<p>Kony was on the FBI most wanted list at one point no joke lol</p>
<p>Yeah I’m not really convinced…</p>
<p>Ehhh…is it bad that I really don’t care about Africa? At a certain point, let’s just cut our losses, leave them alone, and hope that they can stabilize themselves. The amount of money which we waste on Africa is astounding.</p>
<p>Real people are dying. It’s not “they”. It’s real people. Whether we can actually do anything about it, I don’t know, but some empathy is nice.</p>
<p>You seem to link inaction with apathy. I mean, I don’t * like * what goes on Africa, but by now it’s pretty safe to assume that constant outside intervention has exacerbated Africa’s pre-existing problems. And yet…we still pour money in there.</p>
<p>Having wimpy social media campaigns to get a random international commission thing to govern them is just ludicrously stupid.</p>
<p>This has been happening for years. I knew about this in like the sixth grade. And now my entire Facebook is blowing up with Cover the Night stuff. What’s the point of it? To being awareness? Everyone in developed countries already has access to this information and will most likely find out about it via social networking and word of mouth before April 20th. </p>
<p>I agree with Rusty84. Of course it sucks. But so does the middle east and a lot of South America and Asia. Sex trafficking happens in the US, too. </p>
<p>We can’t solve the entire world’s problems.</p>
<p>My friend and I were actually discussing starting an Invisible Children club a few months back but never jumped on it due to midterms and tennis season, but now it might be a possibility.</p>
<p>@Rusty
Agreed. The campaign is pretty weak.</p>
<p>While I think that it’s a good thing that more American teenagers are caring about the rest of the world, the video portrays the crisis in a very one-dimensional way, and most people will probably just accept what they watch as truth. Conflicts between ethnic and religion groups in Africa have been perpetual and widespread–it’s not like this is an isolated case.</p>
<p>Donating to charities will provide short-term relief, but it’s not going to solve the underlying problem. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the Western notion of nation, which is based on territory, conflicts with traditional ethnic groups that are held together through community. A centralized nation that holds power over many ethnic groups is bound to lead to disputes. I’m not going to pretend that I know how to fix it either, but I do know it’s not as simple as hashtagging #Kony2012.</p>
<p>^its so nice to read something sensible after everyone at school went crazy. I completely agree with everything you wrote and tried to explain that to my classmates but to no avail. Oh well.</p>
<p>bumping this: <a href=“http://visiblechildren.■■■■■■■■■■/post/18890947431/we-got-trouble[/url]”>http://visiblechildren.■■■■■■■■■■/post/18890947431/we-got-trouble</a></p>
<p>I just found out about this today and I agree that this whole Kony thing does have its downside such as the accountability of the IC and how just talking about it just wont do anything.</p>
<p>But regardless of whether you think Kony2012 is overrated or just a fad or a scam, you cant deny the fact that this is a great cause and cant blame people for wanting to take action. </p>
<p>Plus, social media does have a bigger impact than you think since awareness does lead to action. A similar thing occured as well when the whole deficit crisis was occuring and people were urged to email their local officials and no one seemed to have criticism against that. </p>
<p>But my main point is that nothing in this world is perfect, including movements, but dont let your criticism be enough to not support a great cause because if everyone brings awareness to the government to make action, this goal can actually be a reality and the whole world can rejoice as we all take one step closer to becoming a better generation.</p>
<p>Haven’t we sent so much money to Africa before? There had been other movement like this only it doesn’t involves a single bad guys. What about those?</p>
<p>C’mon ccers I expected more from you guys do your research! The united states signed an act in may of 2010 that sent troops into Uganda to specifically stop the lra and kony. This stop kony thing is just a way for all these “slacktivists” for lack of a better term to say they are promoting awareness for a cause but are actually doing this for money. You might respond with "but invisible children is a non profit " yes but they are a non profit with 2 star transparency when it comes to financials, they refuse to be independently audited and even by their own admission only spend 31% of theyre money on actual relief support. Where does this other 69% go? IC spends over 2 million dollars on transportation and over a million dollars on individual compensation. Kony is definitely a bad person and needs to be taken care of, but this stop kony thing is a bunch of nonsense, did you really expect the government to not have known about this and not taken action? This has been going on for 26 years. Let’s get real CC ease</p>
