As you read the following, breathe deeply, be still and listen beyond words.

The dark, beautiful eyes of a young child gazes soulfully, beseechingly at me, following me as I walk the fence outside her camp in Northern Uganda.

Her eyes tell of untold suffering, loss of innocence and loss of childhood. Her tears have long dried up, weary from the suffering and lack of basic human needs.

Silently her eyes ask me: Why? Why have you forgotten me? Why have you left me to die this slow death? She asks me, they ask the world: Have you forgotten your promise not to let this happen again?

Her dark, beautiful eyes hold mine in a long, deep gaze and her soul cries out for help and for answers.

She is Futini♥.

I walk outside the fence, and on my side, the world is beautiful, well fed and well clothed. On her side, the world is devoid of beauty and hope. She has no food and little water, and her people and culture are slowly crumbling.

She is one of the invisible children of war. She is protected on paper but not in reality.

Meditation

Gently get into a quiet, meditative Soul Space of healing power

and speak this meditation peace-poem from a place of pure loving intent.

All over the globe we speak your name

Futini

All over the globe we speak your name, and the echoes softly shatter the silence

We are awake and have remembered...Ubuntu!

All over the globe, Futini, we speak your name, say ‘Enough!

and enfold you in protective arms of love

Look through the haze for our outstretched hands,

step into our circle, and

rest awhile

Hold our hand and rest

so that within our nurturing circle of love

like the trees of an old-growth forest after a scorching fire,

you will send out new buds, full of promise and majestic possibilities

Hold our hand and rest

so that within our gentle, sparkling showers of Love

like dormant wild-flower seeds after a welcome rain, you will germinate and blossom

expressing the profusion of beautiful potentialities you contain

free to dream again,

free to create a life of your own choosing

So hold on my love, hold on

For all over the globe Futini, we will be the dream

we will walk with you until you find your voice

and are laughing again.

May the Acholi Circle be mended ~ the land, the people, the elders

May the abundance and well-being of Acholiland flow freely

And may wisdom, understanding and peace prevail.

As always, please feel free to modify this peace-poem/vision/prayer or to use your own.

_____________________________________

♥ Notes

The name ‘Futini’ is spelled phonetically ~ there are no ‘f’s in the Acholi language. The fictional Futini represents all the Acholi camp children, night commuters and others. During the meditation, please replace the name ‘Futini’ by the names of the five Ugandan invisible children. As we speak their names, we hold a soft intention of love for each of them and for the thousands of invisible children that they represent. For their stories and for more information on all the invisible children, please visit Invisible Children Inc., Earth Angels who have ‘hit the ground running’ in Uganda in service of our children.

This Golden Peace Circle Meditation was inspired by Olara A. Otunnu. In June, 2006, I listened to him speak about the children of war. He spoke eloquently and passionately and asked us, the world, to break the silence about what is taking place in his native Northern Uganda. I was very moved.

Later, I dreamed about Futini and it was so powerful, that I knew I had to engage this issue in as direct a way as I possibly could (more directly than the 2 other meditations dedicated to them).

[Olara A. Otunnu, current President of the LBL Foundation for Children, was the lead architect of UN Resolution 1612 adopted in July, 2005. The Resolution is ‘a compliance regime for the protection of children’ caught in the crossfire of conflict and war, and puts in place ‘measures for the healing and reintegration (of the children) in the aftermath of conflict’. In 2006, Mr. Otunnu was chosen by the children to be the first World’s Children’s Ombudsman, and his first task (given to him by the children) is to promote the rights of the girl child.]

GuluWalk

In the original Guluwalk in 2005, its founders, two young men Adrian Bradbury and Kieran Hayward, daily did a night commute in their native Canada for 31 days in support of the invisible children, to understand their plight and to shine a light on the horrendous situation in Acholiland.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu, pronounced ‘oo-boon-too’, has no equivalent English word. Says Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu: “Africans have this thing called Ubuntu. It is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa will give the world… Ubuntu says, in order to enhance my humanity, I have to work like blazes to enhance your humanity.”

Being The Dream

When we live our authentic inner vision, we not only honour ourselves,

we also live in fulfillment of our children’s dreams…that is,

by living our dreams with integrity and power,

we create the right space for the unfolding

of our children’s dreams.

So, live maximally!

♥

When dreams ignite in the core of your being,

A window to magical and extraordinary possibilities opens

Step boldly through that window, and

Be the dream.

Dare to create a world fit for children.

- from the Golden Peace Circle ‘Be the Dream’

October 25, 2008