The Student Room Group

The Kony 2012 Campaign

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Reply 100
I genuinely believe people are sharing the message and donating because they won't do a difference.
Just because you have your own selfish views does not mean everybody else feels the same, millions of people want to help stop these disgusting atrocities.
If any british child was stolen and forced to become a sex slave or soldier then I bet you would be up in arms but you don't care when this has happened to 30,000 children?
I just can't be bothered to watch a thirty minute video for no reason.

Edit: Thanks for negging, even though this campaign will result in arming the Ugandan military even more. You really are tools, seeing as there's no explanation without watching some emotive piece of crap.
(edited 12 years ago)
visiblechildren.tumblr[dot]com

PLEASE read this article and share your opinions, Joseph Kony is a very very cruel person, that's a given. But people need to open their eyes to the rest of the situation, stopping this copycat culture of sharing without knowing the whole story.

I have put forward an interesting article to be approached with an open mind, do not neg me as I haven't even shared my own opinion which may be disagreed/agreed with.
Reply 103
Original post by Silver Arrow
Eurgh this BS is all over my Facebook. It's ****ing pointless. Do you really think it will achieve anything? It's the same as the "Make Poverty History" campaign. A lame concert and suddenly the world's problems disappear?
This is the same. Stuff like this goes on in Africa all the time and the sad thing is that nobody gives a ****! Once this person is found do we all just pat ourselves on the back and carry on as normal? HAHAHAHA


So, it's better to do **** all?

I'm confused.
You've been assaulted on several occasions?

I couldn't imagine why...
what a nice human being you are ...



[INDENT]First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
[/INDENT]


[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]Martin Niemöller.[/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]
(edited 12 years ago)
I think that the aim of the campaign was to get him recognised internationally, and they have done that really well. It's people's choice whether they want to donate money or not, but the people who are saying its not worth it just piss me off.
Original post by Sbapu
Everyone jumping on the Kony bandwagon, listen up.

Your efforts are great and all, but there's a reason this is happening. That reason is big governments have their own vested interests and reasons for leaving this guy in power...or not giving a damn about Uganda, where he started, or the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan where he's active now.

He get's his weapons from somewhere, and the top 3 arms producers in the world are amongst the only 5 permanent members of the United Nations security council.

In 2005 he was declared a war criminal...but spent the next two years meeting various countries presidents, and even members of the United Nations asking for aid dollars.

...and call me a pessimist, but donating half your paycheck to this cause really isn't going to do much. Save half a paycheck for a year then go volunteer in the medical care centers that care for the kids after they've been spat out by Kony's system. Or hell, volunteering at your LOCAL family shelter.

Also, the Ugandan millitary is using this entire Kony campaign as a weak excuse to cross borders and steal resources from other countries. Like diamonds,and timber. Fun fact is the Ugandan army also has a history of leaving high HIV rates in communities behind them wherever they go, you do the math.

America only commited special forces to the hunt when Kony started getting close to US-Owned diamond mines. They sent 100 "combat equipped" troops (note, not special forces), as of last October. Oh yeah, but those soldiers are not to get into fights themselves, but only provide "advice and training".

Kony's got his head on the chopping block...but he's only one example of entire countries full of corrupt commanders in that region. With Kony as the lead "get him now" figure, thousands of dollars of aid are flooding into various communities to the point where local leaders there are LETTING KONY'S FIGHTERS GO when captured, because they don't want the aid dollars to stop.

And y'all playing right into their little money making schemes. Even if "Invisible Children" is legit...guarantee you a very, very small fraction of your donations will even make it into any of those countries.

So, how can you help. Raise hell, online, contact politicians, volunteer for various organisations that lobby for change. But sending more dollars to the conflict or donating your paycheck for a few weeks while "everyones talking about it" is pretty damn cheap.

And if you talk about running a club night to "raise awareness" for something like this, I might actually punch you in the face. The last thing we need to honour dying child soldiers in Africa is a Jagerbomb while the latest Skrillex remix is dropping. That's cheap.

I'd say if you are really serious about "The children zomg", go volunteer at your local cities family shelter. Or anywhere, really. There's enough people that need your help right here, where you can make a real, tangible difference. Immediately. Or ask Invisible Children what you can do on a local scale to help, like put up posters. But I'm not sure just donating half your paycheque...while still having enough time to buy the latest skinny jeans, or plaster yourself in maybelline on the weekend...is #legit.

You want to pretend this is the end of the world and deserves your full support? Start acting like it. Facebook doesn't cut it, and $$$ won't help.


A) Where's the evidence that he met with various presidents and UN officials? I find this very hard to believe considering he was wanted then.

