#KONY2012: Anti-Joseph Kony campaign backfires
- 12 years ago
http://nma.tv
When non-profit Invisible Children launched a social media campaign to highlight atrocities committed in Uganda by the Lord's Resistance Army and its leader Joseph Kony, they probably had no idea of the impact it would have.
The campaign, featuring a slick 30-minute film, aimed to bring attention to Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army's practice of abducting children and forcing them to join the Lord's Resistance Army army of child soldiers, went viral and was watched by 14 million people around the globe in just two days.
But as well as bringing Kony's alleged crimes into the spotlight, the campaign drew unwanted attention to Invisible Children itself. Just days after the campaign began, critics lambasted the group over its finances, its cooperation with the Ugandan Army and for sensationalizing the issue while sidelining Africans.
The group has hit back, rebutting the criticism in a statement on its website, leaving many to question: Will the campaign actually help to bring about its intended aim — to stop Joseph Kony?
When non-profit Invisible Children launched a social media campaign to highlight atrocities committed in Uganda by the Lord's Resistance Army and its leader Joseph Kony, they probably had no idea of the impact it would have.
The campaign, featuring a slick 30-minute film, aimed to bring attention to Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army's practice of abducting children and forcing them to join the Lord's Resistance Army army of child soldiers, went viral and was watched by 14 million people around the globe in just two days.
But as well as bringing Kony's alleged crimes into the spotlight, the campaign drew unwanted attention to Invisible Children itself. Just days after the campaign began, critics lambasted the group over its finances, its cooperation with the Ugandan Army and for sensationalizing the issue while sidelining Africans.
The group has hit back, rebutting the criticism in a statement on its website, leaving many to question: Will the campaign actually help to bring about its intended aim — to stop Joseph Kony?