Research

Revealing the Invisible Children

The Invisible Children released a short film titled, Kony 2012, in efforts to spread awareness of an African warlord, Joseph Kony, and hopefully leading to his arrest with the efforts of the public to push legislation into taking action and capture Kony. This video shows policy makers, celebrities, and even people like us who are support the Invisible Children and their movement, implying that you, the viewer, should do so as well. This organization attempts to manipulate viewers into supporting their humanitarian action. I believe, that this organization is not one that's worth donating to because the bend truths and stretch facts in order to get peoples attention, they use their funds, which are donated, inappropriately, and because the organization is shady about their true intentions, and actions, which often ends up contradicting their opinions and views. To understand this complex situation in depth, you must know about how this conflict with the LRA started.

The conflict with the LRA started in 1986 when Yoweri Museveni became the President of Uganda. The Holy Spirit Movement was created by Alice Lakwena in hopes of overthrowing the President of Uganda and creating a new government based on the Ten Commandments of the bible ("Global Security"). Soon after Alice Lakwena was exiled and Joseph Kony took over the rebel group and changed the name to the Lord’s Resistance Army; when Kony couldn’t attract any followers he began kidnapping children to create a larger army ("Invisible Children"). The LRA kidnapped boys and girls, usually around the age of nine, however the LRA has even armed children as young as age five (Singer 20). Since the LRA’s violence was too much to control, in 1996 the Ugandan government made camps for those who were displaced because of the LRA; these camps were meant to protect civilians, however, there was still violence and disease was spreading ("Invisible Children"). The LRA continued to invade villages and kidnap, rape, and murder civilians. In 2006 the LRA signed an agreement with the government of Uganda to stop their attacks during peace talks; the peace talks were held in Sudan, however, Kony failed to appear for the final agreement five times ("Invisible Children"). Since then the LRA has been attacking villages in other countries such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.

In 2003 three young men traveled to Africa in hopes of capturing footage of the conflicts with genocide in Sudan, however, along the way they discovered “night commuters”, which were children who would travel to places like hospitals and bus stops so they could sleep at night without being abducted from their villages by the LRA. They were shocked that children were living like this and they wanted to do something to help; so they created the Invisible Children organization, named after the children of Uganda whose misfortunes were virtually unknown to the rest of the world.

The Invisible Children claim that one of their goals is to make this situation known, to make the “invisible children” visible; their main goal is to stop the LRA and its leader, Joseph Kony. Their strategy is to reach governments all over the world to come up with an approach together to protect civilians and disarm the LRA. So far, the IC has partnered with others to create a radio warning system connected to 27 communities that broadcasts daily reports with information about the LRA ("Invisible Children"). One of these radio projects has included installing 14 radio towers, costing about $145,000 ("Youtube").They have also partnered with other organizations that send messages through the FM radios encouraging those in the LRA to surrender peaceful organization partnered with y and escape ("Invisible Children"). The IC has also created programs that provide schooling for children and literacy programs for adults as well as programs that provide clean water to communities and a monetary savings and loans system ("Invisible Children"). One of the IC’s most sophisticated systems is the LRA Crisis Tracker, which tracks the crimes the LRA commits such as abducting and looting, it also tracks returnees and civilian injuries, deaths, and displacements; it also allows subscribers to have these updates sent directly to their mobile phones ("LRA Crisis Tracker").  In 2012 the organization decided to start a “Kony 2012 Campaign” which is meant to spread the awareness of Kony and the LRA and gain the support of people all over the world to disarm the LRA. This video has ignited the beginning of many changes done by young adults, however, many are pointing fingers at the organization for oversimplifying the complicated peace and conflict issues with some African countries and the LRA.

Many viewers have criticized the Invisible Children for misleading those that have watched their video into thinking that the LRA is still attacking people in Uganda along with more detailed facts such as not mentioning that the LRA hasn’t been active in Uganda since 2006, and even exaggerating the number of people the LRA has kidnapped.