B) Where's the evidence that the little funding the Ugandan government gets goes to exploiting other countries resources? You do realize the Ugandan government themselves have a vested interest in capturing this guy right? Hence, it's much more plausible that they're using the money for the intended cause considering they support the intended cause.

C) Where's the evidence that America sent in troops when Kony started getting close to their mines? What would 100 soldiers fighting do? America has the best armed forces in the whole world, it's very beneficial for the Ugandan military to be trained and advised by them.

D) It has been shown that Sudan corporated previously in late 1990s and supplied them weaponary. And they probably stole the rest. China/Russia/UK/France/USA don't just fund militants, they may fund tyrants dictators but not militants with unrelated aims.
A number of people mention slacktivism, and that nobody cares enough for these kinds of issues to do much beyond retweeting and suchlike. That may be true, but firstly, if all these people don't give a rat's arse about these issues, then let it be. Such is life. It doesn't mean guys like those behind the film shouldn't try.

Secondly, the film makers documented this issue as film makers (first, before anything else). By capturing the issue on film, and making the subject compelling enough to encourage viewers to pledge their support, they've done their job. They (usually) know full well that a whole host of other changes in circumstance need to happen to make a real difference. But banging on about that aspect of the problem all the time is just overwhelming.

This film alone might not do much to challenge the systemic corruption (among other things) that allows for a number of 'Kony characters' to thrive. But to the victims of this injustice, it may mean something.
As for those who watch that film, tweet about it once and live their life again like normal - feeling self-important and smug that they're clued up on 'something that matters' - well fine. You can't win 'em all. Admittedly, I'm probably in that group. But then a lot of people are, and pretend otherwise.
Why should we question the motives of these film makers, or others who don't do that much more? Why give them a hard time? With most/all films like this, their message(s) imply that the buck stops with us. We make the difference.
I think this will be unpopular but:

One of the main ways that visible children have been trying to stop Kony is by funding the Ugandan army. This, they say is the best form of direct action. I am sure I don't have to put a massive list of all the atrocities the Ugandan army has got up to in their day...

On top of that is the fact that only around a third of their funding actually goes to help the Africans, making them one of the least efficient charities known to man.

I agree ENTIRELY that Kony has to be stopped, and I am sure 99.9% of the sceptics of this campaign feel the same, but you have to question the methods. He has been wanted on international charges for a long time, and is most certainly a wanted man. There have been assasination attempts on him which have failed and led to severe reprucussions.

The question is what is going to happen with the 10s of millions of dollars that visible children get from this campaign? I have a feeling that they will continue to arm the Ugandan army, and we have seen governments arm groups in the past and later regret it, I doubt a charity would have as much military foresight as a government.

Uganda spends $450 million (approx) on military spending a year, I think the amount of money that this campaign would raise would be enough to add a significant amount to that spending, if they continue to go down the Ugandan route.

I think people seem to believe that we are waking up our governments to the atrocities that this man has commited whereas in reality, they have been aware for ages, we have not. There is a real danger of a bandwagon kneejerk reaction, and that seems to be what is happening at the moment.

Kony must be stopped but take a look at what possible reprucussions there are for stopping him. Because I am sure there are people willing to take his place.
The campaign strikes me as cloying and hubristic. It also strikes me as exploitative of the guy's son. Then there's the fact that less than a third of the organisation's expenditure goes on direct services (source: http://tinyurl.com/7rfu3uz - p.6).

If you're going to support the campaign, do so by telling people about it and signing the pledge. Don't do it by giving your money to these people.
Reply 111
You talk as though the idea of caring about something and recognising that there are more important issues (in your opinion) directly affecting you are mutually exclusive.

I wouldn't necessarily say it's selfish to admit that there are more pressing concerns for you personally but to say you don't actually care about what's going on is kind of heartless.

I'm not going to play the 'if it was you' card because the social circumstances are so different it's not worth it. I just don't see the point in complaining about something like this when they're obviously doing it for a good cause and not for some sort of self-gratification.
(edited 12 years ago)
Who the hell is Kony?

This. It's a shame that Invisible Children seem to be operating in dodgy ways. But I can't pretend like it's at all surprising.

People should be encouraged to help, but this shows it's worth investigating where your money is going.
Original post by Muffled Snuffles


Invisible Children’s financial statements are online for everyone to see. The organization only spent 16.24% on administration and management costs in FY2011. Financial statements from the last 5 years, including our 990, are available at www.invisiblechildren.com/financials

Charity Navigator gives our programs its highest rating of 4 stars. Our Accountability and Transparency score is currently at 2 stars due to the fact that Invisible Children currently does not have five independent voting members on our board of directors. We are currently in the process of interviewing potential board members, and our goal is to add an additional independent member this year in order to regain our 4-star rating by 2013. We are aware of this and trying to fix it.

