Kony...

[kalm]

Is everywhere - Facebook, talk shows, emails. You'd think warfare and child abuse are new to Africa.

Thoughts?

[HI54UNI]

I think this part of a news story sums it up (emphasis mine):

"In addition, public financial records indicate that only 32 percent of the money raised last year went to direct services to help the children affected by the LRA. The other 68 percent went to things like staff salaries, film production, and travel costs. "

People that donate to this are suckers.

[kalm]

I think this part of a news story sums it up (emphasis mine):

"In addition, public financial records indicate that only 32 percent of the money raised last year went to direct services to help the children affected by the LRA. The other 68 percent went to things like staff salaries, film production, and travel costs. "

People that donate to this are suckers.

True, but to a smaller charity, the production of that video could have been a big hit but one they felt necessary to spread the word. It's obviously paying off.

[danefan]

Who cares about the charity itself. If you don't like the way they operate don't donate.

The point of the video is to raise awareness of the issue. No one can argue that they haven't succeeded in that.

The quote from the WSJ today is spot on, IMO

"The idea that you should do nothing unless you can do everything is exactly what we're trying to avoid." Mr. Derris declined to comment further on the group's efforts.

[dbackjon]

Very effective use of social media - a cause they believe in, a well-crafted message.


Not too worried about the percentage used to directly fund the children at this point - they didn't have a lot of money, and the publicity should be much, much more helpful in the long run.

[citdog]

there are darkies that need help in 'the late united States'. perhaps you schleprock white guilters should make a video about them.

[andy7171]

[Rob Iola]

Very effective use of social media - a cause they believe in, a well-crafted message.


Not too worried about the percentage used to directly fund the children at this point - they didn't have a lot of money, and the publicity should be much, much more helpful in the long run.

With the attention span of a gnat - Kony will be long forgotten by next week...

[Vidav]

I thought he was great in Predator.

[death dealer]

I think this part of a news story sums it up (emphasis mine):

"In addition, public financial records indicate that only 32 percent of the money raised last year went to direct services to help the children affected by the LRA. The other 68 percent went to things like staff salaries, film production, and travel costs. "

People that donate to this are suckers.

32% went to direct services in Africa. A very large percentage went to travel, lobbying, and efforts to raise awareness. A relatively small percentage for a charity of this size went to salaries. The average salary was $38,000. If it's a scam, these guys need to find another schtick cause they're gonna starve as con-men.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

It was a great video, great message, for a great cause. But unfortunately, also misleading.

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/201 ... Y.facebook" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It would be great to get rid of Kony. He and his forces have left a path of abductions and mass murder in their wake for over 20 years. But let's get two things straight: 1) Joseph Kony is not in Uganda and hasn't been for 6 years; 2) the LRA now numbers at most in the hundreds, and while it is still causing immense suffering, it is unclear how millions of well-meaning but misinformed people are going to help deal with the more complicated reality.

First, the facts. Following a successful campaign by the Ugandan military and failed peace talks in 2006, the LRA was pushed out of Uganda and has been operating in extremely remote areas of the DRC, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic -- where Kony himself is believed to be now. The Ugandan military has been pursuing the LRA since then but had little success (and several big screw-ups). In October last year, President Obama authorized the deployment of 100 U.S. Army advisors to help the Ugandan military track down Kony, with no results disclosed to date.

Additionally, the LRA (thankfully!) does not have 30,000 mindless child soldiers. This grim figure, cited by Invisible Children in the film (and by others) refers to the total number of kids abducted by the LRA over nearly 30 years. Eerily, it is also the same number estimated for the total killed in the more than 20 years of conflict in Northern Uganda.

As I wrote for FP in 2010, the small remaining LRA forces are still wreaking havoc and very hard to catch, but Northern Uganda has had tremendous recovery in the 6 years of peace since the LRA left.

Award-winning Ugandan journalist Angelo Izama is among those not thrilled:

"To call the campaign a misrepresentation is an understatement. While it draws attention to the fact that Kony, indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court in 2005, is still on the loose, its portrayal of his alleged crimes in Northern Uganda are from a bygone era. At the height of the war between especially 1999 and 2004, large hordes of children took refuge on the streets of Gulu town to escape the horrors of abduction and brutal conscription to the ranks of the LRA. Today most of these children are semi-adults. Many are still on the streets unemployed. Gulu has the highest numbers of child prostitutes in Uganda. It also has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.

If six years ago children in Uganda would have feared the hell of being part of the LRA, a well documented reality already, today the real invisible children are those suffering from "Nodding Disease". Over 4000 children are victims of this incurable debilitating condition. It's a neurological disease that has baffled world scientists and attacks mainly children from the most war affected districts of Kitgum, Pader and Gulu."

Just send a SEAL team after him.

[Grizalltheway]

[Grizalltheway]

[grizzaholic]

[alvin kayak]

Who cares about the charity itself. If you don't like the way they operate don't donate.

Who cares about the charity itself???? Gee, I don't know....maybe the other dozen charities that actually are using money to do something. Or how about the donors that falsely assumed their donation would go to something other than the pocket lining of the film-makers?

The point of the video is to raise awareness of the issue.

That's one point, yes. But is a propaganda piece also not responsible for the message it delivers, not just the awareness it creates?

This campaign argues to "Stop At Nothing" and creates the false impression that killing Kony would end child soldierdom in Africa. It is also argues for military intervention in Africa by American armed forces. That's our tax dollars and our troops. Maybe you can explain why it's America's responsibility and not the UN's or China's or FFS UGANDA's?

[grizzaholic]

[youngterrier]

[grizzaholic]

I just watched an interview of Kony. Damn. He is being made out to be some awful bad guy. He said he never did anything wrong, never. Then right after he said that, the interviewer guy asked him why he did such terrible things....Was he not listening to what the man just said????