Taking up the challenge for peace head-on in Oregon!

August 24th, 2007 by alison in: Knock Knock

On August 15, Megan in Portland, Oregon was able to meet with Senator Wyden's staff and discuss her concerns for the people of northern Uganda. Following the meeting, Megan had this to say: "I feel confident that with our combined efforts across the country hope will persevere for the Ugandan people and in the process we will become a better nation in reaching out and truly assisting our global neighbors."

She is a great example of what our collective efforts are all about! Below is her reflection on her meeting.

August 15, 2007:

I am greatly thankful to have been able to participate in the Knock Knock campaign here in Oregon. I have been disabled by a chronic illness and the serious side effects of the medications for it for the past 10yrs. My whole adult life has been one of hospitals, surgeries and learning to live with chronic pain. It took a few years to get out of the 'poor me' frame of mind and accept that my body may be limited but not my heart and mind. I have slowly gained junior status in college and find contentment in the miracle of each day I have left. In the past year my heart stopped functioning adequately and put me in a number of close calls with death. With this came a strong feeling of questioning my life and wanting to leave the world at least in some small way a better place. Setting up a screening for Invisible Children at PSU was just a first step. The day the email came out requesting participants for the operation Knock Knock I was headed back into the hospital for yet another surgery as a clot was lodged in my neck. I was not sure I would be able to make the meeting at all. Fortunately things improved to the point I got to come home and I decided I wanted to really become involved with meeting the Senator. In a twist in fate it turned out to be a good thing as the previous leader needed to attend to other pressing commitments. I found myself excited to take on the challenge. I had written our senator, Ron Wyden earlier in the year and know he supports of ending the violence in Uganda. Knowing this I anticipated more of an exchange of information than needing to sell the senator on the need for a delegate from the US to be sent to the peace talks. I spent the weekend putting together a packet of info to hand over to his representative. When I called Monday morning and was told that my choices were a meeting some time after September or we could meet the following afternoon, I jumped at the chance to meet the next day. I baked up some of my famous brownies and glazed them with a minty cream cheese icing in the design of the Ugandan flag. I had three points to the presentation.

First the Child Soldier Prevention Act information from the Knock Knock download and a print out from a U.S. defense department report confirming the use of child soldiers in countries that the U.S. gives military financial assistance.
Second was the request for a delegate to be sent to the peace talks, along with the 'leave behind' info I added a page of the past few months headlines from both Ugandan and international news reports. Together they show just a few of the challenges arising from the peace talks.
Last but not least I was able to pull together a few of the highlights about what Invisible Children, Resolve Uganda, and the people of northern Uganda are doing to bring peace and build a future for the children. The representative was most impressed with the Schools for Schools campaign and the GUSCO center in Uganda.
We met for a good half an hour during which time he provided me with the copy of a letter that Wyden had signed on to along with 9 other senators June 13Th 2006. It stated the immediate need for U.S. attention in the humanitarian crisis and need to establish peace in Uganda. I feel confidante that he will make the effort to continue his support in the matter. I was told that as soon as they get back to D.C. the first thing on the agenda will be more funding for the war in Iraq.
Added to the packet was a copy of The InvisibleChildren Rough Cut and a updated educational powerpoint on Uganda.
I walked away feeling good about the meeting with Mr. Graham, senator Wydens representative, knowing that I had seen the light go on in yet another American who has learned of the horrors happening to innocent people and knows they will put their compassion into action and do what is possible to help.