KONY 2012 (Please watch/read & share!!)

[katy (MJFAN7)]

Warning: I've been crying for about an hour after seeing this. It's VERY heartbreaking.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc[/youtube]

We need to STOP Joseph Kony. The world MUST know about him.

Who is Joseph Kony you ask?

He is THE WORST LIVING CRIMINAL. He abducts children and makes them use guns to kill their own parents. He takes girls and forces them to be sex slaves. He calls his abducted children the Lord’s Resistance Army, AKA the LRA. He has abducted over 30,000 children and forced them to be child soldiers in Central Africa. He remains at large because he is INVISIBLE to the world. FEW know his name, even FEWER know his crimes. WE ARE MAKING HIM FAMOUS! Because when he is, the world will unite against him and demand his arrest.

We can help make a change. We can make a difference. SHARE THIS VIDEO PLEASE!!

This is HORRIFYING!!  :cry: :cry:

[Shamone Jackson]

I did and will continue to do so.  Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Everyone should read this! 

KONY 2012!!!!

[Tink]

Ugandan Headlines in the Daily Monitor Newspaper on October 16 -2011

US troops arrive to ‘kill or capture’ Kony

The Reality: President Obama has dispatched 100 US Soldiers as Military Advisers to the Ugandan, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudanese Armies.

Presently - Joseph Kony - at least as of last week Joseph Kony was near Ndjema, in the Central African Republic, there the Ugandan who has been in a regional pursuit of Kony and the LRA (with the permission of the local governments) interrupted a bath he was taken - he was alerted by his heavy security detail and all the Ugandan Army found was a basin full of water and a towel - once again Joseph Kony had escaped.

On Wednesday - October 12 - 2011 - the first contingent of the 100 military advisory personnel arrived and were welcomed by the Ugandan Military - the headline in the Ugandan Newspaper Daily Monitor is erroneous and not in line that President Obama outlined in his letter to House Speaker -John Boehner - the authority that letter being based on the Lord’s Resistance Army and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 passed by Congress and signed into low by President Obama - Lord’s Resistance Army and Northern Uganda Recover Act of 2009 -“These forces will act as advisers to partner forces that have the goal of removing from the battlefield Joseph Kony and other senior leadership of the LRA. Our forces will provide informative, advice and assistance [to the regional armies,”   The US Forces will be combat equipped however they will only act in self defense - their main mission being that of Advisers and not Combatants.

The Actions against Joseph Kony and the LRA will take place outside of Uganda - in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan - these are the countries that the LRA has been operating in since 2006 - since 2006 there have been no LRA activities inside of Uganda and the north of Uganda has been rebuilding since that time - some areas more than other - but it will take a few years for the infrastructure of that region to become comparable to the Central and Western areas of Uganda.

The Ugandan Acting Foreign MinisterHenry Okello Oryem (the foreign minister Mr. Kutesa has resigned over bribe accusations coming from the massive oil finds & development in Uganda)  “We welcome this gesture — it has been well overdue,”  He went on to say “For 20 years, the government of Uganda has been pleading with our American and European friends to help in the LRA problem, because these are international terrorists,” Oryem said. “We wanted our friends to help in providing technical support — such as intelligence — because they have the best.”

The mostly special operations forces could deploy in Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Democratic
Uganda’s defence spokesman Felix Kulayigye said the first batch of US troops were already in Uganda.

“Some of the forces are already in the country,” Kulayigye said. “Their approach is regional — DR Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Uganda. How far they will go depends on the cooperation arrangements.”

Washington has provided more than $40 million in logistical support, equipment and training to counter-LRA operations by armies in the region since 2008, according to State Department officials.

Hopefully - from the perspective of many Ugandans and other people in the region this will not faintly resemble the failed Operation Lightning Thunder of 2008 - which was totally bungled and yes inspired and mentored by none other than the US military.

