World Kony 2012

[thewrongvine]

[youtube]Y4MnpzG5Sqc[/youtube]

A video gaining international attention is trying to use the power of the Internet to stop Joseph Kony, the head of a small but infamous militia that has terrorized northern Uganda with killings, kidnappings, mutilations and torture.

The unusual and controversial new campaign spotlights the horrors inflicted by the Lord's Resistance Army, a militia that for years has been notorious for abducting children to fight as soldiers and suffer as sex slaves, as well as for mutilating its victims.

But the campaign has also spurred a debate about whether the nonprofit behind the effort and its empowering tools of social media -- Twitter, YouTube and Facebook -- are dangerously oversimplifying the dilemma.

The video campaign was launched this week by Invisible Children Inc., a San Diego-based nonprofit that produced a half-hour documentary that aims to ramp up international pressure to arrest Kony. The militia leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of committing war crimes.

Kony has been pursued by the United States, which launched a military mission in Uganda last year to stop him and other Lord's Resistance Army leaders. U.S. officials said the brutal militia had pushed at least 400,000 people out of their homes. Yet Kony has so far remained on the loose.

Read more here.

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Interesting film. I wish them the best of luck, it's a good cause, but I'm not sure how much it will actually change the situation.

 

[esb]

Funny people won't fall for African email scams yet they fall for this. Here's a link to give you some insight onhttp://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/qlejg/kony_2012_is_a_campaign_that_aims_to_make_joseph/

 

[thewrongvine]

More sad than funny, eh? But it's the same for a lot of organizations. Still, it's better than nothing. At least it's raising awareness of the situation, and while a good population will blindly follow the film, there are others who will learn about the situation and then do their own research and contributions.
Here's another that Siretu posted (I hope it's you):
http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/

 

[FireCat]

At least it's raising awareness of the situation

True. But this viral video is "completely outdated" and the whole charity part "is a scam !"

 

[Dan]

Whelp that video made me cry a bit. It is truly sad that these monstrosities even exist. Weather or not this organization is legitamite and to be trusted, and weather or not taking Joseph Koney down will end the problem, the fact remains that there are people suffering right now and I hope it can be stopped one day soon. They are right about bringing these things to our attention as the main way to get anything done. Unfortunately, you can't expect the United States government to keep running into other countries. We need to be a bit more introvert than we currently are already imo. The UN needs to take up this cause before the USA does.

 

[Accname]

Maybe we should go there and burrow some barrels of oil in that country. Then the west would have at least a reason to attack.

 

[DM Cross]

I remember seeing this crop up one day, over the weekend I think... And, honestly... It bothers me. But not in the way you may think...

Well, naturally, it bothers me like it bothers all of you... Yes, these are terrible crimes and all that silly happy nonsense.

But the real problem I have is how big a deal people are making out of it now. And no, I'm not saying that it ISN'T a big deal. I'm saying where the Hell have you been for the past how many years?

These terrible crimes are not new. They didn't just surface in the past year. They've been going on for years, decades, more... But now people are noticing. Now people are caring.

Call me bitter. You might be right. But in all honesty, I hate everyone who reads these and goes on a rant about how they're appalled and disgusted.

I'm not going to say that I've been an active member of any organization trying to help these people. I'm not better than anyone else. But I'm also not sitting here, talking about how the US military should be stepping in and doing this or that. Somehow, I don't think it's any of my business to talk nonsense.

 

[Romek]

http://www.afrol.com/articles/21834
http://www.kenyaengineer.co.ke/news/2-news/143-uganda-scales-back-oil-production-volumes

America's getting involved in world affairs that don't involve oi-- Oh, never mind.