COLUMN: Clarifying Kony
Caitlin Cheevers/Staff Reporter
Editor’s note: Caitlin Cheevers is president of Central Michigan University’s Invisible Children registered student organization.
Invisible Children’s newest documentary, Kony 2012, was viewed more than 70 million times in just five days. For those who haven’t seen it, the video can be viewed at www.kony2012.com.
With this sudden fame came a flood of criticisms of the organization, namely the clarity (or lack thereof) of the movie and the financials of the nonprofit. I would like to clear up some of the confusion surrounding the campaign.
First of all, the LRA is no longer in Uganda. While it is mentioned in the movie, many believe the rebels’ movement into DR Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic is not obvious enough. It may have been a quick point made in the movie, but it is important to remember the movie’s intention: to bring awareness of Joseph Kony to American youth.
To keep the attention of young people, simplicity is essential. If the documentary were simply a narration of facts of the complicated history of the war, it would not have been nearly as viral. People would get bored and stop watching.
Invisible Children has made 10 other documentaries with a more thorough explanation of the war. None of them went viral.
Many people do not realize the mission of Invisible Children. It is not an aid organization; it is an awareness organization.
The nonprofit started as a documentary to bring awareness to a war in Central East Africa. After an outcry from the American public who wanted to donate, the organization began rebuilding schools, setting up a radio network and employing Ugandans.
The aid provided is not the main goal, so only one-third of donations are used toward these projects. If you are not comfortable funding movies that bring awareness to child soldiers in Africa, by all means donate to other organizations like UNICEF who provide more aid to the affected community. Invisible Children encourages such donations.
For an organization whose main goal is to bring awareness to Kony, I would say they have been successful.
The salaries of some of the senior staff members have also been widely publicized and critiqued. Most make between $80,000 and $90,000 a year. While this may seem like a lot, it is important to remember they live in San Diego. An $80,000 salary in San Diego only goes as far as a $54,000 salary in Grand Rapids. For a family of four, the money does not go very far.
One of the main points to remember about Kony 2012 is that you do not have to support Invisible Children to want to bring Joseph Kony to justice. This is not about three guys from San Diego who decided to tell a story. This is about children being forced to kill their parents and fight in a war older than they are.
To anyone who criticizes the movement to stop Joseph Kony, I wish you luck in telling these children you actively helped turn people away from ending the war that is ruining their lives.
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“Central Michigan University’s Invisible Children registered student organization” LOL
I know it is a cliche that Americans are stupid but this Kony thing has pretty much proved the point.
Btw is there a “Central Michigan University’s bring Barack Obama to ICC to answer on his assassination program registered student organization”I bet not.
One of the biggest objections is the use of US military intervention in a conflict where the geopolitical and historical background of the conflict are unknown by most of the people who support the military intervention. Also Invisible Children collaborates with the Ugandan military who are by no means innocent of any wrongdoing. I know that the supporters of this cause have good intentions but it is very important that they stay informed of not only the context of the conflict but also possible ramifications of US military intervention.
I believe what IC is trying to achieve is good-natured and a great cause, but after talking to people who have served in the military, I’ve begun to question if all this attention is going to aid in catching Kony. He’s going to be in-tune to some degree on all this attention he is receiving, and he is going to lay low and take extra measures to evade capture as a result of it. It’s an Osama Bin Laden all over again. I think that awareness is great, and I can appreciate what IC is trying to achieve, but I wonder if all this fame will really do good.
” To keep the attention of young people, simplicity is essential.” SERIOUSLY? Does that mean intentionally omitting material facts? Intentionally using information that’s over six years old, to distort the present reality of the situation and slant the story a particular way? Ms. Cheevers is your own opinion of people your own age so condescending that you actually BELIEVE that? I certainly hope not.
As others have commented, trying to summarize a decades long conflict in a 30 minute video is impossible. It omits the nuances and facts needed to form an educated conclusion. The fact is, whether we agree with it or not, that in Uganda child soldiers are the norm. The Ugandan ARMY is full of them, and the military president of Uganda is completely in support of this continued practice. So while on its face it SEEMS horrific to us, ALL sides of this conflict are equally as guilty. One mans rebel is someone else’s liberator. Let’s not forget that.
My bigger issue here is how the film makers are appealing to the naivety of our youth. Much like the current debate over contraception surrounding the current GOP presidential campaign, our college students are being PLAYED – used as pawns in someone elses political game, and the media is for some unknown reason afraid to point it out. Even tabloid TV shows such as TMZ and Access Hollywood have fallen for the ruse.
I don’t doubt the sincerity of your, or even the film makers genuine concern for the children caught up in this conflict. But for any of us to take sides in an issue where we have incomplete and outdated information is foolish at best. Notice I’m not even commenting on Charity Watch’s “2″ rating of your parent organization, with nearly 70% of donations going for other costs and only 32% trickling down to those the contributors THOUGHT they were helping.
In closing, I am curious how many people who viewed and express support for this documentary ALSO support Ron Paul, and wonder if they even realize the absolute inconsistency of that impossible pairing?
The editorial is quite good, but then the last sentence is kind of nasty and misleading and so it deflates the whole thing. It’s fine to support Invisible Children, but please remember that the people who are raising concerns about the Kony campaign are raising a lot of good points, too. Avoiding the tendency to demonize people who disagree with you is the first sign of maturity.
Also, as someone who has worked for aid agencies and who has traveled to Africa, I find it odd that “get Kony” is the buzzworthy cause of the moment, yet the continent’s worst famine in 60 years is almost unreported here. I keep waiting for a big fundraising rock concert but apparently everyone’s too busy uploading content to YouTube to organize one.
