Amazing Cause: Falling Whistles

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

(Above, Falling Whistles Founder, Sean Carasso)

I seen first hand the creation, dedication and passion for Falling Whistles through my long time friend, 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 Problem:

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:

Short Term: Children displaced by the war have fewer options for survival and are often pulled back into the cycle of war. We have partnered with Congolese community leaders to rehabilitate these children. This process develops local leadership and gives these children the tools to survive and thrive on their own through education, art, medical treatment and nutritional services. Each organization is working to give children the tools to be whistle blowers and stand for peace with the war -region.

Long Term: In order to help the children forced to the front lines, the war must end. Without an organized coalition demanding peace, there is little incentive for out leaders to act, and for those benefiting from the war to stop perpetrating it. To prevent further abuse of children and increase regional stability, our goal is to grow that coalition.

This war is largely funded by the illicit trading of conflict precious minerals. These minerals are mined in Congo and used to create consumer electronics like computers, gaming systems, and cell phones. We find them in our homes, schools and pockets. The lack of transparency in the corporate supply chain has created an environment where purveyors of chaos profit from tin, tantalum, and gold in Congo and are often use militant groups to re- arm. They forcefully control the mines and profit from the dollars of corporate buyers who fail to use fair sources for their minerals.

By buying a whistle (whistles start at 30.00 and 100% of the proceeds go to war affected children in Congo) you as the consumer are given the tools to understand and speak up for one another, and Falling Whistles will work alongside our political leaders toward peace in Congo and demand the products we buy are conflict free. – THE WIFE

www.FallingWhistles.Com