Robert F Kennedy; Speech at University of Capetown

Robert F. Kennedy, Speech at the University of Capetown, South Africa, Day of Affirmation, 6 June 1966

Mr. Chancellor, Mr. Vice Chancellor, Professor Robertson, Mr. Diamond, Mr. Daniel, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I come here this evening because of my deep interest and affection for a land settled by the Dutch in the mid-seventeenth century, then taken over by the British, and at last independent; a land in which the native inhabitants were at first subdued, but relations with whom remain a problem to this day; a land which defined itself on a hostile frontier; a land which has tamed rich natural resources through the energetic application of modern technology; a land which was once the importer of slaves, and now must struggle to wipe out the last traces of that former bondage. I refer, of course, to the United States of America.

But I am glad to come here, and my wife and I and all of our party are glad to come here to South Africa, and we are glad to come here to Capetown. I am already greatly enjoying my visit here. I am making an effort to meet and exchange views with people of all walks of life, and all segments of South African opinion -- including those who represent the views of the government. Today I am glad to meet with the National Union of South African Students. For a decade, NUSAS has stood and worked for the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- principles which embody the collective hopes of men of good will around the globe.

Your work, at home and in international student affairs, has brought great credit to yourselves and your country. I know the National Student Association in the United States feels a particularly close relationship with this organization. And I wish to thank especially Mr. Ian Robertson, who first extended this invitation on behalf of NUSAS, I wish to thank him for his kindness to me in inviting me. I am very sorry that he can not be with us here this evening. I was happy to have had the opportunity to meet and speak with him earlier this evening, and I presented him with a copy of Profiles in Courage, which was a book written by President John Kennedy and was signed to him by President Kennedy's widow, Mrs. John Kennedy.

This is a Day of Affirmation -- a celebration of liberty. We stand here in the name of freedom.

At the heart of that western freedom and democracy is the belief that the individual man, the child of God, is the touchstone of value, and all society, all groups, and states, exist for that person's benefit. Therefore the enlargement of liberty for individual human beings must be the supreme goal and the abiding practice of any western society.

The first element of this individual liberty is the freedom of speech; the right to express and communicate ideas, to set oneself apart from the dumb beasts of field and forest; the right to recall governments to their duties and obligations; above all, the right to affirm one's membership and allegiance to the body politic -- to society -- to the men with whom we share our land, our heritage and our children's future.

Hand in hand with freedom of speech goes the power to be heard -- to share in the decisions of government which shape men's lives. Everything that makes man's lives worthwhile -- family, work, education, a place to rear one's children and a place to rest one's head -- all this depends on the decisions of government; all can be swept away by a government which does not heed the demands of its people, and I mean all of its people. Therefore, the essential humanity of man can be protected and preserved only where the government must answer -- not just to the wealthy; not just to those of a particular religion, not just to those of a particular race; but to all of the people.

And even government by the consent of the governed, as in our own Constitution, must be limited in its power to act against its people: so that there may be no interference with the right to worship, but also no interference with the security of the home; no arbitrary imposition of pains or penalties on an ordinary citizen by officials high or low; no restriction on the freedom of men to seek education or to seek work or opportunity of any kind, so that each man may become all that he is capable of becoming.

These are the sacred rights of western society. These were the essential differences between us and Nazi Germany as they were between Athens and Persia.

They are the essences of our differences with communism today. I am unalterably opposed to communism because it exalts the state over the individual and over the family, and because its system contains a lack of freedom of speech, of protest, of religion, and of the press, which is characteristic of a totalitarian regime. The way of opposition to communism, however, is not to imitate its dictatorship, but to enlarge individual human freedom. There are those in every land who would label as "communist" every threat to their privilege. But may I say to you , as I have seen on my travels in all sections of the world, reform is not communism. And the denial of freedom, in whatever name, only strengthens the very communism it claims to oppose.

Many nations have set forth their own definitions and declarations of these principles. And there have often been wide and tragic gaps between promise and performance, ideal and reality. Yet the great ideals have constantly recalled us to our own duties. And -- with painful slowness -- we in the United States have extended and enlarged the meaning and the practice of freedom to all of our people.

For two centuries, my own country has struggled to overcome the self-imposed handicap of prejudice and discrimination based on nationality, on social class or race -- discrimination profoundly repugnant to the theory and to the command of our Constitution. Even as my father grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, signs told him that "No Irish Need Apply". Two generations later, President Kennedy became the first Irish Catholic, and the first Catholic, to head the nation; but how many men of ability had, before 1961, been denied the opportunity to contribute to the nation's progress because they were Catholic, or because they were of Irish extraction? How many sons of Italian or Jewish or Polish parents slumbered in the slums -- untaught, unlearned, their potential lost forever to our nation and to the human race? Even today, what price will we pay before we have assured full opportunity to millions of Negro Americans?

