Amazing Cause: Falling Whistles

Watch the Video above for an Introduction into Falling Whistles Movement.

(Above, Falling Whistles Founder, Sean Carasso)

Falling Whistles began as a small story exposing our world’s largest war. A little more than a year ago two Americans traveled into the Democratic Republic of the Congo on what was meant to be a short learning expedition. By the weeks end, they had discovered an illegal prison holding escaped child soldiers. There they heard of the whistle blowers; boys too small to carry a gun, sent to the front lines of war, armed with only a whistle. That night Sean wrote in his journal “With Falling whistles. they only chance is to feign death or face it”

A friend welcomed Sean home with a fierce embrace and an unusual gift – a whistle. Hanging just over his heart, everywhere they went the whistle would cause conversation and provide an opportunity to speak up for these children. And thus The Falling Whistles campaign was launched with a simple plan – make their weapon your voice and be a whistle blower for peace in Congo.

Falling Whistles has sold over 5,000 whistles and is continuing to rapidly expand. Proceeds go to restoring the lives of war affected children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while U.S. whistle blowers build a coalition to fight for their freedom.The Falling Whistles campaign launched with a simple response - make their weapon your voice and be a whistleblower for peace in Congo. Read the story and buy the whistle. Proceeds go to rehabilitate and advocate for war-affected children. Share their story and speak up for them.

The Problem:

1. Children displaced by the war.

2. Children forced to the front lines

Often traumatized, these children are rejected from their homes or return to find their communities disbursed and destroyed. Left with little recourse for action other than continued violence, their behavior often takes the form of street gangs or militia groups.

The Plan:

The Falling Whistles story reveals two urgent needs:
1. Children escaping the war-region.
2. Children forced to the frontlines of war.

The escaped children are often traumatized and have few options for survival. The result is that they are regularly pulled back into the cycle of war. In Congo they are developing partnerships with community leaders who are rehabilitating these children through education, art, sports, music, human rights education, vocational skills training, medical treatment and nutritional services. Each organization is working to give children the tools to be whistleblowers and stand for peace within the war-region.

Because of security concerns, they cannot expose the names of these organizations at this time. They are working toward healthy and sustainable relationships and look forward to the day when they can show you the physical results of your partnership.

To help the children forced to the frontlines of war, the war must end. The first step toward that goal is to change the way we advocate in the West. Sold out of pockets, living rooms, garages, concerts, warehouses and retail stores, the whistle gives you the opportunity to spread the word about Congo and speak up for peace. Wear your protest and elevate the conversation.

It is easy to feel helpless and a little apathetic about an injustice that has been raging away for several years and is hundreds of miles away. But that is why I think Falling Whistles is so incredible. It gives us all the opportunity to engage with the issue. Falling Whistles asks us to be the whistlesblowers on this injustice.

www.FallingWhistles.com