So this campaign online right now has the aim of making Kony famous to the world in order to get him arrested and end the conflict in Uganda. I do not consider myself to be an expert, but I have been to Uganda, and interacted face to face with former child soldiers, aid workers, and community members there.
Let's start with the positive. Awareness has been raised of a very serious problem. That's good. I think that the approach to seek out policy members who can affect change and cultural carriers who are famous to get on board is a good approach for a mission of getting the word out there and beginning to tackle the problem. I commend effort. However, far more needs to happen than that. In fact, the more I really think about the details of this one, the more I don't like it.
Bear with me as I pull out my critic card. It's not something I do openly on a regular basis as I grew up in a world where I was taught cynics don't contribute. But it is also important to have a brain. I think it is important to get all of the facts and not just let the emotional tug play on one's heart. The campaign movie is geared to arouse one's emotions. Yes, Kony is a VERY evil man and must be stopped. I agree with this. However, I have reservations about this method and organization.
The first red flag to me is the amount of money that the 'kits' cost. To pay $25 for a T-shirt or $225 for an everything kit of a few T-shirts, a bracelet, and some fliers is a bit extreme. Obviously they need funding but there is no transparency here of where the money is going. Surely, that much money could be used to do A LOT of good if put in the right program with the right outcomes. I think it should be fair for anyone giving to a cause to know exactly where that money is going. But this campaign has not explained that. While I was in Uganda, my guide told me that allegedly one of the head staff of 'Invisible Children' had been calling Kony on the cellphone and was believed to be in kahoots with him. Aid does bring in a lot of money and that money can be used to support what you do not want it to support. Kony and Muesevni both know that aid money is a great resource for supporting their war objectives. I am wary of this.
Secondly, Kony is not currently in Uganda. When I was there in July, he had not been in Uganda for three years. He is in the Congo. Though he threatens to come back to Uganda, you want Koney? Go to the Congo. The footage is old.
Thirdly, What message is this campaign actually saying? Remember my previous comment about the alleged calls between Kony and Invisible Children. Isn't fame one of the things terrorists want? I find it disturbing to see the name of such an evil man posted on a campaign flier next to "Obama 2012". It looks like he is running for President. If you want the message to stop Kony, don't use a sign type and slogan that the world sees as a message of seeking supporters and votes. Say "Stop Kony Now" not "Kony 2012". This gives me the creeps. And with that in mind, no I wouldn't want his name on my wrist or in my yard or on my wall. Ewwwwwwww!
Lastly, There is a lot more that needs done than just arresting one man. This is so much more than a military matter, which is their route for fixing the problem. When I was in Gulu there were 500 NGO's registered there and some mentioned that there are a whole lot of aid workers running around and not necessarily a whole lot of things getting done. There were some great things I saw. One was a school called Laroo that was funded by the Belgium government that was for war affected children. I saw a different school up the road that received no aid and the stark contrast was stunning. This wasn't only in their resources, but the educational abilities of the children were vastly better in the aided school. There's a ton of money and effort already being pumped into the system. It just needs better coordination of effort to eliminate waste. Children have been being reintegrated back into their community and programs have helped people back to their homes.But there is corruption and aid needs to be done right, and often it is not. There is no mention in the video of any of the good that these people have already done for the people of Uganda save the one boy coming to the US to speak and being befriended. Where is the evidence of their work thus far? What good have they been doing with all the money they have gathered? And why aren't they showing that? And again, what are their specific plans that they have in mind to do with all that money they will bring in?
These are my initial thoughts on the matter. Of course more facts and research can be done on it. But for right now, I am, without apathy to the conflict, steering clear of this route. I shall go find my "wise as a serpent yet harmless as a dove" route somewhere else.
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