Shortly after the release of the IC’s Kony 2012 video, a Ugandan-American girl posted a video of herself expressing her thoughts about the IC’s video; she claims that the organization is bending facts to gain the sympathy of their viewers for only one goal, to gain a profit (Kony 2012 Video is Misleading). Although many viewers are assuming that the organization is only after money, some are more upset over the fact that they bended facts in the first place. Rosebell Kagumire, a Ugandan journalist specializing in Peace and Conflict Issues, explains what’s really happening in Uganda today in attempt to clarify some of the points that the IC missed in their video; she claims the footage in the video was taken 5 to 6 years ago when Kony was active in Uganda, but, today the cities and villages in Uganda are improving and need help with post-conflict recovery right now, and what they need now is not clear in the IC’s video (Kagumire). The Ugandan Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi, felt obligated to  address the issues of Uganda displayed in the IC’s Kony 2012 video; he states that Uganda is not in conflict and today it is a peaceful, stable, and secure country (Woods). When Ugandans started watching this video they expected to see the image that the Prime Minister describes, a peaceful, developing country that is still in need of help.

As news of the IC’s video spread, public screenings were shown in parts of Uganda and other areas because much of the region does not have access to the internet. The Huffington Post published an article online including a video broadcast by Al Jazeera, another newspaper, interviewing several Ugandans affected by the LRA allowing them to state their thoughts after seeing the Kony 2012 video. Most of the Ugandan viewers were confused because the video showed footage from years ago, not what they’re going through today. One man who was affected by the LRA states that he supports the campaign for Kony’s arrest but believes that many of their promotional methods are offensive, he says “If people in those countries care about us they will not wear T-shirts with pictures of Joseph Kony’s for any reason- that would celebrate our suffering” ("Huffington Post" ). Some Ugandans and advocates are so upset over the IC’s indirect facts that they started to speak out about it.

CNN interviewed Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier UNICEF advocate; he thinks that it’s incredible that this issue is now widely known, however, the IC’s oversimplification of the issue won’t help to shift the policy to accomplish any of their goals ("Youtube"). Also, National Public Radio recently interviewed Michael Wilkerson, a journalist who has lived in and reported from Uganda, to fact check the Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 video; he claims that the video is correct in stating that Joseph Kony and his army has kidnapped, raped, and killed thousands of people, however, they briefly mentioned only once in the video that the LRA wasn’t in Uganda and it should have been stated more clearly because it’s misleading viewers ("National Public Radio"). Generally, people are upset that the IC would post a video now about events that happen years ago and that didn’t they provide their facts clearly enough.

Whether or not the Invisible Children presented their facts clearly, almost everyone would think that Kony and his army have committed many crimes and need to be arrested; however, this is the only topic that the IC seems to be interested in, when many other advocates believe they should help the people more than publicize Kony, therefore the majority of their money goes to video productions and the salaries of the employees, rather than what they advertise, helping the victims of the LRA’s crimes.

The founders of the IC are incredibly passionate about filmmaking, which is probably one of the reasons why one third of their finances, which are donated, go towards the organization’s movie productions; another third goes marketing and the salaries of the founders of the organization, about $262,287 combined ("Charity Navigator"). So, if all of this money is basically going towards the organization itself, then what’s left for the actual cause?

The IC’s audited financial statements for 2010 and 2011 were found; a shocking fact is, the organization who claims to help so many victims of the LRA and encourages people to donate to their cause, only 31% of the IC’s funds go towards the cause ("rackcdn"). While the IC is encouraging people to donate money to their organization they fail to mention in their Kony 2012 video an important fact, that only 31% goes towards the cause; the IC misleads viewers into believing that they’re money is going to help people recover from the LRA’s destruction when in reality, only a small percentage is going towards helping those people. Since the IC organization has already given viewers misleading facts and it has been proven that only a third of donations go towards the cause, is this organization credible or is their true goal making money only?

One source that many businesses and individuals use to find out if and organization is credible by looking them up online at The Charity Navigator; The Charity Navigator is an organization that evaluates charities based on finances, accountability, and transparency, evaluated the Invisible Children and gave them two out of four stars on accountability and transparency ("Charity Navigator"). At first, the organization was reluctant to give out any information about their finances, however, after being overwhelmed with criticism due to their Kony 2012 campaign, they decided to publish their financial documents on their website for everyone to see. After discovering how much actually goes towards the cause it seems like the organization is only trying to market these peoples’ misfortunes and make a profit from it.

