Today I came across this YouTube video on my brother’s Facebook timeline. His comment: “This is going super Viral. 2 million in 30 minutes as i was watching it.” made me give it a shot. Two minutes into the video, I am completely sucked in. I researched it. I shared it:
I have heard of horrible crimes relating to human trafficking, sexual enslavement and child soldiers, but I have never come too close and personal with it like this video made me.
Describing the case with my words would not give it justice, I will let you get sensitized by watching the documentary yourself: Watch YouTube here
I have to say though, I was skeptical at first. before I share it here I did my research.
I started by looking up Joseph Kory on Wikipedia:
Joseph Kony (born 18 September 1964) is a Ugandan guerrilla group leader, head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a group engaged in a violent campaign to establish theocratic government based on the Ten Commandments throughout Uganda. The LRA say that spirits have been sent to communicate this mission directly to Kony.
Directed by Kony, the LRA has earned a reputation for its actions against the people of several countries, including northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan. It has abducted and forced an estimated 66,000 children to fight for them, and has forced the internal displacement of over 2,000,000 people since its rebellion began in 1986. In 2005 Kony was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, but has evaded capture.
Then I googled Kony:
News for kony
Joseph Kony viral video campaign clouded in controversy
National Post – 51 minutes agoA documentary film aimed at exposing the heinous acts of Ugandan war criminal Joseph Kony exploded over the Internet Wednesday, drawing praise and …
Apparently, even though the campaign is going viral over social media, proving their point that “Nothing is more powerful that an idea whose time has come”, controversy is surrounding it.
May you not be mislead, there is no controversy around Joseph Kony’s heinous crimes or the Kony 2012 campaign intentions. The controversy is more surrounding the method of raising awareness that Invisible Children has adopted. Some criticized their financial management. Others are appalled by their “support of corrupted Ugandan army”. A photo of the founder posing with weapons surfaced online. Some even called the campaign dangerous.
Invisible Children has already responded.
I call on those criticizing this campaign to create another. Create a campaign that abides by your rules and make it viral. The more campaigns the merrier. We are brainwashed on a daily basis by mainstream media and our knowledge base about the world is shaped by those few sitting on the golden desk in the big media corporations.
I salute Invisible Children for being 2012-smart, for believing so strong in the righteous cause and for being persistent. Their campaign brought up close and personal with crimes happening continents away, crimes that have been going on for decades. They succeeded where mainstream media failed. I salute their efforts. But it is not about the campaign or the organization, or its founder and his adorable little son, Gavin. It is about all the suffering and abuses, mutilations, rape and enslavement brought to many by a single person. A leader that is soon to be famous, famous enough to warrant greater efforts to stop him.
I salute the campaign for being able to recruit me. I am willing to take action.
The fact remains that there is no controversy around the crimes committed by Joseph Kony, may his name become “famous by Dec. 2012.” Joseph Kony has been indicted in 2005 by the International Criminal Court. I hope the current controversy would not make the campaign bigger than the cause in the eyes of the media.
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