KONY 2012 Campaign

OhMSGlive wrote: »

The merchandising is meant to be a form of raising awareness, from my understanding of the situation. It's also meant to fund the work that the organisation behind this, Invisible Children, do. (Don't forget, nothing's free these days.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Children_Inc#Criticisms

They make A LOT of money for themselves.

The current leader of Uganda is the guy whos been in power for 26 years, who uses child soldiers, who was an aggressor in a war that killed 6 million and wants to introduce the death penalty for homosexuality. Much nicer guy. We should totally ignore him.

This video is almost the viral version of the gel bracelets people wear for AIDS and Making Poverty History. Utterly pointless. Good that people know something now that they didn't before about a terrorist group who are clearly bad but the reasons behind, like everything, it are far deeper and cant be ignored.

The video is asking for money/training/equipment to be given to the Ugandan military from a result of our actions. Helping to train and arm the Ugandan military?! Not a chance I'm doing anything to support that initiative I'm afraid, as well intended as it seems, its madness and the reason why Ireland, including lots of others, have made cut backs in non humanitarian aid to Uganda in the last few years. I'm not helping to reverse that.

I'm surprised no one has seemed to realise that the campaign is basically calling for America to stick their nose into another countries' affairs... that's worked wonderfully in the past... [/sarcasm]

bazkennedy wrote: »

Thing is they've been sticky their noses in this for about 10 years now with no luck so far. They made an attempt to kill kony in 2008 and not only caused peace talks to collapse but caused the LRA to respond by killing 9000 people

And now people want to encourage them to give government troops the necessary training for jungle warfare.... I can't possibly see that back firing spectacularly in the future...

Another take on "Invisible Children"

http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/

Decryptor wrote: »

Did you even watch the video?

Did you? They ask for money to raise awareness of the issue, and by doing so put pressure on the US government to keep arming and training the Ugandan army.

From Facebook wrote:

No doubt Kony is as evil as you can find and what's happening is utterly wrong. But it's also important to know more about Invisible Children!

-Spent $8,676,614 last year. Only 32% went to their charity program. 32%!!!

-Accountability of 2/4 stars

-Group favours direct military intervention,

-Their money funds the Ugandan government’s army and various other military forces.

-Both the Ugandan army and Sudan People’s Liberation Army are riddled with accusations of rape and looting

-Kony is no longer active in Uganda and hasn’t been since 2006 by their own admission

"Military intervention may or may not be the right idea, but people supporting KONY 2012 probably don’t realize they’re helping fund the Ugandan military who are themselves raping and looting away. If people know this and still support Invisible Children because they feel it’s the best solution based on their knowledge and research, I have no issue with that. But I don’t think most people are in that position, and that’s a problem."

They basically are calling for the US to get involved in yet another war that has nothing to do with them.

But leave all that aside. Watch the video. It's clear emotional blackmail and propaganda. There is no reason whatsoever for the film maker to use his son in it other than to go for the "Awwwwwwww" factor. He doesn't present information and let you make up your own mind. He tells you "THIS GUY EVIL! YOU MUST HATE HIM! UGANDAN GOVERNMENT GOOD! YOU MUST SUPPORT THEM!"

If people are going to go ahead with this, then for god's sake don't buy one of their "Action Packs". Print off some posters yourself and do it for free. You'd still raise awareness that way, without inadvertently supporting an organisation with (at best) unclear motives.

Yes. I was getting at the fact that Nal said the money is going to the Ugandan army, which obviously isn't the LRA.

The ugandan army are also a cohort of rapists, murderers and villains of a corrupt regime. The current leader of uganda, in power for 26 years, is trying to bring in the death penalty for homosexuality and has been involved in a war that killed 6,000,000 people. Dont worry about him though.

wnolan is correct here I think. It is propoganda. It is biased. He is not allowing the viewer to look at any other opinion other than his own. He neglects to bring into account other factors of the highly complex situation that exists in this politically corrupt environment. He allows you to believe that by buying their merchandise and littering your town with posters, you can make a difference. He is using his child as an emotive vehicle to persuade the viewer.

B*llocks. If you want to make a difference, go there yourself and help out directly. Teach in a school, assist with healthcare, whatever. It will take years, but some day the country may be educated and may be less corrupt than it currently is.

What annoys me the most is people are not questioning things. They are jumping on the bandwagon thinking this guy (film maker)is the next messiah. There was I thinking people were educated to question things and form their own opinions...

FWIW, Paddy Rockett's post under the ULSU page was nothing short of a disgrace. "We are cancelling all other campaigns except mental health week to facilitate this". Firstly, its not a campaign that effects students, not at all linked with UL, so why spend students money campaigning for it, sacrificing other campaigns? By all means campaign yourself if you so wish, but dont go spending other peoples money on it!

Hi Everyone,
We were at the meeting and have the details if you need to read them.

http://www.thomondstudenttimes.com/index.php/news/165-kony

Stephen

Delta Kilo wrote: »

The ugandan army are also a cohort of rapists, murderers and villains of a corrupt regime. The current leader of uganda, in power for 26 years, is trying to bring in the death penalty for homosexuality and has been involved in a war that killed 6,000,000 people. Dont worry about him though.

wnolan is correct here I think. It is propoganda. It is biased. He is not allowing the viewer to look at any other opinion other than his own. He neglects to bring into account other factors of the highly complex situation that exists in this politically corrupt environment. He allows you to believe that by buying their merchandise and littering your town with posters, you can make a difference. He is using his child as an emotive vehicle to persuade the viewer.

B*llocks. If you want to make a difference, go there yourself and help out directly. Teach in a school, assist with healthcare, whatever. It will take years, but some day the country may be educated and may be less corrupt than it currently is.

What annoys me the most is people are not questioning things. They are jumping on the bandwagon thinking this guy (film maker)is the next messiah. There was I thinking people were educated to question things and form their own opinions...

FWIW, Paddy Rockett's post under the ULSU page was nothing short of a disgrace. "We are cancelling all other campaigns except mental health week to facilitate this". Firstly, its not a campaign that effects students, not at all linked with UL, so why spend students money campaigning for it, sacrificing other campaigns? By all means campaign yourself if you so wish, but dont go spending other peoples money on it!

PLUS... The narrator's voice goes right through me. It surprises me to see so many friends shocked by this on FB, but then again, if they knew, something would probably have already been done.

Is it wrong that i don't know who or what kony is? People just started randomly talking about it today.

I am not going to support this
The movement is a bunch of 20s years olds that saw a 30 min video on something that has been happening for years." We got to stop this OMG this needs to be pushed in everyones faces". The email was the last straw. If there are any Fing chuggers in UL about this I will smack a bitch