Joseph Kony has a trail of tears behind him - 20 years of havoc in Uganda in which thousands of Ugandans lost their lives, thousand were abducted and made in child soldiers and the girls into concubines and so-called wives, millions displaced from their home into squalid refugee camps were girls sold themselves for as little as 20 cents in spite of the fear of AIDS - simply wanting to eat today - education came to a stand still and life was simply in the survival mode.  That terror has been transferred the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and the newest nation in Africa - South Sudan - in South Sudan vast areas of the bread basket area of West Equatoria are unfarmed due to insecurity from the LRA.

The US Military action comes as a surprise to many - here is an article from UK Independent Newspaper - October 16, 2011

While the size of the deployment is small, it is a surprising intervention. Although some US troops are based in Djibouti and small groups of soldiers have been deployed to Somalia, the US traditionally has been reluctant to commit forces to help African nations to put down insurgencies. It demonstrates the Obama administration's escalating attention to and fears about security risks in Africa, including terror networks, piracy and unstable nations.

Pentagon officials said the bulk of the deployment will be of special operations troops, who will provide security and combat training to African units. The move raises the profile of US involvement on the continent – and is an apparent victory for administration officials who have argued for more robust intervention in humanitarian crises. A number of high-ranking Obama advisers have been left scarred by the US failure in the 1990s to intervene to stop genocide in Rwanda and the belated action to halt the violence in Bosnia.

Joseph Kony - with his stealth gorilla tactics, his knowledge of lay of the land, the jungles and forests of Central Africa have allowed him to evade his captors for over 24 years - however if the US begins to use Drones and other methods that are unavailable to the military Forces of Uganda and other surrounding nations - his days may be numbered.  Joseph Kony is not a hero - but a coward - who never signed a peace agreement with the Ugandan government because of his fear of being arrested because of the outstanding ICC warrant.

Some Nations such as Pakistan have criticized the move by President Obama - still smarting from the raid inside of Pakistan that resulted in the death Osama bin Laden - they wanted a UN resolution - there is however a big difference - not only is President Obama acting on legislation given by Congress but acting upon the invitations of the various governments now suffering from the menace of the LRA.  Others are mumbling that the real reason President Obama is sending troops is because of the Oil found both in Uganda and South Sudan - the reality is that most of that oil is being snapped up by an early comer - called China. In regards to the UN - who wants the UN with the track record that they have had in the Democratic Republic of Congo - simply appalling - unable to keep the people safe - involved in smuggling of gold, diamonds, selling guns back to rebels and much more - UN - and its track record in Africa is simply dismal.

One would hope - that for once - there would be a quick resolve of the Joseph Kony and the LRA issue - young people be allowed to return to their home and be assisted on their way back to normalcy of life if that can ever be achieved after the harrowing times they have endured with the LRA...from Kampala...Uganda...jon

A Thought Provoking Article by Scott Morgan that is certainly worth reading regarding the deployment of troops and the Image of the US
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[mjfansince4]

today, for me, i really felt the whole "God works in mysterious ways" thing. i was in lecture and the guy in front of me was watching the video. i got really invested, so in my next class i watched it. then i went on twitter and facebook and tried to spread the message the best i could. all of a sudden, this is blowing up. THANK GOD.


i'm going to a wait a few days for the site to get back up (it crashed all day today because of the traffic and support) to donate to the children's education and purchase a bracelet.

let's make this dirtbag famous for being one of the most pathetic people that ever existed on earth.

this isn't about financial gain or political interest. it's about humanity. children should never, ever, ever be subjected to this. and it's only the beginning. there are many countries in this world suffering tremendous, unthinkable tragedies. hopefully this is the start of a global awareness, because let's be real.....if we don't take care of each other, who will?

[katy (MJFAN7)]

Yeah, I definitely want at least a bracelet. I don't understand how people can be so cruel, how on earth can someone cause pain to an innocent child? I volunteer as a preschool teacher, and I even have a hard time just putting them in a time-out when they misbehave, especially if they cry. How someone can intentionally hurt or even kill a child is beyond me, there is so many heartless people in this world. :cry: Anyways, I really hope more people share this! We need to bring more attention to it!!

