Food for thought: Is the criticism of Kony2012 valid?

One Response to Food for thought: Is the criticism of Kony2012 valid?

1. Anna says:

   March 15, 2012 at 4:41 PM

   Thanks for sharing, Shunori. I think this article misleadingly simplifies the issue, though. The debate is not centered around the atrocities Kony committed, and that’s all Gerson seems to discuss. Few dispute Kony has committed horrific atrocities. The two big debates surrounding KONY2012, as far as I understand it, concern (1) Invisible Children’s fiscal responsibility and (2) using military intervention to stop Kony.

   Gerson doesn’t address the military intervention issue at all, and to respond to the allegations of financial irresponsibility, Gerson merely asserts that Invisible Children “can speak in their own defense.”

   Here’s an interesting article written in Foreign Affairs on the issue. It covers a lot of the controversies surrounding KONY2012 in greater depth – although this article is not without many problems of its own.

   The irony of the criticisms surrounding KONY2012 is that the debate is largely taking place online, and millions of people are participating in it. An Acadia University student’s response to KONY2012 on Tumblr went viral within a day of the KONY2012 video going viral. Thousands of online political forums, Facebook discussions, and Twitter posts have sprung up that discuss everything from substantive concerns about KONY2012 and Invisible Children, to broader discussions and concerns about the way people are using social media in politics. The campaign may be a good thing–not necessarily because Invisible Children’s specific policy proposal is the right one–but because it fosters a broader dialogue about how to best address the atrocities Kony committed.

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