UPDATE:The creators of KONY 2012 – a viral campaign calling for the arrest of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony – have released a follow-up documentary. Invisible Children said they made “KONY 2012: Beyond Famous” in response to the criticism they received after KONY 2012 was created.
Here it is.
Here’s the original post we ran when the movie first went viral:
You may not have heard of Joseph Kony. And that’s a problem.
He might be the worst man in Africa. Maybe even the world. And yet, he’s not ‘famous’. Joseph Kony is the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Africa, starting out in Uganda before moving to border countries. He trains child soldiers. He kills children who can’t – or won’t – be turned. He maims them. He puts guns and machetes in their hands and tells them to kill others. He has abducted and turned some 65,000 children. Others say the figure is above 100,000. He’s responsible running more than 2 million people out of their homes and land.
How do you stop a man so evil? Well, organisation the Invisible Children are trying. Filmmaker and co-founder Jason Russell shot this short documentary about Joseph Kony to make him ‘famous’ enough that the world might act. He says:
“The ultimate dream for KONY 2012 is that it becomes a tipping point for conversation, and that people will make a commitment to stop at nothing by making sure Kony is known in their circle of influence, whether it’s their family or office or school. The dream would be for Kony to be captured, not killed, and brought to the International Criminal Court to face trial. The world would know about his crimes and they would watch the trial play out on an international level, seeing a man face justice who got away with abducting children, raping little girls, and mutilating people’s faces for 26 years.”
Already today we have been sent this video by dozens of people. It’s going viral. The type of film you watch that leaves you stunned. In silence.
But more people know who he is. Will it help him be arrested? Kony was indicted for war crimes in 2005 by the International Criminal Court, but has never been captured. US President Barack Obama has signed laws stating Kony is a terrorist, and more legislation attempting to stop the LRA. 100 armed US forces were sent to Africa to help local troops find and capture Kony.
To date, he roams free. But now you know. And that must surely help.
The Today Show chatted to Kony 2012′s Jason Russell this morning. Here’s what he has to say:
If you want to donate money to the cause, but are unsure about the charitable reputation of of The Invisible Children you can make donations to War Child, a charity that works on rehabilitating child soldiers in Congo.
Watch the documentary. Tell us what you think. And then tell your friends.
Comments
166 Comments so far
This campaign is great as it’s raising awareness of a serious issue. But it’s a shame as to how ignorant we all are. A lot of you reading this probably have a ring on your wedding finger. Does it have a diamond? Do you look at it everyday and it reminds you of how much you love your partner and how you “would die” if you lost it.
I suggest you inform yourself of the corruption within the diamond trade. I’m not talking about the blood diamond trade that De Beers has led us to believe but the corruption within De Beers themselves. They’ve had a monopoly on the diamond trade for over a century and threatened African nations who did not agree to sell their diamonds to De Beers- this is how the blood diamond trade began as De Beers funded rebel groups to threaten governments.
That diamond on your hand that your husband probably spent three months wage on (another marketing ploy by De Beers) is probably worth one tenth of what he paid. But most diamonds are worthless as no one wants to buy a second hand diamond as diamonds are forever (another marketing campaign by De Beers so women will only want brand new diamonds).
So readers, the point I’m making here is to inform yourself of the injustices of this world and don’t wait for someone to inform you. If you were shocked and amazed by the Kony campaign then you’re bound to be shocked even more once you learn what actually goes on beyond our own safe littlebubble.
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I watched Blood Diamond. Leo told me all about it
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It’s interesting how drastically they have changed their approach in response to the criticism. This video rarely shows white faces (in contrast to the first video, which was dominated by the “white hero” image). They have also tried to make it seem like they are helping communities, rather than promoting graffiti etc. And no Jason Russell anywhere.
They are covering their tracks.
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Article in The Australian: “Campaign to stop Kony shines light on ill-informed activists”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/campaign-to-stop-kony-shines-light-on-ill-informed-activists/story-e6frg6so-1226295402061
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Do you not find it coincidental that a massive oil reserve has recently been discovered in Uganda?
This is so clearly another case of US propaganda where they build up support, invade a country with their military bases, and completely strip that country of their resources. Happened in Libya, Kosovo etc etc.
This is so clearly about the oil. The country will be much worse off when the US just TAKES all their resources and leaves them for dead. This man certainly needs to be captured, but this campaign is not going to end positively for the Ugandan people.
Do your research people and don’t believe in all the propaganda.
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http://pomee.tumblr.com/post/18899601760/kony-2012-causing-more-harm-than-good
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hhmm that organisation seems very dodgy
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Umm… I don’t consider myself that well informed. I’m 27 and I kinda feel like you have to have been living under some kind of rock to be in your 20′s or older and have no idea that this has been happening… just saying, I didn’t learn anything more out of the video than I already knew through my own knowledge
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knowing and then caring enough to do something about it are two different things.
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Oh finally someone who isn’t shocked by this video. I’m horrified that none of my facebook friends seemed to have any idea about this until they saw the video. I’ve known about the situation for years, and yet everyone seems to be just finding out. I’m certainly not the sort of person that generally has any idea what was going on in the world, so I am constantly amazed that I seem to be the only one I know that knew.
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My thoughts on the Kony 2012 backlash –
http://www.writehub.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/kony-2012-backlash.html
Had to write a blog post about it because the negativity about this campaign really bothers me!
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Do you not find it coincidental that a massive oil reserve has recently been discovered in Uganda?
This is so clearly another case of US propaganda where they build up support, invade a country with their military bases, and completely strip that country of their resources. Happened in Libya, Kosovo etc etc.
This is so clearly about the oil. The country will be much worse off when the US just TAKES all their resources and leaves them for dead. This man certainly needs to be captured, but this campaign is not going to end positively for the Ugandan people.
Do your research people and don’t believe in all the propaganda.
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I’m glad you added a War Child link, a much more reputable group.
Kony is a horrrible person and should be captured and tried, but I just cannot support this group for a number of reasons.
