About Kony 2012

*Edit* A kind person has linked me to journal post that blows mine away by Firemoon77. It brings a rather solid confirmation that investing in Invisible Children's cause is not a waste of money or effort! This is as good as you want to sum your views up. And for myself, I will add that it is good to give support in any kind of way.

I've vaguley seen the KONY2012 video, saw that many people are supporting it. And I was about to support it myself, only I felt I didn't really know enough about it. Should I take the word of just one man?

Well just in case some of you are interested in further details, BoingBoing have posted a video and several links to articles featuring a variety responses from African people about the hype.  

->African voices respond to hyper-popular Kony 2012 viral campaign<-

Some of the responses summed up to "It is not as simple as Good vs Evil" and that the KONY2012 video still largely premotes an attitute from Americans to Africans that has existed for years (source). Are they completely helpless? Can only the Americans save them? Is their country in such a dismal mess that they themselves are not trying to prevent that very evil?

Of course they're trying, and apparently community-based organisations like the Northern Uganda's grassroots have already done a great amount. (source)

"It didn't ask its viewers to seek diplomatic pressure on President Museveni's administration." Musa Okwonga
One interesting point (which was pointed out a few times also), is that the African leaders have done very little to stop the Lord's Resistance Army. Perhaps then we should look at pressuring the higher ups?

It is good that Kony2012 got so much publicity, but is apparently an over-simplified view of the real situation. For starters Joseph Kony has not been in Uganda for the past 6 years (source). There are many other ways you can support.  Support the cause to preasure the leaders, support organisations like the Northern Uganda's grassroots.  My views have not changed much from the above, but Invisible Children no longer look as devious as before, they seem to be trustworthy according to excruciating amount of research done by Firemoon77. This doesn't really change my views on how the message is given, but at least I'm more sure about the objectives of Invisible Children .

More Info:
What to Do? - blog post about Kony2012 and the responses
Twitter Feed of Laura Seay
About Kony by Firemoon77 <support of Invisible Children, and a good amount of research!