A Voice for Those Affected by the LRA
Posted by Stefani Jones on Jul 19, 2011
Recent efforts to stop the Lord’s Resistance Army have faltered. LRA
commanders are reportedly regrouping in the Congo, and Ugandans have
reduced their deployment, greatly underestimating the capability of
the LRA. With the LRA now in operation for more than two decades,
organizations like The Voice Project are looking for new ways to
promote the cause of peace. Women in northern Uganda have banded
together to write songs that encourage former LRA soldiers in the bush
to return to their communities. The Voice Project highlights a message
sung by the women in those communities: “Come home, you are forgiven.”
This sound clip from a radio station in Gulu in northern Uganda
features the Gulu Women's Choir’s rendition of "Home," the song by
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. The station has hosted the "Dwog
Paco" ("Come Home") radio show for years, a show that has contributed
toward the return of thousands of LRA abductees and soldiers. The
station features interviews with ex-LRA, as well as songs such as this
one with messages about returning home.
"Home" Edward Sharpe (MEGA FM Uganda - The Voice Project Gulu Woman's
Choir Mix) by thevoiceproject
The Voice Project has worked with dozens of other artists, all of whom
sing similar songs in an effort to spread the word about the LRA and
work to stop the violence. It works like a game of telephone; one
artist films himself covering another artist’s song, and then another
artist records a cover of the cover. The chain of songs, similar to
the spread of songs by the women of northern Uganda, are posted on The
Voice Project website, and the money gained from donations, sponsors,
and advertisers is donated to programs on the ground that help with
peace, reconciliation, and rebuilding efforts.
The work of The Voice Project is poignant and timely, bringing
attention to LRA-affected communities at a time when they need it
most. Just over a year after Obama signed into law the Lord’s
Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, the U.S.
has not done enough to stop the LRA. It is crucial to continue
spreading awareness about the issue, so people fully understand the
severity of the LRA conflict. The Voice Project’s creative take on how
to amplify the message of peace, and help empower and rebuild war-torn
communities, is worth checking out.
Photo: The Voice Project logo
* Lord's Resistance Army
* Northern Uganda
* Peace
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