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Since Uganda is getting a lot of interest on the internet right now, I figured it was important to try to present an alternative source of information. Invisible Children is, as many already know, a highly problematic organization, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying to help. Here are some other sources of information, statistics, and ways to donate/help.
- American Progress’s 2007 report, “What to Do About Joseph Kony”
- Amnesty International’s 2011 report on Uganda
- Global Security’s page on the Lord’s Resistance Army
- Washington Post, “A Child’s Hell in the Lord’s Resistance Army,” May 2006.
- HRW: “Protect civilians from LRA abuses,” May 2011
- AllAfrica.com, “Amnesty International wants Kony arrested,” May 2010
- AI’s Uganda Portal
- Human Rights Watch’s Uganda portal
- Democracy Now!’s Uganda portal
Like everyone else, I saw the KONY 2012 video. It really panged at me and I felt an overwhelming desire to help and be a part of the growing awareness. I have mixed feelings about the organization, now that blogs like Visible Children are spreading more in-depth knowledge about the organization (company profits, its hell-bent attitude on military involvement, etc.)…but it’s still difficult for me to come out and say that Invisible Children is problematic.
“An imperfect charity made a video that went viral asking people to help bring awareness to a man who uses child soldiers.
People, as people always do, saw that it was popular and wanted to find fault.
Now they are missing the forest for the trees.” -DoctorNose, Reddit (The KONY Campaign is a Fraud thread)
I feel very torn. As liberal as I am, I feel that the United States has a human obligation to help any community in distress. Invisible Children is spreading awareness. Yes, they are asking for money, military involvement, and radical action—which may not be the “correct” answer, but I support the video they posted because it made me more present and conscious of what’s going on elsewhere. And I would hope that each individual has the common sense to accept that, if nothing else.
(Source: earthsmightiestheroes, via ahhmmmburr)