In the last five years we have done more to assure equality to our Negro citizens and to help the deprived, both white and black, than in the hundred years before that time. But much, much more remains to be done.

For there are millions of Negroes untrained for the simplest of jobs, and thousands every day denied their full and equal rights under the law; and the violence of the disinherited, the insulted and the injured, looms over the streets of Harlem and of Watts and Southside Chicago.

But a Negro American trains as an astronaut, one of mankind's first explorers into outer space; another is the chief barrister of the United States government, and dozens sit on the benches of our court; and another, Dr. Martin Luther King, is the second man of African descent to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent efforts for social justice between all of the races.

We have passed laws prohibiting discrimination in education, in employment, in housing; but these laws alone cannot overcome the heritage of centuries -- of broken families and stunted children, and poverty and degradation and pain.

So the road toward equality of freedom is not easy, and great cost and danger march alongside all of us. We are committed to peaceful and non-violent change and that is important for all to understand -- though change is unsettling. Still, even in the turbulence of protest and struggle is greater hope for the future, as men learn to claim and achieve for themselves the rights formerly petitioned from others.

And most important of all, all the panoply of government power has been committed to the goal of equality before the law -- as we are now committing ourselves to achievement of equal opportunity in fact.

We must recognize the full human equality of all of our people -- before God, before the law, and in the councils of government. We must do this, not because it is economically advantageous -- although it is; not because the laws of God command it -- although they do; not because people in other lands wish it so. We must do it for the single and fundamental reason that it is the right thing to do.

We recognize that there are problems and obstacles before the fulfillment of these ideals in the United States as we recognize that other nations, in Latin America and in Asia and in Africa have their own political, economic, and social problems, their unique barriers to the elimination of injustices.

In some, there is concern that change will submerge the rights of a minority, particularly where that minority is of a different race than that of the majority. We in the United States believe in the protection of minorities; we recognize the contributions that they can make and the leadership they can provide; and we do not believe that any people -- whether majority or minority, or individual human beings -- are "expendable" in the cause of theory or policy. We recognize also that justice between men and nations is imperfect, and that humanity sometimes progresses very slowly indeed.

All do not develop in the same manner and at the same pace. Nations, like men, often march to the beat of different drummers, and the precise solutions of the United States can neither be dictated nor transplanted to others, and that is not our intention. What is important however is that all nations must march toward increasing freedom; toward justice for all; toward a society strong and flexible enough to meet the demands of all of its people, whatever their race, and the demands of a world of immense and dizzying change that face us all.

In a few hours, the plane that brought me to this country crossed over oceans and countries which have been a crucible of human history. In minutes we traced migrations of men over thousands of years; seconds, the briefest glimpse, and we passed battlefields on which millions of men once struggled and died. We could see no national boundaries, no vast gulfs or high walls dividing people from people; only nature and the works of man -- homes and factories and farms -- everywhere reflecting man's common effort to enrich his life. Everywhere new technology and communications brings men and nations closer together, the concerns of one inevitably become the concerns of all. And our new closeness is stripping away the false masks, the illusion of differences which is at the root of injustice and hate and war. Only earthbound man still clings to the dark and poisoning superstition that his world is bounded by the nearest hill, his universe ends at river's shore, his common humanity is enclosed in the tight circle of those who share his town or his views and the color of his skin.

It is your job, the task of the young people in this world to strip the last remnants of that ancient, cruel belief from the civilization of man.

Each nation has different obstacles and different goals, shaped by the vagaries of history and of experience. Yet as I talk to young people around the world I am impressed not by the diversity but by the closeness of their goals, their desires, and their concerns and their hope for the future. There is discrimination in New York, the racial inequality of apartheid in South Africa, and serfdom in the mountains of Peru. People starve to death in the streets of India; a former Prime Minister is summarily executed in the Congo; intellectuals go to jail in Russia; and thousands are slaughtered in Indonesia; wealth is lavished on armaments everywhere in the world. These are different evils; but they are the common works of man. They reflect the imperfections of human justice, the inadequacy of human compassion, the defectiveness of our sensibility toward the sufferings of our fellows; they mark the limit of our ability to use knowledge for the well-being of our fellow human beings throughout the world. And therefore they call upon common qualities of conscience and indignation, a shared determination to wipe away the unnecessary sufferings of our fellow human beings at home and around the world.

It is these qualities which make of our youth today the only true international community. More than this I think that we could agree on what kind of a world we want to build. It would be a world of independent nations, moving toward international community, each of which protected and respected the basic human freedoms. It would be a world which demanded of each government that it accept its responsibility to insure social justice. It would be a world of constantly accelerating economic progress -- not material welfare as an end in of itself, but as a means to liberate the capacity of every human being to pursue his talents and to pursue his hopes. It would, in short, be a world that we would all be proud to have built.

