"Displace me" The experience.

Last night over 6000 people gathered in one location for one reason. To the war in Uganda.
Pomona Fairplex was the stomping grounds and epicenter for a night that will go down in history.

We arrived, cardboard in hand, red "X's" painted on our white shirts, a water bottle and a box of saltines.
The whole idea was to camp out with just sleeping bags and cardboard. To mimic the people of Uganda that have been "Displaced" by war.
The Saltine crackers and water bottles were quickly taken from us unopened and would be distributed in rations the way the government does for the displaced.

People got up and spoke in front of the thousands sprawled out on the grass. We all listened to what we had to do to end the war, who was capable of doing it and what we could do to help urge these people to make a move.
We saw videos on a large screen and we had 21 minutes (which seemed like an hour) of silence for the war and its victims.

Everyone was encouraged and felt like we had accomplished something.

It was apretty fresh night, alot of energetic people ready to save the world one place at a time.
Our group was pretty sweet, we made a nice fort of a cardboard hut, played a few rounds of "Mafia" and then packed in like sardines, we whispered ourselves to sleep under the misty sky.
Yes, I felt like I was in Woodstock, minus the drugs and sex. Add some really cool cardboard huts and really friendly people to the mix, your pretty much camping with 6000 friends.

Heres some pictures from my experience.

I'll be glad to keep any of you posted on the on-goings of this organization.
Visit their site for more info www.invisiblechildren.com

-Samuel™

The "Displace Me Crew"


Filming to promote the end of the war in Uganda.


morefilming.


More.

6000 People.


The women were handed these water bottles, the guys grabbed the saltine crackers...to mimic the Ugandan's


The boys. After we built our fortress.




Getting ready to sleep...in cardboard boxes.


Our version of Uganda's Displaced sleeping arrangements.

There IS HOPE!


part of our group.


My sleeping bag was warm.


Our view.

My letter to one of CA.'s senators.

More on the way.

Vote for my "Jones Soda" label.

I have 3 images currently in the running for a JonesSoda bottle cover.
Vote for mine...vote 10, otherwise don't vote... even if you hate it, still vote 10, cuz you love me :)

Bottle #1

Bottle #2

Bottle #3

Brittany's Shoot

I did a shoot today with Brittany, it went well.
You may recognize Brittany from other pictures I've taken. (South Africa, Christmas, New Years, ect...)
These are Brittany's Senior pictures.

Displace me.

This Saturday "Invisible Children" is hosting a national event to draw attention to the injustice in Uganda.
Hundreds of thousands of Ugandians are "Displaced" have no homes due to war. They have barely any food and live off of little or nothing in terms of clean water and food.
checkout this video (below) for more info.
Join me and thousands of others, this Saturday night.
You can find me in the middle of a thousand people cardboard box in hand and sleeping bag wrapped around me... Pomona Fairgrounds. 3pm- 10am
Please join us. We are going to get alot of political attention to push a change in Uganda. We've already made a huge difference!
Visit www.invisiblechildren.com/displace Me for alot more info.

-S™





What is a displaced camp?

The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has abducted thousands of children, subjected them to torture or sexual violence and forced them to fight in a violent guerilla army for 21 years—making it the longest running war in Africa. In hopes of providing protection from this rebel militia, the Ugandan government forcibly evicted its Northern citizens from their homes—giving them 48 hours to relocate into camps. Today, more than 1.5 million Northern Ugandans remain far from secure, suffering nearly 1,000 deaths per week due to inhumane living conditions in the camps.

Alcoholism, sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS, inadequate sanitation and lack of education have caused immeasurable damage to two generations and the near-total destruction of Acholi culture. Water is scarce and people are reliant on food to be delivered by foreign aid. If the food isn’t delivered, the people starve. This April, the already meager rations delivered by the World Food Program to the camps will be cut in half due to lack of funding—with school feeding programs and support for HIV/aids victims soon to follow. This will indisputably increase the number of deaths among those already suffering from severe malnutrition—mostly among women, children and the elderly. That is why the timing of this event, and your participation are so crucial.



Alot of people are going that I know...so if you need a ride...let me know.

I shoot weddings Alot

Go to this link to view more of my wedding work. www.iralippkestudios.com

I'll be regularly posting updates from weddings I shoot, as well as posting my favorite images from random photo projects.
Stay tuned for more later on.