First, the video is emotionally manipulative and exploitative. Using his toddler child the way he does just does not sit well with me. I find it incredibly tasteless.
Second, and following on from that, the Ugandan conflict isn’t explained at all. If you went by the video – and his simplistic explanation to his son – evilcartoonvillainbadguy just woke up one day and decided it’d be fun to kidnap children and turn them into soldiers. The situation is so much more complex than that.
Third, the cosy relationship the filmmakers have with the Ugandan military and government is highly questionable. The fact they don’t bother to acknowledge the crimes committed by both – including most of the same practices the LRA use – shows they’re either naive or have some seriously questionable ideological motivations.
Fourth, the whole Hitler angle is tasteless, as is putting their ‘night of action’ on Hitler’s birthday. Frankly, I found that aspect vulgar.
Fifth, there’s a large arrogance and ego to the assumption that if only westerners knew about it, if only celebrities tweeted about it ‘something would be done’, and the concurrent ‘nobody knows’ narrative. People do know – you might not have, but does that matter? Uganda knows, Africa knows, the UN knows, governments know, and they all have for years. The naivety and hubris of thinking that making a viral video and buying a wristband will solve the world’s problems is ridiculous.
Sixth, the film ignores the fact that the LRA hasn’t been active in Uganda since 2006, Kony hasn’t been in the country at all for over a year, and northern Ugand is more peaceful than it has been in decades. There are reconcilliation programs, and the Ugandans themselves have come up with them. Is it perfect and peaceful? No. But do we really want to override what Ugandans themselves are doing?
Finally, the suggested solution of military intervention is extremely dangerous and is likely to make things worse.
It’s nice that people are aware of Kony’s existence, but this documentary, its assumptions, and its solution are far too problematic to support.
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Not only women and children are affected by the war in Uganda, so are civilian men.
Do not read this article if you are sensitive and explicit information. It is truly harrowing look at what men experience in Uganda.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jul/17/the-rape-of-men?cat=society&type=article
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OMG i’m so saddened to read all these comments below written by tight-asses whinging about how the “Kony 2012″ campaign are spending their money. Seriously?! Have you got nothing better to do with your time but find something negative in something so awesome and positive?!
When was the last time in your life a you tube video went viral creating an INTERNATIONAL wave of *compassion* for those who have no voice, no life, no hope???? THIS is what humanity should be like. THIS is what us westerners should be doing with our spare time. And ppl like you just want to come along and find any little negative thing to whinge about. Get over yourself.
Have some compassion for these darling children who are forced to be soldiers.
My partner and I sponsor a child through a similar organisation to world vision – it’s called compassion australia. When we had the idea to sponsor a child, we *briefly* looked into what organisation had the most integrity regarding how their used their financial donations. HOWEVER, unlike you, we didn’t go around saying “omg we don’t like world vision, we are going to sponsor a child through compassion australia instead. World vision is evil and terrible and do not -whatever you do -sponsor a child through world vision.” Jesus! Chill out already! If you have a huge problem with donating money to the Kony 2012 campaign – THEN DON’T. No one is forcing you to.
But I think it’s really unnecessary to be writing on here whinging and complaining and judging how the “Invisible Children” organisation are spending their money.
Bottom line: if you want to get on your soap box, then tell everyone about Kony 2012 to make him famous and help get him captured. But don’t get on your soap box to whinge about how money is spent. Epic fail.
Can’t you see the crux of the issue here is JUSTICE FOR INNOCENT CHILDREN? It’s NOT about money or how anyone spends their money – even “Invisible Children” organisation or the “Kony 2012″ campaign.
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They are spending money on educating the west about Kony and the LRA and the child soldiers because awareness –> action –> which helps little by little to get him captured.
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I think you will find if you dig a little deeper that the commenters below are not “tightasses whinging”, but rather people who have read further and learned that this particular charity’s approach is probably not the best way to help these children, or all the other people in the region.
A few quotes from The Daily What blogpost (linked below):
“The group is in favour of direct military intervention, and their money supports the Ugandan government’s army and various other military forces. Here’s a photo of the founders of Invisible Children posing with weapons and personnel of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. Both the Ugandan army and Sudan People’s Liberation Army are riddled with accusations of rape and looting, but Invisible Children defends them, arguing that the Ugandan army is “better equipped than that of any of the other affected countries”, although Kony is no longer active in Uganda and hasn’t been since 2006 by their own admission.”
“Sending money to a nonprofit that wants to muck things up by dousing the flames with fuel is not helping. Want to help? Really want to help? Send your money to nonprofits that are putting more than 31% toward rebuilding the region’s medical and educational infrastructure, so that former child soldiers have something worth coming home to.”
“The bottom line is, research your causes thoroughly. Don’t just forward a random video to a stranger because a mass murderer makes a five-year-old “sad.” Learn a little bit about the complexities of the region’s ongoing strife before advocating for direct military intervention.”
It is important to be cautious about naively leaping onto the bandwagon without educating yourself about where the bandwagon is going.
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But don’t you think the best way to help the children is to prevent the horror from occurring in the first place?
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Also remember that Kony surrounds himself with child bodyguards. Invisible Children supports direct military action. Therefore, if they take Kony out, they’re also very likely to kill a number of the very children they want to protect.
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yeah but if he’s not stopped then he’s going to abduct thousands more..
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I find myself torn on this issue. I lived and worked in Africa, particularly in Kenya, Uganda and Malawi, and spent a long time travelling through most of the countries in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. I’ve been supporting War Child for a number of years as well as other grassroots charities that I had the privilege of working with while I was out there. So awareness is not an issue for me. I saw the video this morning and my first thought was that it was a little patronising. Maybe that is just me though as it seems to be a great marketing tool and it has got people talking.
I wouldn’t donate to IC nor necessarily recommend it. I suppose what it useful is that so many people are now saying “wow, we never knew that this was going on!” In that sense, it is a good move. My concern would be that people fall for the hype in the video without making an informed decision as to whether and how they’ll support it.