[marumjj]

I saw it on Twitter today, cry a bit and I felt really bad. I shared on my facebook to spread this crap. This can not happen. This video was a slap in the face for me. I have a daughter aged 14 years and I think that in Uganda many children are kidnapped, tortured and who knows what else. I'm afraid to see how the world is today, but I have Faith that we have time to make a change. To help many people to see outside. Kony do not want more!

[Tink]

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Don't cry - DO! Site's up & working, there you go! Get the kit, link to 20 celebs, & 20 policy makers!
Those of us who are in USA should call our Representatives, too. 25 calls & emails per day, will keep our Advisers helping the Ugandan soldiers.

I think it's brilliant, that they've been able to rebuild schools, etc.! I'm thoroughly impressed by the Lost Children early warning system!

What I'm furious, is that this has gone on too long! One year, was too long...

[MJonmind]

The video is well-made and the little boy is so cute!  Kony should be stopped, although from comments it seems he has moved to another region and hasn't been as active since 2006. I'm glad they are actually helping the people with education, etc. and the money they're raising isn't just going towards marketing.  It's good that young people have been roused to wanting to help the people of Africa. Another commenter asked, "Who's funding this Kony?" He must be getting his support from some power (possibly for oil), and also if he is killed, will there not immediately be others to replace him.  This video certainly shows the ability of gifted individuals to rally up millions to support a cause.  However there are so many hidden silent victims all over the world, and that's just so horribly sad.

[Tink]

The video is well-made and the little boy is so cute!  Kony should be stopped, although from comments it seems he has moved to another region and hasn't been as active since 2006. I'm glad they are actually helping the people with education, etc. and the money they're raising isn't just going towards marketing.  It's good that young people have been roused to wanting to help the people of Africa. Another commenter asked, "Who's funding this Kony?" He must be getting his support from some power (possibly for oil), and also if he is killed, will there not immediately be others to replace him.  This video certainly shows the ability of gifted individuals to rally up millions to support a cause.  However there are so many hidden silent victims all over the world, and that's just so horribly sad.

"Resources and power
Uganda’s reserves include copper, tungsten, cobalt, columbite-tantalite, gold, phosphate, iron ore, and limestone. Gold, cobalt, and columbite-tantalite are mined. Gold is an important export, but it is complicated by the fact that gold has been smuggled into Uganda from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Exploration for petroleum, which had long showed geological potential, particularly under Lakes Albert and Edward, proceeded slowly until 2006, when oil was struck. Significant quantities of petroleum were discovered in the Lake Albertine rift basin in 2008 and 2009."

EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE! By putting families back together, reinforcing education, obliterating poverty, those are the ways to rise people up from from obscurity! Teach a village to fish, and they become self sufficient, which is what they're doing.

[Billie_Jean13]

Omg i say this yesterday i balled for ages about it its soo depressing this man must be stopped!!!!!!!!!
This is a terrible person who deserves only to be brought to justice.
Michael would want us all to be a part of this and we owe it to him and to every child in the world, whether they are affected by Kony or not. The injustice has to END!!!!!!!!!!!!
Im getting an action kit because i feel responsible now and i want to make a change!!!!!!!!!

[paula-c]

Kony 2012: Wrapping Imperialism in “Activism”

Youth Movement Promotes US Military Presence in Central Africa

Nile Bowie

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Edward Bernays believed that society could not be trusted to make rational and informed decisions on their own, and that guiding public opinion was essential within a democratic society. Bernays founded the Council on Public Relations and his 1928 book, Propaganda cites the methodology used in the application of effective emotional communication. He discovered that such communication is capable of manipulating the unconscious in an effort to produce a desired effect – namely, a capacity to manufacture mass social adherence in support of products, political candidates and social movements. Nearly a century after his heyday, Bernays’ methodology is apparent in almost every form of civic and consumer persuasion. The platform of social media is being used in unprecedented new ways, one such example is a new online documentary about the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), an extremist rebel group operating in Central Africa.

