Do something: Kony 2012

So April is partly my volunteer month. Four years ago a group of girls approached the social studies department to advise an Amnesty International club. No one really wanted to do it. I know I sure didn't. I had no idea what Amnesty International was. So we told the girls to come back at the beginning of next year. Over the summer I researched what the heck it was and thought it would be interested so when they approached us again I took it on. It turned into the largest club in the school with 120+ members largely in part because the girls gave me a movie, Invisible Children. My entire department showed the movie to our kids and told them about what kinds of things we'd do in the club. We were swarmed with members. So we raised a ton of money for the organization (and others). 


When the Kony 2012 thing hit the internet a few months ago, I was inundated with emails from former students and had kids stopping by asking me if I heard about it. I hadn't. I did some research but it didn't go anywhere until my friend, Stephanie, posted something on facebook about going to meet with John Kerry's office about it and if anyone wanted to sign up. I told her I was on board.


We went today. We met at 2:00 to discuss who was going to say what and write some letters. Then we headed over to the office and met with one of his staffers, Amy. We discussed the issue and asked why Kerry hadn't signed the 2012 resolution yet and it turns out that he can't. Since he is the chairman of the foreign relations committee, it's policy for him not to sign resolutions but he's 100% behind it and has been working on it for years. It was an interesting meeting. We even had a former child soldier with us who told his story. I also got to tell my story. And we had a few of the Invisible Children roadies with us.

I had no idea that the senators' offices weren't in the State House...