I think that it is only responsible to research charities that we choose to donate to in the same way that I believe that one should research investments for ethical issues, inform ourselves before we buy clothes and food for ethical considerations etc. Not everyone cares so much before they spend money but I feel very fortunate to have the ability to buy clothes, food and make investment choices, but I don’t want to compromise on my values while I do. If people do a little research and decide that IC is for them, great. If they decide that they would like to donate to the same cause but with a different charity for whatever reason, great. And if it has made some people want to become more socially active, fantastic. I just think we need to be aware of what we’re supporting – for example, I regularly research admin costs of charities, their perspective on family planning (many charities operating with women in the third world do not offer terminations or contraceptives) and their neutrality. Those are important issues to me.
Anyway, sorry if it all sounds a little poncy but after working in countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean for a long time, it is something I feel really passionate about.
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what seemed patronising about the video??
was it patronising to you because you already knew all about this?
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No, I don’t think that is it. I’m not sure I can even put my finger on it. Perhaps the fact that he used his son and played on his son’s innocence – I get that maybe for some people that has really driven it home for them, and thus been successful, but it was a little off for me. Maybe it was the tone of the piece which reminded me of a lot of really well-intentioned programs “imposed” on third world countries – the thing is that they do have a strong Ugandan base and for me it would have been more effective to play that up. More along the lines of “us foreigners are just going to raise as much money and awareness as we can but this is going to be something which is by Ugandans for Ugandans” rather than “us educated foreigners, we’re going to change the course of history in your country for you”. Sorry if I can’t explain it well – it annoys me that I found it patronising and I can’t put my finger of why!
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Ok, now I can express why I felt it was patronising – this article on the Guardian has just perfectly summed it up for me: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-campaign-oprah-and-bracelets?intcmp=239
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You didn’t think the whole angle with his son was patronising? I found the ‘tell my three year old about superbadman and how we’re going to go and get him’ angle tacky to the highest leve.
The documentary also lacked nuance and context, as if the makers thought people couldn’t understand anything unless it was presented with a Hollywood-style supervillain. At the very least, by including no conflict background, the makers seem to assume their audience can’t understand anything that isn’t black and white.
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I feel really let down by this article.
I’m disappointed.
There is a total lack of understanding of the actual issues in Africa shown not only in this article but in the Invisible Children’s campaign, and that is not what I would have expected from MamaMia. I am sorry, but this website has collectively lost both respect and integrity in my eyes.
This issue should have been properly researched by the MamaMia team before it was commented on in any way.
And why do we believe that fighting violence with violence will ever work? Empower the people of Africa that these criminals are stripping power from. Give them education and hope, and you will achieve much more than you will by persecuting one man, regardless of his history.
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how so? pls elaborate.
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Hi Helen,
Yes the issue is complex. No question. And it appears the charity aspect requires some further scrutiny but that doesn’t change the enormous good that has come from 28 million people who have watched this video in the past 48hrs from now knowing about the issue of Kony and child soldiers and slavery.
Knowing about it isn’t the same as fixing or ending it, of course. But the power of awareness should never be underestimated.
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I’m getting quite frustrated with comments that people who support the campaign need to do their research. I have. I’ve done a lot, from many different sources. And I came to the conclusion that I still support the campaign.
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I don’t believe that it has done as much good as people are saying. We now have hundreds (thousands?) of people buying kits and bracelets off a charity, who possibly isn’t even going to pass on that money to the people who need it. On top of that, I know for one that most of my facebook friends have shared the link, without donating to any charity, or doing anything else except sharing it. They believe that buy posting it they’re making a tangible difference to Uganda, which plainly isn’t true.
Catherine I have done my research as well, and I don’t believe in supporting the campaign. I have also looked at a lot of different sources for that research. It does come down to a personal decision, and I am glad that you have researched yours and can back it up – just because we disagree doesn’t mean either of us has done something “wrong”. However, although I know it is simply anecdotal, the people who I know who have shared this video have not researched the issue, and know nothing about Uganda, it’s history, or its social climate. The video really doesn’t tell people much of this information. I believe that that is a major flaw in the campaign, because if people don’t understand the issue, or don’t admit that they don’t understand it, they are going to discredit the rest of the good work that is being done in third world countries. I think if you don’t understand it you should admit that straight away, and be able to open your mind and learn about it, (as I try to), and I don’t believe that this campaign encourages that.
Anonymous, here is the best article I have read, although there are many more if you just do some searches on google: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1632821/Blog:-Kony-2012:-Hype-over-substance
There is one by a woman called Wendy on her blog which talks specifically about the finances, that is: http://www.agirlnamedwendy.com/2012/03/kony-2012-my-thoughts-and-criticisms/
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Mamamia – why are you saying at the end of the article “if you’re unsure about Kony 2012 donate to this other charity”??
What’s there to be unsure about Kony 2012?
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http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/
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I watched the KONY 2012 video on youtube today and it has stayed with me the whole afternoon – I cannot get it out of my head!
It’s not just the tragedy of it all – beautiful, precious, innocent children being made into soldiers & sex slaves – but I think for me what really stands out is the fact that we westerners have an opportunity to be a part of something BIG. Something LIFE CHANGING. Something WORLD CHANGING. That is exciting. It moves my spirit and makes me come alive. Jason Russell deserves to be president or at least deserves a medal or something. What an absolute LEGEND. There are so many awful wars and crimes against humanity going on out in the world today – most of which we are oblivious to as we live in the “lucky country”. We are so blessed here.
What a powerful movement. This makes me excited and proud to be part of this.
My prayers and hopes are that Kony really does get captured (and preferrably killed) ASAP so those poor children can be rehabilitated and live a normal life. <3
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I am a 17 year old high school student from the far south coast of NSW. I think the Kony 2012, it an amazing idea. So many of us fortune ones hear stories and know what is occuring around the world, yet we sit back and don’t do anything. We critic and post negative things on facebook, yet were not the ones fearing for our lives daily. This campaign is original as we can help, we can pledge, and we can buy an action pack. We can see the difference we are making my a simple click of a button on our computers. I hope that you everyone hears this story and donates. I hope that we can catch this man who has done so horribly wrong.
