Promoting Justice and Peace: A Case Study of Student Activism and the LRA Disarmament Act

Keisha Hoerrner | Kennesaw State University | ADP – June 2011

THE GOOD CITIZEN: IMPETUS FOR STUDY

• Dalton’s (2007) argument: 2 sets of norms: duty-based vs. engaged

• “The fact that the young may not think of citizenship in the same duty-based norms as their elders is taken as evidence that the young lack good citizenship norms.” (p. 37)

• “Engaged citizens have a broader definition of political participation, and they are especially drawn to civic action and more direct forms of participation.” (p. 165)

COMPETING VOICES TO DUMBEST GENERATION

• Millennials Rising (2000): generation’s attitude toward social problems is “let’s go; let’s do it”

• Twenge (2006) argues today’s traditional-age college students are civically engaged and globally aware

• “… Simple claims that today’s youth … are apathetic and disengaged from civic life are completing wrong.” (Zukin et al, 2006, p. 189)

• Generation We (2008) is selfless and devoted to the greater good

POLITICAL CLOUT: GLOBAL IMPACT

• “By 2016, there will be 100 million Millennials (taking immigration into account), and all will be old enough to vote. … Generation We is about to rock the world.” (p. 21)

• 2007 study of 2000 respondents– 18-29 years old– 42% believe they are more likely to engage in political

activism than earlier generations of Americans– 80% agreed with the statement: “Addressing big issues

facing my generation starts with individuals willing to take a stand and take action.” (p. 196)

METHODOLOGY

• Qualitative study using intensive interviews

• Focus: Student activism related to legislation aimed at ending the civil war in northern Uganda, stopping the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army, and assisting in the redevelopment of region (Uganda, DRC)

• Funding from a KSU Holder Award

• Interviewed key representatives from three major NGOs– Invisible Children– Resolve– Enough Project

• Review of materials such as act and White House strategy statement

PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

• Confirmation of Dalton’s and Greenberg’s argument regarding individual action and direct political participation– Lobby Days– Hometown Shakedown– Oklahoma

• Close to 2000 people in attendance at 2009 “How it Ends” lobby event in DC– “It was the largest lobby day

for any Africa-related issue.” (Lisa Dougan, Resolve)

– “Actually all of them have been [the largest lobby day for an African-related issue], so we’ve just been breaking our own record after the first 600.” (Michael Poffenburger”, Resolve)

– “Inspiring to see.” (John Bagwell, Enough Project)

VOICES – POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

• Bethany Bylsma– 26 years old; graduate

of George Fox U in Oregon

– “really didn’t understand much about the political process” before volunteering for IC

– “way less complicated than I thought it was”

• Ben Keesey– 27 years old; CEO of IC– “Sen. Feingold told us

that the Rescue brought such support that other Congressional offices were approaching his office.”

– Every large IC event has had a political aspect but never the focus

VOICES – POLITICAL PARTICIPATION• Lisa Dougan

– 27 years old; Director of Field Outreach for Resolve – “I feel like young people involved in this find themselves in the

middle of D.C. influencing legislation and they kind of look up and think ‘okay, I’m engaging politically’ and they don’t even know how they got there, because they just wanted to do whatever it took to see this crisis end. They may be the same people that on one day are having a conversation about how cynical they are about government and how they think all politicians are corrupt and they don’t really care and it’s about power, but then the next moment they find themselves in a lobby meeting and don’t realize the inconsistency there, because they’re just wanting to do whatever it takes to see this crisis end.”

