Joseph Kony

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leedomargus said:
You probably have no kids, so you probably cant think "what if it was my kid..", but trust me, you will regret making joke about such thing once you get one your own.

PS: I give up on this topic as I see only ignorant kids are in this community. Go ahead and have your laugh at their expense, just know that karma is a ***** and it may happen with your kid one day.
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You're an idiot. My point was that you were taking such a simplistic view on the matter. No, I don't have kids, if I did I sure wouldn't want them to run around with guns shooting people, but I live in England, so it is relatively safe to say they won't, unless they join a gang, but they won't, because I would probably the strictest parent this side of China. If my kids did get somewhat stolen and forced to do something they don't want to do, I will go all 'Taken' and fly all over the world until I find them, but again, the chance of that happening is pretty low.

No one here is supporting Kony, everyone knows he is a despicable *******, and should well be arrested. What we are arguing against, is the way it has been done. If you saw a video, from Kittens Interactive, that said 'In Albania, there is a man who eats kittens through his own arsehole. We need to stop this! Please send us money so we can go and arrest him', you would be more than sceptical, even if you did own a cat. Now, just because a company façades as a 'Charity', everyone bends over for them in some sort of moral stance against all that is evil in the world. Kony has been making kids fight for 20 years, why weren't you there protecting the poor kiddy winkles 20 years ago?! Why not 10 years ago?! Imagine it was your kids in trouble, and instead of everyone actually helping, all they did was 'share' a ******* youtube video? With out of date facts and footage. I would be ******* ****** that people were sending a company, sorry CHARITEH, that spends 1/5th of money sent on the actual issues they are apparently trying to solve.

Bar actually going to Africa with a machete and a whole lot of panther blood inside you, you don't stand much chance of making a difference. You can donate £50 to the company, so that's what, £10 to stopping children being recruited to the armies? Woah. Actually, that £10 would be spent on sending more troops to the country, to kill those children. Awesome. You can pine on all you like with the whole 'Oh, but those troops won't shoot the kids!', but they spent half the ******* Iraq war shooting each other, if some little cute munchkins start shooting at them, don't think they will even hesitate before pumping a round right between little Sarahs eyes.

Anyway, when I have kids, I might just change my view. I probably won't, because I am not disabled, but I might.
 
leedomargus said:
Oh boy, I knew you'll too ignorant to even bother commenting, dont know why I did. :) Maybe if you try to read yourself, you would understand?

".....It's not worth campaigning about....." - can you read this, mate? If you do, maybe you understand what I meant my previous reply. :)

And just for the record, unlike you who probably heard about kony and his crimes just in recent days, I have follow it for years, because I care! But of course, there is some group of people who want to say that americans are bad ones here again and just want their oil etc. etc., but if you really care, you should do some research before coming out with pathetic comments as such?
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Except you obviously haven't followed it for years. If you had, you'd know that Kony hasn't been in Uganda for about seven years, by his own admission. You'd also know that getting so worked up about Kony is only half the battle, when the Ugandan army is busy doing things that are just as bad. And you'd also know that funding this campaign is ridiculous, since it's a pretty obvious fraud. Something like 15% of the money it has ever received has gone to its touted targets.

If you'd read what we were saying, you'd realise that we don't have anything against the premise of the whole operation. We all know Kony is evil. But this phony organisation and the bandwagon organisation it has spawned is THE LEAST effective way of going about it possible, short of not doing anything at all.
 
Dunc said:
What are you on about? You posted it in the general chat section and people are discussing it. You are allowed to have a different view to the rest of the people on here you know, no one has directed anything at you, for once.
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I never had an opinion to begin with cos I never knew enough about the subject, but i don't think this subject has a place on the forum :L
 
Not kept up with this thread, because, well frankly I can't be ****** to. But I imagine the point that Invisible Children are a corrupt, ******* of an organisation has come up, yes?
 
Sam said:
I never had an opinion to begin with cos I never knew enough about the subject, but i don't think this subject has a place on the forum :L
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If it's in the general chat, then it's fine. It's not like you're posting tentacle **** or anything.
 
I like him, thought he was brilliant in Predator.


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A new requirement before posting the Kony video:

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i just came to share this.