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beautiful, just beautiful I’m glad to call you my fiancé
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I love you james squires
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Good on you Chloe. Help spread the word.
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Charity Navigator is a good place to get ratings, how the money is spent, etc. Here’s the link for the Invisible Children rating: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429
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This comment illustrates perfectly how people jump onto these band wagons. You have the sum total of human intelligence at your fingertips – Google for yourself. Use your brain. Don’t rely on MamaMia to do your thinking for you.
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Absolutely. Absolutely, absolutely.
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Thanks Hannah.. I’m on the case now and angry at my own gullibility.. I think my critical thinking hat blew off in the wind created by the hoards of sheep! (I am one of these evidently).
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Alert: Mamamia Team
Questions have been raised about the charity Invisible Children Inc.
From The Daily What:
“The organization behind Kony 2012 — Invisible Children Inc. — is an extremely shady nonprofit that has been called ”misleading,” “naive,” and “dangerous” by a Yale political science professor, and has been accused by Foreign Affairs of “manipulat[ing] facts for strategic purposes.” ”
…
“By IC’s own admission, only 31% of all the funds they receive go toward actually helping anyone [pdf]. The rest go to line the pockets of the three people in charge of the organization, to pay for their travel expenses (over $1 million in the last year alone) and to fund their filmmaking business [...]”
…
“And as far as what they do with that money:
The group is in favour of direct military intervention, and their money supports the Ugandan government’s army and various other military forces. Here’s a photo of the founders of Invisible Children posing with weapons and personnel of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. Both the Ugandan army and Sudan People’s Liberation Army are riddled with accusations of rape and looting, but Invisible Children defends them, arguing that the Ugandan army is “better equipped than that of any of the other affected countries”, although Kony is no longer active in Uganda and hasn’t been since 2006 by their own admission.”
…
“Sending money to a nonprofit that wants to muck things up by dousing the flames with fuel is not helping. Want to help? Really want to help? Send your money to nonprofits that are putting more than 31% toward rebuilding the region’s medical and educational infrastructure, so that former child soldiers have something worth coming home to.”
http://tumblr.thedailywh.at/post/18909727859/on-kony-2012-i-honestly-wanted-to-stay-as-far
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I think it’s perfectly normal that the Kony 2012 campaign brings out both followers and critics alike. I have known about the issues in central Africa for many years. The reason I got behind this campaign was not to implore my friends to donate and indeed I have not donated a cent, nor requested anyone else to do so. It was merely do the number one thing that Invisible Children Inc. asks of each of us as human beings. Share. Share and make him famous. Make sure everyone knows his name and what he does. Then the campaign has been a success as the public interest requirement for action remains. At the end of the day the critics, like the followers, are adding to this cause. Remember that it is not merely a ‘donate money’ campaign; it is a MAKE HIM FAMOUS campaign. So the blogs, tweets and updates opposing the campaign are in their own way supporting it…don’t rise to the challenge and argue against them. Smile and let them do their thing. At the end of the day, they too are working towards the common goal of helping to Make Joseph Kony Famous!!!!
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If people take the time to actually read The Daily What blogpost linked above, you will see that no one is disputing that Kony is a monster, or that awareness is vitally important.
The point is that Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 campaign may not be overtly seeking donations, but in reality that is how many people are responding to it. The post is making people aware that donating to Invisible Children Inc is probably not the best way to help this cause – see the links in the article for their suggested alternative charities.
Furthermore, as The Daily What points out, we need to not naively assume that killing (or arresting) Kony is the magic bullet that will fix all the problems in the region. Killing Osama didn’t stop terrorism.
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How articulate was Jason on the Today show?
Valid point Clare, it’s just so frustrating that people miss the point of the whole thing and focus on the negative. But yes, whether your into it or not his name is getting out there and people are talking- so its working. Bring on April 20!
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Says it all here
http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html
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Thanks for the link Hannah.
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Seriously – listen to the video above of Jason Russell explaining where all the money goes.
Sad you have to be so negative at a time like this.
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I may be wrong, but as far as I can tell the invisible children group wanted to promote awareness and get everyone knowing the name joseph kony. Isn’t this what they did? Did they claim that if you donate to them the money will be spent on the child soldiers? I don’t think so. As far as I could tell they were about raising awareness, which they have succeeded in doing. The video says that they want US, the viewers, to ring parliament etc to get things to change. They did what they said they wanted to do. Why should we expect any more?
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i am in! amazing video, fablulous iniciative and determination and i really hope it works…Down with Kony! have any of you watched “the last king of scotland?” It’s a movie based on the brutal uganda dictator Idi Amin… this Kony reminds me of that story… amazing movie but shocking too.
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I was really hoping for some investigative journalism from Mamamia on this today…
Is it okay to donate to a charity that in 2011 had
TOTAL REVENUE
$13,765,180
Excess for the year
$4,870,548
Net Assets
$6,584,811
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429
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A friend on facebook posted this in reply to anothers comments on donating “To a ‘charity’ that gives less than 30% of the donations to the cause. And the cause they’re giving to (Ugandan Army) is guilty of child abduction and rape as well. Winner.” I worry that this is a cause that we dont know enough about.
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Are they asking for donations?? I didn’t think that was what they were after with this campaign at all…
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Several of my friends have already donated. So yes.
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They NEVER asked for donations, they stated that if you wanted to donate, that was fine, great even but the purpose of that movie, which as they stated was free to watch, was just that, that you WATCHED it and then got your friends to watch it.
The purpose of this campaign is to get people talking, which is what it’s doing.
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NEVER?? I hate to sound rude but maybe you should watch the video again in full or visit their website.