One man who believes that the organization is trying to make a profit is Chris Blottman, an Assistant Professor of Politcal Science and Economics at Yale University, thinks that the organization is trying to gain a profit and posts on his blog, “Their movie did more to bring the Lord’s Resistance Army and the war in northern Uganda to US audiences, especially Congress, than any other advocacy organization on the planet. That deserves credit. But why oh why, I have to ask, does it have to be in ways like this?” (Blattman). He then posts a picture of models wearing the organization’s T-shirts picturing guns and text saying “I heart the LRA” and “90% of the LRA are abducted children” (Blattman). Putting these things on T-shirts is like a slap on the face to those that were affected by the LRA; only an organization that would offend those they claim they’re trying to help is an organization that’s only trying to market this conflict and make money from it. Despite all of the criticisms that the IC organization has been receiving since the release of their video, they firmly believe that they have a thoughtful, truthful, and helpful cause and continue to try to gain support by refuting many criticisms and answering questions that viewers have.

When the IC began answering questions on their website, they answered the question, “Where is Kony and the LRA now?”, the IC answered, “No. The LRA left Uganda in 2006 when the Juba Peace Talks began. The KONY 2012 film makes this clear (at 15:01), but perhaps not clear enough” ("Invisible Children"). They also clarify one of their most biggest complaints, that the LRA has only about 250 soldiers now, however, they’ve displaced over 440,000 people and so far 57 more have been abducted since the release of the video  (KONY 2012: Part II - Beyond Famous).

The IC also posted a description of how the organization’s money is used on their website. The IC claims, “In FY2011, Invisible Children spent 80.46% on programs that further our three-fold mission of awareness, advocacy, and on-the-ground development; 16.24% on administration and management costs; and 3.22% on direct fundraising” (In the U.S., the fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30)("Invisible Children").

The organization was even asked if Ugandans are for or against Kony 2012, on their website they state,  “We have found that many Ugandans welcome the film's message of stopping Joseph Kony, but some take offense at how the message was delivered. Admittedly, KONY 2012 was geared towards young, western audiences in an effort to raise awareness of what began in Uganda, but is currently taking place in DR Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan” ("Invisible Children"). It seems strange that an organization that says they’re trying to unite the world to resolve this issue would create a video that’s made to attract young American adults.

The IC was also asked why they have a three out of four star rating on the Charity Navigator, they claim, “They give Invisible Children's Financials the highest score of four stars. Because Invisible Children has four independent board members instead of five, Charity Navigator gives us two stars in the category of Accountability and Transparency. We are interviewing potential board members and will add an independent member this year in order to regain our four-star rating by 2013” ("Invisible Children"). The IC isn’t fighting criticisms alone, their supporters are consistent in backing up the organization.

Interviewers asked Jacob Acaye, the Ugandan boy featured in the Kony 2012 video, about his thoughts on the video. Jacob claims, "It is not too late, because all this fighting and suffering is still going on elsewhere. Now what was happening in Gulu is still going on elsewhere in the Central African Republic and in Congo. What about the people who are suffering over there? They are going through what we were going through" (Borger, John Vidal, and Rosebell Kagumire ).

The Invisible Children released another video, Kony 2012: Part II - Beyond Famous, to let viewers know that their voices are being heard and changes are being made. Ben Keesey, an Invisible Children director, states, “Two weeks after Kony 2012 launched, two bipartisan resolutions supporting the disarm of the LRA were introduced to the house and the senate and have been signed by nearly 100 members of congress” (KONY 2012: Part II - Beyond Famous). Policy makers aren’t the only ones taking notice to this video, even celebrities are expressing their thoughts and spreading awareness of Joseph Kony and the LRA.

During an interview with ABC News Angelina Jolie was asked if there were any bad guys she’d like to take down, like many of her characters in movies do, she said if she could she would take down Joseph Kony ("Youtube"). Lucas Shaw from The Wrap writes in an article “Oprah, Rihanna, Ryan Seacrest, Justin Bieber and Rihanna have already lent their support” and “Policymakers include former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as one current candidate – Mitt Romney (Shaw)”. Even though the IC is being bombarded with criticisms, they continue to gain more and more supporters. The Kony 2012 video is what caught many viewers attention; it was made with high-tech filming systems and edited professionally; it also included forms of persuasion within advertisement. The main reason why this organization has gained so many supporters is because they convinced the majority of viewers to follow them.

The major reason why business gain customers is because of advertisement. It’s the same way with organizations; advertising is how they get donations. Successful advertising is the best way to get donations and to do that you have to make yourself noticed and draw the public in. The Bloomberg Businessweek writes in an articled titled, “5 Reasons Why the Kony Video Went Viral”, that the five reasons why the video succeeded was because; 1- it told a story, 2- the video is about you, 3- it’s action packed, 4- famous people told you about it, and 5- the story isn’t over” (Suddath ). So how did this video become the most viral video in the world?

