INVISIBLE CHILDREN CRUSADE
Viral online video exposes Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army while creating controversy
Joshua Ojeda
The Signal
Hiding somewhere in the jungles of Africa is one of the most well-known criminals in the world. Joseph Kony became a household name when atrocities committed by him received recent mass exposure in one of the most viral online videos of all time.
The online short-film titled “Kony 2012” has received more than 100 million views since its release March 5. The nonprofit organization Invisible Children (IC) released the video on YouTube and Vimeo with hopes that the video would serve as a catalyst to capture and disarm Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
The LRA is primarily composed of child soldiers who Kony and his men abduct and train. Since the ‘80s, the guerilla group has used brutal war tactics that include mutilation, abduction and the enforcement of sexual servitude.
Kony, born in Northern Uganda, inherited the extremist Christian movement from his aunt. Since then Kony and the LRA have plotted to overthrow the Ugandan government in order to establish Uganda as a theocracy based on the Ten Commandments.
Although the LRA has since left Uganda and shrunk in size, it is believed more than 30,000 children have been abducted in Northern Uganda alone. Kony and his army are believed to be hiding in the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Nathan Etengu is from the district of Lira in Uganda. Etengu and his community know firsthand the atrocities committed by Kony and the LRA.
“After realizing that truly I have lost my mother and brother during that rebellion… it was really a tough moment of life,” Etengu said. “Truly these rebels were really very wild. They did not spare any life around, despite the fact that abducting was one of their interest.”
Etengu said he vividly remembers the LRA burning grass, setting buildings ablaze and even “roasting a human being alive.”
“Life was really terrible and disgusting for the human being whose location was nearby after the cutting of peoples’ lips and ears, including heavy killing in the villages with plenty of blood flowing by,” Etengu said. “Too much smelling of human remains.”
“Kony 2012” went viral in a matter of days but was also met with a backlash of criticism when doubts began to spread about how much of the money raised by Invisible Children actually went to Uganda.
Public records reveal that Invisible Children Co-Founder and filmmaker Jason Russel receives an annual salary of $89,669. In addition to staff salaries, 85 percent of the annual income is spent on “Program Expenses.”
As online skepticism began to spread, one blogger in particular received a mass following of readers with his Tumblr blog “Visible Children.”
When Grant Oysten of Nova Scotia first viewed the film, he had immediate concerns.
“The video is surprisingly well-produced and we’re not accustomed to seeing that level of production value from a [Non Government Organization],” Oysten said. “So I was curious about their budgeting priorities.”
Oysten, a sociology and political science student at Acadia University, expressed his concerns by creating his blog “Visible Children” and within days found himself turning down media requests from Al Jazeera English, FOX, NBC’s “Today Show” and BBC World Service.
Oysten’s blog gained so much media attention that Russel contacted Oysten himself.
“Invisible Children contacted me shortly after my blog became popular,” Oysten said. “They were understanding of my concerns and offered to fly me to San Diego and Uganda to meet with them and learn more about their organization.”
Oysten rejected the offer.
“I would’ve loved to go, but said no only because if I donated to IC, I wouldn’t want my money going towards flying a blogger to Africa.”
Addie Horn, lead movement intern at Invisible Children admits she was “confused, but not concerned” by the criticisms they received after the “Kony 2012” backlash began.
“Personally, I tend to be a fairly skeptical person,” Horn said. “I would not have given up a paying job and a year of my life to come volunteer for an organization I didn’t 100 percent believe in.”
Horn realizes that for most people, their only exposure to Invisible Children was the “Kony 2012” film.
“Without further research, the general public doesn’t know anything about the history of our organization or why we do things the way we do,” Horn said. “Again, we would just ask that everyone research and ask about our financial strategy instead of just assuming it’s wrong.”
Invisible Children was hit by another setback when reports of Russel’s public meltdown began surfacing.
Russel was detained by police and taken to the hospital March 15 after he was found naked on a San Diego street corner. The meltdown was said to be the result of malnutrition and dehydration.
“The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially,” Ben Keesey, CEO of Invisible Children, said in a statement released March 16. “That toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday.”
Horn expressed a more personal sentiment.
“I think that Jason’s illness will show everyone that this is bigger than any one person,” Horn said.
Although the absence of a leader can be detrimental to a movement, Horn and the rest of the Invisible Children team are determined to maintain momentum and direction.
“I sometimes think about the Freedom Riders of the Civil Rights Movement,” Horn said. “Their leader, James L. Farmer Jr., had to leave the rest of the group in the middle of their journey because of a death in his family. While I realize the reason for his absence is very different than Jason’s, one thing stuck with me. The rest of the Freedom Riders continued because they knew what they were fighting for was bigger than even their revered leader. Jason will eventually recover and be back with us, but until then, we will continue to press on and continue to show the truth with grace and honesty.”
