I don't know, maybe I'm too cynical, but the first thing I think of when I hear the phrase "raising awareness" is a bunch of housewives pasting chain-letters into their Facebook statuses.
and middle schoolers. the whole marketing gimmick of this project is what gets me. the fact that the viral nature of facebook and youtube is how the whole thing starts. the fact that they are TELLING you how to get involved by using your own social media as a marketing tool. buying the action kit, becoming their little marketing tools yourself... my question is will this thing stand on its own legs until 4.20 for the Cover The Night campaign or will it die off in a couple of weeks after the sexy trend has died down?
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Ok, so something other than celebrity news is trending with young people? What's the problem here? If all this video did was get people talking more about important issues than what lady gaga had for dinner, it's good enough. Nobody said sharing this video will end poverty, but it did make everybody look more closely at this subject. But of course the elitist will come out and say how stupid people are for clicking a little button under the video. "OH YOU SHARED THAT VIDEO? YOU AIN'T NO MOTHER THERESA!! WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?!?
Yeah and just like any viral hashtag campaign, it will go away in like a week. People on social media sites crave new things to blow up, but once its blown up, everything is forgotten within weeks even days. Meanwhile IC gets so much profit for selling those overpriced kits, bracelets and posters.
You might take a look at these.... http://www.oxfam.org/ http://www.heifer.org http://www.kageno.org/ ....not 100% sure on this one because I haven't found a lot of detail. If anyone can provide any hard facts on them(other than what's on the website), I would be most appreciative.
The fact that this is a "fad" doesn't make it any less ****ty. If you think this is a marketing gimmick, then don't buy the bracelets. If you think not enough of the contributions are being used to provide services for the people of Uganda, then don't contribute. Some people like to act like they're looking out for the greater good. You're not. You're complaining just like everyone else. I guess there's some sort of validation that comes with opposing something "hip" or a "fad". I'm pretty sure we can all agree with the following: A lot of ****ty things happen everywhere.
That may be the case here given the quirky nature of the Kony 2012 thing. But IC's history suggests otherwise - they have had very real policy accomplishments as a result of their multi-year awareness campaign.
Could you please list those policy accomplishments, and show the clear connection between Invisible Children and their realization?
I'd also point out that the original criticism that has sparked much of the current criticism is from 2006 - and it's been basically proven entirely wrong. It claimed, amongst other things, that Kony was sick and on his last legs, and no longer a problem. The idea was that IC was fixing a problem that was long gone. That's proven to be completely false. It also claimed that "Sleeping outside in downtown Pittsburgh will not help anyone who is still night commuting in northern Uganda. Perhaps you are now aware that there is a problem, perhaps you know that there is more to this world than just your country, your state, and your little hometown. What you may not know is that the US government is not going to get involved if it doesn’t benefit the American people. . Turns out that was totally wrong too - IC's campaign did get the US government involved.
Again, is there any indication whatsoever that Invisible Children's campaign influenced the Obama Administration's decision to send military advisors to Uganda?
Sure: Bipartisan passage of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Bill Obama putting boots on the ground to help track Kony Both of those accomplishments are widely credited by both Congress and Administration members in part due to the influence of IC. Both are things that would never in anyone's wildest dreams have happened 10 years ago.
Does the fact that IC participated in drafting the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Bill and was invited to attend the signing ceremony count? http://www.enoughproject.org/news/p...e-help-end-lras-violence-and-child-abductions President Obama signed the bill into law yesterday evening, during a White House ceremony that included key Members of Congress and representatives of Enough Project, Resolve Uganda, and Invisible Children. ... The law was introduced into the US Senate and House of Representatives in May 2009, and has since become the most widely supported Africa-specific legislation in recent Congressional history. The law was cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 65 Senators and 202 Representatives, representing 49 states. ... U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) said, “This bill’s success is due to the grassroots effort of young people across the U.S. committed to ending the atrocities of Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army. This is just the first step. ... U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) stated, “The signing ceremony was a tremendous tribute to the thousands of activists across the country who organized themselves, educated their neighbors, and pushed the Congress to do the right thing. We will need them to stay engaged as we move to make the goals of this legislation a reality.”
I'm not complaining, just observing and sharing my opinion. you have some here calling the ones who support it hipsters. I'm not saying that either. I am genuinely expressing the question of this will last through 4.20 and through 12.31.12? after all, the video "expires" damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Or you know. Maybe there are just some inherent flaws with the organization and their movement that people would love to point out before thousands of facebook activists poor money into a program and problem that they neither care about (at least not genuinely) or understand.
you are right, it is great to see their passion. I work youth every day so I hope people don't think I'm being lazy and critical for no reason. I'm having the conversation with the young people and it is funny to see their naivete, yet I respect them for being aware.
The video is great in terms that it has brought a lot of attention to a continent that needs it. But correcting the dialogue is also important, Kony is just a symptom of a bigger problem, if he were to be taken out another religious nutcase like him would take his place. Problem is when people do start talking about complicated issues the interest starts to lose steam and that's what's happening. People generally take up a cause if 1) they see the hurt and pain with their own eyes 2) is easy to understand and 3) if they feel it will be worthy of their generosity, money, and time. I hope other larger and more organized NFP's try to use this platform that IC used to create this viral video. I think its interesting to understand why this video got popular in the first place.......
Wow, so many of you are being very negative about this. At least someone is stepping up, spending their time and money to bring good to those less fortunate. Sure, the bracelets are a little cheesey, but that's their way to raise money. The fact is, Kony is an evil, terrible person and people are trying to stop him while you blast their efforts on a sports forum. Way to go, we're all really impressed by how cool you are.
