I’ve recently rediscovered that magic activity known as running. Coupled with frequenting the gym and better eating habits, running is downright amazing. Ignored for almost the entirety of my college career, I feel a pang of regret knowing how much I’ve missed out. I think it was the 6am drills in high school that ruined it for me.

I’m sure I don’t need to list all the textbook benefits of running to you, so let me simply point out a few that I forgot about. Running is downright fun. Really, it is. It has even become an entirely new social venue for me, especially when I bring along the dog for a quick jog. It’s also a great chance to be alone in my thoughts, if I so decide. And I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. Maybe it’s all the running. I don’t know.

Austin holds a whole wealth of possible running locations, but Town Lake (aka Ladybird Lake) is by far my favorite. There are ten miles of trail snaking along the entirety of Town Lake. My favorite spot to park at is Auditorium Shores. I usually run the loop all way the to the footbridge at the north end of Mopac park and back. The atmosphere is great, there is usually a healthy amount of joggers–but not too many–and the views of downtown are awesome. Take a look at the map before you go or just head on over.

There are things in this world worth fighting for, nay, worth dieing for. Every man must find the cause which he believes in so strongly that even the thought of death becomes secondary to defending it. Only then can he truly live. I’d like to introduce you to one of the most selfless people that I’ve ever known. Even more, I want you to hear the story of his life focus, of his discovery of the one of the most vulgar modern atrocities… and I want you to join in the fight to stop it.

After being heavily involved in a grassroots movement spawned by a documentary on child soldiers in Uganda, Sean Carasso went on a six-day journalistic trip to central Africa to gain information and distribute donated shoes. He finally left four months later. Sean managed to intermittently update an online blog throughout his journey and wrote an incredible post detailing one of his experiences. Through email and the internet, that post reached over 30,000 people and has sparked a movement of its own: Falling Whistles.

Many of us have heard the stories of the child-soldiers. Invisible Children and stories such as A Long Way Gone have been groundbreaking in granting us glimpses into their tortured lives.

I had heard. Known. Cared. I had even reacted and raged. But when these boys told me of the whistles blowers, the horror grew feet and walked within me.

I cannot describe to you the pain and anguish that I feel through reading the story, or the anger at the inaction of the governments of the region. It’s heartbreaking. Often I ask myself, “What difference can I really make?” But there is hope.

Change starts with information. Read the story. Get informed. Pass it along. The first step is bringing light to the issue and not allowing ourselves to pass it over as just another “African problem.” This, and every issue like it, is a problem of which the responsibility to address lies on all of humanity.

The Falling Whistles organization is currently working with two locals who escaped, created successful lives of their own in America, and then chose to return to their homeland to help those left behind. All monies received are being sent to support their day center for children, a facility that provides for some of the most basic needs that we take for granted: shelter, water, food (when it’s available), and loving human contact. They also employ an art-therapy curriculum to help the rescued children relieve some of their buried emotional scars. This is the first step in helping these kids regain control over their lives.

We can stop this.

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Visit Falling Whistles .com and read the story now.