Just to the North of here are lands of challenge and of opportunity -- rich in natural resources, land and minerals and people. Yet they are also lands confronted by the greatest odds -- overwhelming ignorance, internal tensions and strife, and great obstacles of climate and geography. Many of these nations, as colonies, were oppressed and were exploited. Yet they have not estranged themselves from the broad traditions of the West; they are hoping and they are gambling their progress and their stability on the chance that we will meet our responsibilities to them, to help them overcome their poverty.

In the world we would like to build, South Africa could play an outstanding role, and a role of leadership in that effort. This country is without question a preeminent repository of the wealth and the knowledge and the skill of the continent. Here are the greater part of Africa's research scientists and steel production, most of it reservoirs of coal and of electric power. Many South Africans have made major contributions to African technical development and world science; the names of some are known wherever men seek to eliminate the ravages of tropical disease and of pestilence. In your faculties and councils, here in this very audience, are hundreds and thousands of men and women who could transform the lives of millions for all time to come.

But the help and leadership of South Africa or of the United States cannot be accepted if we -- within our own countries or in our relationships with others -- deny individual integrity, human dignity, and the common humanity of man. If we would lead outside our own borders; if we would help those who need our assistance; if we would meet our responsibilities to mankind; we must first, all of us, demolish the borders which history has erected between men within our own nations -- barriers of race and religion, social class and ignorance.

Our answer is the world's hope; it is to rely on youth. The cruelties and the obstacles of this swiftly changing planet will not yield to obsolete dogmas and outworn slogans. It cannot be moved by those who cling to a present which is already dying, who prefer the illusion of security to the excitement and danger which comes with even the most peaceful progress. This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease -- a man like the Chancellor of this University. It is a revolutionary world that we all live in; and thus, as I have said in Latin America and Asia and in Europe and in my own country, the United States, it is the young people who must take the lead. Thus you, and your young compatriots everywhere have had thrust upon you a greater burden of responsibility than any generation that has ever lived.

"There is," said an Italian philosopher, "nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." Yet this is the measure of the task of your generation and the road is strewn with many dangers.

First is the danger of futility; the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New /world, and 32 year old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. "Give me a place to stand," said Archimedes, "and I will move the world." These men moved the world, and so can we all. Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and in the total of all these acts will be written the history of this generation. Thousands of Peace Corps volunteers are making a difference in the isolated villages and the city slums of dozens of countries. Thousands of unknown men and women in Europe resisted the occupation of the Nazis and many died, but all added to the ultimate strength and freedom of their countries. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage such as these that the belief that human history is thus shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

"If Athens shall appear great to you," said Pericles, "consider then that her glories were purchased by valiant men, and by men who learned their duty." That is the source of all greatness in all societies, and it is the key to progress in our own time.

The second danger is that of expediency; of those who say that hopes and beliefs must bend before immediate necessities. Of course if we must act effectively we must deal with the world as it is. We must get things done. But if there was one thing that President Kennedy stood for that touched the most profound feeling of young people across the world, it was the belief that idealism, high aspiration and deep convictions are not incompatible with the most practical and efficient of programs -- that there is no basic inconsistency between ideals and realistic possibilities -- no separation between the deepest desires of heart and of mind and the rational application of human effort to human problems. It is not realistic or hard-headed to solve problems and take action unguided by ultimate moral aims and values, although we all know some who claim that it is so. In my judgement, it is thoughtless folly. For it ignores the realities of human faith and of passion and of belief; forces ultimately more powerful than all the calculations of our economists or of our generals. Of course to adhere to standards, to idealism, to vision in the face of immediate dangers takes great courage and takes self-confidence. But we also know that only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly.

It is this new idealism which is also, I believe, the common heritage of a generation which has learned that while efficiency can lead to the camps at Auschwitz, or the streets of Budapest, only the ideals of humanity and love can climb the hills of the Acropolis.

A third danger is timidity. Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change the world which yields most painfully to change. Aristotle tells us "At the Olympic games it is not the finest or the strongest men who are crowned, but those who enter the lists. . .so too in the life of the honorable and the good it is they who act rightly who win the prize." I believe that in this generation those with the courage to enter the conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the world.

For the fortunate amongst us, the fourth danger is comfort; the temptation to follow the easy and familiar path of personal ambition and financial success so grandly spread before those who have the privelege of an education. But that is not the road history has marked out for us. There is a Chinese curse which says "May he live in interesting times." Like it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also the most creative of any time in the history of mankind. And everyone here will ultimately be judged -- will ultimately judge himself -- on the effort he has contributed to building a new world society and the extent to which his ideals and goals have shaped that effort.

