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Joseph Kony

Interesting takes from The Atlantic and New York Daily News

Atlantic article - http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/03/the-soft-bigotry-of-kony-2012/254194/

Some highlights:

"Campaigns that focus on bracelets and social media absorb resources that could go toward more effective advocacy, and take up rhetorical space that could be used to develop more effective advocacy."

"There are many reasons for Africa's amazing rise over the last ten years, but one of the biggest has been African leadership. It's not a coincidence that the 200 years of Western leadership in Africa were some of the continent's worst. Africans have proven time and again that they're better at fixing African problems. While helping is always good, and it's great that people care, what Kony 2012 ignores is that Africans are not "invisible" and the last thing they need is for a bunch of Westerners to parachute in and take over (again). We sometimes mistake our position at the top of the global food chain as evidence that we're more capable, that our power will extend into complicated and far-away societies, that we'll be better at fixing their problems than they are. "

NY Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/kony-2012-disappoints-ugandan-audience-public-screening-lira-article-1.1039291

This article discussed the screening of the Kony film, which got rocks thrown at the screen in Uganda.

“We wanted to see how our local people were killed, but this is all white men!” said one angry viewer.

In his video report, Webb explained that the Ugandans at the screening didn’t understand the purpose of the video.

“For many people here, the video is simply puzzling,” Webb says in his video report. “It contains footage of an American man, his son, and it documents events that happened here, in northern Uganda, years ago.”
 
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America absolutely does not need to get involved as we normally don't take much time to look at past issues (resource allocation, tribe differences, etc.) and think that simply attempting to "stop" genocide will make everything better. The bottom line is that regardless of which group gets the money and support from the Western world, they will take those resources and become the dominant group. Typically this will manifest itself as the group utilizing that power to once again commit murder and genocide on other groups which are threatening to take away this domination that is ongoing in the region.

Is there even one example of America providing positive help in Africa where the nation didn't regress or just completely collapse economically or back into warfare after the American system stopped propping up the changed regime?
 
Wakeforest22890 said:
America absolutely does not need to get involved as we normally don't take much time to look at past issues (resource allocation, tribe differences, etc.) and think that simply attempting to "stop" genocide will make everything better. The bottom line is that regardless of which group gets the money and support from the Western world, they will take those resources and become the dominant group. Typically this will manifest itself as the group utilizing that power to once again commit murder and genocide on other groups which are threatening to take away this domination that is ongoing in the region.

Is there even one example of America providing positive help in Africa where the nation didn't regress or just completely collapse economically or back into warfare after the American system stopped propping up the changed regime?
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Sure, numbers, there are plenty of examples of institutional aid doing good from overseas, be they from governments, extra-governmental organizations like UNICEF, or smaller organizations. The problems begin to arise at these levels, though, even before policy enters the fray.

I don't want to speak beyond my experience and education on the matter, and i know that Tejas and IAT know far better than I do what the implications of aid are. But before we say that any sort of help is categorically bad, we should remember that not all types of help enable a cycle of violence or perpetuate social unrest. Education and medicine are two resources that (though they have the potential for abuse) are welcome help.

However, I must agree with the sentiments of the Nigerian novelist from one of my links, who talks about the banality of sentimentality, as regards this latest charitable craze. There may be a good being done, but is it a net good?
 
My aunt works for the UN and I asked her what percentage of donations actually get to the people in Africa. She said not much, most of it goes towards business class seats. That made me slightly cynical.
 
Another good one from The Atlantic. Not my point of view, necessarily, but a well-expressed one: http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...the-white-savior-industrial-complex/254843/1/

One song we hear too often is the one in which Africa serves as a backdrop for white fantasies of conquest and heroism. From the colonial project to Out of Africa to The Constant Gardener and Kony 2012, Africa has provided a space onto which white egos can conveniently be projected. It is a liberated space in which the usual rules do not apply: a nobody from America or Europe can go to Africa and become a godlike savior or, at the very least, have his or her emotional needs satisfied.
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Let us begin our activism right here: with the money-driven villainy at the heart of American foreign policy. To do this would be to give up the illusion that the sentimental need to "make a difference" trumps all other considerations. What innocent heroes don't always understand is that they play a useful role for people who have much more cynical motives. The White Savior Industrial Complex is a valve for releasing the unbearable pressures that build in a system built on pillage. We can participate in the economic destruction of Haiti over long years, but when the earthquake strikes it feels good to send $10 each to the rescue fund. I have no opposition, in principle, to such donations (I frequently make them myself), but we must do such things only with awareness of what else is involved. If we are going to interfere in the lives of others, a little due diligence is a minimum requirement.
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ProfessorDeac said:
Another good one from The Atlantic. Not my point of view, necessarily, but a well-expressed one: http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...the-white-savior-industrial-complex/254843/1/

"One song we hear too often is the one in which Africa serves as a backdrop for white fantasies of conquest and heroism. From the colonial project to Out of Africa to The Constant Gardener and Kony 2012, Africa has provided a space onto which white egos can conveniently be projected. It is a liberated space in which the usual rules do not apply: a nobody from America or Europe can go to Africa and become a godlike savior or, at the very least, have his or her emotional needs satisfied."
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Sounds like Avatar.
 
sonictexmexfootlong.jpg



WOOPS WRONG CONEY!
 
