Members of the group Invisible Children will be showing a screening of their documentary, "The Rough Cut," Thursday evening in the Cooper Science Building.
Freshman political science major Kacie Newhouse, who helped organize the event, said the film will educate Ball State University students about the civil war going on in Uganda.
"We're basically informing people what [Invisible Children] is about and the war in Northern Uganda," she said. "A lot of people aren't really aware of what's going on."
Invisible Children is a nonprofit organization that provides education to Northern Ugandan children. They also use media to spread the story.
In Uganda, located in East Africa, the Lord's Resistance Army, led by leader Joseph Kony, has been capturing, torturing and murdering the Ancholi population. Since support has been decreasing for the LRA, they have been forcing children into the rebel army since the mid-1990s.
Co-organizer Kasey Wicker said the documentary focuses on Uganda's night commuters and child soldiers. Thousands of children, called night commuters, are forced to hide during the night to escape being captured or killed by rebel army soldiers.
"‘The Rough Cut' is the original documentary that sparked the organization," she said. "We're hoping to start a chapter [at Ball State]."
Newhouse and Wicker said they hope students will see the film and take action.
"We are the voice of the new America, and we have to speak up for the rest of our generation around the world," Wicker said. "We're part of the global community. We have the power to affect these children's lives, and it's important for us to use that power to do so."
Once the Ball State Invisible Children chapter is official, she said the group hopes to raise money to help rebuild schools and dormitories in Uganda.
Newhouse said she first saw the film when it was screened at her high school during her junior year.
"After the first time I watched the documentary, it sparked something," she said. "They're so deprived of basic resources, and it pulled at my heartstrings and convinced me to do everything I can to help them."
Newhouse said even though Ball State doesn't have an official Invisible Children chapter yet, students can still help children in Uganda in other ways.
"A lot of people can help by donating money or buying merchandise," she said. "They could e-mail their senators and representatives because right now there's a bill in Congress for the organization, and we'll talk about it at the screening."
Newhouse and Wicker said once there is an official organization on campus, they plan to organize events to raise money.
They hope to organize benefits in the future, including a walk-a-thon to raise money and spread awareness, an idea they got from their high school's chapter of Invisible Children.
"We want to spread awareness," Wicker said. "[These kids] are being ignored."
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