Displace Me

To encourage the simulation, participants were asked to bring the following: With 15 locations across the United States, participants had to travel long distances to reach their “camps.” The traveling aspect was reflective of the displaced individuals in northern Uganda who were given 48 hours to leave their homes and relocate to displaced camps throughout the region.

Throughout the remainder of the night, participants were rationed food and water and heard, via video, personal testimonies from those living in the IDP camps in the North.

Speakers included the Gulu District Chairman Norbert Mao, Invisible Children’s Ugandan Country Director Jolly Okot, and the Senior Adviser to the International Crisis Group John Prendergast, among others.

First Lady Laura Bush also directly addressed the Displace Me participants via a prerecorded speech shown on video.

Participants concluded the night by writing letters to their government leaders and the President of Uganda, calling friends and family who were not aware of the conflict, as well as holding 21 minutes of silence for the 21 years of war.