TownieDeac said:
Sure, numbers, there are plenty of examples of institutional aid doing good from overseas, be they from governments, extra-governmental organizations like UNICEF, or smaller organizations. The problems begin to arise at these levels, though, even before policy enters the fray.

I don't want to speak beyond my experience and education on the matter, and i know that Tejas and IAT know far better than I do what the implications of aid are. But before we say that any sort of help is categorically bad, we should remember that not all types of help enable a cycle of violence or perpetuate social unrest. Education and medicine are two resources that (though they have the potential for abuse) are welcome help.

However, I must agree with the sentiments of the Nigerian novelist from one of my links, who talks about the banality of sentimentality, as regards this latest charitable craze. There may be a good being done, but is it a net good?
Click to expand...

Solid answer, thanks!
 
Report: Joseph Kony's struggling militia killing elephants for cash
African warlord Joseph Kony and his struggling militia are poaching elephant ivory across central Africa to get funds for weapons, ammunition and food, a report says.
"Governments in Asia and elsewhere who fail to regulate the illegal ivory trade share responsibility for atrocities committed by the LRA and other armed groups engaged in poaching."
Over the last decade, conservationists say poachers have reduced Africa's forest elephant population by 62%, threatening the magnificent mammals with eventual extinction.
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http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/world/africa/kony-elephant-poaching
 
I missed all that Kony 2012 stuff and just saw the TMZ video of the guy prancing around naked on the street corner. I wonder if he ended up doing more good than harm? Can someone give me a breakdown on what was so wrong about the Kony 2012 movement- did they collect a ton of money and use very little of it to help the children?
 
BobStackFan4Life said:
I missed all that Kony 2012 stuff and just saw the TMZ video of the guy prancing around naked on the street corner. I wonder if he ended up doing more good than harm? Can someone give me a breakdown on what was so wrong about the Kony 2012 movement- did they collect a ton of money and use very little of it to help the children?
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He kept the money. There was a great south park episode about this including a song about jacking in San Diego. Check it out.
 
I'm not sure "he kept the money" is accurate. The money went to the charity, which continues to operate and seems to check out with the IRS and charity monitoring agencies.

The real problem people had with the idea is that it WAY oversimplified an intensely complex conflict and tried to manufacture a solution that itself was way oversimplified. I mean, the LRA is bad, most agree. But its one of hundreds of groups in the region that operate autonomously. Some of the groups originally splintered off of the Ugandan military, who itself has been known to rape, murder, use child soldiers, etc. Oh and they would theoretically be the primary benefactors here. The lakes region of central africa is just an ever-shifting power struggle fed by natural resources, tribal loyalties, politics, religions, etc., etc., etc. Not that I know what I'm talking about. I wrote a thesis on the Congo (DRC) in grad school and I am telling you I don't know shit. Besides that its complicated beyond comprehension.

The idea that "if we just get Jay-Z to retweet our video, then all these problems will go away," is the epitome of privileged first-world pompousness and is insulting to the people who have actually suffered and will continue to suffer. And personally, trying to manufacture group think, to label someone a devil and encourage as many people as possible to grab their e-pitchforks so he can be strung up, something about that rubs me the wrong way. Like maybe, there's a smarter approach out there somewhere. But then again, there aren't a whole lot of smart people out there who would find the time to care about something like this.

The whole thing was also just very bizarre, hatched by people who probably mean well, but have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.
 
Thanks TwentyONE. I can see why charities in general try to keep it simple. If they go into too much detail there's the risk people will just throw up their hands and say, "Fuck it, the situation is hopeless, nothing can be done." That's actually the impression I got reading your post- the situation is hopeless. They've got to make sure their potential donors feel they can make a difference. But in looking at what Invisible Children, Inc. (the people behind Kony 2012) spend money on I can see why there was a backlash. It looks like instead of using their funding to do things like build orphanages, things that would have an immediate benefit, they mainly spend it on these films and salaries?
 
BobStackFan4Life said:
Thanks TwentyONE. I can see why charities in general try to keep it simple. If they go into too much detail there's the risk people will just throw up their hands and say, "Fuck it, the situation is hopeless, nothing can be done." That's actually the impression I got reading your post- the situation is hopeless. They've got to make sure their potential donors feel they can make a difference. But in looking at what Invisible Children, Inc. (the people behind Kony 2012) spend money on I can see why there was a backlash. It looks like instead of using their funding to do things like build orphanages, things that would have an immediate benefit, they mainly spend it on these films and salaries?
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I'll preface by saying I know really nothing about Invisible Children or how they spent their money, but your comment here reminded me of a great TED talk about the double standard for how non-profits use their money compared to for-profits, and how it can serve to ultimately undercut the full impact many charities could have.

 
Thanks. I still think it's important to look at a non- profits overhead, not just what they're bringing in. But most importantly, she says to look at the "measurable impact˝- I think if you do this with Invisible Children you'll find they’re lacking. But I'm also far from an expert on this subject- I just watched some vids and read a couple articles. Maybe it's a great charity. I was wondering if they had been unfairly slammed by cynics but looking into it I get the feeling their heart might be in the right place, maybe, but they're doing very little actual good for the children they claim to care about. They've generated some awareness, and that's good, but given the money Kony 2012 generated surely they could've done things like build orphanages, things that would have a measurable impact.
 
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