About this item
One woman's inspiring true story of an unlikely alliance to stop the atrocities of a warlord, proving that there is no limit to what we can do, even in the face of unspeakable injustice and impossible odds"This compelling and inspiring book beautifully moves each of us to take action to help the most vulnerable among us." - Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu Late one night in the summer of 2010, Shannon Sedgwick Davis, a lawyer, human rights advocate, and Texas mom to two young boys, first met the Ugandan general to discuss an unconventional plan to stop Joseph Kony, a murderous warlord who'd terrorized communities in four countries across Central and East Africa. For twenty-five years, Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army had killed over a hundred thousand people, displaced millions, and abducted tens of thousands of children, forcing them to become child soldiers. After meeting with survivors and community leaders, aid workers and lawmakers, it was clear that the current international systems were failing to protect the most vulnerable. Guided by the strength of her beliefs and convictions, Sedgwick Davis knew she had to help other parents to have the same right she had - to go to sleep each night knowing that their children were safe. But Sedgwick Davis had no roadmap for how to stop a violent armed group. She would soon step far outside the bounds of traditional philanthropy and activism and partner her human rights organization, the Bridgeway Foundation, with a South African private military contractor and a specialized unit within the Ugandan army. The journey would bring her to question everything she had previously believed about her role as a humanitarian, about the meaning of justice, and about the very nature of good and evil. In To Stop a Warlord, Shannon Sedgwick Davis tells the story, for the first time, of the unprecedented collaboration she helped build with the aim of finally ending Joseph Kony's war - and the unforgettable journey on an unexpected path to peace. A powerful memoir that reads like a thriller, this is a story that asks us just how hard we would fight for what we believe in.Advance praise for To Stop a Warlord"How far would you go to stop a murderous Ugandan warlord who had turned thousands of children into soldiers? As the head of a human rights foundation, Shannon Sedgwick Davis did something unprecedented: She hired private military contractors to train an army to stop him. This is an extraordinary memoir by an extraordinary leader - it's impossible to read without feeling moved to do more to help those with less." - Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take
About the Author
Shannon Sedgwick Davis is the CEO of Bridgeway Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to ending and preventing mass atrocities around the world. Established in 2000, as the charitable giving arm of Bridgeway Capital Management, the Bridgeway Foundation serves as a catalyst for peace and reconciliation in international communities suffering from oppression, genocide, and other human rights violations. As an attorney, activist, passionate advocate for social justice, Ms. Sedgwick Davis has guided Bridgeway Foundation in pioneering solutions to these seemingly intractable issues. The organization has supported such efforts including Aegis Trust, Resolve Uganda, and Invisible Children. More recently, Ms. Sedgwick Davis and the Bridgeway Foundation have been credited for their pivotal role in mobilizing awareness, civilian protection, and recovery efforts against the Lord's Resistance Army and its leader, Joseph Kony, the first-ever indictee of the International Criminal Court.Before joining Bridgeway Foundation in 2007, Ms. Sedgwick Davis served as Vice President of Geneva Global, a leading philanthropic consulting firm that advises individuals, foundations, non-profit organizations, and corporations on international development, global health, and poverty solutions. Previously, Ms. Sedgwick Davis was the Director of Public Affairs at the International Justice Mission (IJM) , a human rights agency that focuses on ending slavery, forced prostitution, and illegal land seizures in the developing world. Her work in helping rescue children from sex trafficking in the Svay Pak village of Cambodia was featured in the 2005 Emmy award-winning piece, "Children for Sale," on Dateline. Ms. Sedgwick Davis is an honors graduate of McMurry University and Baylor Law School, from which she received the institution's Young Lawyer of the Year Award in 2011. Other recent awards include- Nomi Networks 2014 Abolitionist Award and The Rotary Club of San Antonio's 2014 Outstanding Young San Antonian and most recently, Global Human Rights Hero award from Saving Innocence. Ms. Sedgwick Davis currently serves on the advisory council of the Elders and is a board member of several organizations including Humanity United, charity:water, This Bar Saves Lives, Verdant Frontiers, Virunga Fund Inc., and formerly, TOMS LLC.
