We’re workng on some remixes of peace songs we’ve recorded in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This traditional instrumental from Dungu, an area that has been hard hit by LRA violence recently is one of our favorites.

 

The Voice Project: Rescuing Child Soldiers

Via: Hypebot

Music has been a central element in The Voice Project’s ongoing program to rescue child soldiers from forced conscription in the Lord’s Revolutionary Army in Uganda. Combatants are welcomed home with messages in music by women of northern Uganda who have experienced the upheavals of war. The Voice Project is currently building an FM radio network to continue spreading the word.

I originally encountered The Voice Project’s work via Bouncing Cats, a documentary about Breakdance Project Uganda. It’s part of The Voice Project’s larger mission of letting child soldiers conscripted into war by the Lord’s Revolutionary Army know they are forgiven and can return home.

That message has been shared in songs by women of northern Uganda which are now being spread by FM radio:

“Recent UN debriefings from the increasing number of ex-combatants who are defecting and surrendering show that for well over 50% the main factor in deciding to escape and surrender has been the recent FM radio broadcast programs encouraging them to come home.”

“Right now there is a rare opportunity for increased FM radio coverage, messaging and music to help bring home many more soldiers who have been abducted and forced to fight, and to try and help to end Africa’s longest running and most brutal war.”

The stations being built are designed to reach combat zones. Successful recovery of child soldiers has also occurred via mobile stations. The Voice Project is a truly powerful use of music to help bring peace to a longstanding battle and you can support their work.

Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.

Via: Resolve

Last week, in a major victory for Resolve’s efforts during 2011, Congress passed two budget bills that made tens of millions of dollars in new funding available to help communities being affected by LRA violence.

The 2012 defense authorization bill — passed Thursday — included a provision allocating up to $35 million to help protect communities from LRA attacks. Meanwhile, the foreign aid bill — passed Monday — called for “up to $10 million” in additional funds to support early-warning mechanisms and programs to help rescue and rehabilitate LRA abductees. To put that in context, the amount of U.S. foreign aid channeled to help deal with the LRA crisis will more than double if the Obama Administration now acts on these directives from Congress.

Hundreds of Resolve supporters lobbied their members of Congress this year for increased funding to help stop LRA atrocities, beginning with the Start Something to Finish It (S2F) campaign launched this past April. In response, 52 Senators and Representatives signed a letter — led by our champion Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and John Boozman (R-AR) and Representatives Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) — calling for increased funding to help address LRA violence. And throughout the year, our Resolve team worked with advocates in key Congressional districts across the U.S., helping them engage directly with their elected leaders to keep the momentum going.

We’re thrilled about these significant new developments and we’ll be working hard in the coming year to ensure they translate into life-saving action on the ground. Here’s a first draft of our top-five wish-list for how President Obama should direct these funds to be used:

#1: Dramatically expand the construction of mobile phone towers and HF radio networks in LRA-affected areas of central Africa to help provide early warning systems to communities most in danger of attack;

#2: Strengthen FM radio coverage to broadcast programs calling for LRA fighters and abductees to escape and return home;

#3: Rehabilitate important roads to allow for humanitarian and civilian protection access to remote communities (especially the road from Source Yubu, South Sudan to Obo, Central African Republic);

#4: Provide regional militaries with helicopters so they can react quickly to information about LRA movements and imminent threats against civilians; and

#5: Support the African Union’s initiative to help governments in the region coordinate their efforts against the LRA.

This week’s developments show what a difference our efforts together made in 2011. These increased funds will translate into programs that protect families from LRA violence and save lives.

Here’s to even greater victories in 2012.

- Michael

P.S. In addition to the four Congressional champions mentioned above, we also want to offer a special thanks to Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK) , Carl Levin (D-MI), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), as well as Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA09), Kay Granger (R-TX12), and Nita Lowey (D-NY12) for the leadership role they played in this victory. If you’re from one of their states or districts, take a moment to send them a thank-you via phone or email.

We passed our fundraising goal this week with Sevenly – Boooooooyah!! Last day to get a shirt over at Sevenly.org

 

More info on the Amplify Peace Program Page

 

The good folks over at Sevenly do a new t-shirt every week to raise money for great causes and this week we were lucky enough to get picked. Proceeds from these shirts will help us build more FM radio stations in DR Congo and CAR and to broadcast more “come home” messages and songs to LRA abductees. The program is working and buying a shirt will help Amplify Peace! They’re available this week only at www.sevenly.org

Today is a really beautiful day for us, and we hope for everyone in the TVP community. The 24 heifers purchased with proceeds from the project have been delivered up to Kitgum to the Rwot Omiyo Women’s Group along with veterinary drugs and supplies for the group to start their new self-sustaining dairy operation. This group was the first one I ever sat down with, the ones who sang me that first “Dwog Paco” song beaconing the children home.

When Anna Gabriel, Ryan Gall, Ariana Delawari, Hadas and I set out for Kitgum last Fall to find the ladies, we just had a photograph from 2008 of mine to go off of but we tracked them down and it was an amazing homecoming and celebration for us all. And for me in particular, my mother had passed away recently and the memory of “Mama” Elisabeth Ochola who had captured my heart two years before had helped me immeasurably to push through a lot of difficult times, both in all that’s involved in starting a new non-profit and also personally. It was a very emotional moment, and before we left when she heard about my mother she said to me, “I am your mother now,” and lightly bit my pinky – a little tradition of remembrance. Those women have taught me so much, not just about the best that we as humans are capable of in terms of forgiveness, empathy, understanding, and what a real community looks like, but also of just how to live one’s life here on this place we call earth. That’s what we wanted to share with people around the world in starting this project and what we mean when we say that this is no charity.

-Hunter

Yep, how we love Ed Sharpe. Donate $25 or more to the Musician Coalition to help The Voice Project and Invisible Children build more radio towers in central Africa to “Amplify Peace” and get a personalized thank you video from the band. How badass is that.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros have been right there on this cause since the beginning, Alex was one of the first people we ever told about how songs and FM radio are helping to end the war and bring home child soldiers and straight away the band combined it’s record release party for Up From Below with help us to help get this project started. That was followed by the beautiful remix of “Home” with the Gulu Women’s Choir that Alex did with our own Chris Holmes (available for free download from our homepage), and later Alex even penned a song inspired by the ladies, “Let’s Win.” Bottom line, these guys walk the walk and we’ve been really lucky to have their support. You can donate directly here: http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise/ic-team?ftid=2480 and for more information visit www.themusiciancoaliton.com.