To draw viewers is you have to present a good story; one aspect that makes a story good is if it’s true, and even better if it includes a lot of action. If people are really being kidnapped, raped, and killed, and this organization is trying to gain supporters to help them stop it, would you be compelled to help with the cause? Would you feel even more obligated to help when your government, celebrities, and citizens support it?

Usually, when we see that others are doing something, we feel obligated to get involved ("Top Telemarketing Tips"). Top Telemarketing Tips posted on their website, “Generally, people are more likely to take notice of and listen to a person in a position of authority or someone who is considered an expert” ("Top Telemarketing Tips"). When people see their friends, their favorite celebrities, and even their policymakers supporting a humanitarian action, we more than likely feel like we should follow it too. Another reason why people would want to follow this video is because it’s about you; it’s telling you how you can make a change. When we have even just a small amount of control over a story, we want to go along with it; because we have the power to change the outcome.

One interesting part of the Kony 2012 video is that it expires on December 31st 2012. The IC did this to insist that viewers act now; or actually, buy their products and donate money now. Top Telemarketing Tips claims, “If something is exclusive, we often feel a sense of specialness. Like the A class seats at a concert, or the VIP section of a party or bar. If something is exclusive, again, we value it so much more highly” ("Top Telemarketing Tips"). The IC says that 2012 is the year of change. This year is our window of opportunity to do something about the LRA; since this year is the only time we can do anything to support the Kony 2012 campaign, we feel committed to helping because we have the opportunity to change the world in a small amount of time. However, the IC didn’t explain in detail what’s happening in Uganda and surrounding countries now. There are still many viewers, and donators, who believe that the LRA’s violence is much more active than what it truly is today.

The biggest problem Uganda and surrounding countries face today is the war with disease, not the LRA. Recently, a new disease started spreading around Uganda called Nodding Disease. Rosebell Kagumire states in her blog that this disease is mentally and physically disabling and only affects children between 5 and 15 years old; over 3,000 children in northern Uganda are infected, and there have been 170 deaths so far (Kagumire). Sadly, the cause of the disease is still unknown and there isn’t a cure.

Unfortunately, funding towards hospitals, medicine, and research in Uganda is hard to come by; it’s a struggle to citizens to even get health insurance, which is why many of those affected are left untreated, and suffering. Kagumire states, “With the healthcare system in northern Uganda wrecked by war and in a country where the right to healthcare is not guaranteed, most children suffering from this disease have been going through unbearable suffering. Parents are forced to painfully tie their children to trees” (Kagumire). What is even more devastating, is that the Nodding Disease isn’t the only life threatening disease Ugandans must face. Annie Kelly from The Guardian Newspaper says, “ A Ugandan's health and life expectancy is among the lowest across the globe. In Uganda, one in every 200 births ends the mother's life, around 1 million people are living with HIV and although malaria accounts for 14% of all deaths, less than 10% of children under five are sleeping under insecticide-treated nets” (Kelly ). So, if the people of Uganda are struggling with disease, not the LRA, why are we so obsessed with catching Kony? The healthcare system in Uganda is one of the worst in the world, I would rather donate money to improve the health of Uganda than give it to the IC who wants to fund a wild goose chase.

It’s no doubt, the Invisible Children organization is making changes, however I don’t agree with the way that they go about making those changes. I agree with helping those affected by the LRA; I also agree that Joseph Kony and the LRA should be stopped, but, I don’t want to spread awareness by plastering his face all over the city or fund a two-faced organization and their scavenger hunt. Remarkably, the IC’s bracelets and action kits for the Kony 2012 campaign are sold out (“Invisible Children”). This organization is making a lot of money off of this campaign; and what aggravates me the most is that it goes directly into the leaders of the IC’s pockets. If I had control over the IC’s money for one day, unlike the organization, I wouldn’t try to fight for peace with violence; I would use every penny donated to be used towards building hospitals, universities, and providing scholarships to Ugandans who could work in those hospitals and even conduct research for medicine. Doing things like this would benefit the people much more than finding Kony will; finding him won’t stop or improve what he’s already done. I would rather spend my time and money on something that’s actually going to help the people who need it the most; the victims.