I have found a lot of the criticism of KONY2012 to be very frustratingly simplistic and misguided. I could probably write 50 pages reacting to all the articles and statuses I've seen going around facebook; some good, some bad, and some terribly ignorant.
I love Invisible Children, but as I have learned and grown more over the past three years since getting involved with them, my opinions on do-gooding, international aid, TOMS, and advocacy have changed a lot. When I saw my first IC film, I was heartbroken and enraged. I spent weeks, actually probably months, judging everyone around me for spending money on TVs and clothes and jewelry and entertainment and eating out when there are kids in central Africa who are being kidnapped, forced to fight, raped, murdered, and misplaced. I thought we should all stop what we were doing and save those kids.
Now, I know it's not that simple. Now I know that when the west tries to save Africa and sends T-shirts and food and guns and bad ideas we end up doing much more harm than good. We destroy local economies, we implicitly concede that westerners are better at helping Africa than Africans are, and we spread the idea that Africa is one big impoverished dessert full of helpless and starving people (it's not).
It feels good to "help". Especially in America, where our culture is so materialistic and we're so addicted to our jobs and time is money. Charity has turned into another form of entertainment. We "help" others because it makes us feel better. We buy bracelets, we put up posters, and we wear cool t-shirts and shoes that make us look hipster.
I am just as guilty of all this as anyone else. But thank God, that isn't the end. I am 100% for do-gooding, for advocacy, for wronging rights and fighting for justice. The key is to work and advocate in a way that actually helps, rather than harms, and sometimes that's counter intuitive. What Africa needs isn't more westerners, more aid programs, or more money. Africa needs Africans to stand up and demand justice. Africa needs Africans who will fight corruption, find innovative ways to improve infrastructure and economic growth, and address the roots of the problems.
But I can also attest to the power of the idea that a bunch of young people can change the world. Invisible Children is only partly about stopping Joseph Kony. Even if IC never succeeds in stopping Kony (God forbid), it will still have been a success. IC has done so much in the lives of so many young people. They have helped us take our focus off of ourselves, and MTV, and The Bachelor, and opened our eyes to the world around us. I know so many people who have dedicated their lives to social justice because of Invisible Children. IC completely changed how I view the world and my priorities and goals. Sometimes their campaigns are simplistic, and sometimes I disagree with their tactics, but the good work that IC does extends far beyond central Africa.
Not all westerners in Africa are bad (obviously). Were it not for Invisible Children, I believe that almost no one would know about the LRA and Kony, and (almost) no one would be trying to stop them. Because of the work of IC over the years, our country has united to show leadership in the fight for justice and helping stop the LRA.
I am just as thankful for how IC changed the course of my life (I don't care how corny that sounds, it's true) as I am for what they do to raise awareness in the U.S., improve education in Uganda, and stop Kony. I'm not saying that it doesn't matter what IC does in Africa because they're doing good things at home - it does matter what they do in Africa, and I believe they're doing good things. I want Invisible Children to keep showing films and keep changing lives, and I hope I can share what I've learned with those who are just learning about IC and are passionate about getting involved.
Lastly, I'm not going to address all the points that critiques have been raising about KONY2012, but I do want to bring up one in particular. First, I've seen a lot of people posting on facebook about how you shouldn't give money to IC because they spend so much on filming and not enough in central Africa. That's B.S. Invisible Children does do work on the ground in Uganda and central Africa, but they also do awareness work in the U.S., and that's as much a part of their mission as the ground work is. If they didn't make these films, this wouldn't even be an issue because no one would know who Joseph Kony is or the terrible things he does. If you don't like how IC spends it's money, that's fine. Honestly, they have a lot of money and there are many more organizations out there doing good work who need money more than IC does. I happen to have a major, major crush on an organization I've done a lot of work with called Resolve, and if you're looking for somewhere to drop your money, it should be there. They have a cosponsor program if you want to give monthly. I know all the people who work there, I've stayed in their houses, eaten their food, and they are like family to me. You should give them your money :). Also, eXile International and Freedom in Creation do really great work in central Africa and are headed by really great people.
All in all, even though I sometimes have reservations about Invisible Children, I strongly support what they do and what they stand for. If you're complaining that the Kony2012 campaign is too simplistic, get online and educate yourself. It's that easy. You can read this, or look around the Resolve and IC websites.
