I was honored a few weeks ago to receive my first request for a blog post. I certainly want to encourage any readers of my blog to send me a message or comment with something you'd like to hear about. You're the one reading it, so it should be about what interests you! That being said...
The most viral video of all time was released just over a month ago, with over 87 million views as of this morning. In case you missed it...
The video inspired millions and began a movement...that quickly deteriorated. In case you don't feel like watching a 30 minute video (although it is of some cultural significance and I might recommend it..just to know what your friends are talking about), here is the crux:
Joseph Kony formed the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda in 1987. He wants Uganda to be a Christian nation - one run from the laws of the Ten Commandments. That said, I guess the Ten Commandments don't include "thou shalt not enslave children," because that's what Kony has done. He has kidnapped over 20,000 children to use as sex slaves or as fighters in his army, forcing them to even kill their own parents. He mutilates "troublesome" children, cutting off their noses, ears, and lips. Lots of gruesome details, and even some images (at your own risk) here.
Kony is wanted for international war crimes. Armies have tried hunting him down, and about 100 US soldiers have been sent to help the effort. Kony has been responsible for massive killings massacres. Despite an effort at peace talks, nothing has been accomplished.
So the point of this video is to "Make Kony famous" - not to celebrate him, but to make him internationally known for his crimes. This campaign was created to draw attention to Kony and promote knowledge and support in order to stop him. The film creators hope that if enough people speak up, then Washington would be forced to send more troops and to help save these children.
This heartfelt plea was quickly quashed by major news outlets who picked up the KONY 2012 story. Critics have said that the organization who created the video, Invisible Children, has mishandled their aid funds. They have been criticized for their hope of sending more troops overseas to help with the problem - which many say is not the answer. Kony is also now living in the Sudan (supposedly) and has not returned to Uganda since around 2006. So the question is: why fight to send troops to a country where Kony isn't even living?
So the request for this blog was this: " I know this issue is really overplayed right now but I'd love to get your take on the Kony 2012 issue- I'm getting so many opinions from both sides of things and I'd love to get your take on it."
I don't think you'll be happy...but here is my "level-headed" response to KONY 2012.
Advocacy is a beautiful thing. I don't care what people want to advocate for, but I think they should do it. Guns, abortion, getting fried chicken out of school cafeterias....anything. It's your right, and we absolutely, 100% take it for granted. The Committee to Protect Journalists released a report of the top 10 most censored countries. North Korea is no shock, and Burma and Libya also make the list.
We might get into fights with people for what we say, but it's unlikely we'll be imprisoned for it (within reason, of course. You can't go falsely yelling "fire" in a crowded theater). Even if I don't agree with a cause, I fully support people sticking up for it, because that's a right we have and one that should be exercised. I'm sure I grumble under my breath when I see it happening and I don't agree, but this is fundamentally where I begin my stand on the KONY 2012 issue.
With that said, I have long been a little confused by the overwhelming advocacy for international issues. To begin with - I am first generation American (on my dad's side) and have lived overseas more than once. I love traveling and the people that I have met have changed my life. But I am first an American.
There are absolutely worthy causes around the world that need help. Starving children in India. AIDS in Africa. Labor laws in the Philippines. And yes, stopping Kony and the LRA. These are all excellent causes that deserve support and aid.
My confusion is this: what about us? I never fully understood why people jet set around the world to help people in Bahrain or Papua New Guinea, but don't seem to give a glance to the massive problems on our own home front. We also have starvation. We also have sex trafficking problems (believe it or not). We also have problems with disease and illness, injustice and persecution. So why are we overlooking these problems, ones that affect our neighbors and friends, in favor of those far away? Why do Brad and Angelina have kids adopted from Africa and Asia, but none adopted from the United States? My grandfather was adopted. It's not a great process, as I understand it. So why are we overlooking these children? Why are American children less adoptable than international ones?
This is to say: I volunteer frequently and have been told that I'm a pretty generous person. But I'd first go to the Gulf Coast to help with oil cleanup or building a church in an impoverished community there. These are my brothers and sisters. This is my home. We should look after our own.
Yes...I have strayed from the original question about KONY 2012, but I think that this point is central.
So what do I think about KONY 2012? I think it's a great cause. Cover the Night is in five days and, if you're interested, I suggest that you participate. It's not a perfect campaign, but it's one that can bring awareness to injustice and maybe even save lives. Maybe this campaign can lead to Kony's capture, or maybe not. Maybe this can make a difference, or maybe it will fall flat. But if you feel strongly about the Kony campaign, do it!! We won't know unless we try. And this world that we live in, even internationally, is something that we should fight for.
Advocacy is beautiful and it's ALWAYS better to help someone than no one. I know countless people with beautiful hearts who do all of their advocacy overseas, and they're extremely selfless and kind. I'm simply saying that there is a lot to be done here as well.
If you want to be involved with a cause, I recommend going to volunteermatch.org. There, you can put in a location and be matched with great causes in your community.
I think one of the reasons that people focus on international issues to the detriment of local ones is that to some extent, the problems overseas ARE a lot worse than the problems here.
ReplyDeleteI recall watching Michael Bloomberg arguing that if you allowed unlimited immigration (within reason) on the condition that immigrants would have to settle within the city limits of Detroit, there would probably be a lot of takers, even though lots of Americans probably wouldn't want to do it. Even though there don't seem to be many jobs in Detroit right now, the theory is that people would be so desperate to get out of Africa/Mexico/etc. that they'd settle in Detroit and do whatever they needed to do to make a living. This really speaks to the idea that even our worst cities are still better than the best cities in many countries.
Also, many people question why anyone needs to be poor in a country like ours, with so much wealth. Sometimes it gets more specific--we have so much wealth, why can't we have universal health care, etc. I would guess that both of us would agree with this basic idea.
There are some people who turn this idea on its head, though, and argue that if you're living in a country with so much wealth, and you're still poor, it can only be because you're lazy, and thus you don't deserve any help. People who espouse this philosophy would also be more likely to focus their energies solely on Africa and Asia.
Alex,
DeleteThank you for reading. I certainly understand many sides of this argument, and was choosing to make only one. Thank you for your input, though.
This is a great post. It's good to see someone encouraging activism rather than taking the cynical approach and deriding the KONY 2012 movement as "slacktivism" (big thanks to the media for that phrase, by the way). And thanks for pointing out volunteermatch.org; it's a really useful resource.
ReplyDeleteI also admire that you're unafraid to state what could be an unpopular personal opinion on charity. I, for one, have gotten criticized for believing that charities fighting for human rights should supersede donations to animal rights.