Global Night Commute
Encyclopedia
Invisible Children
Invisible Children: Rough Cut is a 2003 American documentary film. Its subject is the abduction and forced enlistment of children by the sectarian Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda.-Synopsis:...
through the organization Invisible Children Inc. The GNC took place on April 29, 2006. Youths from around the world walked to city centers and spent the night in parks to show support for Ugandan children who walk every night into city centers attempting to avoid capture by the Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
(LRA).
Overview
These children, between the ages of 3 and 17, from Acholiland in Northern Uganda, are referred to as "night commuters". They walk up to 20 km (12 mi) from internally displaced personInternally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
camps to larger towns, notably Gulu
Gulu
Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
, in search of safety from the LRA.
The GNC was similar to other initiatives raising awareness about the plight of the children in Acholiland like the Gulu Walk
Gulu Walk
GuluWalk is an initiative started by two Canadians to highlight the plight of Acholi children in northern Uganda who used to trek each night to town centers in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader – for fear of being maimed, raped, abducted or even killed by the Lord's Resistance Army , a...
that took place in over 40 cities internationally in October 2005; however, the Global Night Commute took place on a much larger scale. Over 58,000 people signed up to participate in the event, but over 80,000 attended in total; it took place in 130 cities in seven countries.
The goal of the event was to raise awareness and ultimately end Africa's longest running conflict by facilitating a change in the policies of the United States government. The slogan for the event is "On April 29th, we gathered. To make a difference. To end a war."
The GNC was held in Independence Park
Independence National Historical Park
Independence National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in Philadelphia that preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution and the nation's founding history. Administered by the National Park Service, the park comprises much of the downtown historic...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and was led by a group of students from Valley Forge Christian College. 1,300 people attended from Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
The Chicago, GNC centered in Grant Park
Grant Park (Chicago)
Grant Park, with between the downtown Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan, offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks...
at the base of the Lincoln Statue, with an estimated 2,000 people gathering. In compliance with Chicago law, the commuters were restricted from actually sleeping, made near impossible due to the downpour which lasted throughout the evening. The Chicago event gains increased significance as it hosted the sole Invisible Child featured in the film to its gathering, Jacob, as well as Invisible Children Inc. co-founder Jason Russell. Day-time talk-show host Oprah even lent the Chicago commute the use of one of her very expensive crane cameras to photograph the event.
The GNC Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, was held in Lincoln Park outside the State Capitol. Around 700 braved the cold Colorado weather to stay in the park through the course of the evening.
The GNC in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, was held in Balboa Park after it was relocated from Horton Plaza due to limited space considering the number of people expected to attend. The event was well attended, with over 6,000 people spending the night, the most out of all the host cities.
The GNC in Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
had one of the largest attendances, with over 2,500 people. Later in the night, almost 500 more people walked from their senior prom
Senior Prom
Senior Prom is a still-classified United States Air Force program to develop a stealth unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance purposes , designed to be launched from a Lockheed DC-130, B-52 Stratofortress, or B-1 Lancer.-Origin and development:The program began in the late 1970s after the...
to join the event.
The GNC in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
took place outside a parking garage at a plaza and consisted of 700 plus people from all over the valley.
The GNC in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
took place at a City of Seattle-designated "free speech zone" on a sports field at Green Lake Park, it was wet due to heavy rain that day and overnight temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit - despite which an estimated 1,800 people attended. One third of the participants were from Seattle Pacific University - and walked four miles to attend. Television news trucks from ABC, CBS, NBC and regional news affiliates covered the event live - clips from two broadcasts were used in the Invisible Children podcast The GNC - What Did It Do?http://www.invisiblechildren.com/media/videos/detail.php?id=57245760
The Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
/Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green is the county seat of Wood County in the U.S. state of Ohio. At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Bowling Green was 30,028. It is part of the Toledo, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University...
GNC was held in the St. Aloysius church parking lot and hosted about 130 people. Media coverage was inaccurate.
The GNC in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
had nearly 150 people the event was supported by the Gainesville County Commission who allowed the Commuters to use a local park without paying a fee. Media converage was limited.
The GNC in Durham, New Hampshire
Durham, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 565.5 people per square mile . There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 130.5 per square mile...
consisted of 200 people, and took place on the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
campus hosted by ChildVoice International
ChildVoice International
ChildVoice International is a Christian nonprofit organization which attempts to assist child soldiers and other child war victims.-Activities:...
. It was below freezing that night, and most of the "global night commuters" woke up with frost on their sleeping bags.
In Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, the GNC took place at Pioneer Courthouse Square, was around 40 degrees Fahrenheit at night, and hosted around 1,000 people. Media coverage was limited.