InvisibleChildren


CRITIQUES

Thank you for reading this and doing further research about Invisible Children (IC) and KONY 2012. In response to this explosion of interest about the KONY 2012 film, there have been hundreds of thousands of comments in support of the arrest of Joseph Kony and the work of Invisible Children. However, there have also been pieces written that are putting out false or misleading information about these efforts.This statement is our official response to some of these articles and is a source for accurate information about Invisible Children's mission, financials and approach to stopping LRA violence.Invisible Children's mission is to stop LRA violence and support the war-affected communities in East and Central Africa. These are the three ways we achieve this mission; each is essential:
  1. 1) Make the world aware of the LRA. This includes making documentary films and touring them around the world so that they are seen for free by millions of people.
  2. 2) Channel energy from viewers of IC films into large-scale advocacy campaigns to stop the LRA and protect civilians.
  3. 3) Operate programs on the ground in LRA-affected areas that provide protection, rehabilitation and development assistance.
As you will see, we spend roughly one third of our money on each of these three goals. This three-prong approach is what makes Invisible Children unique. Some organizations focus exclusively on documenting human rights abuses, some focus exclusively on international advocacy or awareness, and some focus exclusively on on-the-ground development. We do all three. At the same time. This comprehensive model is intentional and has proven to be very effective.We are committed, and always have been, to be 100% financially transparent and to communicate in plain language the mission of the organization so that everyone can make an informed decision about whether they want to support our strategy.

RE: FINANCIALS

Invisible Children's financial statements are online for everyone to see. Financial statements from the last 5 years, including our 990, are available at www.invisiblechildren.com/financials. The organization spent 80.46% on our programs that further our three-fold mission; 16.24% on administration and management costs; and 3.22% on direct fundraising in Fiscal Year 2011. Invisible Children is independently audited every year and in full compliance with our 501(c)3 nonprofit status.Below is a screen-shot from pages 35 and 36 of the 2011 Invisible Children annual report that detail our total expenses for Fiscal Year 2011. An expense statement by class is the way nonprofits present their expenses to the public because it's the clearest way to show the purpose of different organizational expenses vs. a line item expense statement such as the one on page 6 of our Audited Financial Report.

breakdownofexpenses.jpg


RE: CHARITY NAVIGATOR RATING

Charity Navigator gives Invisible Children 3 out of 4 stars. It's gives our Programs its highest rating of 4 stars. Our Accountability and Transparency score is currently at 2 stars due to the fact that Invisible Children does not have 5 independent voting members on our board of directors--we currently have 4. We are in the process of interviewing potential board members, and we will add an additional independent member this year in order to regain our 4-star rating by 2013. We have been independently audited by Considine and Considine since Fiscal Year 2006, and all of our audits have resulted in unqualified opinions on the audit reports. An unqualified opinion means that the auditors believe the financial statements are free of material misstatement and are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles of the United States.

RE: BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU (BBB)

Participation in BBB's program is voluntary-- we are choosing to wait until we have expanded our Board of Directors, as some questions hinge on the size of our Board. The current Board is small in size and reflects Invisible Children's grassroots foundation. We have now reached a juncture of success that has astonished even our greatest supporters. While it is important to retain a presence on the Board that reflects Invisible Children's early beginnings, we are also working to expand the Board this year.

RE: LOBBYING EFFORTS

Part of Invisible Children's mission is advocacy, and we lobby within our 501(c)3 status. We have lobbied Congress on multiple occasions, but especially in 2009 and 2010 which led to the passage of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. We lobby all members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation. We do not endorse a political party.Federal laws exist to encourage charities to lobby within certain specified limits and Invisible Children has been careful to stay within these legal limits. Each year, as part of our Form 990, we submit an additional schedule that provides the financial details surrounding Invisible Children's involvement in lobbying. We have also elected 501(h) status--part of which is a commitment to continue to voluntarily report our lobbying expenditures to the IRS. The Invisible Children Form 990 and audited financials for the past several years can be found on our website at: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/financials.

THE BEST RESEARCHED PAPER SUPPORTING THE POLICY POSITION OF THE KONY 2012 CAMPAIGN CAN BE FOUND HERE, DRAFTED BY PAUL RONAN OF RESOLVE: Resolve - Peace Can Be

But here are a few quick responses to some of the most common questions we're seeing online:

RE: THE STRATEGY TO SECURE KONY ARREST

For more than two decades, Kony has refused opportunities to negotiate an end to the violence peacefully, and has used peace talks to build up his army's strength through targeted abduction campaigns. Governments of countries where Kony has operated -- including Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic -- have been unable to capture Kony or bring him to justice. This is because regional governments are often not adequately committed to the task, but also because they lack some of the specific capabilities that would help them do so. The KONY 2012 campaign is calling for U.S. leadership to address both problems. It supports the deployment of U.S. advisers and the provision of intelligence and other support that can help locate and bring Kony to justice, but also increased diplomacy to hold regional governments accountable to their basic responsibilities to protect civilians from this kind of brutal violence. Importantly, the campaign also advocates for broader measures to help communities being affected by LRA attacks, such as increased funding for programs to help Kony's abductees escape and return to their homes and families. For a clear understanding of the KONY 2012 political goals, please see the letter to President Obama.

RE: UGANDAN GOVERNMENT HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD

We do not defend any of the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Ugandan government or the Ugandan army (UPDF). None of the money donated through Invisible Children ever goes to the government of Uganda or any other government. Yet the only feasible and proper way to stop Kony and protect the civilians he targets is to coordinate efforts with regional governments.

RE: STOPPING KONY

We are advocating for the arrest of Joseph Kony so that he can be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a precedent for future war criminals. The goal of KONY 2012 is for the world to unite to see Kony arrested and prosecuted for his crimes against humanity.

RE: OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF A COMPLEX ISSUE

KONY 2012 portrays, in no uncertain terms, the image of a madman who manipulates children spiritually for his own tactical gains. In our quest to garner wide public support of nuanced policy, Invisible Children has sought to explain the conflict in an easily understandable format, focusing on the core attributes of LRA leadership that infringe upon the most basic of human rights. In a 30-minute film, however, many nuances of the 26-year conflict are admittedly lost or overlooked. The film is a first entry point to this conflict for many, and the organization provides several ways for our supporters to go deeper in learning aboutthe make-up of the LRA and the history of the conflict. Likewise, our work on the ground continually adapts to the changing complexities of the conflict.

RE: EXAGGERATING THE IMPACT OF THE LRA AND IMPLYING THE WAR IS IN UGANDA

Since the LRA left Uganda in 2006, Invisible Children has been publicly denouncing their atrocities in DR Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR), while continuing to work with now-peaceful communities in post-conflict northern Uganda. In September 2011, Invisible Children launched the LRA Crisis Tracker website with the aim of providing high-quality, verified information about LRA attacks in DR Congo, South Sudan, and CAR. A detailed methodology is available on this website that explains how information is collected, verified, and rated in terms of its accuracy and reliability. Every incident that is reported through the Early Warning Radio Network run by Invisible Children's partner organizations is carefully verified with other actors in DR Congo and CAR before being published to the LRA Crisis Tracker; even after publishing, incidents on the website continue to be modified as--and when--further information becomes available. Each incident is rated according to two criteria, on a scale of 1 to 5: whether an incident has actually occurred, and whether it was committed by the LRA. In this way, Invisible Children is providing concrete data and helping to dispel unfounded rumours about LRA attacks.

RE: PERPETUATING THE ‘WHITE MAN'S BURDEN' AND THE SAVIOR COMPLEX

Invisible Children's programs in Uganda, DR Congo, and Central African Republic are implemented with continuous input from, and in respect of the knowledge and experience of, local communities and their leaders. In Uganda, we learned very quickly that a top-down, Western approach was not the answer, and that local solutions were needed to fill critical humanitarian gaps. It is for this reason that over 95% of IC's leadership and staff on the ground are Ugandans on the forefront of program design and implementation. In DR Congo, Invisible Children works with the Commission diocesaine justice et paix (CDJP), supporting projects that have been identified as priorities by local partners and that are responsive to local realities and needs. Invisible Children staff members in project areas consistently strive to ensure that they build the capacity of local partners and do not take on duties where local partners can more responsibly and effectively carry these out; the organization meticulously monitors and evaluates the impact of its work on the ground, partnering with Princeton in Africa and employing qualified Monitoring & Evaluation professionals.

RE: THE PHOTO OF THE FOUNDERS WITH THE GUNS (SEE BANNER IMAGE)

A story told by Jason Russell: Let me start by saying that that photo was a bad idea. We were young and we got caught up in the moment. It was never meant to reflect on the organization. The photo of Bobby, Laren and I with the guns was taken in an LRA camp in DRC during the 2008 Juba Peace Talks. We were there to see Joseph Kony come to the table to sign the Final Peace Agreement. The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was surrounding our camp for protection since Sudan was mediating the peace talks. We wanted to talk to them and film them and get their perspective. And because Bobby, Laren and I are friends and had been doing this for 5 years, we thought it would be funny to bring back to our friends and family a joke photo. You know, "Haha - they have bazookas in their hands but they're actually fighting for peace." The ironic thing about this photo is that I HATE guns. I always have. Back in 2008 I wanted this war to end, like we all did, peacefully, through peace talks. But Kony was not interested in that; he kept killing. And we still don't want war. We don't want him killed and we don't want bombs dropped. We want him alive and captured and brought to justice

RE: PROGRAMS ON THE GROUND

While the vast majority of the recent exposure and commentary about Invisible Children has been towards the awareness portion of our mission, below is an up-to-date explanation of our work in Central Africa, an equally important element to the mission of Invisible Children.

INVISIBLE CHILDREN'S PROGRAM IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC AND SOUTH SUDAN:

Invisible Children is committed to supporting communities affected by the Lord's Resistance Army by empowering local leaders to implement programs that have a lasting impact. Our work in Uganda is focused on assisting in the recovery of northern Uganda after being decimated by two decades of conflict, while in DR Congo and the Central African Republic we are working with local partners to protect communities, encourage peaceful LRA surrenders and support the victims of the conflict.

HF EARLY WARNING RADIO NETWORK:

To address the lack of information from the most vulnerable and remote communities, Invisible Children partnered with Commission Diocesaine Justice et Paix (CDJP), led by Abbe Benoit and internationally recognized Congolese human rights advocate for LRA issues, to expand an Early Warning Radio Network connecting communities to one another through twice-daily security and humanitarian reporting. This network utilizes high frequency radios to allow for advanced warning of LRA activity. It also provides the humanitarians that are delivering life-saving services and the groups involved in civilian protection with real-time information. Communities participating in the project were selected due to their susceptibility to LRA attack and their lack of the communication infrastructure necessary to report and receive security information. A Local Protection Committee is established in each community to gather and disseminate information, provide regular maintenance to the equipment, and to ensure that trained operators in each community are carrying out the daily reportingThis project connects communities with local and international humanitarian groups, ultimately allowing for heightened humanitarian response while limiting the LRA's ability to attack without warning. Through Invisible Children's support, there are now 27 communities linked into the HF Early Warning Network in Haut and Bas Uele.FM Radio: FM radio is one of the few ways to directly reach LRA combatants across central Africa with messaging encouraging them--many of whom are unwilling combatants--to escape. Invisible Children partnered with UN DDR/RR and Interactive Radio for Justice (IRfJ) to increase the capacity of Radio Zereda, a community-run FM radio in Obo, Central African Republic, from 1km to an over 30-km radius. Through locally-produced radio programming, members the victims' association in Obo and cultural leaders from LRA-affected regions share insight and sensitize local populations to the LRA's activities. In conjunction with sensitization, programming directly targeting nearby LRA groups and is broadcast in both the local Pazande and Acholi languages to encourage and give instructions for peaceful surrender.In 2011, Invisible Children also provided support to repair Radio Rhinoceros in Faradje, DR Congo, and provided monetary support for a DDR/RR mobile FM unit deployed on rotation in Haut Uele. Additional community-FM projects in Haut Uele and in the highly remote and vulnerable district of Bas Uele are being identified and assessed for support during the 2012 calendar year.LRA Crisis Tracker: The LRA Crisis Tracker is a real-time mapping platform and data collection system created to bring an unprecedented level of transparency to the atrocities of the Lord's Resistance Army. Using information sourced from Invisible Children's Early Warning Radio Network, UN agencies, and local NGOs, this tool allows for better response from governments, policymakers, and humanitarian organizations. This joint project, developed by Invisible Children and Resolve, marks the first time data surrounding the crisis has been comprehensively aggregated and made publicly available.

REHABILITATION CENTER:

As abductions continue throughout Central Africa, Invisible Children is partnering with renowned LRA-trauma specialist, Els de Temmerman, and the leadership of CDJP-Dungu, to establish the first trauma-focused rehabilitation program in the LRA-affected regions of northeastern Congo. Invisible Children, using its construction expertise from our education programs in Uganda, built the center with local labor and largely local materials. The center, located in Dungu, is locally managed and provides one-on-one counseling, utilizing a variety of therapy approaches adapted to each youth, including UNICEF-approved Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). The center provides vocational and life skills training, school catch-up programs, and reunification services. Upon completion of the second phase of construction, the center will have capacity for up to 250 children and youth to reside at the center where they will receive holistic counseling services, which are also available for less-severe outpatient cases. Currently, a limited number of severely traumatized children are receiving treatment while the center builds staff capacity and develops systems. Full capacity is targeted for Fall 2012. Program management will continue to coordinate with both local and international NGOs and UN agencies to ensure that the center's activities are utilized by, and fit within, the regional psychosocial and protection strategies.

INVISIBLE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS IN UGANDA:

Promoting peace and prosperity through Education and Livelihood initiatives

LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (LSP):

The scholarship provides fully paid, merit-based scholarships and mentoring from local full-time Invisible Children Mentors. Students are selected based on academic potential and need.Stats as of December 2011:
  • University students: 250
  • Secondary students: 590 (currently recruiting additional students)
SCHOOLS FOR SCHOOLS (S4S):

This program partners with 11 secondary schools and their surrounding communities in northern Uganda, working on projects that both build and renovate structures, while also investing in teachers and curriculum. The program also facilitates a yearly Teacher Exchange Program benefiting both Ugandan and international educators.Stats as of December 2011:
  • Partner schools: 11
  • Students attending partner schools: 9,048
LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM:

The Livelihood Program takes a holistic approach to providing sustainable economic growth and improved living conditions for war-affected northern Ugandans. It impacts rural communities using a three-pronged approach: over 1,250 community members are saving and loaning together, participating in our Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) program; 5,000 community members are benefiting from clean water and health and sanitation initiatives through the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program; and over 1,000 people are receiving training on numeracy, reading, and writing in their local language as a part of our Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) program.Stats as of December 2011:
  • WASH: over 5,000 (20 communities with an average of 250 community members)
  • VSLA: 1,250 community members (50 groups of 25-30 members each)
  • FAL: 1,000 community members (50 groups of 20-25 members each)
THESE ARE THE STATS USED BY THE KONY 2012 FILM AND CAMPAIGN:
RE: ON A PERSONAL NOTE.

We've done our utmost to be as inclusive, transparent, and factual as possible. We built this organization with "seeing is believing" in mind, and that's what why we are a media-based organization. We WANT you to see everything we are doing, because we are proud of it. Though we would no longer consider ourselves naive, we have always sought counsel from those who know much more. We have never claimed a desire to "save Africa," but, instead, an intent to inspire Western youth to "do more than just watch." And in Central Africa, focus on locally-led long-term development programs that enable children to take responsibility for their own futures and the futures of their countries. Our programs are carefully researched and developed initiatives by incredible members of the local community that address the need for quality education, mentorship, the redevelopment of schools, resettlement from IDP camps, and rehabilitation from war. If you know anyone who has been there to see it first hand, there is no doubt they will concur. Also, we have invited you to join us on www.LRACrisisTracker.com, which we established as a way to bring you near real-time reports from the ground, making available to the public the same information received by humanitarians working on the ground.But, credibility in the eyes of policymakers, fellow non-profit workers, LRA-affected communities, and YOU is our most important asset, so we would like to encourage you, if you have critiques, to get specific: find facts, dig deeper, and we'll gladly continue the conversation from there. If encountering something you disagree with, suggest an alternative to what we are doing- and we will absolutely take heed. If it's a matter of opinion, taste, humor, or style: we apologize, and will have to agree to disagree. As the poet Ke$ha says, "we are who we are."Let's focus on what matters, and what we DO agree on: Joseph Kony needs to be stopped. And when that happens, peace is the limit. This is the beautiful beginning of an ending that is just the beginning. We are defending tomorrow. And it's hopeful.
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Just did some research on this whole Kony thing and the video is apparently 10 years old and now Kony has moved to DR Congo, so the video is very misleading and I wouldn't be surprised if there is more false statements within the video, you guys may of said this already but I can't be bothered to read through them all lol
 
Sam said:
Just did some research on this whole Kony thing and the video is apparently 10 years old and now Kony has moved to DR Congo, so the video is very misleading and I wouldn't be surprised if there is more false statements within the video, you guys may of said this already but I can't be bothered to read through them all lol
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You even seen the video? It says in the video too that it has moved away from uganda, please watch it before commenting.
 
I was already very sceptical about watching the video but when they put a clip of Hitler on it I couldn't stop laughing :')
 
The reason the whole thing annoys me is because i've seen about 4 twitter accounts each claiming to be the official Stop-Kony account, each with about 5k followers, none donating a penny to help anyone.
 
leedomargus said:
You even seen the video? It says in the video too that it has moved away from uganda, please watch it before commenting.
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Yes but the whole video is based around just Uganda they barely mention the other countries suffering :S
 
I can't believe so many people have jumped on the Kony bandwagon in the last few days. Great idea to donate alot of money to aid a government to rid the world of a piece of scum. Nearly as good an idea the Americans had to fund Bin Laden to kick Russia out of Afghanistan.
 
IanC said:
I can't believe so many people have jumped on the Kony bandwagon in the last few days. Great idea to donate alot of money to aid a government to rid the world of a piece of scum. Nearly as good an idea the Americans had to fund Bin Laden to kick Russia out of Afghanistan.
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I wonder how many of these people donating, give money to charities like oxfam? You know, charities with an actual track record in helping people?
 
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