An off-topic post today: KONY2012

These last few days, I've been overwhelmed by the spread of the charity International Children's (IC) campaign, KONY 2012.

It has spread extremely rapidly on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Amazingly, the views of this video has increased from about 1 million when I saw it yesterday to 15 million this morning.

While I'm very happy to see that awareness of the abuses in Uganda is being spread to many people, especially by using social networking in the best possible manner, I am unfortunately rather sceptical about this organisation and its campaign. A lot has been said on the web already but the article that I saw this morning in the Guardian sums it up well:
http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/spT7nhr-OiPgPSkOd_cicLg/view.m?id=15&gid=world/us-news-blog/2012/mar/07/kony-2012-video-viral-invisible-children&cat=most-read

I have some qualms with the thought that by supporting the KONY2012 campaign, one is effectively supporting the Ugandan military, as what IC proposes to do is to put pressure on the US government to aid in the capture or killing of Kony. As we has seen in numerous examples in recent history, just getting rid of one leader does not solve problems. Of course I agree that Kony should be arrested to be tried for crimes against humanity, I am not sure the best way is by supporting a corrupt military which may end up committing equally or worse crimes once it has acquired extra knowledge and military know-how from the US. What I mean is that although arresting Kony is a good idea, it should not be done in the pretence that that in itself will stop the abuse in Uganda and in a way that supports corrupt groups like the Ugandan military. Other leaders and his child-army will remain. The Ugandan military may seize even more power. Overall, the strategy seems poorly thought out.

However, I don't claim to know best and perhaps this indeed is the best strategy out of the possible ways to end the crimes in Uganda. At least the KONY 2012 campaign has raised awareness and that is not a bad thing.