A letter from Resolve's founders: The big picture and the road ahead

Friends,

On May 24, 2010, we stood in the Oval Office and watched President Obama sign into law a bill that commits him to lead a new international strategy aimed at permanently stopping LRA violence and helping affected communities recover. In the 24 years that this crisis has engulfed millions of peoples' lives across an entire region of Africa, no United States President has ever before committed publicly to helping seek its end.

This occasion, which happened because of the dedicated efforts of thousands like you, was momentous for all of us. It vindicated the core beliefs upon which we founded this organization by giving substance to the assertion that a "small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world."

Even more importantly, it was a major step forward in our efforts to combat the indifference that enables the LRA's brutal violence against communities across central Africa. In signing the bill, the President pledged to "renew our commitments and strengthen our capabilities to protect and assist civilians caught in the LRA's wake, to receive those that surrender, and to support efforts to bring the LRA leadership to justice."

We are not, however, naive about the journey ahead. Seeing an end to the LRA's atrocities will take more than one statement from our President or one piece of legislation. The same resistance to change that has obstructed strong leadership for the past two decades continues to stand in our way as the President's strategy is developed and implemented.

That's why it is important as ever that we persist in our efforts for peace. To capitalize on the momentum we've created and to help you - our partners, motivators, benefactors, and supporters in this effort - have an even greater impact, we are making some changes and will be rolling out new campaigns in the coming weeks and months.

In the meantime, "afwoyo matek" (and "tambuahe"): thank you for the work you do. We are excited for the possibilities that lay ahead.

Sincerely,

Michael Poffenberger & Paul Ronan
Co-Founders, Resolve Uganda


PS: You can read the President's full statement, the first of its kind, here on our website.