A week ago, you probably didn’t know who Joseph Kony was. You didn’t know anything about what he was doing or where he was from.
But social media changed that. In the 72 hours after a 30-minute video was posted on the Internet, nearly 40 million people watched.
If you haven’t heard already, Joseph Kony is a brutal warlord, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in central Africa. He was indicted into the International Criminal Court in 2005 and is said to be one of the worst war criminals in the world.
Founded by Jason Russell, the organization Invisible Children was behind that 30-minute video that’s made Kony “famous.” Founded in 2004, the group’s main goal is to spread awareness about Kony’s actions in central Africa. “In order for the people to care, they have to know. And they will only know, if Kony’s name is everywhere,” Russell said in the video.
The “Kony2012” campaign became popular early last week. And now with millions of people who know – and seemingly care – who Joseph Kony is, organizers must be satisfied.
“I went to bed knowing Kony from the poster on my classroom wall, to waking up eight hours later, in the Kony [Facebook] group for STU and seeing the whole social-media world talking,” said first-year St. Thomas University student Emma Van Rijn.
But the campaign has also come under major scrutiny, with research-filled articles and blog posts also spotting social media pages, warning people to be wary of the Kony2012 campaign.
“As I understand it, the idea of the film is to create political pressure to capture Kony, which will translate into weaponry and support for the Ugandan military, which will use this support to capture Kony,” said Shaun Narine, professor of international relations and political science at St. Thomas University. “I think that this is a credible tactic on the surface, but not very practical in reality.”
Narine said the tactic is underestimating how difficult it will be to actually find Kony. The man has been indicted to the ICC for seven years.
Kony took control of the LRA in 1987 and has been in charge ever since, taking children from their homes; turning young boys into soldiers and young girls into sex slaves.
Although the LRA originated in Northern Uganda, it has been split into smaller groups that are located in the vast jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
The Invisible Children video, released on March 7, focuses on three things: Jacob, a Ugandan friend of Jason Russell, whose brother was killed by the LRA right in front of him; the narrator, Russell, telling his young son about Kony; and the intentions of Invisible Children.
Narine says the documentary has “its heart in the right place, but it simplifies what is a complex problem – like how to capture Kony – by giving people the sense that just knowing something is enough.
“But sustainable political action is what is really necessary to help these children and Africa as a whole.
“Why would [Kony] be any easier to find today because millions of Westerners now know who he is?” Narine said.
And he isn’t the only one questioning the campaign.
Just before the video went viral on the internet, Grant Oyston, a sociology and political science student at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., wrote a blog post called “Visible Children.”
Oyston writes that the campaign is encouraging the Ugandan military “who are themselves raping and looting away.”
“If people know this and still support Invisible Children because they feel it’s the best solution based on their knowledge and research, I have no issue with that,” Oyston writes. “But I don’t think most people are in that position, and that’s a problem.”
In an interview with The Aquinian, Oyston said he was surprised at the “high production quality of the video, which isn’t something that we’re used to seeing from non-governmental organizations, and also interested in the way the film frames the issue through the young boy in the video’s eyes.”
“I was somewhat alarmed that my friends were so quick to leap on board with the organization without looking at it critically,” Oyston said.
By taking a more critical approach, Oyston’s blog has had 2.2 million views. He’s been approached by major news outlets, like the BBC, CBC and Al Jazeera, and Jason Russell himself.
“The blog was originally intended solely for an audience of friends, and was shared on Facebook,” Oyston said. “I wanted to get my friends to read some alternative viewpoints and understand more of the complexities of the situation in central Africa.”
Already sceptical about the finances of the not-for-profit organization, Oyston wrote on his blog that Russell offered to fly him to Africa to see some of the Invisible Children projects.
Oyston turned down the offer.
“I would’ve loved to go but said ‘no’ only because if I donated to [Invisible Children], I wouldn’t want my money going towards flying a blogger to Africa. But that’s a whole different conversation,” he wrote in his blog post.
After speaking to Russell, Oyston says he knows Invisible Children is “operated by competent, knowledgeable people operating on the best information available to them.”
“I applaud [Invisible Children] for being receptive to criticism, but feel that their response by no means quashes the issues people have raised with them,” he said an email.
But no matter the criticism, the Kony2012 campaign has got people talking – even right here in Fredericton.
Along with the Facebook group specific to STU, there is also one for Frederictonians. With over 2,000 members, they are planning to participate in Invisible Children’s “Cover the Night.”
Set to take place on April 20, cities, schools and businesses around the world are planning to take part; people meeting at sundown to blanket the city with Kony2012 posters.
When the world wakes up the next day, they will be greeted by hundreds of posters demanding awareness. In Fredericton’s case, supporters are planning to meet at 10:30 p.m. outside City Hall.
STU students are also getting involved and have been before the film was officially released on the internet.
Cody Mckay, a third-year STU student, has been aware of the LRA and the conflict its caused for several years. He first came across it when he got involved in groups like Fredericton’s CISV (Children’s International Summer Villages) and the Multicultural Association of Fredericton. He helped organize three awareness walks in the city.
“After the LRA was pushed our of Uganda, I lost touch with the conflict,” Mckay said. “It was when Invisible Children came to STU last fall that I realized the LRA was still very much a threat, and that there were still organizations that were sworn to protect not just Ugandans, but all those affected by the LRA.
“Since then I have advocated for Invisible Children and the work they’ve been doing.”
Mckay helped arrange a pre-screening of the film at STU about two weeks ago.
Tess Allen, a first-year STU student, went to the screening, and found out about the Kony2012 campaign and the organization itself.
“It seemed like a great cause to get involved with, so we both went home afterward and did some more research and shared the links on our Facebook walls.”
And so did millions of other people. Some argue, despite concerns about Invisible Children’s finances or approach, that the organization has at least made people care. But is caring enough?
Deandra Doyle, a political science and human rights major at STU, rose to the group’s defence on the STU Kony2012 Facebook group, saying, “Invisible Children first and foremost has committed itself to raising awareness. I would say right now they are pretty spot on as far as that goal is concerned.”
With files from Dylan Hackett.