The documentary is unprecedented, not for its educational attributes but for its capacity to use visual branding, merchandising and highly potent emotional communication to influence the viewer to support US military operations in resource rich Central Africa under the pretext of capturing the LRA’s commander, Joseph Kony. The Lord’s Resistance Army was originally formed in 1987 in northwestern Uganda by members of the Acholi ethnic group, who were historically exploited as forced laborers by the British colonialists and later relegated by the nation’s dominant ethic groups following independence. Together with the Holy Spirit Movement, the LRA represented the armed wing of a resistance faction aiming to overthrow the government of current Ugandan President and staunch US military ally, Yoweri Museveni.

The LRA was originally formed to combat ethic marginalization, but soon became dominated by Joseph Kony, a self-proclaimed spiritual messenger of the (Christian) Holy Spirit. Kony utilized his messianic persona to lead a syncretic spiritual movement based on Acholi tribal beliefs’ and extremist Christian dogma. It is claimed that LRA seeks to establish a theocratic state based on the Ten Commandments, however its inner ideological mythology is largely unknown. In an effort to mobilize a large scale armed resistance, the LRA routinely recruited child soldiers and forced them to commit heinous acts such as cannibalism and mutilation on others who resisted to join the rebel group during their extensive twenty-five year campaign.

KONY 2012 is directed by Jason Russell and runs just thirty minutes; the video has receivedover twenty million views on YouTube and Vimeo and it’s national support group on Facebook is said to gain 4,000 members each hour. The highly produced feature is narrated from the perspective of Russell and his attempt to explain the Lord’s Resistance Army to his infant son, Gavin. The video features footage from Russell’s trip to Uganda (prior to 2006, when the LRA was still operating in the region) and introduces the viewer to Jacob, a Ugandan boy who was formally recruited by the LRA as a child soldier. Russell presents various montages of ethically diverse groups of students raising their fists in the air, sporting KONY t-shirts, and scenes of mass celebration in response to President Obama signing the S. 1067: Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009.

The bill was passed without congressional approval, and allows the US to deploy military forces in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan (at the consent of those nations) in pursuit of LRA rebels. The film further advocates the requirement of public support for US military operations in the region through forms of street activism, encouraging viewers to purchase Action Kits ($30.00) and posters ($10.00) featuring images of Joseph Kony. Russell then targets specific celebrities and US policy makers and pressures them to endorse the campaign against Kony. Perhaps most absurdly, Russell suggests that without mass public support from the American public, the US would withdraw its military presence from the region.

This is the first large-scale campaign to mobilize social medialites to aggregate public support for what would otherwise be, controversial pro-intervention US foreign policy. The production relies on highly charged and often unrelated emotional triggers, which ultimately rely on the viewers sense of compassion in tandem with a lack of prior information on the subject to produce a desired result – explicitly, the villainous mythification of Kony and the mainstream acceptance of US presence in Africa through a proposed archipelago of AFRICOM military bases in the region.


The production targets an age group between thirteen and twenty-one, and uses a level of academic vocabulary appropriate for a young adult audience with a limited attention span; the narrator at one point even insists the viewer pay attention. The viewer is encouraged to form an emotional connection to Russell, as we witness unrelated footage of his child’s birth. The viewer is then subsequently associated with Russell’s role as a nurturer to his young son, before shifting to scenes of Russell nurturing the Ugandan child soldier, Jacob. Russell is shown prophetically pledging to stop the LRA to the traumatized and crying young boy. The intimate portrayal of emotion in these scenes work to further incite an reactionary response from the viewer, towards the preordained conclusion suggested in the narrative – a mass mobilization of support for the US military in their efforts to stop Jacob’s source of trauma. Bernays’ would be beside himself.

