A SusanvilleStuff Feature
By Char Petersen
Lassen High School senior, Matt Damm, has decided to take a stand and join the millions of people across the globe supporting the arrest of Joseph Kony, the head of the ‘Lord’s Resistance Army,’ a Ugandan Guerrilla group.
On March 5th, 2012 a short film created by Invisible Children Inc. was released online to promote awareness of the LRA and the guerrilla group’s horrific abuse of kidnapped children.
Invisible Children Inc. have used film and social action in an attempt to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony’s rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity. In support of their campaign, they attained the help of 20 celebrity culture makers and 12 policy makers who have backed up the Kony2012 campaign.
Here in Susanville Matt Damm organized 20 Lassen High ‘celebrities’ and 12 policy makers to address the issue, and what started out as a small group of 32 students in support of Kony2012 has since grown to almost 300 members.
The local group’s goal is to provide awareness about the children being abducted by Kony, and to unite the school and community with the project.
In a motivational speech to Lassen High School’s ASB class Damm said, “Just because we’re a small town, doesn’t mean we can’t be involved.”
And involved is exactly what the group has become. They have spread awareness of the Kony2012 project by holding informational meetings, presenting the project at school assemblies and creating a Lassen Kony2012 Facebook group.
They plan to participate in a nationwide action on April 20th, called “Blanket the Night,” where they will hang up posters around Susanville.
Find out more about the group’s activities by clicking here and connecting with them on Facebook.