So we part, I to my country and you to remain. We are -- if a man of forty can claim the privelege -- fellow members of the world's largest younger generation. Each of us have our own work to do. I know at times you must feel very alone with your problems and with your difficulties. But I want to say how impressed I am with what you stand for and for the effort you are making; and I say this not just for myself, but men and women all over the world. And I hope you will often take heart from the knowledge that you are joined with your fellow young people in every land, they struggling with their problems and you with yours, but all joined in a common purpose; that, like the young people of my own country and of every country that I have visited, you are all in many ways more closely united to the brothers of your time than to the older generation in any of these nations; you are determined to build a better future. President Kennedy was speaking to the young people of America, but beyond them to young people everywhere, when he said "The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world."

**I just replaced the previous wall painting with this.. Im gonna need a large living room. :) I LOVE THIS. LOVE IT.

Go now, and live.

Experience. Dream. Risk. Close your eyes and jump.
Enjoy the free fall. Choose exhilaration over comfort.
Choose magic over predictability. Choose potential
over safety. Wake up to the magic of everyday life.
Make friends with your intuition. Trust your gut.
Discover the beauty of uncertainty. Know yourself fully
before you make promises to another. Make millions of
mistakes so that you will know how to choose what you
really need. Know when to hold on and when to let go.
Love hard and often and without reservation. Seek
knowledge. Open yourself to possibility. Keep your
heart open, your head high and your spirit free.
Embrace your darkness along with your light. Be wrong
every once in a while, and don't be afraid to admit it.
Awaken to the brilliance in ordinary moments. Tell the
truth about yourself no matter what the cost. Own your
reality without apology. See goodness in the world. Be
Bold. Be Fierce. Be Grateful. Be Wild, Crazy, and
Gloriously Free. Be You.

Go now, and live.




**This is my new life motto. When I have my own place to live, this WILL be painted on the living room wall. Just wait.

Support!

Hey All, please support me while I work at INVISIBLE CHILDREN this fall.. I have got $0.00 in my bank account and I got to eat.. please use this link: http://invisiblechildren.kintera.org/mysupport/theshawnschmalken to donate to me personally. All donations are tax deductible. Please help me out.

Can't Find the Breaker Box?

I FOUND IT!

It Is A Secret

Dating Fail

All the Single Ladies - Epic Fail.

I feel like they were watching a little to much Glee..

MEND: Meet Lamunu Irene

It is only days away.. MEND launches November 2nd, 2009.

What Does It Take To Get the World's Attention?

Let Us Return Dignity To "Her" Mouth

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that less is more, that we doubt "she" ever did - in fact - say that, and that we aren't entirely sure who "she" really is.

For several weeks, residents of the Intern House have noticed an unnatural spike in "That's what she said" jokes on the part of house inhabitant Kristin Weaver. While some have been widely-regarded as well-played and timely, others have received diverse criticism, drawing complaints such as "That's a stretch," and "That doesn't even make sense." Consequently, in order to retain the value of a worthwhile and humorous "That's what she said" joke, desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures.

Be it therefore enacted that a jar labeled "Pizza Fund" will hereby be placed on the downstairs counter, for the express purpose of limiting the honorable Kristin Weaver's "That's what she said" jokes.

For every "stretched" joke made by Ms. Weaver, she must deposit one dollar in the jar. "Stretched" jokes will be determined by a vote of those present when such a joke is delivered, with the plurality holding the final say. Laugh Factor may, admittedly, be included in the decision.

When the money in the jar reaches a predetermined amount, the matter will be brought before the body in the forum of a scheduled House Meeting - held at 10:30 pm on Sunday nights - and a decision shall be made as to the franchise used and toppings included on said pizza.

The governing body understands the rashness of such a decree, but hopes that this edict can, in turn, provide for many laughs to come. We appreciate your patience and cooperation while this matter is resolved.

Story by Coy Whittier

A Work In Progress.

Oh Blogger, it has been awhile since I have come to you to write, but today, I am doing so.

I sit here, on the balcony that I awoke from today, over looking San Diego, or more relatively, the district of La Mesa. The breeze is cool, and the noise is abundant with cars, the trolley, a saw, and as always the birds chirping away. Last night, and the night before last a couple of us slept outside, not only because we can, but because the weather is right, and it is a place to get away and think.

Friday, it stayed warm, and quiet. Last night, it got crisp, and foggy. I rolled over to the railing, and couldn't see over the edge it was so foggy (exactly like it was at the beach yesterday.. we couldn't even see the water).

The best part about sleeping outside is waking up, to the sunlight, and birds feeling refreshed. It is good right now.

I am now about half way through my semester at Invisible Children. It is a hard time- there are a bunch of questions in my head. Should I return home? Should I apply to stay another semester? What should I do?

My family and friends tell me to come home. My heart tells me to stay. What do I do?

This is the kind of work I want to do with the rest of my life, it may not get you money, but it is so rewarding. As one of my favorite quotes from an Invisible Children video goes, "I am poor, but my life is rich." I don't mind this. I want that.

Being here at Invisible Children ultimately has changed my life, its changed me so much. But, life tells me to go home, continue school, work, get a car, get a phone, etc.. is this really what I want? I have one week to decide. This is called crunch time.

