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The Pioneer Log opinion

MARCH 23, 2012

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Invisible Childrens Campaign ghts a cause for all the wrong reasons
JAKE BARTMAN STAFF WRITER
I had placated my penny-pinching sensibilities by attempting to see the campaign in a di erent light, one that makes Kony 2012 into some sort of investment in the future of democratic action the world over in the age of Facebook. It is doubtless that this notion was a part of the reason for the videos runaway success. But inevitably, my inner rebellious hipster has shamed me into regretting the donation I made, and not just because Marlboros cost six dollars per pack. Consider that Kony isnt even in Uganda anymore though Uganda remains central to Invisible Childrens aims. Its almost as though the idealists with that organization got so carried away with the goodness of what theyve been doing that they totally neglected to acknowledge the changed situation in Uganda. Instead they focus stubbornly on an ideal which is no longer theirs to attain. One begins to wonder what Invisible Children will do when Kony is nally dead or captured, as there seems to be no focus on other goals. Rudimentary understandings of economics and common sense have led me to believe that an orgaILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF INVISIBLE CHILDREN

Kony 2012

hus far, the drama of Kony 2012 has unfolded roughly as follows. Video gets posted on Internet. Video goes viral and support for Invisible Children skyrockets, especially after receiving a generous helping of celebrity support. Responses to video by Ugandan citizens and others point out the movements aws. en, Invisible Children boss-man Jason Russell is arrested for masturbating in publicyou can see a video of him prancing in the nude through the radiant San Diego sunlight on TMZ.com. When I rst came to sense the disturbance in the Force (Facebook) that was Kony 2012, I went so far as to put o the pleasure of declining Latin nouns in order to watch the video. I was touched, and touched that I was touchedconsidering what a jaded, cynical asshole I like to consider myselfso much so that I allowed my sentimental side to lead me to donating a little money to the organization. A week later, Kony 2012 is looking more and more like the McDonalds of charitable campaigns.

nization becomes suspect when it continues to collect money for no discernible reason and without apparent adaptation to the actual state of things. Corruption and tarring/feathering usually follow such behavior. Invisible Children seems to be irting languorously with these dangers, and in this sense, it is a suspicious entity. So, we ought to recognize Kony 2012 as what it is: a misguided attempt to do something good that is motivated wrongly at its most basic level. At the very least, its worth noting the volume of press Africa has recieved thanks to the video. ats what is needed anyway, a dialogue between those that need help and the rest of the world at large, without what may once have been the necessary proxy of an organization like Invisible Children and a movement like Kony 2012. ough the movement seems to be one for our generation and our time, its embrace of technology is wrong and that re ects more sel sh interest than desire for good than might rst be apparent. But isnt it easier just to let the white guy masturbating on the corner in San Diego tell us what things in Uganda are like?

LAURA BLUM STAFF WRITER

ou may know that Jason Russell, one of Invisible Childrens founders, was recently detained for allegedly masturbating in public. You may also know that Russell and ICs other two leaders have been photographed standing with members of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (a group notorious for looting and raping), brandishing assault ri es with smug looks on their faces. While certainly disturbing, this information alone should not dissuade you from supporting Invisible Children or its Kony 2012 campaign. We shouldnt care what the public faces of an organization get up to in their spare time, as long as theyre doing good work at the end of the day. No, there are far more compelling reasons for denouncing Invisible Children. First of all, Invisible Children is not a charity in the purest sense of the word, since they do not focus the majority of their e orts on directly helping people. ey are not-for-pro t lmmakers who spend only a fraction of their sizable income on actually serving the communities they claim to represent. According to gures released by IC itself, the organization spent over 8 million dollars last year, of which only 32% was spent on direct services. e rest either went directly into the pockets of the sta , or was spent on marketing, travel and lm production. But, so what? e lms raise awareness, right? And isnt awareness a good thing? No, its not. Its not even a neutral thing. It may, in fact,

Invisible Childrens nances and philosophy deemed questionable

be a bad thing to make the entire world aware of Joseph Kony. Before you jump on the sensationalist bandwagon of Kony 2012, take a moment to consider that this is a multifaceted, complex issue that Central Africans are already working to address. Most of the damage that Kony could do has already been done; hes in hiding, and the Lords Resistance Army has been inactive for a few years now. In other words, Invisible Children is a bit late to the party. If youre skeptical, perhaps it would help to hear the perspectives of actual Ugandans, who know way more about this whole situation than you or I do. What that video says is totally wrong, and it can cause us more problems than help us, says Dr. Beatrice Mpora, director of a Ugandan community health organization in Gulu. ere has not been a single soul from the LRA here since 2006. Now we have peace, people are back in their homes, they are planting their elds, they are starting their businesses. at is what people should help us with. Ugandans are also displeased with Invisible Childrens strategy of advocating direct military intervention to capture Kony. Making Kony famous could make him stronger, states Javie Ssozi, a Ugandan blogger. Arguing for more US troops could make him scared and make him abduct more children or go on the o ensive. Anywar Ricky Richard, director of the Ugandan organization Friends of Orphans and a former child soldier of the LRA, writes, [Invisible Children] are not known as a peace building organization and I do not think they have experience with peace building and con ict resolution methods. I totally disagree with their approach of military action as a means to end this con ict. ese are not the only Ugandans who have spoken out against the campaign. ere are many more Central Africans, as well as people from around the globe, who criticize Kony 2012. Just do a quick Google search for Kony 2012 criticism, and youll see what I mean. e amount of evidence that this warmongering campaign is at best a farce, and at worst a grave error with terrible consequences, is too much to t in one article. What disturbs me the most about Kony 2012, and what I see as the root of this sudden kerfu e, is the idea that weare better equipped to handle these problems than Africans themselves. Its the thought that Africa is a continent that needs saving, that Ugandans are helpless, uneducated people who are too busy starving to death to be aware of their own nations issues. is notion is one of the most poisonous and prevalent manifestations of white colonial guilt, and it is not only false but extremely dangerous. If youre still not convinced, if you still think that you, a student at an American liberal arts college, know more about this issue than the Ugandan people simply because you watched some emotionally exploitative YouTube video about it, I invite you to rid yourself of your short-sighted good intentions. Youre in college to learn how to think critically. You can start by thinking, period.