About a week ago, videos about Kony 2012 began popping up on my newsfeed. I have yet to thoroughly respond to this fad, so I would like to do so now. Let’s start with the word I used to describe this- a fad. It is my belief that many of those that shared the video don’t fully understand the issue, but reacted emotionally to a story that draws many of our sympathies. When children are being brutalized, it is hard not to sympathize. Further adding to my belief of lack of education on the issue, I see many people joining Facebook events to start a movement to capture Kony. In my views, this shows an emotional need to play hero without considering the long-term consequences for military intervention. This is very similar in action to sharing photos of children with cancer to help pay for their treatments. Yes, it’s moving. However, does it really get anything done? Will you, my Facebook friend reading this post, be just as committed and passionate about this cause a month from now? A year from now? I doubt that many of you will be just as passionate and committed, and that Kony will all but disappear from our newsfeeds in a month, due to apathy not his lack of relevance (ie., arrest or death).

There is not a doubt in my mind that Kony deserves arrest and far worse. While Kony is a major part of the problem, there are numerous other issues to consider. The first are the children that need to be rescued. Government statistics show that 30% of children that are abused or neglected go on to continue the cycle of domestic abuse (cite: http://www.childhelp...#abuse-conseq). These children will also have to deal with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder. Are we prepared to supply the psychiatric specialists to help these children deal with these issues? What about reuniting the children with the families and placing the orphans into foster and adoptive care? There are significant logistical issues to deal with on the emotional front, the children, alone.

This brings me to another point- how to allocate your donation funds to best help these children affected by the LRA. Invisible Children focuses on one issue- raising awareness. While this is definitely important, so are the support services required for these children. Enable these charities, like the Red Cross, to help these children. And only 31% of their budget goes towards African programs by their own admissions (cite: c2052482.r82.cf0.rackcdn.com/images/737/original/FY11-Audited Financial Statements.pdf?1320205055). The majority of their money is spent in America on administrative and travel expenses, not any of the critical support services to help the children.

Next, let’s address the situation in which Kony is arrested or killed. Many of his lieutenants are still alive, and will likely vie for power within the LRA structure. This will involve more children still, and the continued efforts of cleaning up the remnants. These lieutenants may also be more violent towards neighboring towns in Africa. Consider this backlash and the power vacuum left by Kony’s death.


Another point I want to make is that abducting children and forcing them into war or slavery is a part of the African culture dating back to before the Age of Exploration and the triangle trade routes. If we tackle the issue of Kony and the LRA, why aren’t we allocating resources to tackle the other warlords abducting children as well? Obviously, we can only do but so much. However, it is easy to foresee a massive military and resource commitment to Africa. Remember that the war on terror costs billions of dollars per day in a region dwarfed in size when compared to Africa. What would it cost to place military advisers and provide resources to Africa? What would it cost to provide combatant military support in Africa? Just like Europe could not sustain colonization of Africa over the long haul, America cannot support what amounts to modernizing significant portions of the African culture. I argue as well that it isn’t our place to do so through the use of direct military intervention. Instead, we should provide through charitable and standard government humanitarian aid the support to the charities that strive to educate, feed, protect, clothe, shelter, and care for those in needy situations in Africa.

Bringing this back to Kony, I don’t fully support arresting Kony as Kony 2012 is proposing. I do support enabling the African governments to systematically neutralize the threat of the LRA through the following: arresting the LRA leadership; providing humanitarian and psychiatric support to the victims of the LRA (ie., the children soldiers); providing support to help the victims of the LRA (ie., the children soldiers) to help them integrate back into society over the long term.