I start school in a week and a half. It's my dream school. I am so excited. Check it out, www.fullsail.edu. This is a school I have always wanted to go to, but, it is in Florida, that is the part that has always stopped me, but it will no longer.

I am very excited to continue my education while studying Web Design and Development for the coming two year- then go in the world and use it, use it for non-profits (its more along the lines of what do.)

I have get to moving now, but as always, I can ALWAYS use support. You can now donate online directly to me by visiting http://invisiblechildren.kintera.org/mysupport/theshawnschmalken

For now.

Shawn.
*This is a picture that Kaitlin (one of my new best buddies) took of me. ;)

WANTED!

BBC New's; How It Ends

This video was taken at HOW IT ENDS in Washington, D.C. I was standing below the arrow, behind Rachel.

MEND. Who Made Your Bag?

MEND is designed to seam a personal connection between products, their creators, and you. MEND is proof that what we wear can- and will- make a difference. Who made your bag?

MEND LAUNCHED NOVEMBER 2ND, 2009.

Awesome program, eh? Awesome video!

That's right. Chili will never be the same..

Fueled by Caribou Coffee...

Oh, if I could be driving this.. I would be in heaven.



I miss Caribou. I cannot wait to return. :)

WE WANT OBAMA VIDEO BLITZ 2

CAN I HAVE YOUR SIGNATURE?



A VIRAL VIDEO FROM:

CAN I HAVE YOUR NUMBER?



There are a lot more to come.. we're making some amazing videos. Its what interns are for!

WE WANT OBAMA VIDEO BLITZ 1

Let the WE WANT OBAMA VIDEO BLITZ BEGIN! In order to get the attention of the busiest man in the world, we need some more attention. Behold, the WE WANT OBAMA VIDEO BLITZ. Us interns are making some videos too.., day one down, two videos up. Enjoy.


Emily after entering arrest warrants..



a viral video from:

Help Me Out!

Dear Friends and Family,

Help me out. Help me get to Uganda. Help me eat. Help Invisible Children.

Donate to me personally now.

http://invisiblechildren.kintera.org/mysupport/theshawnschmalken

thanks in advance.

"In Jesus name I pray... IM A WARRIOR OF GOD... GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Oh my gosh. This is epic. Wow. I feel bad for the film crew.. let alone, the poor kids, and husband. But, she swears that she is a warrior of God (at least she is not on the dark side .. but from the way it looks.. its where she belongs.. ha

An EPIC Wedding Entrance

wait for it. someday this will happen. JUST WAIT.

" Let..

.. me tell you, BACON IS GOOD FOR ME!"

do a book drive..

join schools for schools. do a book drive.

The Effle Wedding.

This past summer I photographed parts of the Effle wedding. Here are a few fully edited pictures from the night. Enjoy. -Shawn

A New Effort...

Greeting.. It has been super busy here in San Diego.

I'll go back a week or two..

So, September 8th. Two days before the launch of our Fall 2009 Schools for Schools and Rescue and Recovery Tour. It was intense. Roadies were scrambling for last minute training's, while at the same time trying to book final screenings. It was hectic. On the 3rd for of Invisible Children we were running around, organizing $175,000 in merch.. in real time understandable words.. thats about 20,000 t-shirts, lots of bracelets, and DVD's. We took pictures and made videos... here are a few pictures from pre-tour launch downstairs. This is what I did.. with Kaitlin of course.. and an amazing boss, Russell.


This is the night before launch. It was soo clean and organized until this night. Its messy because the roadies were rolling shirts, and beginning to carry stuff outside to put into vans.


This is a picture looking down from the roof of the office onto some roadies loading the vans the night before launch.


This is a team loading one of the new vans, preparing for tour.


This is actually what the room looked like before it got messy.



Hmm.. these are bracelets that came in two days before launch. It was a ton!


Some Roadies rolling shirts in the room that isn't even ours.. our office building loves us.. heh. :/


So.. here are pictures from the Launch Party on September 10th on top of Mount Soledad. It was amazing. Pictures tell the story.

This is Marissa... and some other interns. Welcome to the launch party. :)

These are some of the master minds behind Invisible Children.

Epic moment. Jason Russell spoke, and behind him was a full moon. Nothing like a moonshot, eh? The Roadies were blasting off!



This is our fleet. PREPARE FOR BLAST OFF!

Tyler Jones!!! TAKE OFF!

Sean Hines was so excited, he was about to jump out of the van and start tour charging towards peace!

It has been an EPIC adventure so far, and there is sooo much more to come. I also have a lot to catch ya'll up with. More posts coming soon!!

<3 Shawn

"No role in history could be more difficult or more important. We stand for freedom."

"I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things. Not because they are east, but because they are hard. Because that challenge is one we're willing to accept, and one we intend to win." - JFK (1961)

When I accepted the internship at Invisible Children this past July, I had no idea that I would be fighting towards a mission that so many would call impossible, but the funny thing is, I'm not complaining.