KONY 2012 is produced like any other sleek marketing campaign – instead of stimulating elements of self-satisfaction like advertisers would do to promote a product, US military intervention is justified to end an atrocious humanitarian catastrophe. The film also plays on an underlying theme of the White Man’s Burden, a notion that persons of European descent inherit a quality of guilt for their ancestors’ inclination for slavery and colonialism, requiring an activist response to finally correct the situation by “saving Africa.” During the Nigerian civil war in 1967, western media successfully used images of starving children for the first time to strengthen public support for military aid to the secessionist Republic of Biafra before rebel forces were defeated. This film attempts to purportedly “change the conversation of our culture,” however it remains a highly sophisticated refurbishment of pro-military interventionist foreign policy propaganda, dependent on dangerous subliminal messaging.

Furthermore, the film was produced by an organization called Invisible Children, Inc., who have been criticized by the Better Business Bureau for refusing to provide necessary information in the Bureau’s standards assessment. Invisible Children, Inc. has failed to disclose a list of sponsors (beyond the donations of American high school students), and has also earned a low rating in accountability from Charity Navigator because they won’t let their financials be independently audited. In a 2011 financial statement, the organization disclosed that only 31% of all the funds they receive are used for charitable purposes, with the majority allocated toward travel expenses and employee salaries. Invisible Children has also been accused of fraud and voter manipulation in a recent charity contest sponsored by Chase Bank and Facebook. The group’s Co-Founder and President, Laren Poole addressed the International Criminal Court in 2009 alongside Aryeh Neier, President of George Soros’ pro-war Open Society Institute.

Invisible Children has partnered with two other organizations, Resolve and Digitaria, to create the LRA Crisis Tracker, a digital crisis-mapping platform that broadcasts attacks allegedly committed by the LRA. On its list of corporate sponsors, Resolve lists Human Rights Watch and the International Rescue Committee. Digitaria’s website boasts commercial clients such as CBS, FOX, MTV, ESPN, Adidas, NFL, Qualcomm, NBC, National Geographic, Hasbro and Warner Brothers. While KONY 2012 attempts to portray itself as an indigenous activist movement bent on bringing justice to African children, its parent organization is affiliated with the upper echelon of the US corporate media and a network of foundation-funded pro-war civil society groups with a long history of fomenting pro-US regime change under the banner of democratic institution building.

According to Invisible Children’s own LRA Crisis Tracker, not a single case of LRA activity has been reported in Uganda since 2006. The website records ninety eight deaths in the past year, with the vast majority taking place in the northeastern Bangadi region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a tri-border expanse sharing territory with the Central African republic and South Sudan. Since December 2009, the eastern Djemah region of CAR has seen occasional LRA activity; the western Tambura region of South Sudan has experienced even less. The LRA has been in operation for over two decades, and presently remains at an extremely weakened state, with approximately 400 soldiers. Due to the extreme instability in northern DRC after decades of rebel insurgencies and Rwandan/Ugandan military incursions into the nation, it remains highly unlikely that cases of violence in the region can be sufficiently investigated before concluding LRA involvement.

The whereabouts of Joseph Kony are completely unknown; he was last seen in crossing between Sudan and CAR in 2010, according to unverified reports. The US military currently has one hundred military officers training and overseeing the Ugandan military in anti-LRA operations. Due to the complete absence of LRA activity in Uganda, it becomes feasible that the US may be planning further operations in the resource rich DRC. Over six million Congolese nationals have been killed in war since 1996, largely with US complicity. The regimes of Paul Kagame in Rwanda and Yoweri Museveni in Uganda have both received millions in military aid from the United States. Since the abhorrent failure of the 1993 US intervention in Somalia, the US has relied on the militaries of Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia to carry out US interests in proxy.

Paul Kagame of Rwanda has been given free reign by the US to conduct military operations inside DRC in the on-going ethnic conflict in that region following the 1994 Rwandan genocide. For Ugandan participation in the fight against Somalia’s al Shabaab, Museveni receives $45 million dollars in military aid. The US has contributed enormous sums to these nations and now is beginning to consolidate its presence in the region under Barack Obama and AFRICOM, the United States African Command. The LRA has contributed to less than one hundred unverified deaths in the past twelve months. Considering that the United States completely ignored events in DRC and Rwanda that collectively resulted in nearly seven million deaths, their participation against the ailing Lord’s Resistance Army is completely absurd by comparison.

