ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE REPORT:
Friday 9 March 2012 The Australian public can have, and is having, a real and lasting
impact on victims of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army, which has
terrorised millions of people across four vulnerable African nations.Hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced in northern Congo, northern Uganda, Central African Republic and South Sudan. Over nearly three decades the LRA has been responsible for horrific acts of cowardice and brutality, including the abduction of young girls and boys to work as sex slaves and soldiers, and forcing children to kill their own families. Speaking of the online campaign by Invisible Children 'Kony2012' which aims to bring Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA to justice, Caritas Australia's CEO Jack de Groot said, “Anything that brings attention to the plight of the people who have been harmed by Kony and the LRA is a good thing.” “But the most important issue right now is that the people of these nations need our support immediately. They need food, they need clean water, they need shelter, they need medical assistance, they need psychological support and they need to be protected from these terrible acts of violence,” Mr de Groot said. “These people have no idea where their next meal will come from. They are constantly on the move which makes it almost impossible to develop livelihoods, achieve food security, get an education and keep their children safe – all of the things we are able to take for granted.” Right now Caritas Australia has programs in the Congo where around 30,000 people from 5,000 families are receiving food, clean water, blankets and other basic necessities. In Uganda Caritas is assisting 800 farming households to develop sustainable crops, generate vital incomes and ensure they have access to clean water which dramatically reduces the spread of disease. “We need to understand that even if Kony and the LRA were to vaporise tomorrow, there would still be dramatic psychological, environmental, developmental and political issues to contend with,” Mr de Groot said. “The level of poverty and injustice which plagues these nations and all of these families is monumental. “But we do not believe in lost causes. We know that we can save lives and support people into prosperous futures so long as we have the support of the Australian people.” Media contact: Ryan Heffernan 0408 869 833 or ryanh@caritas.org.au Caritas Australia partnership programs: http://www.caritas.org.au/learn/countries/uganda http://www.caritas.org.au/learn/countries/sudan http://www.caritas.org.au/learn/countries/democratic-republic-of-congo |
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