Making a Difference: Changing the World One War Criminal at a Time

Yes, one more blog entry on the facebook/twitter phenom.

Stop Kony 2012 is a video seen by 20, no, 30, no, 60 million people. This internet phenomenon has grabbed headlines not only for its content but for its massive popularity. The goal of KONY 2012 is to raise awareness of Joseph Kony (pronounced Koin by Northern Ugandans) and the LRA and it has done that spectacularly well.

Invisible Children, who made this video, are passionate advocates for the victims of a 20 year conflict in Uganda and other central African nations. Joseph Kony has I was deeply moved by the video. I have followed the work of Invisible Children for a number of years now and they have done good work. They have established aftercare programs in Northern Uganda and raised -awareness about a war criminal who remains at large.

It is in large part because of the LRA conflict that I was lucky enough to go to Northern Uganda in 2006. It was an incredible trip and I remain in contact with several friends there. (Carlos Corro also found a wife!) I am by no means competent to speak on this issue with any authority, but some of you have asked me to reflect on the phenomenon.

The best articles on this issue I have found are here, here and here.

I have mixed feelings about this situation. Of course, Kony is a criminal who deserves to be brought to trial for his crimes. And raising money to help victims is surely a good thing. I think Invisible Children is right for highlighting the issue. However, they do more than this. They are advocating for specific policies, communicating information and promoting certain behaviors. This is where I find myself more critical of Invisible Children.

Some people have criticized the organization for its budget. Only a third of the money raised goes to direct program (about which I have heard good things). This is a little unfair. I think IC is clear about its purposes – awareness and advocacy are a part of their stated goals. Folks just need to know that their money is going to help Ugandans, and the broader advocacy/promotional work of IC.

My concerns go deeper. Underlying this video is a vision of ‘making a difference’ that is self-important and simplistic. Do the recommendations, goals and perspective of Kony 2012 tend towards the greatest good? Do we understand this situation?

What do Ugandans want?
Obviously, Ugandans want justice to some degree. But I think it can be said that many are more interested in recovery and reconciliation. This single focus on retribution and bringing to justice is a much more Western approach. It doesn't take the complexities into account. Imagine a situation where little children are captured and then turned on their own families. How do you help those children who have committed horrible crimes reconnect with their communities? What if these child soldiers have taken child brides, and they have kids? (I have seen this situation in Lira.) How do you bring that horrible situation? Demonizing a single person with a simple good guy/bad guy dichotomy is not helping this. Here is a great video blog post from a native Ugandan that expresses this complexity well.

What is the 'War' about?
This is where things get much more complicated. As you can imagine, there are lots of players at work here. One of the biggest concerns I heard in Northern Uganda is that the LRA was becoming a rationale for the southern tribes which include the president to increase militarization of the country, and crack down on political opponents in the North. The former president is from the North, so there is a lot of conflict between the two. I can say that I have been in Lira which is the sight of one of the worst massacres in the LRA campaign. Over 400 people killed during one raid. I also got to know some of the people there were more anxious about the president's forces than they were of the LRA.

“Furthermore, the crisis in northern Uganda is not seen by its citizens as one that is the result of the LRA. Yes, you read that right. The conflict in the region is viewed as one wherein both the Government of Uganda and the LRA, as well as their regional supporters (primarily South Sudan and Khartoum, respectively) have perpetrated and benefited from nearly twenty-five years of systemic and structural violence and displacement." Mark Kerston in the blog, Justice in Conflict

The video does state that Kony has moved to DRC and Sudan, but it doesn't effectively say that to all extents and purposes, the north is safe and flourishing again. It imagines a crippled and terrified region that no longer exists. This does not help or respect the people of northern Uganda.

What Does Awareness Do?
Awareness helps. But I feel like it only works on a small scale. Awareness on a large scale is not awareness. It is just enough knowledge to be dangerous. It will lead to smashed expectations. It will lead to increasingly viewing Africa as 'Problem' and not as a group of self-determined people. It will fuel our self-righteousness and arrogance. True servanthood requires not simply awareness of a need, but awareness of our own weaknesses and an awareness of the resources already at work.

What is KONY 2012 Suggesting?
Over time, this has become the most concerning aspect to me. This group is advocating specific foreign policy - that is, please send troops to do this job. I don't think sending troops to get the bad guy is good foreign policy. Isn't that Iraq, just on a smaller scale?

Don't get me wrong. I would love for more people to travel to Northern Uganda (or Sudan or wherever) and get involved on the ground. We would be welcomed, if we came as partners. That's what our wealth and time should be spent on. We should get involved in people, not capital P problems.

But --- the question always remains…. Who are we throw stones? What have we done with the issues and needs that we have seen? In the next post, I want to talk about our response in light of Scripture and our resources. How should we respond to what we have heard from Kony 2012.