This fall at Invisible Children, we're going for the moon. We believe that ending the war in northern Uganda, and boarding countries is OUR MOONSHOT of the decade. We know we can do it, and we're offering you three ways to help us accomplish the impossible.

1. WE WANT OBAMA. We're calling on President Barack Obama to make a public statement by Christmas, and committing the United States to ending the war, and committing to the recovery of Uganda. Sign the CITIZENS ARREST WARRANT BY CLICKING HERE.

2. JOIN TRI. TRI is simple. Donate $3 a week to rescue the child soldiers. Its a coffee. Its a bag of chips. Sign up at www.invisiblechildren.com/tri If you sign up for TRI, we'll even give you the new activist journal, and two shirts for free.

3. JOIN SCHOOLS FOR SCHOOLS. Start a club, raise some money, and rebuild war torn schools in northern Uganda. Sign your school up at www.s4s.invisiblechildren.com


There you have. Let's get to the moon.

-Shawn

P.S.- Last week at tour launch, there was a full moon. Was that a sign from God? I think so.

THE GONG

The Roadies get to ring the GONG when they book a screening.. well, we counted 20,000 shirts, reorganized, and distributed them in less than 15 hours.. this was our GONG RINGING. It was so legit. Oh, and yeah, we're dorks. Enjoy.

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME!!

This is my new favorite song.. in light of me starting season 1 of the OC.. I love it. Enjoy.

wait. i was going to put the music video and the lyrics, but i found this instead. :]]

"The Road Is CAlling, So I've Got to Go.."

I LOVE this song.. Listen.. I think it explains part of me being at Invisible Children. ;) Enjoy. Some epic posts coming soon!



<3

Welcome to the Cliffs of Mount Soledad

Apologies.

My apologies. Sorry. It has been a very busy week at Invisible Children. Everything from booking screenings, to calling TRI members, to tackling Nova Scotia, Canada to book screenings... to getting ready for TOUR LAUNCH. We've been spending longer hours at the office, and doing IC related things. I haven't had time to call people, nor blog. It's killing me- but, it is TOTALLY worth it.

I have a ton of pictures, I wish I could put them up now, but I am not on my computer. Maybe later.

So, last Saturday we as a house went to La Jolla.. a beautiful suburb of San Diego.. lets just say, cliff jumping is a must there. There are caves, everything you can imagine about a coastal city on the shore. Its EPIC. We spent the day there, and ate dinner at a good mexican place. Oh how mexican is different 15 miles from Mexico.

This week, we haven't done to much except work. On Tuesday we got a new house mate, Eric. Cara's last day is today (she is the head accountant for IC), so he will intern this semester, and take her job at the beginning of the year. :)
He lives with us until then, and he is super dope (dope is another word for rad [its a Chicago thing I guess.])

Last night around 5pm in the office, they made us all report to the work room to tell us a secret. They gave us a riddle, told us we had 30 minutes to find dinner, without eating it, get in the vans, and find the place the riddle led us to. It led us to Mount Solidad. It is an AMAZING PLACE.

All 80 of us ate our dinner, then played running games with Jed. He's awesome. Then, he said, "oh wait guys, we got to meet the other staff.."

Which basically meant, we were headed some where else. That we were.. to Mission Beach, where we would sit around a bon fire at the shore of the Pacific Ocean, roast smores, and listen as TOM SHADYAC spoke to us.. again! This is the THIRD TIME I'VE MET HIM, he actually remembers me now. Awesome.

For any of you who don't know who he is.. he is a famous director.. all kinds of them, most recently, Bruce Almighty, and Evan Almighty.

And now.. its time for work.. again.

THRILLER; Invisible Children Sytle

We at Invisible Children like to go the extra mile for special occasions. For example, perform musical's for Oprah in the middle of the street outside Harpo Studio's and the middle of the night.. and in this case, learn the THRILLER by Michael Jackson dance and sing for Margie (the movement director at Invisible Children) on her birthday. It's just what we did.

This is a combination of staying up late in the middle of the street with 80 others learning this all for the first time.. ever.

Enjoy.

Pebble.

"Anybody can make a difference in people's lives.
All it takes is a little bit of effort and some creativity."
-David Mortlock

Ocean Beach (aka: OB)

The Pacific Ocean from a cliff near in OB.

Ocean Beach is one of thee MOST amazing places I have ever been, seriously, and literally. I have never stood where the waves crashed in and soaked you. Last night I did for the FIRST time ever.. it was pretty EPIC. We decided that we wanted to enjoy Acai bowls on the sands of the Pacific while the sun was setting, so we went.. took some pictures, then headed off up Newport Ave (an amazing street in OB)looking for the small orange building that made the "best bowls known to man," but instead we found a Mexican place where we decided to eat dinner.. so, we ate tacos, then decided to skip the bowls and come back again.. We went back to the beach, and walked it, then walked up to the fishing pier (which feels like it goes 2 miles out into the ocean). Spent the night there, it was great.


