Choose your battles

Everybody will know or have heard the name Joseph Kony this week. And that, quite frankly, was the point of the video release. But as soon as the feature went viral, so did the haters. Criticising the masses for quickly joining a social activists "bandwagon" and in the process setting up their own anti-activism wagon that they jumped on to just as quick.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but the problem I have is this. There is so much to be cynical about in this world, but when people do a good job with genuine intentions and compassion, this should be applauded, supported and encouraged. Unfortunately, it seems, many would rather pick holes and diminish efforts despite how narrow minded, arrogant or discouraging it can be. And I wasn't going to blog about it until I heard a group of young people in my classroom discuss all the different things that they had heard about Kony, Jason Russell and the invisible children. It was like looking at a tiny cross-section of the situation; the optimists, the pessimists, the antagonists, the diplomats and the undecided.

I don't know the details of the organisations finances, but I do know how a non-profit works. I worked with a non-profit organisation before I became a teacher, and many of my close friends and family struggled to understand the concept at the time. Regrettably, 100% of the money donated or raised can't go straight to the programs. There are costs for any organisation, and those who dedicate their full time still need to live and pay their own expenses. The point isn't that these organisations aren't making a profit, because they are hopefully, it's that once the essential costs are met, the rest go to a worthy cause. So the reported percentages (~40%) you read that reach the invisible kids only go to show that they need alot more money. (Unfortunately there will be under-handed organisations that make false claims but I whole-heartedly do not believe that this is the case with the invisible children).

I also couldn't relay to you the finer details of LRA involvement in Uganda but I know enough to conclude that Joseph Kony needs to be stopped, wherever he is, even if it means allying with a questionable Ugandan government. He is a dark mark on global society. I watched the Invisible Children documentary 5 years ago and still feel a mixture of heartache and inspiration each time I watch it again, or show it to others. See the postcard above, stuck on my fridge since 2008 to remind me each day how my problems compare. So for me to see how far the movement has come since then is awesome. It gives me alot of hope. The story of the invisible children organisation promotes persistence and perseverance as well as activism for social justice. Some people won't care and some will quickly lose interest. Some will do a little research and learn something. Some will donate money and that will be enough for them. Some will find a heart for the cause and join the movement and some with little faith and even less trust will fight against the cause completely.

But the key, and where the success lies, is that a video like this forces those of us who are living in a happy, middle-class western bubble to stop and consider what is going on in a global community that we are a part of, whether you believe it or not. It's true that the 3 amateur filmakers who went to Uganda 9 years ago would find it difficult to make a difference alone. But if millions of people around the globe jumped on board with them, it's not so inconceivable.