Unless you’ve been living under a rock at the bottom of the sea, you’ve probably heard about the outlaw named Kony. If you’ve heard about him from a video that’s gone viral on Youtube, you’re probably also wondering how to respond. Would you take a moment and give us your five-line response by clicking on “Comment” below the web version of this item? Please answer the question, “Is Kony 2012 (and Invisible Children) a positive or a negative force for our world today? …and why? If you aren’t sure what I’m asking about, just go to Youtube and search for Kony 2012.)
The campaign seems to have done great public relations job in bringing Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army to the conscience of millions of people.
However, this will not automatically lead to transforming change. The problem will not be solved by just seeing him brought to justice, others are probably ready to take his place.
It’s good to ‘see’ (especially) youth stirred to action…..
proper theology, priorities, policies, etc. can get sorted out variously, and debate will be helpful too.
Prayer will be among the best results! Some of it will be heard ….
Positive and negative. Positive in alerting many who would otherwise be unaware, but negative in its proposed solution potentially causing more problems for the very people they are suppose to be helping. Not one missionary I know there is embracing it because it is too simplistic and not what they most need. Simplistic doesn’t have to be bad, but in this case, it appears it might actually endanger and hurt more Ugandans than help. Most all agree though that the heart and intent was good.
Here is a powerful example of what unity of purpose can accomplish. There are no more night commuters(invisible children) there are dozens of new schools, rehabilitation centers, re-united families, early warning systems for remote villages,mentoring programs, once lost children now graduating university and pursueing productive careers, peace in Uganda, and a diminished warlord who will be brought to justice. Few know that Jason Russell & the IC team spent several days in the jungle with the UN trying to broker a peace with Kony and he cut and ran & & then slaughtered a whole village on Chistmas day, there is nothing simplistic in these endeavors.
Every American schoolkid knows about Joseph Kony. But will this knowledge have an impact on Uganda? Probably not. Beware of organizations asking for money to “fight Joseph Kony.”
Kony and LRA have been known for many years by those who read Operation World. At this time, this small (250 men) gang of criminals is to most of the world a trivial distraction. If attention to Kony was replaced by prayer and support of mission work in the part of the world where Kony has operated, God would be glorified, genuine solutions to the problems he has caused would be implemented and the sinful darkeness of the region would be reduced.
I’d prefer to make Kony infamous rather than famous. I would prefer the signs they plan to plaster all over town did not look like presidential campaign posters promoting a candidate… For such an evil man this is way too positive of a campaign ‘For’ him… In our instant-coffee, sound-bite world, having to read the ‘fine print’ and watch the full video to realize we are against Kony is disappointing. It should be obvious from the posters that this is someone we want to arrest and bring to justice.
I don’t live under a rock in the bottom of the sea, but I am a missionary living outside of North America, which means that I am not always up on the current trends, videos, slang, etc. Please be gentle with us. We feel bad enough when we feel “out of it”, have to ask “stupid” questions to trusted friends and relatives, or have to quietly educate ourselves by looking things up on the internet (like I did this morning to find out about iPods and iPhones).
Laura, so sorry about the feeling you experienced (being “out of it”). Lesson learned. It’s a figure of speech, intended to convey that something has “gone viral” and is now extremely popular, but we in no way intended it to cause harm. We’ll be more careful in the future. Thanks for your feedback.
Doug Lucas
Founder/Editor, Brigada
Because I recently lived in Gulu, Northern Uganda, I have been asked many times in the last few weeks about my opinion on Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” campaign, the viral video that most everyone has seen. Kony terrorized Northern Uganda from 1987 to 2006, kidnapping 25,000 children to become laborers, soldiers or sex slaves and killing upwards of 100,000 people. As far as I’m concerned, Kony should be brought to justice for his crimes against humanity. But I’m fairly certain this campaign is not the answer. Invisible Children is to be praised for their stand on social justice, and they are seeking to be part of the solution to the war and devastation caused by the LRA, they do not, however, in any way represent the gospel of Christ.
