Gsolomon20’s Weblog

As Kou prepares to fly to Africa on Monday, he is sped on his way by the spiritually uplifting praise he received from the Sullivan Ballou Fund on Friday. The Fund, founded by Elissa Peterson and Hennepin County District Court Judge Bruce Peterson, gave its Sullivan Ballou Award to Kou and $2,000 to support the travels of Kou, Robyn and Kait.

The Petersons’ award letter to Kou reads in part: “We salute you for your commitment, your strength, and most of all, for your undaunted confidence that great changes start in the hearts of individual citizens. For that, of course, is how heart energy always works—quietly, and with complete confidence. You are an example to all who know you that, indeed, we are the ones we have been waiting for to end oppression and injustice.”

For the whole letter, click below.

March 7, 2008

Gabriel Kou Solomon
c/o Human Rights Program
University of Minnesota
214 Social Sciences Building
267-19th Avenue. South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

Dear Mr. Solomon:

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Sullivan Ballou Fund, we are delighted to present to you this Sullivan Ballou Award of $2000.

Sullivan Ballou was a major in the Union Army who was killed at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. He became the inspiration for the Sullivan Ballou Fund because of the heartfelt commitment he expressed in a letter to his wife before the battle. He said:

“Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break, and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.”

The Sullivan Ballou awards carry on his spirit by honoring members of the community who devote heartfelt energy to those around them. The full text of his letter is contained in the envelope with the award check.

We and many others have been deeply moved by your plan to travel to South Sudan to conduct research and advocacy into the common practice of inter-ethnic child abduction. We have learned that on October 3, 2007, gunmen of the Murle ethnic group seized three year old Yar Mading and her 18 month old sister Ajak, your nieces, in order to raise them as future brides for the kidnappers’ children. The gunmen killed the girls’ great-grandmother and seriously wounded their grandmother.

You have made this tragedy into a catalyst for a human rights campaign. Your research and public exposure of this practice in South Sudan, including a meeting with South Sudan President Salva Kiir when he was in Washington, have now led you to travel into this chaotic area to pursue your investigation.

Your saga is made all the more compelling by the fact that you were yourself the victim of child abduction, having been kidnapped at age 6 and turned into a boy soldier by members of the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

We salute you for your commitment, your strength, and most of all, for your undaunted confidence that great changes start in the hearts of individual citizens. For that, of course, is how heart energy always works—quietly, and with complete confidence. You are an example to all who know you that, indeed, we are the ones we have been waiting for to end oppression and injustice. And this is exactly the work of the Sullivan Ballou Fund—to seek out models like you of the power of heart energy and to transmit their inspirational message to the wider community.

We wish you godspeed on your journey. We are delighted that this award will, in, a small way, help make it possible. Please let us know the results of your trip.

You are a special person. Congratulations!

Elissa Peterson Bruce Peterson
Founding Members