Why don’t you and your left-wing group and faculty worry about the children in the nation’s top 2 cities for crime, murders, etc.
Flint, Michigan and Detroit Michigan.
Why do you worry so much about Uganda and Africa. Is it to make points with the Multicultural Dept??? Is it for a trip to Europe???
The Mayor of Detroit is saying the murder of children is epidemic and you’re worrying about Uganda.
Caitlin, how much much does Uganda and Africa give to CMU vs. the Michigan taxpayers???
Next point, you need to get your facts straight. Liberal Reuters ran a story today that filmaker Jason Russell’s videos and films that Russell and Invisible Children admit that a large proportion of funds were used for travel and film production rather than charity work.
They had to publish its financial statement last week amid rising scrutiny.
So, Caitlin, you and your liberal friends at CMU are so naive!!!! This group admits the filmaker getting more money than the charity. For you liberals, let me give you a local example. I donate $100,000 to CMU for student scholarships. Instead, CMU officials take most of the money and run around the world shooting videos so they can promote others to donate to CMU. They profit from the production and enjoy the travel benefits.
In this Reuters story, they admit putting most of the money toward their movies and travel, instead of spending it on charity.
This group should be thrown off the CMU campus!!!!!!!
Now, Caitlin, there is one thing I did like about your story that liberal CMU faculty doesn’t understand, but you and I do. “Cost of Living.”
When CMU complain that they lose English professors or others to other schools because of salary, you must examine cost of living. If you’re making $54,000 in Grand Rapids (even less in Mt. Pleasant), you have to be making $80,000 in San Diego, just to make it worth the move. I’d say $80,000 is low because of all the liberal California taxes, higher rents, higher gas, higher fees and you have to pay Obama a lot more in federal taxes. $90,000 is probably the number.
Well put. I am glad you decided to help clarify some of the issues people are having with Invisible Children I have been a supporter of them since a friend of mine told me about them when he actually met the three men who started this organization, while traveling in San Diago. Most important thing to remember is that it is to help the children in Africa!!
Help the African children?
How about Michigan children?
I read on liberal MSNBC that this group wants our military to go in there?
Why?
What is America’s interest there?
In the middle east, it’s oil!
How about we send these liberal Occupy Protesters there and they can help resolve the problems.
Also, on MSNBC, the Obama news organization, only 31 percent of the funds go to the victims. That’s not very much!
Be nice to see you folks focusing on Michigan’s children beating shot to death by street gangs.
Just wandering why you’re not promoting contraception and abortion over there like the Liberals do herge.
I would like to know where the 30% number comes from. IC’s own financial statements, which are independently audited, disputes this claim. In fact, Charity Navigator gives IC’s programs- you know, the ones that the author above says aren’t the main focus?- 4 out of 5 stars.
Simply put, haters gonna hate. To those Negative Nancy’s, I just want to inform you the the grass is indeed greener on the other side. <3
Invisible children? The real invisible children are the children in the United States who are aborted each year.
False. Nice try, though.
“Kony2012: North Ugandans react angrily to viral video”
http://youtu.be/rU_1jnrj5VI
The article plainly states that 1/3 of funds go directly to the victims because AWARENESS, not aid, is the primary goal of Invisible Children. You should actually read the entire article before making silly comments.
TMZ is clarifying Kozy & Invisible Children. See TMZ.com.
So is MSNBC, CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC News and all
San Diego news outlets (all liberal news orgs). Drudge Report
is calling Kony 2012——Bony 2012. You’ll see why when you see TMZ…..
and also if you go to the Drudge Report (left column)…www.drudgereport.com.
Here’s what Caitlin didn’t tell you when she clarified things for us.. According to TMZ and all
the national media, multiculturalist and internationalist Jason Russell, co-founder of Invisible Children allegedly was taken in by Police (TMZ has video and pictures)and you can read the 4 stories on TMZ and the 3 on Drudge why the co-founder of this orgnizatiion has a problem with police a couple days ago. (go to TMZ to read and see it
all). NBC-San Diego or any of the San Diego media.
Doesn’t surprise me.
George Ross needs to boot this organization off campus. He should apologize to students, faculty, the community and alumni for the press release the university wasted money and time to write last week. George, are you proud to have this group registered after seeing those photos and videos on TMZ.com? No wonder only 2 universities—Duke and CMU fell for this organization. It’s an embarrassment to CMU.
Above all, no one from the San Diego organization should be allowed on the CMU campus.
And, why CM LIFE continues to give this organization publicity is beyond me. Now, I know what you Democrats are going to say. John Edwards, Anthony Weiner, Kwame Kilpatrick, Governor Blago are crazy liberals, too, and the Dems stay around. True, but when you see TMZ, this is a new low for Libs and Multiculturalists.
CM LIFE needs to find out who paid for those trips to the Hague in the Netherlands. Was it Michigan taxpayers? Did the advisor go too? Who paid that person’s trip. I’m sure Lansing would be interested to know when they see the TMZ.com website.
Of course, Invisible Children is spinning the story. Saying the guy was suffering stress. Give me a break! This is an organization to stay away from.
Caitlin, could you please clarify what is on TMZ, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS and the San Diego media outlets (and these are all left-wing news outlets). Care to clarify the confusion of the co-founder on the San Diego sidewalk? What were all those acts he was doing in public?
A piece of advice to you and your 4 friends. Fire this organization and go to a constructive organization like Special Olympics, Big Brother, Big Sister, etc. Maybe something for seniors in the community.