who's kony?

A 30-minute video created by an organization called Invisible Children has gone viral within the past few days, establishing infamous recognition of Joseph Kony nationwide.

Invisible Children leader Jason Russell describes the LRA leader Joseph Kony as a despicable and evil man who must be stopped THIS year. He tells viewers that by increasing awareness of Kony, there is a chance to capture the "villain."

Image of Joseph Kony from the YouTube video

After watching the complete video, I felt inspired and ready to make a change in the world - but I still felt a bit confused about the facts and history behind the message. After searching the web & reading various articles, many conflicting emotions arose.

Does this video oversimplify a complicated situation?
How trustworthy is Invisible Children?
What is this organization doing to help the problem?
Why hasn't the problem been addressed until now?

Today a fellow classmate tweeted this video, released by the Center for Strategic & International Studies, & I feel it best describes the "Kony situation." The video essentially states that global awareness of Kony is stupendous, because the man is indeed a criminal; however, Kony is not the sole criminal behind the mass destruction that has been occurring in regions of Africa. The capture of Kony should be also be a global issue - countries should work together to find a solution (instead of placing the US as the only country able to aid).

Kony 2012 taught me one thing, for certain - social media is a powerful tool that could be potentially destructive or enlightening to any public. The beautifully edited and very convincing video grabs viewers' attention immediately, which both intrigues and scares me a bit.

Other sites worth viewing:
Invisible Children gives the facts
Why you should feel awkward about the 'Kony 2012' video
Visible Children