Social Justice Project Proposal

The topic I chose was Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda, with a focus on the Invisible Children movement and all it has done. Invisible Children, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 to bring awareness (mostly through videos and presentations) to the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Central Africa, and its leader, Joseph Kony. Specifically, the group seeks to put an end to all that the LRA does including taking and abuse of children, and forcing them to be soldiers. This falls is the system of war, with a population of Children, and the problem is the use of Child Soldiers. To get even more specific, I will discuss what happens to the children before, during, and after the time they are soldiers. I will do this through the telling of stories, provided by Invisible Children Inc.

In 2005 my sisters and I went to a Church camp called Thousand Pines. One of the nights we were there, there was a “Get informed” night. I chose to check out the Invisible Children presentation because I thought they had a cool t-shirt. Little did I know I would be moved in a way I hadn't before. They told us the story of a young boy in Northern Uganda, He had been taken from his family and brainwashed into being a soldier. This really got to me because I had never seen anything like that, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to know more. I bought a shirt that day and have supported the movement ever since. I also have a friend of mine who is even more into it, and is one of the people I plan on interviewing. She started a club at her school and even got someone to speak in front of the school. These factors have caused me to really want to delve in and actually research, and even tell other about the topic.

The book I chose is They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children by Romeo Dallaire. I chose this book because it provides a lot of general information about child soldiers and what happens to them. Since this book does not tell anything about the Invisible Children movement, I am going to supplement it with videos provide by Invisible Children Inc. The Invisible Children website has many videos that include information about the issue, and stories of victims that I will also purchase.

Dallaire, Roméo, Jessica Dee. Humphreys, and Ishmael Beah. They Fight like Soldiers, They Die like Children: The Global Quest to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers. New York: Walker &, 2011. Print.

http://shop.invisiblechildren.com/advocate-it/films/?p=1

My group consists of myself, Kenneth Ravelo, and Christian Ramien.  We chose each other as group members because we have all worked together multiple times in the past, and had worked well. We each bring our own individual strength’s to the table, and we balance each other out. Kenny brings a methodical and systematic process to the group, being a hard worker and can pump things out quickly. Christian brings a different approach, and way of thinking to the group which will be beneficial to our work. I will bring similar qualities to both, and try to keep us on task. With that in mind, our one downfall will be during group collaborations, where staying focused will be difficult but still doable. 

Thoughts on CST

The Catholic Social Teachings (CST) are seven basic principles that sum up the teachings of the Catholic Church. They embody all of the things that as a Catholic, or even just Christian, should know and live out. They may not be easy or simple, but they are extremely important. They empower us, and tell us how to live in the way Jesus called us- with love. The main ideas behind most of the teachings are how we should live with, and treat other people and God’s creation.

The principle that I resonate with the notes is “Call to Family, Community and Participation.” I resonate most with this because I have always felt called to participation, and love living in a community with other Christians. Our group came together on the thought that “Being an active participant in our community is something everyone is called to do and is vastly important.” I personally have been a very active participant in my church community. I am involved as a Student leader, and a youth leader. This has kept me very active in the community and has helped me grow as a person. Through teaching, and leading, I am also learning. Although it may not be a Catholic Church, it can still embody the teachings because I am still actively participating, just at a Presbyterian Church.

The principle that really challenges me the most is “Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person.” I find this as the most challenging to live a piece of this out because I sometimes find it hard to show everyone respect. Our group came together and agreed with the statement “Each person in our society deserves respect from other people.” In all honesty, it’s just plain hard to live this out. There will always be people in life that I don’t agree with, or even just plain like. That is what makes it hard to live out respecting others, especially when they don’t give the same respect to you.

The topic I am most interested in is Child Soldiers in Africa, with an emphasis on the Invisible Children movement. I would connect this to the teaching of “Fundamental Option for the Poor and Vulnerable.” I see this connection through the fact that the kids in Africa are poor and also vulnerable. This may see superficial, but it’s still true. These kids have less than us, and are vulnerable to their surroundings. That is why we have the responsibility of helping them, and why I would take the perspective of the Invisible Children movement because they have done something about it, and are working to help these vulnerable children.

I knew what topic I have wanted to choose for a long time, but it took me awhile to choose a connection to CST. I would be interested to see what my blog buddies think about the connection I made with the topic I am interested in, and the teaching. In other words, do you agree with the connection, does it make sense to have that connection? I ask this question because I was stuck between the topics of “Fundamental Option for the Poor and Vulnerable”, “Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person”, and “Rights and Responsibility.” That is why I am interested to see what connection my blog buddies would have made. 

https://docs.google.com/a/serrahs.com/document/d/1R3fjemF9UkUFyynNWnoDLkHrNKUZNFn1ICtVPH36Reo/edit