KONY 2012

Jillian Reid
EGL 209
4/26/12
Prof. Rampello
Introduction
In media, information has many different ways of being distorted and formatted for viewers’ persuasion. In this day and age it’s almost impossible not to become a victim of it. How do we identify the fine line between manipulated facts and reality and whether or not we as an audience are being taken advantage of? This issue can strongly relate to the “KONY 2012” video that has been recently released. Many of the facts related to the conflict have been either modified or completely left out. So the question we must ask ourselves is: should Invisible Children, within their KONY 2012 video, be responsible for misrepresenting and diluting the overall complexity of the issue in order to raise money for their campaign?
Ugandan History
Uganda and Central Africa for that matter; have had conflict for many years. Due to its’ complex history there have been many reasons for the creation of the LRA and other rebel groups. Since 1962 divisions, due to ethnic conflict, armed rebellion has been seen by many groups in Uganda as the sole and legitimate means to express political grievances and attain political power.3In 1986, Yoweri Museveni took power over Uganda through his rebel army called the National Resistance Army (NRA). This was expected to end the division and rebellions during this period and long line of dictatorships but instead his rise to power perpetuated it. Since 1986 there have been at least 22 rebel groups created solely for resistance against Ugandan government; one of these groups was called the Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA). This group was created in southern Sudan to try and protect the Northern Ugandans from the NRA, which is the most impacted area of violence from these rebel groups. This rebel group gained popularity but despite this the UPDA ended up signing a peace treaty called the Gulu Peace Accord. After this episode, the HSM (Holy Spirit Movement) came in and fought many battles with the NRA but lost and eventually dissolved.
Joseph Kony & the LRA
Here’s where Joseph Kony comes in. Joseph Kony was a former UPDA fighter, a Catholic preacher and a teacher while being a part of the UPDA. During his time with them he claimed to be a spiritual messenger and refused to recognize the Gulu Peace Accord. He then broke off from the UPDA and created the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army). Due to the war-tired north not supporting Joseph Kony’s rebel group he began attacking local civilians. To push even further, compensating for lost support the LRA started abducting children and captured over 66,000 over the course of the war. Using psychological warfare, commanders and Joseph Kony himself have manipulated these children into performing horrible brutalities. They have been forced to kill their own family members or burn down their own villages to prove obedience. In 1993, the Minister for the Pacification of the North, led peace negotiations between the Government of Uganda and the LRA. Within the hours of completion President Museveni had issued an ultimatum that the LRA must surrender in seven days; this peace agreement had collapsed. After many failed attempts of peace mediation, the government had formed a policy of “protected villages”, in 1996. This was an attempt to take people from their homes and place them into camps, and therefore isolating the LRA and making it easy for capture. After failure of that the military ended up creating a new type of defense against the LRA called “Operation Iron Fist”.
“Ugandan government had moved over 80% of the region- which were displaced in squalid camps lacking access to basic resources. Within these camps, problems of starvation, poor sanitation, psychosocial trauma, lack of education, HIV/AIDS and prostitution persisted on gross levels. In 2005 reports revealed that nearly 1,000 people were dying each week as a result of camp conditions. Camp conditions have been potent symbols of the exclusion and marginalization of northerners by the Museveni regime and have exacerbated northern grievances against the government.”3 This is where Jacob lived within the KONY 2012 video. As the LRA still continues it has not has not committed an attack on Ugandan soil since 2006. “The LRA's goals are limited to the interests of its senior military commanders and it survives by preying on remote, marginalized populations across central Africa.”3
Invisible children, it’s financials, and it’s connection with Uganda
Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole (the founders if Invisible Children) had originally traveled to Africa in 2003 to document the Darfur but interacting with the Ugandan conflict made them change their focus to the LRA and Uganda. This documentary (called Invisible Children; which is also the name of their organization) was first screened on June 22, 2004, at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. This non-profit organization has hosted over 9000 screenings at colleges, high schools, churches, concerts and other venues and it is estimated that 5 million people have seen their documentary. But this is not what made Invisible Children a recent hot topic. Releasing a 30 minute video on Joseph Kony and the LRA called “KONY 2012” has been stapled as the most successful viral video campaign of all time with some 137.2 million views. But some obvious questions will arise when investigating about Invisible Children’s financials. Within their financial statements there are The LRA has not committed crimes within Uganda since 2006 and Konys’ recent freedom is more due to the complexity of Ugandan politics than lack of resources, people or support from the West. Furthermore, the troops that President Obama shipped in 2009 are practically useless because they are not permitted to pass into non-Ugandan territory, where Joseph Kony is. The KONY 2012 video depicts Ugandans as passive victims when in fact there has been an overwhelming collective response against Konys’ rebel group that has been wielded by their president Yoweri Museveni. Invisible Children portrayed a simple solution, give enough money to our organization, make “Kony” famous and we can stop the crime and injustices in Uganda and Central Africa; but it is not that simple.
How Ugandans feel about Invisible Children
One might think that Invisible Children Inc. and Ugandans are working side by side in raising awareness about Joseph Kony and the LRA. If someone had questioned a viewer the relationship they had one would probably say it was that of friends but this is not necessarily the truth. After the KONY 2012 video came out there was a group screening within Uganda. It was translated into their native dialect and an estimated 35,000 people attended. The response was not that of a positive one. After viewing the video Ugandans called into radio stations and created uproar for how the victims were portrayed within the video; they began jeering and throwing rocks in frustration. The plug was pulled on the video and was suspended the next day. There was also another screening in Lira, which was one of the most effected towns during the LRA raids; their response was the same. “Lira residents said they were upset the video devotes so much attention to the American filmmakers and Mr. Kony, and relatively little to the conflict's victims."The video looks to be more about whites than Ugandans”"2 A lot have also responded in saying that they were put off by a subject that many have already put behind them. The truth is people are still very emotional about Joseph Kony and the atrocities that have affected them.
How to perpetuate the real facts about Uganda and Joseph Kony
It is difficult to say how one would approach an issue like this; it’s very complex and overwhelming. We all desire to see things in absolutes, Joseph Kony is bad Uganda is good, let’s get Joseph Kony and our problems will be resolved. This is not how history has been and this is not how it will be. Let alone understanding the background behind the creation of the LRA and the atrocities that have been committed the Ugandan government has committed brutalities likewise. So who’s wrong who’s right? How can justice be served? We don’t have an answer to these questions and if it were that easy one would hope it would have been resolved already. The question we have to ask ourselves (that I asked before) is: Should Invisible Children, within their KONY 2012 video, be responsible for misrepresenting and diluting the overall complexity of the issue in order to raise money for their campaign? People should be educated about the real facts and be able to make an opinion on ones own. Understanding that people who make a substantial awareness of an issue have a social responsibility to relay the proper facts.

Bibliography
1"Invisible Children." Invisible Children. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.invisiblechildren.com/financials
2"'Kony' Screening Inflames Ugandans - WSJ.com." Business News & Financial News – The
Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2012 <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527023038634045772835319313626.html>
3"Resolve - History." Resolve | Kony 2012. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.theresolve.org/history