The situation in Uganda and other African countries is very complex, but “Kony 2012” does not show this. For example, Ugandans have spoken out about the video, complaining that it does not offer a historical context, offers too little too late, and does not highlight the problem of equal atrocities committed by the Ugandan army while trying to capture Joseph Kony. In addition the video does not accurately describe the current situation. Kony left Uganda in 2006 and since has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo with a very small faction of troops, estimated at less than 300. Invisible Children’s mission is to use social media to expose the atrocities of Joseph Kony and the LRA. After their first video released in 2006 (almost 20 years after this war started), they were certainly the driving force and the reason why many responded to Northern Uganda with aid and relief. This latest video, a half-hour long piece of propaganda aimed at “making Kony famous”, implores youth to purchase a $30 kit and to put up posters and stickers with Konys’ face, much like a political campaign.
We as believers are called to be distinctly different. Compassion and justice are important, but bringing people hope and an eternal future with God is more important. I am in no way qualified to speak for the Acholi of Northern Uganda, but following is an excerpt from one who is:
Kony 2012: A survivor’s perspective
Since the release of the Kony 2012 video, many painful thoughts have run through my mind.
Thoughts of sin aroused in me.
Thoughts of my state of hopelessness.
Thoughts of how we the Acholi people have been misunderstood by others.
I say this because…
I am an Acholi. In 1988, my uncle as he was getting off a bus at our Village in Acholibur was shot at by Joseph Kony’s rebels. In 1992, as we gathered to celebrate Christmas as a family the rebels came on the Christmas night and attacked and killed people at the Village trading centre, this was the last Christmas that we had in the Village as we were later displaced across the Nile to Masindi District. In 1996 at the helm of the war, my father was posted to work in Gulu and on one instance the car that they were travelling in was ambushed and burnt, he stayed in the bush for three days. My cousin was shot and I personally saw her intestines fall out as she was being brought to the hospital in Gulu, my other cousin was adducted by the rebels and he has never returned home to this day.
This all happened in the first twenty years of my life. When I think about this it’s painful and hurts and I feel bad. I am sure that if my grandmother watches this video today, she will weep in memory of her husband that the rebels killed, if my uncle watched this video fear and hopelessness would reawaken of the rebels re-abducting him, he would reconsider his plans of returning to our village. Is this good?
The solution to our problem is not to capture Kony but to help us continue in this process of healing, the thought of capturing Kony arouses more anger, more pain and feelings of revenge that are unbiblical. In fact if you asked me ten years ago what I would do with Kony if I captured him, I would revenge all the evil he has brought on my family. Now I realize that revenge is for God, I personally have handed Kony over to God. The gospel of Jesus has helped me over come these feelings, the thought of arresting Kony arouses sin in me, reminds me of how hopeless I am and how people do not understand me.
Justice is not only going to happen when our oppressor is captured and taken to The Hague, there are many leaders in Uganda who have done far worse atrocities and qualify as well to go to the Hague even before Kony but no one seems to say anything about them. Justice is going to happen if we the oppressed are restored and given living hope. This hope is what the oppressor took; taking the life of the oppressor does not bring back any hope. I have realized that hope is not in the cows, land, food or other material things we owned, because when Kony took all these from us, we lost hope and life was meaningless. Hope is in life eternal, hope is in Christ. This hope no man can take.
The focus in Northern Uganda should no longer be Joseph Kony the man that oppressed us for 23 years, but it should be on we that were oppressed. I believe that this Acholi problem needs a biblical and African solution of restoring the broken hearted. We urgently need to raise leaders that will give hope to the hopeless. Therefore the kony 2012 Video is not the solution, hope to the oppressed is the solution.