Their action plan for watchers (as per video and website);
1. Sign the pledge (to participate on April 20 when guerrilla marketing poster campaign takes to the streets overnight)
2. Buy the kit – with bracelet and 20 posters (not sure why people can’t print their own. No wait on, no profit in that.)
3. Sign up to Tri (their charity) to organise automatic monthly donations.
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I think people are forgetting what their key aim and purpose is. To raise awareness. Not to send food or troops to Uganda. To raise awareness. To do this, they need to pay staff, create movies & posters & bracelets. That’s where the money goes.
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ABC, yes
Income Statement (FYE 06/2011)
REVENUE
Total Contributions
$10,334,060
Program Service Revenue
$3,423,351
Total Primary Revenue
$13,757,411
Other Revenue
$7,769
TOTAL REVENUE
$13,765,180
EXPENSES
Program Expenses
$7,163,384
Administrative Expenses
$1,444,570
Fundraising Expenses
$286,678
TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES
$8,894,632
Payments to Affiliates
$0
Excess for the year
$4,870,548
Net Assets
$6,584,811
Where does this other $10m go but in their pockets??
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sorry alyssa – where is the extra 10m??
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in 2011
Excess for the year
$4,870,548
Net Assets
$6,584,811
KONY 2012 – Help with spreading the word of justice, however money isn’t required to save lives – unless you want to help the christian organisation business get richer.
‘Most people view us as a charity, The Invisible Children movement is a business, a company, not a charity’ Jason Russell – Co-founder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkB8o5VWAjE&feature=youtu.be
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Thank you Alyssa. There has been quite a bit of debate about this. They are clearly misrepresenting themselves as a charity with the donations through tri. Which they do say in the video goes to help the children. Clearly not. This has all the key ingredients to win young people over. And that is just what it did.
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You know Alyssakat, I agree that there are plenty of worthy causes that we should donate to but unlike you I believe that this one is worthy as well. They have done what they are claiming to do, they brought awareness to the world, they made people think. They need to be paid, not everyone can and want to donate their time.
I work for a not for profit organization in Australia and guess what, I get paid!
He has dedicated over 10 years of his life for this cause, not many people can claim that, I know I can’t.
I say enough with the constant negativity, trust that the people that have donated have done their research and don’t share your opinion. Remember that it’s always easy to condemn but harder to take action and commit.
If they are misappropriating funds, why aren’t they prosecuted?
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Signed the pledge, bought the kit.. I am in!!
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I think this kind of awareness-raising is amazing and the fact that it’s in all the news outlets this morning indicates that they’re doing a good job.
It’s worth remember though that IC are primarily an advocacy group. Over 75% of the funds received go to program work – but that doesn’t just mean programs on the ground in Uganda, it also means programs advocating the cause in the US. While I will help them spread this message through my facebook and twitter, I won’t donate. There are more charities out there where the majority of program spending goes to programs on the ground helping child soldiers, like War Child’s work in the DRC and World Vision’s work.
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I think it’s important to note that the organization doesn’t claim to be using their funds to feed the Poor Starving Children of Africa… This is what they do- the people who are looking at their funds and complaining that such a big chunk goes into video production etc seem to be missing their point, their purpose.
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I disagree, the video does talk about how they are building schools, early warning systems and other infrastructure in Uganda. On my first viewing of it, I thought the majority of donations were going to these projects and the advocacy work was voluntary and free.
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I am so torn on this! I think what IC is doing is amazing – no question there. And working for government I know how much difference public pressure can make to policy decisions, so I really think they’ve got a good chance of making this happen which is awesome. Yet somehow I felt a bit grubby posting this on my facebook wall. It took me a while to pinpoint why I felt like that but it finally clicked that posting the link, and seeing all of my friends posting the link makes me feel very “look at us rich, western, privileged white women saving the world by posting a link on facebook – good work everyone!”. Particularly when half of us posting the link are wearing diamond wedding rings and using mobile phones that are sourced in African nations where children are used in mines and as soldiers in the fight over natural resources.
It’s not enough to feel smug about posting a link and writing a few lines to celebrities, we actually need to be doing something real in the world. I’m sure lots of us feel like this – I give to Doctors without Borders, Save the Children and Oxfam, I don’t wear diamonds and I try to source sustainable and free trade products but I’m still sitting here richer than 95% of the world, safe, warm, fed, employed and free and I just feel like sharing a link isn’t enough. I hate that paralysing feeling – we need to do more but what?
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If this ‘experiment’ works, we will be able to help the African countries more! Its about the Power that people have and the difference it can make when we stand together! This is just going to show the world that if we stand together we can help! yes you may feel grotty cos u are a person that is not suffering, but we need to use our positions in the world to stand together!
I know u don’t think just sharing a link will do much, but it actually has and will. It also brings light to the countries in Africa and the people suffering, so more people may get out there and do more to help! Don’t feel guilty because u are not in poverty…feel empowered because your position means you can help! And maybe your diamond wearing friends may just get a change of mind about how they live by watching the video…u never know!!
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Really well articulated B. I couldn’t put my finger on why it was making me uncomfortable either, but you’ve hit the nail on the head.
I think it’s fabulous that social media is being used to draw attention to something important…but maybe every time someone posts it on FB they should make a quick donation to one of the causes you mentioned at the same time!!
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I’m just looking at the links and conversations below, and realising how much discussion has been generated from the video. People are actively engaging in dialogues about something that they didn’t know about before, or knew about but didn’t care about.
Even if only 1% of those people actually get moved into action, that percentage has the potential to be a large number of people who wouldn’t otherwise be engaged. So it has to be a good thing, I think.
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I definitely think it’s a good thing – I think I’m just one of those people that gets paralysed by how big the problem is and frustrated that all I’m doing is donating and linking on facebook. I think you’re right – it would be amazing if in addition to posting on facebook and talking about it, we all actually DID something as well. Which I guess is a signal to myself as well to start doing something more active!
