#Kony2012 revisited

This time last year, whilst nestled in a cast iron bed somewhere in Halifax College, the words ‘NOTHING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN AN IDEA’ stretched across my laptop screen and I spent the next 29 minutes and 58 seconds in a transfixed silence. Following a touching introduction to Jason Russell’s son Gavin, I was transported to war-torn Uganda to meet Jacob Achaye, a 12-year-old refugee fleeing the Lord’s Resistance Army after the brutal murder of his brother. Watching Jacob explain why he would rather die than continue to live in squalor awoke a burning teenage naivety I did not know I possessed. It was time to catch Joseph Kony, try him for crimes against humanity, and bring justice to a troubled part of Eastern Africa. Moreover, I could be part of the victory. By donating $10 a month, sharing the video on my Facebook page, and writing a letter to my MP, I could help a generation change the world. Ten days later, after relentless coverage of Kony2012, a naked Jason Russell was detained by San Diego police in a state of extreme psychosis and my thoughts returned to the complexities of a Thursday night in Tokyo.

Certainly, the viral success of Kony2012 was unimaginable. In March 2012, Invisible Children sourced every single red T-shirt in the entire US and still could not cope with the demand for their ‘action kits’. Millions watched the video, supported the cause and Kony has since become a household name.

Nonetheless, Invisible Children and Jason Russell also received fierce criticism for apparent embezzlement, self-indulgence and “white industrial saviour complex.” Bloggers around the world were quick to point out that Invisible Children only spent 37.14% of their annual budge on projects in Central Africa in 2011; a fact the charity were unable to justify as their website crashed due to the unanticipated demand. The same instantaneous democracy that propelled Kony2012 across Twitter feeds around the world turned on the movement.

Everyone had an opinion. Notwithstanding the fact that Joseph Kony remains in hiding somewhere in the dense rainforests of Central Africa, the ramblings of a Canadian teenager of Ugandan heritage became an important factor in determining the validity of the Invisible Children’s claims about East African politics. YouTuber slubogo insightfully commented: “It has, like, millions and millions of views and it’s about Uganda and Kony. So, I asked my mum and my mum laughs and goes: ‘he died, like, 5 years ago.’ Why are we talking about this?”

A year later it is now apparent that slubogo, along with many others, helped define a misinformed debate with catastrophic consequences. Sadly, many people still believe Invisible Children to be a parasitic, fraudulent organization that secretly furthers the ideology of a Christian cult racked by white guilt. It is time to set the records straight.

Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, recently asserted that Invisible Children is actually outperforming most charities on their database in terms of how it allocates its expenses. In 2012, the organisation spent over 80% of its budget on programmes and service provision – hardly the basis of promising pyramid scheme. As for the white guilt, it is an easy, crude accusation. Sure, a small group of evangelical Californian dudes fighting for change thousands of miles away has a touch of the Victorian missionary about it. But after a quick look at the work Invisible Children does, it is hard to fault their ethos. Jacob Achaye, the little boy from the video, is well on his way to becoming a certified lawyer. The organisation has rebuilt villages, furnished schools and established an effective early warning system for militia attacks in large parts of Central and Eastern Africa. Even so, Joseph Kony is still at large, a fact the majority forgot after Jason Russell’s schizophrenic breakdown appeared on the internet.

This begs the question; would we even be talking about Joseph Kony and the LRA if Invisible Children had published a reasoned video explaining the complexities of the conflict? Has our addiction to simplistic twenty-four hour news really become so severe that we cannot see beyond black and white scenarios? Although it remains true that the charity oversimplified the conflict, few could have handled the reality of guerrilla warfare in the region. Comfortable Western consumers who speak comfortable words, sit in comfortable chairs, and eat comfortable food are simply not disposed to endure stories of forced drug addiction, cannibalism and sadistic massacres. Can we blame Invisible Children for exploiting our apparent soft spot for smiling black faces and a sob story?

Believe whatever lie you deem conceivable about Invisible Children and Kony2012. But on the day a defiant Jason Russell announces Joseph Kony’s capture to the world, I doubt those who misrepresented, scandalised and speculated about an honest drive for justice will read beyond shallow Twitter headlines and comprehend the shame they should feel.