Carleton hosted a heated discussion on the Kony 2012 documentary March 20, with questions raised about the legitimacy of the video and its producer, Invisible Children.
“What they have given us is miss-education,” said Tokunbo Ojo, a communications and journalism professor.
The Institute of African Studies Students Association, the Coalition of Students Against Slavery and STAND Carleton invited Invisible Children to present a screening of the video, followed by a panel discussion with Ojo and several others.
Kony 2012 has been seen by over 84 million people on YouTube since being released. Its producer, Invisible Children, is a California-based group that works for awareness and advocacy for Uganda, according to their website. The documentary aims to make Joseph Kony, leader of the brutal militant Lord’s Resistance Army, famous, so he can be arrested for his alleged war crimes against children in Africa.
Kony isn’t the main issue plaguing Uganda and the simplification of the issue by the video presents problems, Ojo and Mastey said.
“It’s an intentionally oversimplified video,” said Rachael Capone, a full-time volunteer with Invisible Children.
“I’ve studied international relations in school and these are things that aren’t really discussed,” she said.
The group has made more detailed videos that didn’t get public response, she said.
Ojo asked if the public was only attracted to a global issue when it is simplified like this, or are people actually interested in fixing something.
“This is a somewhat marginal cause,” Mastey said, adding that instead of catching Kony, he would prefer to find a cure for malaria or raise funding for schools in Uganda.
“We haven’t shared the video uncritically,” Mastey said.
Attracting attention towards Kony is a distraction from the real issues Uganda is facing, Ojo said.
“We have a narrowed look on things and a narrowed look on things takes away from other issues,” Ojo said.
Invisible Children also has some of its facts wrong, Ojo said, noting that Uganda is not in Central Africa, but the eastern part of the continent.
“If they can’t get those simple facts right, it makes me wonder if we can trust this organization,” Ojo said.
The video addresses short-term solutions, when long-term solutions are needed, Ojo said. Root causes including problems with the Ugandan government and equality aren’t identified in the video.
The video gained so much attention because it was directly in your face and “was packaged in such a way that even if you disagree with them, you still want to see the end of it,” Ojo said.
Capone said she understands the criticism Invisible Children is facing.
“Critical thinking is important in any situation, especially when you are talking about human lives,” she said. “A lot of time we are made to think our voices don’t do anything and that they aren’t really important and this campaign already even in the last two weeks . . . proves our voices are loud and that they are seriously making a difference.”
