Name Campaign's Cori Stern Shares "What's at Stake in the Juba Peace Talks"
In our continuing series on "What's at Stake in the Juba Peace Talks," we are asking for your ideas, stories and reflections. Send them to pquaranto@ugandacan.org. Today, the founder and director of The Name Campaign, Hollywood screenwriter and one-time ABC News Person of the Week, Cori Stern shares her thoughts:
"Last week I watched in horrified fascination as the story of Shawn Hornbeck's abduction unfolded. The big news was that this guy Devlin had abducted not one, but TWO children. As I watched Oprah interview his parents, the police, experts, and everyone involved, I thought about the THOUSANDS of CHILDREN being held RIGHT NOW in Northern Uganda and the border areas. They are being sexually and physically abused. They were taken from their homes. Their parents are no less traumatized. Why don't we rise up with the same outrage and urgency for them? Is it because of the sheer number? Do we just accept it because it's simply too difficult to comprehend? Is it because it's not happening in our own country and it's easy to think of these kids as abstract 'African tragedy' statistics instead of as individual kids with the simple desire to live with their families in safety rather than terror?
Devlin and Kony are both predators. Devlin was stopped. Kony should be too. These peace talks are the closest anyone has come yet. But 'close' isn't enough."
"Last week I watched in horrified fascination as the story of Shawn Hornbeck's abduction unfolded. The big news was that this guy Devlin had abducted not one, but TWO children. As I watched Oprah interview his parents, the police, experts, and everyone involved, I thought about the THOUSANDS of CHILDREN being held RIGHT NOW in Northern Uganda and the border areas. They are being sexually and physically abused. They were taken from their homes. Their parents are no less traumatized. Why don't we rise up with the same outrage and urgency for them? Is it because of the sheer number? Do we just accept it because it's simply too difficult to comprehend? Is it because it's not happening in our own country and it's easy to think of these kids as abstract 'African tragedy' statistics instead of as individual kids with the simple desire to live with their families in safety rather than terror?
Devlin and Kony are both predators. Devlin was stopped. Kony should be too. These peace talks are the closest anyone has come yet. But 'close' isn't enough."