Part of Invisible Children’s mission is advocacy, and we lobby within our 501(c)3 status. We have lobbied Congress on multiple occasions, but especially in 2009 and 2010 which led to the passage of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act (http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s1067/text). We lobby all members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation. We do not endorse a political party.

Invisible Children has long advocated for a peaceful end to this conflict. We strongly advocated for the success of the Juba Peace Talks in 2006-2008. Joseph Kony failed to show up to sign the Final Peace Agreement on multiple occasions. We still hope that Kony and the top LRA commanders will surrender peacefully, even though peace talks don't seem to be a viable option at this point. http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/peace-talks-lra-are-unrealistic-now

The LRA left northern Uganda in 2006. The LRA is currently active in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Invisible Children’s mission is to stop Joseph Kony and the LRA wherever they are and help rehabilitate LRA-affected communities. The Ugandan government’s army, the UPDF, is more organized and better equipped than that of any of the other affected countries (DRC, South Sudan, CAR) to track down Joseph Kony. Part of the US strategy to stop Kony is to encourage cooperation between the governments and armies of the 4 LRA-affected countries. The LRA was active in Uganda for nearly 20 years, displacing 1.7 million people and abducting at least 30,000 children. The people and government of Uganda have a vested interested in seeing him stopped.

We do not defend any of the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Ugandan government or the Ugandan army. None of the money donated through Invisible Children ever goes to the government of Uganda. Yet the only feasible and proper way to stop Kony and protect the civilians he targets is to coordinate efforts with regional governments.

Invisible Children wants people around the world to participate in KONY 2012. Unfortunately we currently only have the financial and human resources to coordinate events within the U.S. We hope that activists around the world will take up the charge and spearhead efforts within their own communities. We have already heard many reports of international activists sharing the film, putting up posters, and asking their governments to take action.


Considering the fact that a) they're lobbying of congress has been successful and b) they're funding for their movies/films has also been successful justifies their finances. It may not all go on direct cause but these further their causes.
Reply 115
Why did you feel this need to tell us this?

You're pressing the share button, not climbing up mount Kilimanjaro for Kony.

I am genuinely very interested in Kony 2012 because I believe the human race, collectively, can change the world, one man can't go anything. This experiment, if it works, will prove to us that the hands of many can bring peace. Social mediums have made this task a heck easier.

There's always somebody who's an insensitive, miserable, grumpy old troll. You're entitled to be selfish, we all are to a certain extent. However without the love and compassion we have for our kind you would've have been able to type what you typed. You were born into a more fortunate life due to no choice of your own. What makes you more deserving than a person who has the same human physiology as you?
Reply 116
Original post by TheCurlyHairedDude
Who the hell is Kony?


Do you live under a rock?

YouTube 'Kony'

Edit - I have more negs than somebody who doesn't give a **** about child sex slaves/soldiers. Disgusting.
(edited 12 years ago)
http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/post/18890947431/we-got-trouble

Nail, hit, on the head. Don't really need to say much, activism and supporting moral causes is great, just do your research and make your own mind up
The one thing that could be a bit of a problem is the shear length of the video, it may put people off watching it, they should create a smaller video, giving the basic points of what they're trying to and ask people to then watch the longer video if they're interested.
Reply 119
Original post by Jingers
Just another perspective.

It's funny how a video shot with good music and a good camera gets people out of their isolated world into a state of slactivism.

InB4This****BlowsOverInAFewWeeksOrIfThey'reLuckyAFewMonthsJustLikeOccupy


I bet everyone who posted this video on their facebook also made their profile photos cartoon characters to 'create awareness' for child abuse. Just like in that child abuse campaign, I bet 99% of you lot won't even do anything about this situation aside from a few comments on youtube and facebook.


You ****** is sheeple.


True, but even then, that 1% could make all the difference. Effectively, the film-maker has achieved his goal. I agree it's a noble, albeit flawed cause, but if it brings Kony to Justice, then we can pat ourselves on the back. Hopefully then the same can be done for the other bastards on the ICC's list.

Original post by TurboCretin
The campaign strikes me as cloying and hubristic. It also strikes me as exploitative of the guy's son. Then there's the fact that less than a third of the organisation's expenditure goes on direct services (source: http://tinyurl.com/7rfu3uz - p.6).

If you're going to support the campaign, do so by telling people about it and signing the pledge. Don't do it by giving your money to these people.


Think of the target audience. The video was made primarily for American audiences, who love nothing better than a good old story about family values. It's clever in its advertising.

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