Monday, September 1, 2008

A Night Out

David and I attended the Labor of Love fundraiser last night and even met up with some of our good friends from OC (Jon Lee pictured above with us). (Thanks Nana and Grandpops for baby-sitting so late!)
Here we are in the far left corner talking to Sean Carasso who is heading up a non-profit organization called Falling Whistles. This is the guy whose blog I want you all to check out. David and I were immediately enraptured by his stories of passion for the children soldiers in the Congo that he met and is trying to help. We didn't want to consume his time but had a hard time dragging ourselves away from his table. He is an amazing speaker and writer (again, check out his blog :)) and hopes to share his experiences with as many as he can. I am hoping to find a way for him to speak at our church.
Below is an excerpt from the descripton of Falling Whistles on Facebook:
"Laying in Titu Prison, these 5 boy-prisoners first told me of the whistleblowers.
Abducted in Congo and too small even to carry a gun, boys were given merely a whistle and sent to the front lines of battle. The sound of their whistles calling together was meant to frighten the enemy away. Failing that, their sole duty was to receive the bullets with their bodies.With falling whistles, their only choice was to feign death, or face it. The whistle became a symbol of the level of injustice in Congo. The haunting image of whistles falling from palm sized hands pushed me forward. It wasn't until I returned home that I realized - there in Congo a whistleblower is a victim of injustice, but here in the West, a whistleblower is someone who calls out injustice. Possessed within this single symbol was both problem and response. Around the world, the sound of a whistle demands STOP. PAY ATTENTION. Demand the same from your friends and family. Become a whistleblower for the war in Congo. Injustice cannot exist when millions of people call it out. Together we'll stand even as they fell, and use what was once their only weapon as our voice to fight for their freedom.
FALLING WHISTLES - THEIR WEAPON, OUR VOICE"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Having a sweet little boy of my own makes stories like that even harder to hear. I really admire you for your dedication to finding worthwhile causes and focuses for your life.