KILAMA DENNIS
As you consider how you are going to respond as a Christian and follower of Christ, I would challenge you to use the evening of April 20th, the night of Invisible Children’s campaign to pray. Pray for the leaders of Invisible Children and for this film to be used for Kingdom purposes, for the people of Northern Uganda, Congo and Sudan who are both still hurting and in some cases still being terrorized, and for the military and political workers. Pray for the many Christian workers and missionaries who are bringing social justice along with the gospel of truth and hope to men like Kilama Dennis. Then, consider getting involved in more than just pushing “like” on facebook. Many churches in our area, have been a part of the restoration of Northern Uganda for years. Our pastors will be advising our youth to look at this film through God’s eyes and then to respond appropriately. We will be asking them to participate in our “Walk for Water” on April 28th, which will be addressing the very real need for clean water in Northern Uganda and save many children’s lives at the same time as proclaiming the name of Jesus. We in no way have the answer to eradicate the deep and profound issues occurring in Central Africa, but do believe as each one of us participates as part of the body and of God’s global church that we can make a difference.
I have been in Uganda each of the last three years and know that the country is healing but dealing with many other issues now than 7 years ago.
I think the awareness element is an issue. I side with the Ugandans who have said this video is old news, and giving Kony any recognition is likely not a good thing. I also agree that war is not the solution.
We need to empower people to care about the situation in Uganda, but to make it a political issue and a fundraising issue raises serious concerns for me.
I viewed the KONY 2012 YouTube video with great interest. It is well done and presents the urgency intended by the producer.
My primary concern is exposing Gavin, a young child to the horrors of what is taking place in Uganda.
Young children are incapable of working through thought processes necessary to deal with this issue. I think there is a proper time to share information, expose the truth of these atrocities, but can a child really get their little minds around these types of issues?
I worked for a number of years in the Wa State of Myanmar and encountered “children soldiers” with great frequency. It was disturbing and I saw things that still haunt me.
On one occasion I was taken by United Wa State Army leaders into a dormitory and asked to watch the desensitizing of young boys. It was so disturbing I walked out with the feeling I would be shot in the back. Thankfully, I was allowed to leave.
I agree exposure is necessary. Only through exposing the facts can change be forced upon the evil doers.
Question: Where were the Christian missionaries in Uganda when Kony was a boy? Did someone decide not to take the Gospel to the next village or up river, around the next bend?
I see value in rallying support for movements through social media, but we also need a new wave of committed Christian missionaries willing to be “boots on the ground” in these hard places.
Authentic Christianity is the crying need of our world. Most people with whom I spend my time among have not rejected the claims of the Gospel, they simply have never heard the MESSAGE of Jesus.
The time is now to push further into the spiritual darkness and to do it better, more efficiently and use every possible means.
The edge is where God takes you!
Finally, I think the video was well done. It is a very moving and powerful use of social media. I only caution the producer to wait a few years before exposing very young children to “truth” they cannot possibly deal with.
Serving Jesus is the hard places,
Brandt
My tears begun to fall when I noticed the violins. If you are telling the truth, you don’t need to try to move me. Facts will do it. Then he uses the most captivating child to talk maniqueistically. As the film developed, I was certain I was watching “Wag the Dog”. Because horrifying things happen. it is most intriguing why he chooses to be so appealing.
To find out what the Ugandan people think, those who have been child soldiers and been extracted from that life, you should go to web sites representing the Ugandan press. Most feel as well as I that this was a ploy by a non-profit organization to raise money and not to affect any radical or effective change. More aid and food for Orphans is not going to help.
A complex issue to be sure, and, I don’t confess to speak with great authority. I am thankful for those with greater insight into the situation on the ground who are sharing what they know. At the same time, I believe the Kony video was an excellent example of the power of social media to stir interest and effect change. May the Church take note and utilize tools like this for kingdom purposes. Perhaps there are ways for the Church to even piggyback on this video’s success to accomplish that…
We have missionaries working in Gulu, northern Uganda where the war-torn children are located. We have known of Invisible Children and witnessed its work over the last 8-9 years. It is a secular organization, no way Christian or claims to be. The recent Kony 2012 is not accurate and may mislead. It is certainly not useful for the advancement of the Gospel with compassionate care to the needy children of northern Uganda.