Through AFRICOM, the United States is seeking a foothold in the incredibly resource rich central African block in a further maneuver to aggregate regional hegemony over China. DRC is one of the world’s largest regions without an effectively functioning government. It contains vast deposits of diamonds, cobalt, copper, uranium, magnesium, and tin while producing over $1 billion in gold each year. It is entirely feasible that the US can considerably increase its presence in DRC under the pretext of capturing Joseph Kony. The US may further mobilize group forces, in addition to the use of predator drones and targeted missile strikes, inevitably killing civilians. In a press conference at the House Armed Services Committee on March 13, 2008, AFRICOM Commander, General William Ward stated that AFRICOM will further its regional presence by “operating under the principle theatre-goal of combating terrorism”.

During an AFRICOM Conference held at Fort McNair on February 18, 2008, Vice AdmiralRobert T. Moeller openly declared AFRICOM’s guiding principle as protecting “the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market”, before citing China’s increasing presence in the region as challenging to American interests.The crimes of the Lord’s Resistance Army have been documented in the past and they are truly despicable actions. Presently, the operations of the LRA have nearly dissolved and their presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is difficult to verify. While the pro-war filmmakers behind KONY 2012 naively call for the US military to assert its place in the conflict, an independent fact finding mission would be far more effective in assessing the seriousness of the LRA threat in the present day.

Editor’s Note: Please also read about verified Western atrocities carried out in Uganda on behalf of the same corporate neo-imperial profiteering dressed up as “feel-good” activism.

Read Neil Bowie’s articles at NileBowie.blogspot.com


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[missudi]

Is there always an interior motive to these things,other than saving lives, especially  childrens.I never know what to believe,never. /pull hair/

[MJonmind]

Thank you so much Paula-c,
Young people may be manipulated to supporting the very thing we all detest, military invasion and death to many more innocent people, so that USrael can get richer in gold and other resources. USrael will stop at nothing including emotional manipulation, to use and dispose of millions of people. My heart goes out to young people who really only want to help those who suffer.  That's why it's so important to dig for information from all sides before supporting a charity. Very sad... pale/

Through AFRICOM, the United States (Israel) is seeking a foothold in the incredibly resource rich central African block in a further maneuver to aggregate regional hegemony over China. DRC is one of the world’s largest regions without an effectively functioning government. It contains vast deposits of diamonds, cobalt, copper, uranium, magnesium, and tin while producing over $1 billion in gold each year. It is entirely feasible that the US can considerably increase its presence in DRC under the pretext of capturing Joseph Kony. The US may further mobilize group forces, in addition to the use of predator drones and targeted missile strikes, inevitably killing civilians. In a press conference at the House Armed Services Committee on March 13, 2008, AFRICOM Commander, General William Ward stated that AFRICOM will further its regional presence by “operating under the principle theatre-goal of combating terrorism”.


During an AFRICOM Conference held at Fort McNair on February 18, 2008, Vice AdmiralRobert T. Moeller openly declared AFRICOM’s guiding principle as protecting “the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market”, before citing China’s increasing presence in the region as challenging to American interests.The crimes of the Lord’s Resistance Army have been documented in the past and they are truly despicable actions. Presently, the operations of the LRA have nearly dissolved and their presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is difficult to verify. While the pro-war filmmakers behind KONY 2012 naively call for the US military to assert its place in the conflict, an independent fact finding mission would be far more effective in assessing the seriousness of the LRA threat in the present day.


Editor’s Note: Please also read about verified Western atrocities carried out in Uganda on behalf of the same corporate neo-imperial profiteering dressed up as “feel-good” activism. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

[Tink]

It's front page news on CNN, Huffington Post today. What more could anyone want?

[katy (MJFAN7)]

I think everyone who's been on the internet in the past few days knows about this, thank God. But I know that there is stuff just like this, most likely even worse, going on unknown all over the world.. not just in Africa. I wish more could be done about that too. So many people are so cruel,  :evil: