The Kony 2012 video has proved that Invisible Children are great movie makers and marketers, but what does our response say about us? (further links and thoughts after the video)
A thoughtful and well reasoned response
The last of these links is the most well-founded argument against support of IC, in my opinion. I especially agree with the part about “civil” disobedience. Does it change my mind about this video being a good thing to spread to as many people as possible? Not at all.
People use the word “awareness” in regards to this cause and that cause. Whether it’s football players wearing pink on any given Sunday or Christian’s putting a fish on their car, it’s usually a symbolic and often impotent way to garner attention. But here in 30 minutes this group is raising not only awareness, but passion towards injustice. Because I saw the video, I also found out about this: Watoto and this: Amazima. The Watoto link even has a local connection and has two African children’s choir concerts coming up in the next couple of weeks that I can attend and donate. An effort like this reverberates beyond a single organization as people are moved to compassion and to action both to help in Uganda and even in the hurt and injustice in our own cities. And I’ll take that over some lame Facebook game where women post vague and suggestive status updates any day.
This is true “awareness”, and it’s a good thing, what we do after we are aware is where the world begins to change.