College students create awareness of war in Uganda with walk - and snooze - in Rochester park

A group of college students is leading local participation in a nationwide campaign called the Global Night Commute, hosted by Invisible Children, an organization committed to ending the war in northern Uganda.

The commute will take place April 29. Participants in designated cities - Rochester is one of about 130 signed up so far - will walk to a pre-determined location where they will spend the night outdoors to raise awareness of the war in northern Uganda, particularly the plight of children there. According to Invisible Children, each night northern Ugandan boys and girls walk from their rural homes to the relative safety of towns and cities to sleep. They fear abduction into the Lord's Resistance Army, in which children are being forced to fight as soldiers. To date, more than 30,000 children have been abducted.

The sleep location in Rochester is Washington Square Park. Roberts Wesleyan student Cassie Quinn is helping coordinate the Rochester effort. "Americans are privileged with safety and voices that are being denied of Uganda children," Quinn said. "It is hard to imagine ignoring and wasting those privileges. The commute is one way that we are using our blessings, especially our voices, to help those who cannot help themselves."

Invisible Children is asking participants to sign up online at www.invisiblechildren.com. So far, about 28,000 people plan to commute and sleep, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., with 55 from Rochester. Participants are asked to bring a sleeping bag, Polaroid film, and at least two stamped envelopes for some projects that will help the cause.

There will be a free screening of the film "Invisible Children: Rough Cut" at 7 p.m. April 28 at Roberts Wesleyan's Smith Science Center auditorium.

April 23, 2006