This is where the waves crash against the rocks and soak you.. I was here. I want to live there.


The waves crashing.. amazing.


That's me.. smiling by the cliffs and waves..


Me jumping..

But, anyways.

Tradition.

Thursday night, Invisible Children let us interns and roadies out early and sent us on the traditional photo scavenger hunt in San Diego.. with only a few rules.. 1. You must fit 15 people in a van, 2. You can only drive the vans 300 miles, 3. Be creative, and don't go over the border.

So, we took off.. it was a great night of bonding with roadies, and a few interns. Here are few pictures..



..and then we headed towards the Gaslamp Quarters (and up and tight district of downtown). We met Kiptyn (he is FAMOUS) literally.. check it.



.. there he is.. and there I am. He was soo nice. He was on the last season of the Bachlorette, runner up. ;)

Until later..

A Sneak Peek.

This is a sneak peek blog as to whats to come soon. Let me tell you, the next blog will be EPIC, and very powerful. But for now, chew on this.

"The world is run by one million evil men, ten million stupid men and a hundred million cowards. There are only one million of them, the truly evil men, in the world. The very rich and the very powerful, whose decisions really count - they only number one million. The stupid men, who number ten million, are the soldiers and policemen who enforce the rule of the evil men. They are the standing armies of twelve key countries, and the police forces of those and twenty more. They are often brave, I'm sure, but they are stupid, too, because they give their lives for governments and causes that use their flesh and blood as mere chess pieces. Those government always betray them or let them down or abandon them, in the long run. Nations neglect no men more shamefully than the heroes of their wars. And the hundred million cowards, they are the bureaucrats and paper shufflers and pen-pushers who permit the rule of evil men, and look the other way. They are the head of this department, and the secretary of the committee, and the president of the other association. They are the managers, and mayors, and officials of the court. They always defend themselves by saying that they are just doing their job, and its nothing personal, and if they don't do it, someone else will.They are the hundred million cowards who know what is going on, but say nothing, while they sign the paper that puts one man before a firing squad, or condemns one million men to the slower death of a famine. So that's it. The world is run by one million evil men, ten million stupid men, and a hundred million cowards. The rest of us, all six billion of us, do pretty much what we are told."

From the book, Shantaram

.. like I said, this is a preface to the next EPIC blog. It will be so powerful and personal, you WILL NOT know what to do.. what will it's title be you ask? It's simple..

"The ABCD's of Life, and your Personal Story"

Think hard. Prepare yourself, and much love. -Shawn

The Chronicles of the Intern House... continued.. and orange juice.

Yo. There is not much going on in the house tonight. Everyone is tired, sore, eating, and just ready for bed.. but, we're baking cookies, in which apparently we are going to give to the Art Department as a gift (its where the top dogs work, and all the cool people who work 24/7 to get the deadlines made.)

But, anyways.. the lizard problem here is intense.. I was outside walking around, eating my pasta for dinner, talking on the phone and I looked down and saw what looked like a snake. I ran inside to get my camera, went back outside, and it had moved.. I leaned over to look and it ran away.. This was no snake, it was practically a baby alligator- no lie. Check it.



Today was a good day for me, and the office. I was given a list of things to do before my supervisor returns from vacation. I completed 3/4's of the tasks.. it was tough counting work, but I did it, and did it good. The IC warehouse is looking mighty fine. ;)

I am really looking forward to tomorrow, for some reason, being the behind the scenes dude is very fulfilling- this is actually something I would not mind doing for the rest of time... and it helps that I LOVE SAN DIEGO! It's such a good city.

So, I hate doing this.. but, I have too.. Living on nothing, and getting paid $0 dollars to work just isn't good.. it takes money to live.. if you see it possible to donate to IC indirectly by funding my internship- I WOULD LOVE YOU. Here is how you can do it..

Send a Check written out to: Invisible Children
with: SHAWN SCHMALKEN DIRECT SUPPORT labeled CLEARLY in the MEMO LINE.
throw a note in the envelope stating that it is strictly for SHAWN SCHMALKEN

pop it in the mail and mail it to:

ATTENTION: SHAWN SCHMALKEN
INVISIBLE CHILDREN
1620 5TH, AVE. SUITE 400
SAN DIEGO, CA 92101

It's that easy.. or just put together an amazing "care package" and send to the same address, OR just write an amazing letter- I'd love to get letters via snail mail, it will make me smile, :)

If you're thinking of me, and/or praying for me.. I ask that you pray for a Roadie here, who is from Australia.. he lost his grandfather today. It's too bad, but he will stay strong. Chad- I am thinking about you and your family.

