2012: The Year Of Joseph Kony's Demise?

I came across this video (http://vimeo.com/37119711) on Facebook a few days ago. Since then it's been shared and re-shared a mind boggling number of times.  Before I’d watched it, The LRA, or Lord’s Resistance Army, was an organistation that rang very distant bells in my mind, nothing more.  Who they were, or what they did I couldn’t’ve told you.  As for Joseph Kony, the leader of the organisation, my response would’ve been ‘Joseph who?’.

After watching it, I cannot believe that I wasn’t aware of Kony’s existance.  All well and good recognising the organisations name, but not knowing the name of the person or people behind said organisation leaves you a little bit on the ignorant side of things!  Invisible Children, the people behind the above video, state that Kony’s rebel war is the longest running war in Africa.  A war that forces children, known as night commuters, to travel from their homes each night to the relative safety of a town, to avoid being kidnapped by Kony’s cronies.  And I hadn’t heard of him.  Embassing?  Disgraceful?  A typical westerner with a disbelieving what-difference-can-I-make attitude?  All of the above?

Watch the video.  It's half an hour.  Its powerful.  Its moving. Watch it and then decide for yourself whether you should pledge your support to Invisible Children or not. There are always two sides to every story.

If you want the other side, you could start here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-what-s-the-story

http://www.hugoodoherty.com/2012/03/08/a-hypothetical-kony-2012-situation-success/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KLVY5jBnD-E