Kony 2012

Kony’s motives in the past twenty-six years has finally surfaced to the social interface of the networking medias. Thanks to a very informative thirty-minute heartwrenching 
movie on YouTube followed by thousands of Facebook and Tumblr posts, citizens of the world are no longer ignorant of the Ugandan warlord. The public is now cognizant of the issue that thirty thousand or more children have been abducted, trained, and molded into child soldiers of the Lord’s Resistance Group (LRA) during Kony’s rule. Although Kony still has yet to be located, the Kony 2012 campaign has effectively generated enough emphasis and attention on the crisis that it has gained political assistance from notable U.S. officials. As a result of the Invisible Children and U.S. government’s collaborative effort, President Obama has dispatched one hundred trained officials to Uganda in hopes of capturing Kony and putting an end to his reign.
       

However, due to Invisible Children’s efforts being perceived as emotionally manipulative and propaganda-like, the public is suspicious behind the true motives of the Kony 2012 campaign. They deem it to be another “bandwagon gimmick,” or better yet, a “financial scam” for donations. Opinionated pessimists are now in the midst of pointing fingers and questioning financial expenditures, which marginalize the credibility behind the movement. Moreover, the comprehensive inquisitions of the campaign’s purpose has hindered and demonized the Chief Executive Officer and activist leaders of Kony 2012 as “greedy scam artists” despite their profound progress for “humanitarian-relief.” Needless to say, the validity of Invisible Children and its core values are being critically analyzed; the battle of controversy and undermining of the organization has begun.

So, one might ask, “What am I to believe now?” With any information, the truth can be skewed, oppressed, or even barbequed by opinions; however, the fact remains relevant: there are still children in Uganda who sleep in fear, with one eye open, hoping for the possibility of a “tomorrow,” and anticipating whether or not they will be lucky enough to be with their families in the next days. The Kony 2012 campaign sparked a pandemic awareness, bringing thousands of people together with the common goal of making the world a better place. Invisible Children reminds us that behind ethnicity and nationality, and above all, we are humans. Who are we not to protect each other because of simple lines that draw the boundaries for countries? We are entitled to protecting each other, regardless of where we are from. Donate or not, do something or don’t — the choice is yours. But do not make the excuse, “I don’t know,” because you are no longer oblivious to this matter.