<p>This is a really inspiring story. I hope they capture Kony and bring him the justice he deserves. Nobody deserves to live in isolation, fear and solitude because of somebody like that. This video really made me want to bring him to justice. There should be more attention brought to this issue.</p>
<p>Maneprady is correct… the video is manipulative and sensationalist.</p>
<p>An open letter that has been floating around the internet:</p>
<p>Dear Jason Russell,</p>
<p>After being bombarded with your KONY 2012 crusade, I have no choice but to respond to your highly inaccurate, offensive, and harmful propaganda. I realized I had to respond in hopes of stopping you before you cause more violence and deaths to the Acholi people (Northern Ugandans), the very people you are claiming to protect.</p>
<p>Firstly, I would like to question your timing of this KONY 2012 crusade in Uganda when most of the violence from Joseph Kony and the LRA (The Lord’s Resistance Army) has subsided in Uganda in the past 5 years. The LRA has moved onto neighboring countries like the DRC and Sudan. Why are you not urging action in the countries he is currently in? Why are you worried about Kony all of a sudden when Ugandans are not at this present moment?</p>
<p>This grossly illogical timing and statements on your website such as “Click here to buy your KONY 2012 products” makes me believe that the timing has more to do with your commercial interests than humanitarian interests. With the upcoming U.S. presidential elections and the waning interest in Invisible Children, it seems to be perfect timing to start a crusade. I also must add at this point how much it personally disgusts me the way in which you have commercialized a conflict in which thousands of people have died.</p>
<p>Secondly, I would like to address the highly inaccurate content of your video. Your video did not leave the viewer any more knowledgeable about the conflict in Uganda, but only emotionally assaulted. I could not help but notice how conveniently one-sided the “explanation” in your video was. There was absolutely no mention of the role of the Ugandan government and military in the conflict. Let alone the role of the U.S. government and military. The only information given is “KONY MUST BE STOPPED.”</p>
<p>I would like to inform you that stopping Kony would not end the conflict. (It is correctly pronounced “Kohn” by the way). This conflict is deeply embedded in Uganda’s history that neither starts nor ends with Kony. Therefore, your solution to the problem is flawed. There is no way to know the solution, without full knowledge of the problem itself. We must act on knowledge, not emotions.</p>
<p>Joseph Kony formed the LRA in retaliation to the brutality of President Museveni (from the south) committing mass atrocities on the Acholi people (from the north) when President Museveni came to power in 1986. This follows a long history of Ugandan politics that can be traced back to pre-colonial times. The conflict must be contextualized within this history. (If you want to have this proper knowledge, I suggest you start by working with scholars, not celebrities). President Museveni is still in power and in his reign of 26 years he has arguably killed as many, if not more Acholi people, than Joseph Kony. Why is President Museveni not demonized, let alone mentioned? I would like to give you more credit than just ignorance. I have three guesses. One is that Invisible Children has close ties with the Ugandan government and military, which it has been accused of many times. Second, is that you are willing to fight Kony, but not the U.S. Government, which openly supports President Museveni. Third, is that Invisible Children feels the need to reduce the conflict to better commercialize it.</p>
<p>This brings me to my third issue, the highly offensive nature of your video. Firstly, it is offensive to your viewer. The scene with your “explanation” of the conflict to your toddler son suggests that the viewers have the mental capacity of a toddler and can only handle information given in such a reductionist manner. I would like to think American teenagers and young adults (which is clearly your target audience) are smarter than your toddler son. I would hope that we are able to realize that it is not a “Star Wars” game with aliens and robots in some far off galaxy as your son suggests, but a real world conflict with real world people in Uganda. This is a real life conflict with real life consequences.</p>
<p>Secondly, and more importantly, it is offensive to Ugandans. The very name “Invisible Children” is offensive. You claim you make the invisible, visible. The statements, “We have seen these kids.” and “No one knew about these kids.” are part of your slogan. You seem to be strongly hinting that you somehow have validated and found these kids and their struggles.</p>
<p>Whether you see them or not, they were always there. Your having seen the kids does not validate their existence in any shape or form or bring it any more significance. You say “no one” knew about the kids. What about the kids themselves? What about the families of the kids who were killed and abducted? Are they “no one?” Are they not human?</p>
