Kony 2012

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='Tony' timestamp='1331189213' post='2397641']
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEdMw3jvlsY&feature=g-all-u&context=G2cc2207FAAAAAAAABAA[/media]

some interesting points
[/quote]

Eh, not really. What it comes down to is a bunch of white rich kids feeling good about raising awareness. Now, it's GOOD if rich white kids can use their privileges that they've been given in life to shed light on these important problems. That's what celebrities often do, and that's also good. Joseph Kony IS and HAS done absolutely terrible things, and the world should be outraged. The point of the video is to get people to call their political representatives and tell them to continue supporting the pursuit of Kony, to not pull out the American advisory troops.

But you can't ignore that only 32% of all donations in 2010 to Invisible Children actually went to creating a better world for these kids, better education, building schools, medical supplies, etc. Only 32% actually went toward building a world for these kids to come home to. The top three people in Invisible Children each earn about $88,000 a year. This is in addition to all their filming equipment, publicity, and travel expenses - travel expenses that were about a million dollars in 2010.

We also can't ignore that Invisible Children has decided that Kony is the bad guy, and that the Ugandan Government are the good guys. There are pictures of the founders holding guns with the government's army. But in reality, it's not that simple. The Ugandan Government has also committed terrible crimes against its people, many of the same crimes Kony has committed. Kony's LRA isn't even IN Uganda anymore. Sure, that doesn't make it any better. But it makes the issue more complex, and maybe a bit bigger than IC portrays it. One of the big points of the video is the narrator breaking down the issue for his young son. But the thing is, we aren't five-year-olds. We're capable of recognizing that while these things are terrible and we should speak out against them, we should also do our own research, figure out who the best people are to do the most good, and do that.

Furthermore, the reality is that most people aren't actually going to do anything about this issue. They're going to post it on their facebooks or tumblrs or youtube accounts or whatever, but they won't DO ANYTHING like call their representatives. All they will do is "raise awareness," but raising awareness is absolutely meaningless unless you DO SOMETHING ELSE along with it.

I'm hating on it because it's important for people to know that Invisible Children isn't perfect - it doesn't manage its money well and it has its own biases. To their credit, they've never claimed to be perfect or to even really know what they're doing. Let this video spark the fire. That's a wonderful thing, and that seems to be what IC does best. But people need to do something to fan the flames. Give money to organizations that actually are trying to rebuild Jacob's country. Call your elected officials. Don't be satisfied with getting warm fuzzies from just posting it somewhere online, like so many people will do.

All I'm trying to say is that even though the idea - bringing down this terrible person - is a good one, we have to evaluate what the best course of action might be, and realize that Invisible Children probably isn't the best group to do it.

[Ice_nine]

32589325u832 props

[Selah]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1331172118' post='2397519']
So is that how things work? We forward videos and sign e-petitions and pat ourselves on the back for "spreading awareness"

Not like I have a better idea. I just don't think it's working
[/quote]

This.

[InPersonaChriste]

i wish life were simpler...

But i totally agree with Ice_nine, If we want to support something like this we should write to the government. I simply posted this video to raise some awareness. I dont want this to turn into an argument, before this video I didn't know who Joseph Kony was. And I am thankful that I know now.

[Lil Red]

here's another article:
[url="http://jezebel.com/5891269/think-twice-before-donating-to-kony-2012-the-meme-du-jour"]http://jezebel.com/5891269/think-twice-before-donating-to-kony-2012-the-meme-du-jour[/url]

[Aloysius]

Your 34% is low, Basilia; as I said above, there is probably the issue of the Ugandan government also being bad, but charity navigator gives Invisible Children a decent score on financials while considering them a bit shady on accountability and transparency (but if you look on the checklist it's only a couple issues they take with them). [url="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429"]http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429[/url]

Says that about 80% is spent on the program, so I don't know where you're getting your 34%.

[Aloysius]

as for the ~89,000 salary, these people devote their lives to this cause and they have a right to make a living and raise a family (you saw, this fellow has a son)... I don't think you should have to live like a monk just because you found a charitable organization. their administrative costs are 16.2%, which is totally normal and expected. if he were making 89k and the administrative costs were like 40%, then you'd say there was something wrong with that picture and his salary should be less, but I don't think their finances are problematic really.

the only problematic thing is what is problematic about all interventionism and foreign aid--there's usually two bad sides and it's hard to say whether things will really be better or worse when you get rid of one of them, and foreign aid is usually ineffective and helps bad corrupt people maintain control of things.

[Winchester]

http://imgur.com/K3mgn

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1331222481' post='2397722']
here's another article:
[url="http://jezebel.com/5891269/think-twice-before-donating-to-kony-2012-the-meme-du-jour"]http://jezebel.com/5...he-meme-du-jour[/url]
[/quote]

Lil Red linking to a Jezebel article. I think my mind just exploded from paradox.

[Basilisa Marie]

Aloysius, I'm getting my numbers from the original document I posted. There are lots of links there. I agree with what you said about foreign aid, though.

[url="http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/"]HERE [/url]is another good critique of Invisible Children. And [url="http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html"]HERE [/url]is IC's response to it, with current financial numbers, which were not available in my original post.

I still think that Invisible Children reeks of self-indulgent hipsterism (they quote Ke$ha as a "poet" in their response, lol), but I can still appreciate the fact that they're trying to make the world see that there's a bad person doing terrible things, and trying to get the world to stop him.

[Winchester]

[img]http://www.scarlettlion.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/GlennaGordon_InvisibleChildrenA.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/001/582/picard-facepalm.jpg?1240934151[/img]

[Jaime]

Have you guys watched this? It's really interesting[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc[/url]

[Winchester]

Kony is a real bastage.

