From April 6-17, Resolve Uganda hosted its second “Knock Knock” campaign, aimed at bringing a lasting solution to the more than two decades of violence by the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, in central Africa. During that two week period, nearly a thousand people in over 30 states met with their Congressional representatives. According to the advocacy organization Resolve Uganda, the general response from the members was that they need to hear more from their constituents. Although this is Africa’s longest running conflict, some U.S. leaders still do not know that it is happening.
Dustyn Winder, a junior at the University of Tennessee who has traveled to Uganda twice, led a delegation that met with the office of Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). Speaking about the interaction with Corker’s East Tennessee Field Director, Dustyn noted:
He was very interested in hearing why we personally were interested in bringing an end to the war and how our interests were first sparked. I feel like it was a necessary meeting if accomplishing nothing more than reminding Sen. Corker that he has constituents that care beyond the national deficit, and as our representative, he should too.
Through these widespread lobbying events, Resolve Uganda hopes to put the issue of the LRA on the agenda of every legislator in Washington. RU’s Director of Advocacy, Alison Jones, said, “When they hear from their constituents, they’re inspired to act. And with some major opportunities coming up for them to put their words into action, the timing couldn’t be better.”
Key Senate offices are working to draft bipartisan legislation that would refine the U.S. strategy toward halting the LRA and addressing the effects of so many years of violence.
To learn more about the LRA, visit Enough’s special page.
Photo: LRA leader Joseph Kony, AP