<p>These children are not invisible, you are making them invisible by silencing, dehumanizing, marketing, and invalidating them.</p>
<p>Last year I went to Gulu, Uganda, where Invisible Children is based, and interviewed over 50 locals. Every single person questioned Invisible Children’s legitimacy and intention. Every single person. If anything, it seemed the people saw Invisible Children as a bigger threat than Joseph Kony at the time. Why is it the very people you are trying to “help” feel more offense than relief with your aid?</p>
<p>“They come here to make money and use us.”</p>
<p>“It makes us feel terrible to be presented as being so stupid and helpless.”</p>
<p>These are direct quotes. This was the sentiment of the majority of the people that I interviewed in varying degrees. I definitely didn’t see or hear these voices or opinions in your video. If you are to be “saving” the Acholi people, the very least you can be doing is holding yourself accountable to them and actually listening to what they have to say.</p>
<p>This offensive, inaccurate misconstruction of Ugandans and its conflict makes me wonder what and whom this is really about. It seems that you feel very good about yourself being a savior, a Luke Skywalker of sorts, and same with the girl in your video who passionately states, “This is what defines us”. Therefore, I can’t help but wonder if Invisible Children is more about defining the American do-gooders (and making them feel good), rather than the Ugandans; profiteering the American military and corporations (which Invisible Children is officially and legally) than the conflict.</p>
<p>Lastly, I would like to address the harmful nature of your propaganda. I believe your actions will actually bring back the fighting in Northern Uganda. You are not asking for peace, but violence. The fighting has stopped in the past 5 years and the Acholi are finally enjoying some peace. You will be inviting the LRA and the fighting back into Uganda and disturbing this peace. The last time Invisible Children got politically involved and began lobbying it actually caused more violence and deaths. I beg you not to do it again.</p>
<p>If you open your eyes and see the actions of the Ugandan government and the U.S. government, you will see why. Why is it that suddenly in October of 2011 when there has been relative peace in Uganda for 4 years, President Obama decided to send troops into Uganda? Why is it that the U.S. military is so involved with AFRICOM, which has been pervading African countries, including Uganda? Why is it that U.S. has been traced to creating the very weapons that has been used in the violence? The U.S. is entering Uganda and other countries in Africa not to stop violence, but to create a new battlefield.</p>
<p>In your video you urge that the first course of action is that the Ugandan military needs American military and weapons. You are giving weapons to the very people who were killing the Acholi people in the first place. You are helping to open the grounds for America to make Uganda into a battlefield in which it can profit and gain power. Please recognize this is all part of a bigger military movement, not a humanitarian movement. This will cause deaths, not save lives. This will be doing more harm, than good.</p>
<p>You end your video with saying, “You will stop at nothing”. If nothing else, will you not stop for the lives of the Acholi people? Haven’t enough Acholi people suffered in the violence between the LRA and the Ugandan government? Our alliance should not be with the U.S. government or the Ugandan military or the LRA, but the Acholi people. There is a Ugandan saying that goes, “The grass will always suffer when two elephants fight.” Isn’t it time we let the grass grow?</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>A.H."</p>
<p>^ that is the information that needs to be out there, people need to be willing to look past the sensationalist videos and do their own research to try and find out what’s happening and form their own opinions.</p>
<p>Yeah - I think it’s great that people are getting involved, but it goes beyond Cover the Night. There’s so much to do!</p>
<p>But if we’re being optimistic, it looks like people care - and at this point, I think that’s already a leap forward. In order for Africa (I say Africa, but I’m talking about LEDCs in general) to develop, it has to be left alone - WE need to stop plucking its ressources (coltan and oil in particular) so that a non-corrupt (hehe) government can employ them for the good of the country. </p>
<p>Question is, are we willing to butt out?</p>
<p>I find cover the night absolutely ridiculous. People need to realize that only 31% of everything they donate is actually being used for Invisible Children’s cause. Essentially, the management is probably making millions of dollars off of all the idiots who don’t do research before donating to a charity. I find it hilarious that people watch a 30 minute video and all of a sudden feel that they are social activists. </p>
<p>This video also showed me the power that emotional appeal has over people. It’s crazy what a video can get people to think/do.</p>