Free Screening 


Invisible Children

Global Solutions is screening Invisible Children:

Monday, February 6, 9:00 pm,
A special showing of the film Invisible Children
121 David Lawrence Hall, University of Pittsburgh

Invisible Children was shot and edited by three Californian college students searching for a story in Africa, utterly unprepared for what they would find. Spliced with MTV-generation audio and inspiration, the film introduces one of the most troubling phenomena of our time: the plight of child soldiers in Uganda. It is, at once, informative, unsettling, and a must-see.

I saw an early cut of this film, it's very moving--worth seeing even if you think you have no interest in this forgotten war.

From the Invisible Children Web site, I see there are a few other screenings in the Pittsburgh area this week:

February 6th 2006 Greensburg Central Catholic High school Pennsylvania Greensburg, PA - 8 AM to 3 PM
February 7th 2006 Grove City College Pennsylvania Grove City, PA - All day
February 8th 2006 Fox Chapel High school Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, PA @ 8 AM

Invisible Children is not just a movie but a movement, so even if you can't attend it's worth your while to check out their Web site to learn more.

It was interesting to see Global Solutins sponsoring the event. I hadn't heard of the organization before so was surprised to check out their Web site. Global Solutions "is the local affililate of Citizens For Global Solutions, a national organization working toward global solutions to global problems. Our organization has been educating western Pennsylvanian citizens about our global interdependence for over fifty years." The organization was formerly known as The World Federalist Association and the history provided at Wikipedia is quite interesting, especially in these times of rampant nationalism here in the USA.

If peace, love and understanding are broadly associated with the left, that's a good reason for identifying to the left. The fact of the matter, and something that's cause for hope, is neither right nor left has a lock on such important constructs as "peace, love and understanding." Membership to World Federalist has been open except to Facisits and Communists orientations, but I suspect these days it's harder to say, maybe it's always been. What seems clear is that the vision of Global Solutions:

Global Solutions envisions a future in which nations work together to abolish war, protect our rights and freedoms, and solve the problems facing humanity that no nation can solve alone. This vision requires effective democratic global institutions that will apply the rule of law while respecting the diversity and autonomy of national and local communities.

is one that seems at odds with the current one-party Republican monopoly on federal power here in the USA.

Looking over the board of the local affiliate of Global Solutions I noticed the Treasurer is Clarke Thomas, who I presume is the same Clarke Thomas, a senior editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Hum, if I were a reporter, I'd check to see what the facts of the matter are, but as a blogger, I'll go along with un-informed speculation. If it's true they're one in same, it seems a measure of how our views as Americans have changed. It seems no longer a moderate position to "strengthen international insititutions such as the United Nations" here in America. Our UN ambassodor, John Bolton once said in a speech "Nobody would notice were shaved off" and so the "moderate" position in today's political climate would seem to be: "How many stories of the UN should be lopped off."

That "take" seems fair from a what we know of our current political consensus, but doesn't well represent the consensus across political opinions right, left and moderate. A good representative of a politcally moderate and pro-international institutions is Steve Clemons of The Washington Note. Along with Talking Points Memo Cafe the TPM has set up Bolton Watch. My point is not to argue in favor of Global Solutions as a political movement, but rather to point out that the abolishment of war is an idea that has engaged people of many different political stripes for a long time. To abhor war is mainstream!

If you have the opportunity to see the movie Invisible Children take it. I'm reluctant to say, "you'll be entertained" nevertheless I'm sure you will be. The movie is quite thought provoking and you'll probably want to find out more about this horrible little known war. The Ugandan Conflict Action Network is a great place to start to find out more. Here are a few of pages worth a look: here, here and here. Good work if you clicked on any of those. What's important is that informed American can make a real difference towards resolving this tragedy by influencing our government.