Oh Boy...

Well, the LRA is at it again. Less than 24 hours after signing the fourth of the five agreements in the peace and reconciliation process (that will ultimately lead to the demobilisation and demilitarization of the LRA), LRA troops attacked a village in South Sudan (where the peace talks are being held) killing 11 villagers and abducting another 27. Unfortunately, with the February 28th deadline looming, this casts a large shadow over the hopes of completing the peace talks expediently. Please read New Vision's (National Uganda Newspaper) article on the attacks here.

Though peace talks have been going on for over two years, tension certainly seems to be running high. The deadline for the completion of the talks has been extended several times; however, it seems like the Ugandan Army is taking a hardline stance against any more extensions this time around. The threat of military intervention if the LRA fails to complete the peace process with the government of Uganda is a scary prospect.

I will keep you updated as I hear more from the program. February 28 will certainly be an interesting day.

Best,
Matt

Please check out "Supply Uganda"

Please cruise over to my blog "Supply Uganda." I have set up the site to collect donations that will go towards the purchase of school supplies in Uganda. Please consider making a donation. Your support will go a long way.

Plans for my travels are also beginning to fall into place. I will be flying out of JFK Airport in New York on Emirates air. I will have a layover in Dubai after 13 hours of flying, followed by another 9 hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda. With the improvements in the peace and reconciliation negotiations and the solidifying of travel arrangements, the reality of traveling to Uganda is setting in. You can find my itinerary in an earlier post.

If this is your first visit to my site, please feel free to browse my other posts. You will find information about the peace talks, links to photo albums from Gulu, information about my involvement, and information on how to make a donation (I am still gladly and eagerly accepting all donations you are willing to make--there are two options for donating detailed in earlier posts). Thank you to those who have donated already!

Best,
Matt

Yay Uganda!

As I was browsing the news in Uganda today, I came along an article from the African Free Press that made me smile. Here is an excerpt:

The Ugandan government said it had signed a permanent ceasefire accord with the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group on Saturday, a landmark step in efforts to end more than two decades of civil war.

Government delegation spokesman Captain Chris Magezi called the accord a "another major breakthrough" in effort to end conflict which has left tens of thousands dead and displace two million.

Just three days ago, the LRA walked out on the peace talks leaving large questions about the success of the peace talks in the face of a February 28th deadline. This is certainly good news for northern Uganda, and great news for the IC Teacher Exchange.

To read the entire article, click here.

For more information on the process of the peace talks, check out these links:

Kony Agrees to be Tried

Uganda Rebels Walk Out of Talks

New Breakthrough in Uganda Talks

Uganda and LRA Agree to Ceasefire

Best,
Matt

Other ways to pay...

Since sending out the invitations to view my blog, a few people have asked about ways other than paypal to make a donation . I also accept personal checks, ATM cards with pin numbers, credit cards with high credit limits (feel free to keep the bill though), or cash money. If those options are even less appealing, then try this:

If you would like to send your donation directly to the program, you can write a check out in the following format:

Pay to the Order of: Invisible Children
Amount: (it would be pretty pretentious if I put a number here)
Memo: T/EX- Matt Michelin

The "T/EX-Matt Michelin" is very important. If it is omitted, the donation goes to the general charity (which would not be a bad thing either). Checks should be mailed to:

Invisible Children Inc.
Mission/Teacher Exchange
2705 Via Orange Way Ste B
Spring Valley CA 91978

If you use this method, you will receive a receipt directly from the charity for tax purposes. (I will send out receipts for donations made via paypal--don't worry, they will be official)

Of course, I always accept payment in beers too...

Best,
Matt

Shamelessly Seeking Sponsorship: (or I'll wear your name on my butt if you give me money)

Hello again! This post (as you can tell from the picture) is a shameless request for sponsorship from family and friends (and anyone else who has money burning a hole in his or her pocket). As I have started making arrangements for the trip, I have realized that my initial estimate of the expenses involved was woefully low. I anticipate spending approximately $6000 for this six week exchange program, and I am recognizing that I am a bit short of that sum currently. If you feel so inclined, a donation to my cause would be greatly appreciated. I will also be setting up a school supplies drive and fund raiser prior to leaving for Uganda in hopes of donating some much needed supplies to the schools that I will be working with. I will add another post soon with a link to another blog giving details on how you can support this fund raiser. I have set up an account with paypal, and by clicking on the button below, you can make a donation to the "Uganda Travel Fund" (a.k.a. Matt's plane ticket fund) using a credit card or bank account number. If you would like a public "thank you" on this blog, please note that with your donation. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Just an FYI--all of your donations ARE tax-deductible!

(Just a quick update...The peace talks in Juba have been extended through the end of February, so there is no military action yet. for more information on the peace process, check out Invisible Children's Newest Peace and Conflict Update.)

Check this out!

Just a quick post this time. I found an online photo album from a researcher who was working in one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. There are some great photos of the IDP, as well as photos of a community in Gulu district. I imagine I will be staying in a similar location.

Mojotexas's Northern Uganda Gallery

Here is another gallery on flickr by semi-professional photographer Greg KendallBall.

Greg Kendallball's flickr site

Another great photo album. Megan Thompson is a missionary who visited Gulu town (where I will be staying) Uganda. There are many pictures of people along with a few shots of the market in Gulu where I will be shopping.

Megan Thompson's picassoweb site

I hope you enjoy the photos. I am definitely starting to get excited!