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In terms of engaging in dialogues, I suppose the limit to how effective that really is will be the extent to which people are informed about the issue. The Kony2012 video was not particularly informative – in some ways it was almost deceptive – and if people engage purely on the basis of having seen that, I’m not sure that the root causes of the issue (believe me, Kony is a symptom of much more complex and severe issues in governance, in access to health and education etc.) will be addressed at all. At least not by those whose information has come from the video – the Ugandan grassroots organisations and international NGOs who have been in the region for years, sometimes even decades, will continue the great work they have been doing to address the broader causes of the problem and also the social ramifications of Kony and others’ actions, such as integration programs for child soldiers back into civil society.
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I understand how you feel- I had a similar thought process at first. I usually never re-post “awareness” messages on fb that have no practical implications at all, but I feel that this campaign has been well thought out: the spreading of information has a point- to influence policy- and that part of the campaign goes hand-in-hand wit further action that they’re offering.
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I read your comment and it moved me as much as the cause we are commenting on. I agree entirely!
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Thank you for your post B, you’ve opened my mind to these other issues
x
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I guess the way I see it is, us westerners (or at least me – i’ll speak for myself) are/were naive to this issue – I didn’t know anything about Kony or his LRA or the awful things he is doing. So I watched the video and now I feel really sad for the poor Ugandan children and really want to help out in any way I can. Like the video said, it’s about awareness – there was no where in the video did it say “you terrible rich white women” – I think you’re reading too much into it.
Of course us in the west who are so blessed and privileged can pretty much do nothing in the scheme of things to capture Kony.
But there are also some small things we CAN do: we can pray, donate money, educate others about it, lobby the govt etc.
I guess it all comes down to how you see things – your perspective. I choose to not see myself as a rich upperclass privileged bitch from the lucky country. Instead I see myself as naive (like I said above) because I knew nothing about this atrocity in Uganda til today when I watched the video. I also see myself as one small tiny person who can make a difference. If Jason Russell sat on his arse and said “I’m rich and a US citizen, look at me, my watch is from Africa” there would be no “Invisible Children” or Kony 2012 campaign.
Choose to see it as the glass is half full.
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I love a man with a plan. I’m in.
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I would be thinking actual action will be of more help than mere awareness: head to http://whitthef.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/kony-2012-part-2/ for some places to help
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It is incredibly inspiring to see the use of social media for something substantial and important. The film maker deserves a nobel peace prize.
I have always been aware of the child army’s in Africa and stories like Jacobs (although I hadnt heard of Kony himself), its shameful that nothing has been done on an international level to stop this. Its shameful that I never looked further into it when I first heard many years ago. Often we think things are too hard (to solve), especially when it comes to African political problems…the video is right in saying that people want to help but dont often know how. Now, thanks to this iniative we can all take action to stop Kony and bring him to justice (and most importantly protect these vulnerable kids)
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The Today Show are doing a story about this coming up shortly.
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I was so proud of my 13 year old for bringing this excellently made film to my attention. As always there are some great posts here raising awareness to all aspects of this issue so we can make own decision about where to direct our support.
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A great piece explaining the problematic nature of IC and lists alternative organisations, as well as links to further reading: http://innovateafrica.tumblr.com/post/18897981642/you-dont-have-my-vote
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I’m sure all us intelligent MM readers would like more than one opinion on the matter. And to that end…
http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/
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Thanks for the link, very interesting point of view. I posted it to my Facebook and I’m preparing to be flamed for it as I write this.
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This is a rebuttal from an employee of IC. Check it out…
http://www.facebook.com/notes/john-rudolph-beaton/visible-children-viewed-critically/10150614970287933
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You shouldn’t be flamed. Anyone with half a brain or higher than a 10th grade education should know how vitally important it is not to just mindlessly ingest one perspective. The world doesn’t make sense unless we look to more than once source…
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Some extra reading that isn’t in the favour of IC http://whitthef.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/kony-2012/
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You know what’s great about social media? Raising awareness of really heartbreaking, international issues.
You know what’s sad about social media? People will have forgotten about this in a week. I promise. Outrage very quickly fades in peoples’ memories (mine included).
Annnnnddd… I couldn’t help but think the whole way through, ‘This reeks of the self-interest of the filmmakers’. Whatever. I’m cynical.
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Hey Mamamia,
I watched the video earlier today and was floored. I googled it to check facts, and then shared on facebook, twitter and emailed it to friends. However… one friend alerted me to this – http://ilto.wordpress.com/2006/11/02/the-visible-problem-with-invisible-children/
The campaign is great and certainly proving how powerful social media is for raising awareness. But apparently the issues raised in the video are no longer as they are depicted, and there are different, more complex issues facing Sudan. Please read this article – although it doesn’t have an answer, it provides a much more nuanced view of what is happening and what the real problems are.
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Just pointing out that this article is from 2006. I’m not saying it is wrong but I’m sure a lot has changed since then.
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The current video mentions he is no longer in Uganda… This article is in response to ICs first video in 2006
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Ah Americans…they don’t get involved unless they get something out of it! Why did they let the Bosnian war go for so long…What about what’s happening in Syria? The guy that made the video using HIS son like that???…they made a video on youtube with someone dressed up as Hitler? Really?????
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And where are you in all of this? Why sit on your cushy little suburban chair and criticize?
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Because something isn’t always better than nothing. Sometimes it’s worse. This organisation has plenty things to be critical of, and in doing research people might find more beneficial charities.
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Like what? It professes to bring attention to this issue which they did! They use the donated money to motivate and educate the world about this issue, they assist in building schools and alarm systems. Why are people so quick to judge. What have you done to change the world? Have you dedicated over 10 years of your life to a cause? Go ahead, be critical if it makes you feel good. Sure there are loads of worthy causes, this is one of them.
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Actually, I would say be skeptical and do your homework. From our privileged position, do you really think it’s helpful to use our good intentions to potentially do greater harm due to ignorance? Spreading attention is great, but only if the resulting action is helpful, not harmful. I find IC deeply problematic, and as a result will be showing my support elsewhere. If you feel differently, by all means support IC.
