Stations did not receive voting materials on time, therefore, voting did not start at 7AM as stipulated in the Electoral Law;
• Many voters with voters’ cards were turned away from Polling Stations because their names could not be found on the Voters’ Register;
• A good number of Polling officials did not seem to have adequate training or confidence to perform their responsibilities and as a result procedures were not properly followed;
• The elderly, people with disabilities, expectant mothers and mothers with children were not given priority during the voting process as specified in the Electoral Law;
• Voters’ comprehension of the voting procedure was inadequate, especially in the rural areas;
• The open air setting, the marking of ballot paper in an open bowl as against an enclosure and the exposure of ballot boxes without appropriate lids and seals in some cases opened the materials to the vagaries of the weather and limited the secrecy of the voter;
• The deployment of the armed forces, the police and militias for security was intimidating and could have impacted negatively on the process of the election;
• The general dissatisfaction expressed by different stakeholders on the composition of the Electoral Commission of Uganda undermined the credibility of the process;
• The use of inflammatory language by politicians created unnecessary tension and fear;
• The national electronic and print media fell short of living up to its responsibility of providing access and level playing field to all contesting parties, and
• Allegations of vote buying and open material promises to electorates have undermined the integrity of the electoral process;

European Union
The response of the European Union election observers was similar to that of the African Union.  They added, “The Electoral Commission has declared results, but the electoral process itself continues until any appeals have been duly considered by the competent authorities in Uganda. I encourage any challenges to the results to be pursued through these channels, and encourage all those elected to the new parliament to engage constructively to promote sustainable development, good governance and respect for human rights.″

United States
The United States department of State responded to the election by saying, “The United States applauds the people of Uganda for their participation in the February 18 presidential and parliamentary elections and congratulates President Yoweri Museveni on his reelection. The elections and campaign period were generally peaceful, but we note with concern the diversion of government resources for partisan campaigning and the heavy deployment of security forces on election day. We are also disappointed by the disorganization at polling stations and the absence of many registered voters’ names from the voter rolls, irregularities that could have been avoided by appointing an independent and more representative Electoral Commission.”

– Paul

Breaking news: Coordinated LRA attacks in Congo reportedly leave dozens killed, abducted

March 1, 2011 by Amber

 

We recently learned of two attacks allegedly perpetrated by the LRA in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo).  Both attacks occurred last Thursday, February 24, in communities less than 25 miles apart.  These attacks, if confirmed, are representative of an increase in violence perpetrated by the LRA in January and February.

Reports from the first attack, on the small village of Bamngana in Bas Uele district, included unconfirmed information that 30 people were abducted, two civilians were killed, and six soldiers from the Congolese army were killed.  Additionally, the reports indicated that the attacking rebels were very well-armed and announced that Joseph Kony was in the Congo and the LRA would attack the nearby village of Naparka next.

Multiple sources have reported that the LRA rebels did attack Naparka the next day, allegedly killing 10 Congolese soldiers along with three civilians.  A local boy was left with a note from the LRA encouraging the Congolese army to stop following the LRA into the bush.

We learned of these attacks through civil society sources on the ground in Congo.  The Naparka attack was also mentioned in a report from Radio Okapi, a radio news site sponsored by MONUSCO, the United Nation’s peacekeeping mission in Congo.  And, just today, we read a press release from the United Nations High Commission on Refugees that mentions the increase in attacks.

While reports of violence by the LRA are always disturbing, these attacks come in a series of increased strikes by the rebel group. As the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported at the end of January, there has been a spike of LRA actions throughout Congo since the beginning of the year (full report in French).

Unfortunately, reports of LRA attacks in Congo are often not investigated by the UN or human rights groups for months, so we may not have a full picture of what happened during these incidents for some time. However, highlighting preliminary reports like the ones that we’ve received is crucial to ensuring that LRA activity does completely escape the international radar.

Also – check out this photo essay that appeared in Newsweek, with photos from Marcus Bleasdale and text by Joe Bavier.  The hauntingly beautiful photos highlight the stories of those affected by the LRA throughout Congo and the Central African Republic.

– Paul

p.s.  Since we posted this blog post yesterday, the story of LRA attacks made it onto several news sites including the BBC and the Washington Post.

Secretary Clinton must engage Uganda and impress need for peaceful elections

February 16, 2011 by Amber

 



In the midst of news of the popular revolutions for greater democracy coming from North Africa and the Middle East, news about upcoming elections in Uganda has flown under the radar. Voting is scheduled for February 18, but recent preparations for the elections have been marred by restrictions on media freedoms and harassment of opposition political parties, raising concerns that the elections will not be free or fair and could lead to civil unrest and destabilize the country.

Given the enormous implications that the elections have on the stability and future of democracy in Uganda, senior US officials such as Secretary Clinton needs to be personally engaged in trying to ensure that the voting is conducted freely and fairly and that all political candidates and parties respect the

outcomes of the elections. In particular, Secretary Clinton should ask that President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda publicly commit to “zero tolerance” of any vote rigging or intimidation of opposition parties and media and to respect the results of the election and step down from office should the Electoral Commission announce another winner.

US officials have spoken out about the need for free and fair elections in Uganda, more so than their predecessors in the Bush Administration did. But the Ugandan government has still been up to its usual tricks to tilt the playing field in favor of candidates from the ruling National Resistance Movement Party (NRM), including President Yower Museveni, who’s running to extend his 25-year grip on power.

Arguably, the Ugandan government hasn’t been as overt and violent in its intimidation of media and opposition parties as it was in 2001 and 2006 elections, but they’ve been just as effective in doing so. Peaceful opposition supporters have been arrested and jailed by the Ugandan government, as well as beaten by pro-government Kiboko (stick) squads that have operated without interference from police forces.  Freedom of assembly has also been threatened by the Public Order Management Bill, legislation introduced in Uganda’s Parliament last year by members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), which would require prior police approval before groups of three or more individuals can gather to discuss “principles, policy, actions or failure of any government.” Media, especially local language radio stations that are the only way a vast majority of Ugandans living in rural areas get political news, have also been vulnerable to government intimidation.

The close alliance between the US and Uganda on regional security issues also raises concerns that the U.S. is reluctant to go beyond words and use its diplomatic influence to push for more robust democracy in Uganda. The U.S. provides support to Ugandan military forces deployed in Somalia as part of the African Union force there, as well as to Ugandan forces operating against Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in central Africa.

Recent events in Egypt, Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire demonstrate clearly that stronger democracies are top priority for people across Africa, and should be a top priority for U.S. leaders as well.  Secretary Clinton needs to make sure President Museveni gets that message loud and clear as Ugandans head to the polls this week.

— Paul