The GNC event in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
had at least 250 commuters who were forced to sleep under a nearby bridge due to rain.
The GNC in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
was held at the Bank of America Skating Center, an outdoor public ice rink, in Kennedy Plaza. Most media coverage was diverted to a mill fire in nearby Woonsocket
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 41,186 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
; the sole news clip erroneously claimed that the event supported children in Nigeria.
The GNC in Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
was held at Hawk Island County Park. There were more than 400 people in attendance to support the Invisible Children cause. After many attempts to contact the local media, it proved unsuccessful. The weather was cold and wet.
The GNC in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
was held at Northwest Christian College in the courtyard. More than 200 people came. The media were not present.
The GNC in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
was held on the grounds of the State Capitol building in downtown Raleigh.
The GNC in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
was held at Trotter's Park and had over 1200 people in attendance. There was media coverage that made the front page of Local & State of the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
, Central Florida News Channels 35 and 9, as well as the Caribbean Sun.
The GNC in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
was attended by approximately 300 people. The weather was cold and very wet, with the overnighters sleeping in a parking garage. Despite the public awareness the event raised, there was very little media coverage.
The GNC in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
had around 800 people who walked almost six miles. There was media coverage and sprinklers came on during the middle of the night. This forced them to move from the baseball field to the parking lot, but didn't stop their spirits.
The GNC in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
was held at Rice University. While local news organizations were notified in advance, few if any provided media coverage of this event.
The GNC in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
was held starting at the University of Texas at Austin campus and ending at the Texas Capitol building. Featured in the Austin American Statesman and some news coverage. It was very cold that night and State Troopers regularly patrolled the Capitol Grounds to regulate the commuters. It was forbidden to sleep and commuters were required to leave sleeping bags at the gate.
The GNC in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
was held on Centennial Mall (the mall in front of the State Capitol Building). More than 700 people were in attendance. There was extensive media coverage and several elected officials, including Congressman Jeff Fortenberry
Jeff Fortenberry
Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Fortenberry, born December 27, 1960) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Lincoln and includes most of the eastern third of the state outside the immediate Omaha area.-Early life, education and...
, made appearances.
The GNC in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
was held on the State Capitol Lawn. Participants walked from Washburn University to the Capitol lawn. There was media coverage of the event and a number of speakers. Due to rain, the commuters were relocated to a nearby parking garage to sleep for the night.
The GNC in Chico, California
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
was held at Neighborhood Church. About 350 people did the walk together. The walk was around 4.5 miles from a bank downtown.
The GNC in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
was held on the Oklahoma State's Capitol Lawn. Students ranging in age from elementary to college level came in masses, most of them walking the entire way. This was the biggest GNC in Oklahoma and included students from Oklahoma University, Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, and Oklahoma State University (many of whom walked the 68 mile journey)
The GNC in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
was held in a local school building. It was organized by ANSER Jr. High School students and was a huge success. The students walked five miles to the building, walking straight through downtown and other popular areas. They carried signs and informed many people of the Invisible Children.
The GNC in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
was held in John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
Memorial Park between the Canadian Embassy and the United States Courthouse along Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...
, with 1,352 commuters in attendance. Although asked by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
The Metropolitan Police Department, also known as the DC Police, DCPD, MPD, and MPDC is the municipal police force in Washington, D.C...
not to sleep in the park, this was not actively enforced and many people slept through the late night hours. Early the following morning, filmed by an Invisible Children Inc. organizer, the commuters marched a path by the art museums and to the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
where they stood for a group photograph before dispersing. The gathering there was watched closely by officers of the United States Capitol Police
United States Capitol Police
The United States Capitol Police is a federal police force charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its territories.-History:...
. The entire gathering was a peaceful one. Adrian G also helped contribute much of his time and energy in this organization.
The GNC in Westlake Village, California
Westlake Village, California
Westlake Village is a planned community that straddles the Los Angeles and Ventura county line. The eastern portion is the incorporated city Westlake Village, located on the western edge of Los Angeles County, California. The city, located in the region known as the Conejo Valley, encompasses half...
was held at Oaks Christian School on the football field. Commuters from the surrounding area walked in groups, meeting to write letters to government officials, discuss the cause, and view the documentary together.
External links
Event Photographs
- Flickr Collection
- Vancouver, Canada
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Portland, Oregon
- Washington DC
- Kansas City
Press
- Students join Global Night Commute in Washington, D.C., The Johns Hopkins News-LetterThe Johns Hopkins News-LetterThe Johns Hopkins News-Letter is the independent student newspaper of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Published since 1896, it is one of the nation's oldest continuously published, weekly student-run college newspapers....