‘What have you done to change the world?’
RME. This is an incredibly childish argument. Does this mean I also have to work in politics to criticise politicans? What volunteer work I do in my life is irrelevant to my criticism of this organisation.
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This campaign set out to raise awareness, so if someone was completely unaware of the issue at hand but then they became aware but then found a different charity to donate to (one you may approve of) doesn’t that mean they have achieved part of their goal?
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I couldn’t be happier that this issue is getting attention, but the ask in the doco is to ‘share the message’ ‘share the doco’ and maybe to donate to IC. People are so engaged in the cause which is heartening for people like me who care deeply about it … except that their energy is wasted and making little difference by just watching and sharing. In the long run these people will be disappointed because they got excited and change didn’t happen.
Think of all those people you know who stop donating to charity each time they hear of corruption or a campaign with high hopes didn’t work.
There are many organisations in Uganda doing incredibly AMAZING peace building work. They rehabilitate child soldiers, build schools, give seeds and training and equipment to farmers who were forced from their homes, and support traditional justice mechanisms which enable child soldiers to reintegrate into their community without fear of retribution. Donate to them. Support them. Get passionate about them and the inspiring work they do. Don’t let your fire about this issue end after you’ve hit the share button. IC is only one organisation, but there are so many others.
I wrote a 22,000 word thesis at uni after visiting northern Uganda and researching the issue for over a year. THERE ARE AMAZING UGANDANS AND CONGOLESE MAKING A BIGGER IMPACT THAN AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY MAKERS. Keep an eye out for them.
Donate, keep discussing, send emails to politicians like our new Foreign Minister Bob Carr to say you give a damn, and challenge the next person you hear say Africa is a hopeless place which nothing can be done about. Don’t let sharing this video and commenting on Facebook be the last thing you do about the issue.
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Perhaps Mamamia would publish an extract from your thesis. I/we would love to read it!
While I’m in support of this cause, I agree that 1, people not knowing enough about it, and 2, simply sharing videos but not taking action, are two obstacles in the way of meaningful change.
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I would love to read it too.
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These are all good points, but I think he seemed like a genuine guy who was trying to use the power he has in the western world. The people who are doing such wonderful work on the ground in Uganda, have no hope of influencing US foreign policy, but if his video is to be believed, it seems he has managed to organise modern people power to do this. I am fascinated to see if this can become a swell of people power that persuades other govts or maybe UN to take more direct action, as well as keeping US support. Without taking one bit away from the amazing work done on the ground, rehabilitation etc without removing Kony, can only achieve limited things.
I would be disappointed though, if this just becomes a feel good thing, that people support for a while and then move on to something else.
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The letter he reads out was not a letter to him. Barack Obama did not write to him, it was written to the senate. He completely misrepresents that.
I’d also question why it should be America going in there anyway. The people on the ground in Uganda are the ones working on real tangible conflict resolution and reconcilliation, and to dismiss them because they don’t have a media profile is disingenuous.
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Claire it would be great to know more of those organisations you talk about. Thanks for the information. Your thesis sounds fascinating.
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What we know:
1. Kony exists
2. Kony has and will continue to commit horrendous crimes against humanity
what harm is this campaign going to do?
NONE – It cannot not make the situation any worse that what it already is.
Didn’t we all grow up thinking we could make a difference to the world? It’s so sad that with age some people lose this and can only see the negative in an otherwise positive activity.
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Well said, MG.
So many people up in arms about how charitable the Invisible Children charity actually is… if you feel that way DON’T participate.
At the end of the day – if getting KONY2012 out there brings some attention to this cruel and unjust individual then we are all the better for it. Regardless of how you feel about the campaign – Joseph Kony DOES exist. How is it hurting to get his name out there and making people aware of what is happening in this world? Even if they don’t get on board with KONY2012 – they might decide to donate to another charity working towards the same goals… surely that’s an amazing thing!
You might not agree with Invisible Children – but you can’t deny the brilliant job it is doing of getting this issue noticed.
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Well said!! The guy is an advocate, he’s advocating. And doing it incredibly well. If 70% of his money raised is going to generating this much awareness- he’s doing his job phenomanally.
I think all of those charities, or supporters of charities who are nit-picking about this should just climb down from their soap boxes and watch and learn how social media can be used to raise awareness and enact change.
One guy doesnt have to build schools, provide health care etc etc- he set out to raise awareness and mobilise political will to do something that should be simple enough. If he does that he’s suceeded.
Lets hope that all of the awareness then trickles down to the charities who are in there doing things on the ground.
Sometimes money/donating isnt everything. Lending a voice & your own influence can be just as powerful- no wonder kids have picked up on this so enthusiastically.
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What harm can come from this?
The campaign is supporting direct military action. This will mean more people killed. The Ugandan army and the LRA are as bad as each other and supporting one side will not help to end anything.
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I’m not saying that what’s come to light today is anything but evil. But I feel that a balance to the argument may be needed.
You spent 30 minutes watching a video, do yourself a favour and make an informed decision by reading this 1 blog article.
http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/
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Or you could spend half a day this weekend watching the video, reading that blog and doing some further research… and then taking ACTION. Action is the most important part, whether it’s supporting Invisible Children or another organisation to help end this atrocity and bring Kony to justice. I know that’s what I’ll be doing this weekend.
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Couldn’t agree with you more. You said perfectly what I couldn’t articulate. Thanks Ellyklein
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Thsts great! The documentary film maker has contributed the one way he knows how, and has started the conversation, and his actions will set off many other courses of actions and no doubt will have a positive effect. Job well done!
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I agree with you ellyklein BUT there are a whole lot of people jumping on this bandwagon who have not done any research at all. They watch the video and are rightly disgusted and immediately make a donation to the Invisible Children charity. I’ve seen friends on facebook proudly proclaim they have donated.