This is random but.. I am craving orange juice. Luckily, when I went grocery shopping last night at Ralph's, it was only 99 cents.. so I bought some. I was smart and knew I'd be craving it.


... oh, btw, family back home- I decided I am buying a house here, this is the one too..



Anywho.. I am planning on taking more pictures of downtown SD, to post and email, I just haven't had much time to do much. Until later..

<3 Shawn S!

I Could Only Imagine..

As Jason says, "*%$!ing DREAM IT!"

The Chronicles of the Intern House

...That's right, now you WANT to read this..

"We at Invisible Children like to go the extra mile and make everything ghetto and last minute."

That quote explains it all, we are all about going the extra mile, and making it as ghetto as possible.

The intern house is infested with Flea's, and nasty ones (they're biters all right.)We decided we wanted to fix the problem, but how do we go about it? Flea spray? Flea bombs? Well, we of course Googled it and discovered that flea bombs work well.. so, we bought three of them.

Tonight we bombed room #1- the one that if you walk into, you turn black because fleas instantaneously jump and stick to you, and of course that would be Marissa's room.

Well, there was a slight problem, there is vents, and cracks under the doors- we discovered that after we started the bombs, so we duct taped everything shut.. and that is what you get..

This was definitely ghetto, last minute, and beyond our thinking..!

First there was no running water, second we had lizards, third we have fleas, and finally, we're blocking half the house off with duct tape to remove all living things unwanted. Great.. whats next? A mountain lion in our living room?

How it Ends: Our Fighting Chance

How it Ends mustered a whole lot of Congressional support for the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, but we need more co-sponsors to ensure the bill is passed in the House and Senate. We need to amplify this issue to rescue Joseph Konys child soldiers.

This is our fighting chance. This is How it Ends.

Please visit http://www.invisiblechildren.com for more information.

P.S.- I now work for Invisible Children, and I was there at How it Ends. ;)

The Legend of the Iguana

This the lizard (iguana like thing) we chased out our house.

Remove Joseph Kony from the Battlefield!

This one is going to be an epic post.. read it all.

Friday was a good day. It all hit home- I was actually sitting in the office of Invisible Children in San Diego, California working for free for the better good. It was a long day packed with super high tech trainings, to history of the IC tours and events, to history of the war part 1 taught by Laren. Friday was the day that I actually began growing friendships with fellow interns and roadies.. getting to know them more and more.

Friday night all of us interns wanted to go out, and eat.. and so we did. We walked up the street about a mile to 'Pita Pit' (its very good.) I had never had it before but was willing to try it out.. I had a breakfast pita for dinner. Then, we walked next door to Paradise Yogurt- let me tell you.. yummy! I will be going back before we move houses in September.

Yesterday we all got up and got ready to go to the beach, and we wanted an adventure so we decided to take the trolley and the bus. We went to Pacific Beach- amazing place. See..


This is kind of a family picture.. at the Trolley stop.. a few are missing.


Meet.. Taylor (Roadie; Team Texas), Amy (Mission Dept. Intern), Kayla (Office Manager), and me!


Pacific Beach.


The shoreline of Pacific Beach from the pier.

So, after the long day at the beach with friends, us interns headed home, ate dinner, and just hung out. When the art department interns got home they told us what was going to happen..

They were given the directive to wheat paste posters to a wall in downtown San Diego for a photo shoot that would appear in something secret (can't tell you, muahaha!). So, first of all- wheat pasting is very illegal.. scary, I know.. and of course, I went.

So, here are few pictures from our heist in downtown San Diego..


This is.. Ashley (art dept. intern), Natalie (s4s intern), and me.. all dressed in our distracting not so illegal outfits..


Us in the IC van getting ready.. from left to right.. Chris (art dept. intern), me, Ashley (art dept. intern).


Heh.. there we go.. we want Kony removed.. so, this is how we go about it.





We got home at 5am this morning- then we slept. Until next time..

<3 Shawn

I am a Bully.

So, this is cute. I am going to write about Kayla, a super fantastic epically amazing fellow intern. I think she is amazing. I think she should stay working at Invisible Children- she will be dearly missed, seriously dude. If you don't believe me, *&^5ing believe it (inside joke for anyone else reading this.)

Kayla, you're eating Baba Gannouj and Focaccia Sticks. I have no idea what it is.. let's google image it, and I will show you..



Kayla also, oddly, loves the song Mmmbop by Hanson, well, I mean, who doesn't? Just a little FYI, she is like actually dancing right now on the couch (awkward.)

... and now, she is talking about the movie, Hitch. ;)

Now we are dancing to sandstorm in the living room of the intern house. Kayla is complaining about how I am actually writing a blog about her.. lame. I was nice and decided to do it.

By the way, she will be writing a book that is 300 pages long and has four major parts.. she also already has a copy editor.

Want to know something random about Kayla? Okay good.. she kind of introduced me to Paradise Yogurt (frozen yogurt). It was sooo good.

Peace out.