Vigil to focus attention on Ugandans' plight

Thousands of people around the nation intend to flood parks and streets tonight armed with sleeping bags and pillows. Their goal: a very visible demonstration to highlight the plight of what they call the "Invisible Children" of Uganda. Organizers in Seattle expect 1,000 people to take part at Green Lake Park.

Tonight's vigil is the latest effort of the 3-year-old Invisible Children campaign, a youth-advocacy operation urging awareness of children's suffering in war-torn Uganda.

The movement took its name from a movie, "Invisible Children," by Californian Jason Russell and his friends Bobby Bailey, 24, and Laren Poole, 22.

Russell focused his documentary on the war in Uganda between the government and rebel forces and its effect on children. Since 1986, between 20,000 and 50,000 children have been abducted by the rebels, the group said.

Now, a film-inspired charity has taken off, raising awareness and money through international programs and hundreds of film screenings for groups ranging from powerful political figures to church youth organizations. In the Seattle area, the film has been shown at churches, schools and universities.

"It was not our intention to start a [charity]. It was not our intention to make this our careers," said Russell, now 27. "But we're so excited that people responded in such a massive way."

In addition to tonight's Seattle gathering, organizers in Washington state expect 64 people to participate in Bellingham and about 500 in Spokane. Worldwide, about 130 locations are taking part.

The events are to demonstrate "solidarity with the children in Uganda," said Kathleen Chan, 19, a Seattle University student who's helping with the local Invisible Children effort. "The story of 'Invisible Children' is that there are children in Uganda who have to walk miles to cities so they can sleep in the same place because it's safer."

Many boys are forced to fight for the rebels and girls are forced into sex. Thousands of threatened children leave their homes at night to sleep at bus parks or in hospitals and other buildings to avoid being kidnapped by the rebels.

"There's safety in numbers," Chan explained. Tonight's vigil has been dubbed the "Global Night Commute" in recognition of the "commutes" these children must make.

The filmmakers captured the children's anguish on camera. They witnessed hundreds of children piled atop each other as they slept. They interviewed former child soldiers, who saw dismemberment and brutal slaughter firsthand. They filmed a young boy, Jacob, sobbing over the murder of his brother.

At first, Russell and his friends screened the hourlong film for family and friends. Then a church called, wanting to show the film. More calls brought more screenings, and people began donating to help the Ugandan children. From this, Invisible Children Inc. was born in late 2004.

Margie Dillenburg, director of tonight's event, said the charity now has a paid staff of 23 backed by dozens of volunteers. A program providing scholarships and mentors has been established in Uganda, allowing children, including Jacob, to get an education, she said.

The filmmakers returned to Uganda last year with a bigger crew to flesh out the documentary in hopes of getting it into theaters in a year. Meanwhile, youth groups, both secular and religious, have sprouted up in churches, schools and on Web sites, adding momentum to the movement.

Many of those who signed up for the Seattle demonstration are from universities, said a local organizer.

Rebecca Reed, a 26-year-old artist, said she's planning to attend because "even though I'm in Seattle, I can step out of my home and make an impact elsewhere in the world. Every little thing helps."

Reed has an uncle who did mission work in Uganda, so she knew about the plight of the children. But the movie reminded her of their need and how people here can make a difference. "We can't pretend that it's not happening."

Scott Cummins, a 46-year-old business-development consultant in Seattle, had worked in Uganda with an educational-development organization. He saw the film more than a year ago and has since bought 75 copies to give to people.

He plans to go to the vigil tonight to bring attention to the plight of the Ugandan children, and to support the efforts of young Americans who are "providing leadership on this issue. ... They're using the Internet, podcasts. They're doing something about it, whereas the rest of society has tried their best to ignore it."

Information gathered by Seattle Times staff reporter Janet I. Tu and the Religion News Service was used in this report.