The Kony 2012 movement has taken the internet by storm in the past few days. Amidst all of strong reactions, I couldn't help but be sceptical. I just wanted to share by opinions about the whole thing - please don't be offended if I don't share the same views. I am not claiming to be an expert on the topic by any means. Also, I would also love to hear what you think!
First, I just want to say that I think Invisible Children is a great organisation and their cause is a very important one. Although there exists some controversy regarding where their donations are going, I haven't read anything actually sinister going on there.
What I am sceptical about ever since I watched the video for the first time is the 'viral' approach that they took. The issue with that is - and I'm sure is what did happen in most cases - people stumble upon such a video on youtube and are touched by it. They then post it on Facebook and a few hundred people see it and then post it on their own wall. (As a side note, Facebook itself is not, in my opinion, an appropriate forum for political discussion. Facebook is not reality. The things that everyone posts of Facebook does not reflect who they are. It reflects the person that they would like others to perceive them as.) But how many of those people actually took the time out to really understand the situation in Uganda? Civil wars in Africa are a lot more complex than finding one man (who is no longer in Uganda and hasn't been for 6 years). This is not to say that bringing him down wouldn't help, but the premise of viral campaigning almost takes the implications out of the issue. And with celebrities 'tweeting' about it, of course if becomes a sensation. It is, in a way, a fad - which is not helped by the fact that you can buy bracelets, which are part of an action kit.
The issue of legitimacy brings me back to my next point, which is the awareness that already exists for the issue. In the video, it details how the UN has been wanting to bring Kony to justice for years. This, in itself, brings to light the complexity of the issue. International resolve to end drafting of child soldiers existed long before this video but there existed obstacles. It creatively, and effectively, brings the issue into light. But it is unrealistic to think for a second that the US government did not know about Kony. The reason lack of action prior to the end of last year simple comes down to state interest. There is none. Now, with public pressure, Obama sent 100 troops into Uganda to train local foces. This is a step in the right direction. But the approach as been thwarted. It shouldn't just be about arresting Kony, it should be about domestic reform and restructure the regime in Uganda as a whole. In order to sensationalise the issue, a 'villain' of sorts is created.
Lastly, there is agenda setting. I feel uncomfortable with the idea of having viral videos establish the international political agenda in the future. What about child soldiers in other countries like Somalia and the Republic of Congo (and this is not limited to just Africa). What about female genital mutilation in Africa? Who is to say that this cause should garner more attention than another? The specificity of the campaign is based on the agenda of Invisible Children only.
I am not in any way undermining the severity of the issue of child soldiers and its importance in the realm of international relations. I am simply unsure as to the methods that have been used to raise awareness for the issue. Overall, I really admire their activism and don't doubt for a second their intentions. It's great that a precedent has been established regarding the possible future of international political activism and I do believe that this is, obviously, better than apathy. But I think that the nature of viral campaigning can have negative repercussions for agenda setting in the future and should be reconsidered.
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