Links like the one anonymous for now has posted are a simple way of getting people to think a bit harder before donating willy nilly to a charity they know nothing about.
Do your research, take action. If you decide that Invisible Children is the organisation you want to give to then by all means go ahead, just have all the facts first.
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That’s exactly what I said…
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfobLjsj230
Andrew Mwenda: Let’s take a new look at African aid.
One of the TedTalks
very informative
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfobLjsj230
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He certainly is a monster but what’s not clear is what exactly is going to be done about it. In a collection of failed states like central Africa there is literally no government who can capture this bloke, let alone try him. The only hope is for a western government with serious overseas military projection ability to kill or capture him and there’s not too many of these and their voters aren’t all that keen on spending blood and treasure in places where there is no direct strategic issue. The best way of dealing with him would be for the US to take him out with a drone but they probably don’t have the on the ground intelligence and in any case have different priorities.
But of course if anything is done, it will be by military action and done by soldiers who will have to kill at least a few people on the way through – didn’t think Mamamia was all that keen on this sort of thing!
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Thanks for your interest in the issue. I’d like to reassure you there is a lot being done about the issue, and a lot more support is needed.
There are NGOs like World Vision and Caritas supporting child soldiers to be rehabilitated. When there is a real offer of rehabilitation and assistance in returning home, people are more likely to escape. This message gets to them by radio … while we pride ourselves on our use of YouTube, there are real charities out there connecting with soldiers in such an important way. They need and deserve our (financial) support.
I have been to northern Uganda and I can tell you that charities are making a huge difference in helping people to rebuild their lives after conflict.
These programs are run by Africans because Ugandans know what Uganda needs and Congolese know what the Congo needs. That is a lot more than military intervention, and also something not dependent on huge governments – you and every reader of this website can and should do what you can to help once watching this video.
Regarding military intervention, this is guerrilla warfare in dense rainforest. They have become experts after 25 years. The Ugandan army have never caught him, but the US is taking the right approach in providing them with better training to do so for themselves. The US may have a better military, but like Vietnam, it helps to know your way around. This isn’t simply a matter of deploying ground troops as has been shown repeatedly.
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http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/ Please have a read of this before getting to into the Kony2012 campaign. I agree that he should be arrested for his horrible crimes but I don’t think this is the way to do it.
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What is the way then?
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Could someone PLEASE tell me how we would be making a difference by watching a 30min video and having a chat about this guy??? Surely the action that needs to be taken is by the UN etc- running an f*n protest is going to do f* all. I’m sorry, but this is a pathetic hipster protest to make people feel like they are doing something- when not even those who have power to do it can capture that evil man. So what’s a pissy little protest huh???
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That’s sad
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Just watch the video, then get back to us with an Informed comment.
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For all those people who call it faceless book etc lets make konys face visible to everyone! I want to see the Australian government match the USA in their support to Africa I know this is possible. Keep using your power Mia I hope to read about this in the weekend paper and next months vogue xx
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Hitler reacts to KONY 2012 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEQ9MtXGBGE
Funniest thing I’ve seen in ages.
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Like most of you I was moved by this video – and amazed at how quickly it spread over Facebook and Twitter! It is horrible that these sorts of crimes can continue to be committed in the 21st century whilst we live our comfortable lives here in Australia. I was pretty interested in reading up on the Ugandan situation and came across this blog – http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/ – which had some interesting points, including that Kony is no longer active in Uganda and hasn’t been for about 5 years, so the money from this organisation going to the Ugandan military isn’t actually stopping him. I’m still not sure how much of either side to believe – while obviously he is a horrible man and should be arrested for his crimes, I don’t know that sharing this video and giving money to an organisation who only pass on a third of the money to the children themselves is going to help.
By all means, raise awareness but I have some sort of gut feeling that this is a lot of propaganda for the sake of propaganda. Has anyone read much background info on this cause and organisation?
http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/
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I’ll repeat what I said in response to a below comment…
‘There are always going to be naysayers.
In this instance, I’m going to err on the side of optimism. These guys have been working on this cause for a decade for all the right reasons. They’ve shown tenacity and I believe they will be the ones behind bringing Kony to justice. You can either sit on your hands and argue over how/where they spend donations – or you can get involved. I know which one I’ll be doing.’
Further to that…
I can assure you that the American men behind Invisible Children are not making propaganda films, taking everyone’s money and laughing all the way to the bank. You don’t work on a cause for 10 years if you’re not passionate about it. If you want to do some more research then, by all means, go for it. You might find you’d prefer to donate to Direct Relief, UNICEF or the Red Cross. But now that you’ve seen this video, I hope you don’t sit back and do nothing at all. Because that DEFINITELY won’t work, either. (By the way, that’s not a personal attack on you – just a response to your comment and food for thought.)
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Thank You for putting this on your site. It’s so important. I had never heard of Kony and he is the worlds number one war criminal. It’s great to see social media using the immense power it has to help make a change
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Neither had I and yet he’s on the 10 most wanted list of fugitives….
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I have never commented on here but had to once I saw this video. I have a four year old son and to imagine him in their position, so powerless with the world uncaring. I worry about providing the right opportunities for him and whether I am doing enough as a mum but throughout it all I know he is safe, loved and provided for. With constant tragic world images thrown at us and unceasing charity requests it is easy to numb ourselves from compassion but I couldn’t turn away this time.
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Thank you mamamia for running a story like this. These are the types of stories we, as a developed nation, need to be aware of.
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I was in Uganda a few years ago and Kony was a constant subject of conversation. I met children who had been affected by his war… and yet virually no one outside that country had ever heard of him. This is an amazing video and a phenomenal campaign which I cannot but support completely.
Yet as the video suggests, this is bigger than Kony… if this sort of campaign takes off it will be interesting to see what further ramifications there are for global politics… We truly live in a strange new world. Imagine if we had social networking in Rwanda in the 90′s. Shame it’s taken this long for the LRA war in Uganda to get the world’s attention.
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