"What's at Stake in the Juba Peace Talks?" (Part 8): Now We Ask YOU
Today, we finalize our series on "What's at Stake in the Juba Peace Talks?" by examining what's at stake for YOU in this peace process. Over the last two or three years, so many of YOU have come to deeply care about the situation in war-torn northern Uganda. Maybe you visited Gulu and were touched by the people you met there. Maybe you were moved by the story of two Canadians who walked 12km and slept outside each night for a month to tell the story of the child "night commuters." Maybe you saw Invisible Children or Uganda Rising, or maybe you saw the feature story on northern Uganda in the LA Times. Whatever your story, it's become connected with the stories of families in northern Uganda.
As more and more of YOU have come to care, we've joined together to demand attention and lobby our political representatives to help end this war. Tens of thousands of YOU in cities around the globe walked in GuluWalk Day in 2005 and 2006. Over 60,000 of YOU slept outside last April in the Global Night Commute. Thousands of YOU have participated in Uganda-CAN's political action drives. Thousands more of YOU have bought name tags with The Name Campaign or hosted screenings for Invisible Children at your school, church or community. Together, we've overcome international neglect and built momentum for a final end to this horror.
Last summer, we all cheered when the Government of Uganda and LRA agreed, under the mediation of South Sudan, to participate in peace talks. We called this "the best opportunity in over a decade to end the 20-year war in northern Uganda." Hundreds of YOU joined us in Washington D.C. for the Lobby Day to press the U.S. Government to support the peace process. Thousands more of YOU have called or written your political officials to urge them to strengthen the talks. Your hard work has made a difference, and northern Uganda has finally had hope that this war is coming to an end. Yet now our resolve is being tested. Peace talks are stumbling and may collapse without strong international backing to build confidence in the process. Our hard work of two years has brought us to this point. And so now, more than ever, we ask YOU: what's your stake in ending the war in northern Uganda?
In the coming weeks, we need YOU to tell your family, friends and especially political representatives what's at stake in the Juba peace process. Even with all the stakes we've explained over the last seven days, the peace talks remain a low priority for the international community. Only one thing can change that: YOU.
As more and more of YOU have come to care, we've joined together to demand attention and lobby our political representatives to help end this war. Tens of thousands of YOU in cities around the globe walked in GuluWalk Day in 2005 and 2006. Over 60,000 of YOU slept outside last April in the Global Night Commute. Thousands of YOU have participated in Uganda-CAN's political action drives. Thousands more of YOU have bought name tags with The Name Campaign or hosted screenings for Invisible Children at your school, church or community. Together, we've overcome international neglect and built momentum for a final end to this horror.
Last summer, we all cheered when the Government of Uganda and LRA agreed, under the mediation of South Sudan, to participate in peace talks. We called this "the best opportunity in over a decade to end the 20-year war in northern Uganda." Hundreds of YOU joined us in Washington D.C. for the Lobby Day to press the U.S. Government to support the peace process. Thousands more of YOU have called or written your political officials to urge them to strengthen the talks. Your hard work has made a difference, and northern Uganda has finally had hope that this war is coming to an end. Yet now our resolve is being tested. Peace talks are stumbling and may collapse without strong international backing to build confidence in the process. Our hard work of two years has brought us to this point. And so now, more than ever, we ask YOU: what's your stake in ending the war in northern Uganda?
In the coming weeks, we need YOU to tell your family, friends and especially political representatives what's at stake in the Juba peace process. Even with all the stakes we've explained over the last seven days, the peace talks remain a low priority for the international community. Only one thing can change that: YOU.