For the past 26 years, a man named Joseph Kony and his rebel army, the Lord’s Resistance Army, have been wreaking terror in East Africa. And for the past 8 years, a group called Invisible Children has been trying to do something about it.
It all started when three young film students travelled to Africa to make a movie about Darfur.. but then, they met Jacob. Jacob had been abducted by the LRA, a rebel group who builds their army by abducting children and forcing them to become soldiers – soldiers who burn, rape, and mutilate innocent families. Jacob had watched his brother killed by machete and had somehow escaped from the clutches of these rebel leaders. Living in fear of being abducted again and killed, Jacob wished that he could just be rid of this earth; he wished to be dead. The horrors he faced, and the effects caused by it, overwhelmed his desire to live. Jason, Laren, and Bobby, spurred on by their friendship with this boy, knew something had to be done. So, Invisible Children was born. Originally purely an awareness organisation who utilised their skill of film making to teach young people around America about the conflict taking place in Uganda, Invisible Children has grown to encompass a number of areas in just 9 years. They have branched out into political advocacy, fund raising for Ugandan schools and students, rehabilitation for rescued child soldiers, as well as establishing a radio network in the Congo to warn villages of nearby LRA attacks.
Their newest project, named KONY 2012, combines both political advocacy, as well as the original passion for awareness that Invisible Children was born of. KONY is by far the most popular and widespread IC documentary to date. However, this has been met with some (surprising) criticism. Many people have expressed frustration that now, all of a sudden, people “care” about this issue; they feel that the simple sharing of a video on Facebook is empty and unhelpful; even further, IC and their methods are being questioned and criticised. As someone who has been involved with the organisation for the past 4 years, one might think I’d be quick to jump to their defense. However, I think that questioning and critiquing things that are placed in front of us is a healthy and wise way to live. We shouldn't be quick to sell our souls off to some cause or organisation without knowing what they stand for or how they make their stand.
That being said, although I understand some people’s scepticism, I admire the work that IC has done, and continues to do. Our generation is pretty unique in that we are the first generation to have the access to information that we do, which I believe we do take for granted. Once upon a time, you had to intentionally seek out information about what was going on in the world. However now we don’t have a choice – it smacks us in the face every time we click onto an Internet page, whether that be a news page or just our drug-of-choice, Facebook. With this comes the ability for widespread awareness, but also widespread initiative. I agree with those who are irritated – not a whole lot actually changes from someone simply posting a link to a video – maybe ten people will watch that video, and yes maybe seven or eight of them will say, “Oh, that’s so sad” and move on with their day – but what about the two or three who decide that it’s not ok, and that they are going to take action? There is power in that. Awareness isn’t the answer, but it is the first step.
The founders of IC discovered something that had been going on for years, but barely anyone knew about it – at least the media wasn’t talking about it. They have shone a light on something that no one else had. Yes, they may have done that through fancy movies and “faddish” behaviours with youth, but they’ve talked about it, and that’s more than anyone else had done on such a scale. Invisible Children has been criticised for the vehicle they have used, however, they don’t claim to be political experts, they don’t claim to have the answers, but they used what they do have – and that’s a talent for filmmaking. If you’re a Christian, you’re used to hearing that we should use our skills and talents for the good of others and for the glory of God. Even outside of the church or if you aren’t a Christian, we’re constantly told to “do what you’re good at”. Bobby, Laren, and Jason did that - they saw something that moved them, applied their abilities and skills, and did what they could. Does that act alone end a war? No. I think they’ll even admit that to you – none of us can do that. But they have used their own capabilities to influence those that CAN. And that’s what the KONY campaign is about – it’s about pushing those who do have the influence, power, and ability to do something about this war. It’s not about having the answers to the problem, it’s not about saving the world, it is about giving a voice to an issue to make sure that those in power know that this is what needs to happen.
I’ve seen this work already in my work with IC back in 2009. Invisible Children and Resolve Uganda were pushing for the passage of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, a bill that was introduced to the US government. The bill itself was born from pressure from these same groups, so we took off all around the country to visit the very politicians who had the power to pass it. I had the opportunity to visit the office of a Congressman in New Jersey. A group of other young people and I were able to sit down with one of his staff members and explain to him what was taking place, and why we wanted the bill passed. People all over the country were doing the same, and guess what - that bill was passed. Would that bill have even existed if the youth of the US didn’t speak up through the different rallies and programs established by IC/Resolve? For the entirety of IC’s existence, they have never told us that we know the answer to stop this war – but they have told us that we have the ability and honour to influence those that do. That in and of itself has been an encouraging experience to me – to see politicians in the US, who usually seem so distant and unreachable, listen to a group of young people about an issue as important as this. We’ve been able to redeem the reputation this generation had begun building for itself – a generation that cares only about the newest technology, a generation that is so lost in our obsession with social networking and the latest fad. Instead, IC has encouraged this same generation to use those things for a purpose bigger than their own tiny social existence. They’ve made use of the resources available to us and relevant to us, simply because of their care for a friend – a movement born of their compassion for a crying boy in Uganda. And although IC has grown bigger than just Jason and Jacob, I believe that their spark still remains embedded in friendships and faces that they met before it even became a “fad”.
Do I whole-heartedly without any criticism support Invisible Children? No, not necessarily. In my experiences travelling around the world and volunteering with a number of different causes and organisations, I have learned that no one does anything without flaws – no NGO, no non-profit, no business, no church, no person, functions without flaws. To expect IC to do everything the way you’d have it done, or to do their work with no controversy is unrealistic – we need to remember that they are only humans too. The same way you as an individual doesn’t have all the answers, neither do they. But they’re not claiming to – they’re entrusting the issue to the hands of the UN, the International Criminal Court, and government officials. I agree that it is wise to question and to be critical, and perhaps I’m naïve and too fluffy and optimistic, but I think that while we do acknowledge their flaws and humanity, we should ultimately acknowledge the good intentions and motivations of Invisible Children. As an organisation they are doing what they can with what they have – they have a voice, they have influence, and they have passion. They’re simply being human and acting upon something placed in front of them, and I think we need to stop expecting them and accusing them of being more than that.
If you’ve been hearing some of the criticisms (namely on the Visible Children blog), check out this release from IC, clearing up some of the misconceptions, or check out the brand new video released by IC that addresses the same issues HERE
This post was written by guest blogger Bronte Hughes who has done previous volunteer work for IC
*Disclaimer – She is not a IC staff member.
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