DIRECT PARTICIPATION

• Letters, phone calls, and in-district lobby meetings all parts of events like “Displace Me” or “Hometown Shakedown”– Name it, stream it, video

it, and show difference along with next steps

• Willingness to camp out in Oklahoma to persuade Sen. Coburn to drop his hold on bill

• 253,512 sign citizens’ arrest warrant for Kony

POLITICAL VICTORY: PASSAGE OF BILL

• Passed 3/10/10 in Senate by unanimous consent; Passed 5/12/10 in House by voice vote

• Representatives specifically mentioned activism of high school and college students in speeches supporting passage

• President Obama: public signing on 5/24 also noted activism

NEXT STEPS

• White House submitted strategy to Committee on Foreign Affairs 11/24/10– 4 objectives:

• Increase civilian protection• Apprehend Kony and senior commanders• Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of soldiers• Increase humanitarian access and provide continued relief to

affected communities

• Budget cuts prompted Resolve to launch “Start Something to Finish It” campaign

• Concern that no action will lead to disillusionment

NEXT STEPS: CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, TOO

• Invisible Children launched its “Protection Plan” with five goals for DRC– Build an early warning radio

network– Educate local communities– Fund search/rescue teams– Provide rehabilitation and

family reunification– Promote arrest of Kony and top

commanders Need $1 million to complete Not waiting on government

• Kickoff: “25” Campaign– More than 90,000 people

were silent for 25 hours– Goal: $625,000– Raised: $1,735,263 to

date

TRANSFORMATIVE POWER• “I think they [Invisible Children] engage Millennials on their

own level and using media that were very familiar to Millennials much more so than others and using narrative that was targeting Millennials and combining charitable purpose with the kind of like ‘cool’ factor, you know – a cool factor that resonated with that audience very, very effectively. It’s part fashionable, part networked, media savvy, kind of a thing. They played to that audience very effectively and, I think, through the power of their media and the power of their storytelling invited people into a process that was really transformative for a lot of people of that generation.” (Michael Poffenberger, co-founder & Executive Director of Resolve)

IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATORS

• Young people are quite willing to engage politically but they need (1) to feel a part of something, (2) see their actions making a difference, (3) must be able to use tools that are already in their toolkits, and (4) need training and guidance– Margie Dillenburg, 32, of IC:

“started with how a bill becomes a law”

• Twenge’s assertions about general cynicism toward government means that duty-based norms like voting must be stressed as part of the overall package of activism– Cameron Woodward, 21, of

IC doesn’t believe in voting

• Two-step information flow still exists and is powerful in digital age

VOICES : TRAINING & TWO-STEP FLOW• Lisa Dougan of Resolve

– “I’m informing these roadie teams and saying ‘hey, in two weeks you’re driving though New Jersey and Chris Smith and Donald Payne are members of Congress in New Jersey that are both on the Foreign Affairs Committee. We need them co-sponsoring this legislation.’ So as they’re traveling through schools, they’re letting students there know ‘hey, you guys are in a very, very important district. There is a role that you guys can play that no one else can play. We need your members of Congress co-sponsoring this legislation. So bombard them with calls.’ And roadies, at these screenings would say ‘everyone if you have your cell phone, get out your cell phone right now. I’m going to give you the number to Donald Payne’s office, and I’m gonna show you right now how easy it is to call a member of Congress.’ So from stage they would call, and that example of a young person just like them in front of them calling a member of Congress and everyone just thinks ‘wow, it’s that easy’ and they’ll say ‘you better have your member of Congress on speed dial like I do.’ And it just makes it so tangible, and so accessible for all those kids.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

• “Millennials do not see a world of limits but one of possibilities in which anything can be accomplished with enough creativity and determination” (Greenberg, pg. 29). We –parents, educators, and mentors – must not limit them! – Allow our students to define engagement rather than us

defining it for them– Campuses should do more to actively encourage intense

engagement activities through credit toward graduation• 4-month Invisible Children “Roadie” opportunities• Leadership of lobby day activities both in DC and at home

CONTACTS AND FURTHER INFORMATION

• Dr. Keisha L. Hoerrner– Chair, Department of First-Year Programs– Kennesaw State University– khoerrne@kennesaw.edu / 770-499-3222

• Enough Project– www.enoughproject.org

• Invisible Children– www.invisiblechildren.com

• Resolve– www.theresolve.org