Kony 2012

Princey

Princey

Active member
Hi everyone. Please take thirty minutes out of your time to watch THIS and pass the message on to others. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

In short, the video is about a criminal named Joseph Kony. He is considered to be the worst criminal in the world. He steals children from their families and forces them into doing atrocious things. This has been happening for many years now, and although the US government has recently started to take notice of the issue, Kony is still at large and the government might stop with their search unless more people are notified of the issue and care about it.

This video gives you more information on Kony and how you can help spread the word. It is hoped that he will be arrested and be brought to justice this year, in 2012, if only we all sit up, take notice, care and do something about it.

(Also, I'm not sure if I put this thread in the right place. If I didn't, please feel free to move it.)

- Princey
 
Is this Joseph Lony of the LRA in Uganda? It's my understanding that most of his army has been disbanded after negotiations with the Ugandan government? But the problem of children being kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers is far from over, and far from restricted to Kony and the LRA. Child soldiers have been forced to serve across Africa and Latin America -- and many are still in bondage. The film "Blood Diamonds" focused partly on this in Sierra Leone and Liberia. But I think until hearts and minds can be changed, until human nature is sanctified by God's love, we may not see an end to this heinous practice.

I just read a news article about this film, and the article itsels was filled with inconsistencies. I hope the film isn't! The article called Kony a "Christian" terrorist which is inaccurate. Although he was influenced by a syncretism of African bush religion and Christianity, he is not a Christian. The article also said, "Kony ... wants to implement a theocratic government in Uganda based on the Ten Commandments." This is also incorrect. Kony has never publicly made any demands as to what he "wants." What he wants is power and bloodshed, not any organized system of government, and certainly not one that honors God. Clearly that is impossible based on his past record.

Although the film is great for raising awareness, it is misguided in demanding "justice" for Kony in the USA. There is little we can do. This is a Ugandan, and African, matter. If they ask for our help in capturing him, then there might be something we could do; until then, we can't bring justice to him.

Of course everyone can get involved with charities that rescue child soldiers and help to rehabilitate them. If the film gets people participating in those efforts, it will have done a good thing. But demonizing just one man as if he is the only one forcing children to serve as soldiers -- and as if capturing him will end the practice -- is facile.
 
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This is an interesting article I just stumbled across that opposes Kony 2012. After reading it, I have to agree with the third paragraph of your post, inkspot. I think what this will do is raise awareness about Kony (which is a good thing), but now I'm not so sure that it will achieve what the maker of the film hopes for.

However, I'm going to continue spreading word about it because I think it's an important issue that people should be aware of.
 
I feel like such a hipster when saying this, but my school did a lot of work surrounding him and the Invisible Children campaign some 4 years ago. Anyways, I'll still help and spread the word but this isn't entirely new news, and it makes me wonder where it was for the past 4 years in between when I watched the film/documentary on what was happening and first told to get involved and now? Did people just... forget? Why is it suddenly reemerging now.

Just curious. This is still horrifying, and I'll still be helping spread the word.
 
I got linked to that video, and even did a Twitter post about it, but afterwards did more research. Here is a good link that gives a more complete story. I've known about Kony long before he became a cause célèbre - we know a priest from Gulu whose seminary was attacked by the LRA and some seminarians kidnapped. The article gives a balanced analysis: indeed, we can't just march in the streets demanding that "something be done" about Kony. There are legitimate constitutional issues regarding the commitment of U.S. forces, and it is an internal African issue. It won't be easily solved, but some attention can't hurt. There may be other avenues to take action, but it is a very difficult part of the world.
 
Miss.SunFlower said:
I feel like such a hipster when saying this, but my school did a lot of work surrounding him and the Invisible Children campaign some 4 years ago. Anyways, I'll still help and spread the word but this isn't entirely new news, and it makes me wonder where it was for the past 4 years in between when I watched the film/documentary on what was happening and first told to get involved and now? Did people just... forget? Why is it suddenly reemerging now.

Just curious. This is still horrifying, and I'll still be helping spread the word.
Click to expand...

I had absolutely no idea that Kony even existed until I watched that video a few days ago, which really reinforces how in the dark people are about issues like this. I don't think people forgot, per se- I think it's that they are just now becoming aware of it because of the video. I don't think anyone has made anything like it regarding Kony (I think; I'm not sure), and it's going viral because it's emotional and powerful. Which is why I think it's so important to spread the word.

However, like PrinceOftheWest said, I think people need to do their research before blindly demanding that something is done, and that we need to have military intervention etc. whereas that might not be the best thing to do.
 
I think the new awareness is happening because the film has just been made and released. It went viral and so people who never paid attention before are now seeing it for the first time.
 
^ Exactly.

The thing I'm a bit dubious about is the urging for people to spend their money, especially on those Kony 2012 action kits. And I don't know if this is true, but one of my friends said that out of all the money previously given to Invisible Children to help the cause, only part of it was actually used to help the children and their families?

This video was interesting and picks up on the money thing that I mentioned.
 
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