Some friends asked me about my views regarding the Kony2012 campaign. Here is my response.
SHORT ANSWER:
Jason Russell and Invisible Children (IC) don’t have all the answers, but they are doing what they can to try and stop human rights violations in the world. What can you do? What are you doing? Take whatever action you can against human rights abuses anywhere, whether it is in your own home, city or country or across the world in places like LRA-affected Central Africa.
LONG ANSWER:
JOSEPH KONY/LRA HISTORY
In 1986, Alice Lakwena started the Holy Spirit Movement (HSM) in opposition to Uganda’s new president, Yoweri Museveni. She was exiled and in 1987 Joseph Kony took over the HSP and changed it to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a so-called Christian Malitia that sought a Government based on the Ten Commandments, and that killed anyone who got in their way. Loosing all regional support, Kony resorted to brutal tactics. He abducted children who he abused and brainwashed. Young boys were forced to pillage, murder, mutilate, and rape their own people, even their own families. Young girls were taken as sex slaves for officers.
In 2003, the Ugandan government via President Yoweri Museveni referred the LRA situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In 2005, the ICC indicted Joseph Kony and 4 other LRA leaders (Likwiya, Odhiambo, Ongwen, and Otti) in the same case which lists 33 crimes: 21 counts of war crimes and 12 counts of crimes against humanity. Currently, three of the suspects are fugitives at large and two (Likwiya and Otti) are dead.
INVISIBLE CHILDREN (IC) HISTORY
In 2003, three young Americans (Jason Russell, Laren Poole, and Bobby) traveled to Africa and stumbled upon a 20-year war, a conflict where children were both the weapons and the victims. In 2005 they produced the documentary ‘Invisible Children: Rough Cut,’ a film about children affected by the LRA. Many people got interested in the issue and a movement swept the college age nation. The filmmakers saw the potential they had to mobilize communities and raise awareness in the world. In 2006, Invisible Children, Inc. became an official 501(c)3 non-profit.
Jump to today. Several films and advocacy campaigns later, IC decided to step up awareness efforts to try and stop the LRA-induced human rights abuses described in their documentaries and launched the Kony2012 campaign to ‘End War, Stop at Nothing.’ The goal is for more people worldwide to know who Joseph Kony is and to try to bring an end to the Kony and the LRA’s reign of terror in Central Africa.
REACTIONS TO KONY2012
I think the filmmakers have good intentions but flawed execution.
Invisible Children’s (IC) mission is to stop LRA violence and support the war affected communities in Central Africa. IC work towards that mission through 1) producing documentaries to raise global awareness of LRA actions, 2) mobilizing the international community through large scale advocacy campaigns, and 3) operating programs in the LRA-affected areas to provide protection, rehabilitation and development assistance. They spend roughly one third of their funds on each of these three goals.
IC Spending (This is public information)
37.14% Central Africa Programs
25.98% Awareness Programs
16.24% Management & General
9.56% Awareness Products
7.87% Media & Film Creation
3.22% Fundraising
Ida Sawyer, a Congo researcher with Human Rights Watch, said “Invisible Children has been one of the quickest organizations to respond to the needs on the ground, very flexible and willing to work with and listen to the local communities."
IC founders may be idealistic and naïve of the nuances of foreign policy, and the Kony2012 video is self-indulgent, but they see a wrong and are speaking out to try and make it right and I will always commend that. Save the Children's director of policy and advocacy, Brendan Cox says, “Anything which continues to pressurize world leaders to bring Joseph Kony to justice is to be welcomed... This viral film shows that even though Joseph Kony is in hiding his crimes will not be forgotten.”
Ugandan journalist Rosebell Kagumire says, “"The war is much more complex than one man called Joseph Kony." It is about pacifying the region, communities, stopping rebellion before it starts.” I agree that this is complex and not about one person, but this rebellion has already started and has been going on for more than 20 years. Many people and organizations have tried to stop the LRA, but so far no one has succeeded.
The Guardian’s Simon Rawles explained, “The LRA operate in groups of 2 or 3, and attack at random making ordinary life impossible. According to informed assessments, the LRA number little more than a few hundred and are scattered over an area the size of the UK. No one knows where Kony is, and most of his band operate independently. It'll be a hard nut to crack.” While Rawles struggles “to see what difference a mass social media movement can make,” Ida Sawyer hopes “this will create a movement for more pressure so that real action, effective action is taken to end the LRA, and arresting, capturing Kony is a key component of addressing the LRA problem.”
The war against LRA didn't start with IC, but IC can inspire others to raise their voices in unity with LRA victims in Central Africa, to demand justice and to promote peace and rehabilitation in the region.
Some think this campaign is a mute point because Kony and LRA left Uganda after failed peace talks in 2006. IC isn't focused only on Uganda, it is focused on LRA affected areas, which includes but is not limited to Uganda. By no means have Kony and the LRA adopted a peaceful existence. They continue their reign of terror on children and communities in the region (South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic). I’m going to invoke MLK here and say that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere.
Yes, we need to consider resources at stake, like the oil found near the border. Yes, we need to hear African civilian voices. Yes, Africans can appeal to African Culture and Policy Makers to raise awareness. Yes, we need intellectual campaigns that lead to policy shifts. Yes, many things can be done, there is no single solution. One film can’t be or do everything just like one person can’t be or do everything, but if every single person does the one thing they can, together, we can make a difference.
(RE)SOURCES
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/
http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord's_Resistance_Army
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Court_investigation_in_Uganda
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-what-s-the-story?fb=native
KONY2012 Letter to President Obama: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2241/images/Kony%202012%20-%20Letter%20to%20Obama.pdf
Joseph Kony is not in Uganda (and other complicated things): http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/07/guest_post_joseph_kony_is_not_in_uganda_and_other_complicated_things
A former child soldier's resonse to Kony2012: http://www.irex.org/news/response-kony-2012-video-former-child-soldier-ricky-anywar
Why make Kony famous? Video rubs raw Uganda scars http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46734174/ns/world_news-africa/#.T2LhuBy-tCd
VIDEOS TO WATCH
2011 Video about LRA action in DRC by Simon Rawles at the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/video/2011/jul/28/congo-lords-resistance-army-video
Ugandan journalist Rosebell Kagumire’s response to KONY2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLVY5jBnD-E&feature=player_embedded