[Katiebobatie94]

[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1331191423' post='2397647']
Eh, not really. What it comes down to is a bunch of white rich kids feeling good about raising awareness. Now, it's GOOD if rich white kids can use their privileges that they've been given in life to shed light on these important problems. That's what celebrities often do, and that's also good. Joseph Kony IS and HAS done absolutely terrible things, and the world should be outraged. The point of the video is to get people to call their political representatives and tell them to continue supporting the pursuit of Kony, to not pull out the American advisory troops.

But you can't ignore that only 32% of all donations in 2010 to Invisible Children actually went to creating a better world for these kids, better education, building schools, medical supplies, etc. Only 32% actually went toward building a world for these kids to come home to. The top three people in Invisible Children each earn about $88,000 a year. This is in addition to all their filming equipment, publicity, and travel expenses - travel expenses that were about a million dollars in 2010.

We also can't ignore that Invisible Children has decided that Kony is the bad guy, and that the Ugandan Government are the good guys. There are pictures of the founders holding guns with the government's army. But in reality, it's not that simple. The Ugandan Government has also committed terrible crimes against its people, many of the same crimes Kony has committed. Kony's LRA isn't even IN Uganda anymore. Sure, that doesn't make it any better. But it makes the issue more complex, and maybe a bit bigger than IC portrays it. One of the big points of the video is the narrator breaking down the issue for his young son. But the thing is, we aren't five-year-olds. We're capable of recognizing that while these things are terrible and we should speak out against them, we should also do our own research, figure out who the best people are to do the most good, and do that.

Furthermore, the reality is that most people aren't actually going to do anything about this issue. They're going to post it on their facebooks or tumblrs or youtube accounts or whatever, but they won't DO ANYTHING like call their representatives. All they will do is "raise awareness," but raising awareness is absolutely meaningless unless you DO SOMETHING ELSE along with it.

I'm hating on it because it's important for people to know that Invisible Children isn't perfect - it doesn't manage its money well and it has its own biases. To their credit, they've never claimed to be perfect or to even really know what they're doing. Let this video spark the fire. That's a wonderful thing, and that seems to be what IC does best. But people need to do something to fan the flames. Give money to organizations that actually are trying to rebuild Jacob's country. Call your elected officials. Don't be satisfied with getting warm fuzzies from just posting it somewhere online, like so many people will do.

All I'm trying to say is that even though the idea - bringing down this terrible person - is a good one, we have to evaluate what the best course of action might be, and realize that Invisible Children probably isn't the best group to do it.
[/quote]

first, just because that its a bunch of "rich white kids" who are helping to raise awareness, that doesn't mean a thing.
second, as far as only 32% of the money actually going to the organization, its better than nothing AND how would you feel if it was your kids who were taken?
third, the idea of him explaining it to his son is to show everyone that if someone that young can tell it is wrong, why then has everyone been turning the other way for the past 26 years?
fourth, i agree that there is more than just posting it on FB, twitter and tumblr believe me. my school has a group going to help raise money and awareness.

my point is that who is behind it, why they're behind it, or how much money actually goes to the organization is irrelevant. what matters is human beings, no matter where they come from should NOT be subjected to that kind of injustice. and like the guy says in the video, where you live shouldn't dictate if you live. not to mention have u ever seen some of the pics of what this man has done the the kids physically?? just saying it needs to be addressed regardless.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Katiebobatie94

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='Katiebobatie94' timestamp='1331295262' post='2398169']
first, just because that its a bunch of "rich white kids" who are helping to raise awareness, that doesn't mean a thing.
second, as far as only 32% of the money actually going to the organization, its better than nothing AND how would you feel if it was your kids who were taken?
third, the idea of him explaining it to his son is to show everyone that if someone that young can tell it is wrong, why then has everyone been turning the other way for the past 26 years?
fourth, i agree that there is more than just posting it on FB, twitter and tumblr believe me. my school has a group going to help raise money and awareness.

my point is that who is behind it, why they're behind it, or how much money actually goes to the organization is irrelevant. what matters is human beings, no matter where they come from should NOT be subjected to that kind of injustice. and like the guy says in the video, where you live shouldn't dictate if you live. not to mention have u ever seen some of the pics of what this man has done the the kids physically?? just saying it needs to be addressed regardless.
[/quote]

I have a feeling this might get moved soon...

1. Rich white (male) kids get listened to because they are rich and white (and male). That's how our world works. When rich white kids don't realize this, there is a problem. People who are struggling under oppressive rule have to fight their own battles. Yes, with help from others, but it has to be on their own terms. Look up "White Man's Burden." That's part of the danger with this idea that rich white kids are supposed to save the world. As I've said multiple times, there is NOTHING WRONG with rich white kids using their voices to bring attention to this issue. But there is a problem if they (as a rich white kid myself) don't realize that they get listened to because they are rich and white.

2. It matters because there are many other charitable organizations that are helping the exact same people that give a far higher percentage of their proceeds toward actually building schools, funding education, medical supplies, etc. There are groups that are better at this than Invisible Children. Your question concerning my own potential future children is completely irrelevant.

3. I've sad multiple times that Invisible Children does an excellent job of getting the message out there. It's not BAD that he used his son. It's bad that he let his message stop there, at the extremely simplified level. It should have been the starting point, not the ending point.

4. Great. So have you called your representatives?

Yes, I've seen pictures. I've also seen pictures of what the Ugandan Government has done to its people. The issues are more complicated than Invisible Children is making them.

My point is that who they are is extremely relevant. They do a wonderful job at raising awareness, I have never denied this. They smell of elderberries at everything else. And there are other groups that are great at everything else. Support THEM financially, not IC. All of this matters because they're human beings, like you said. And human beings deserve the best help out there. Why short change them by donating money to IC? Why not give directly, or to a group that is ACTUALLY directly working to build a better world for them?