Most Popular And Viral Video Of 2012 Faces Massive Criticism

Just a few days ago, a video named “Kony 2012” went viral on the internet after minutes of it release. With over 40 million views to its credit, the video has been made by an NGO called Invisible Children and focuses around Joseph Kony, who is the fugitive head of Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel in Uganda.

The problems of abduction, killing and rapes in Uganda is a far spread one but having said that, not all people in Uganda, on whom the video circulates, agree with the approach adopted by Invisible Children. A small proportion of people in Uganda, who are able to use Twitter, Google and Facebook have shown disagreement and disapproval of the video.

Ugandans have criticized the simplicity by which the video made by Invisible Children depicts the matter. They say that is not the true depiction of the problem, saying “it is just wrong”. One of the posts on Twitter criticized the NGO’s video, and wrote, “If you are in #Uganda, pls advise Kony is hiding in Central Africa Rep nt Uganda”. The LRA hasn’t been active in Uganda for more than five years.

Another post by Rosebell Kagumire, who a Ugandan journalist, also criticized the video and wrote, “Invisible Children paints a false picture of the current situation on the ground in northern Uganda”. She also wrote that Northern Uganda is about rebuilding not war, something which Invisible Children neglects.

Moreover, Rosebell also wrote that even though Invisible Children does create awareness, it is the wrong sort of awareness. She said that in 2008, the Ugandan army, with the help of U.S army, set an operation against LRA, which in turn led to revenge killing and resulted in the death of 300 Congolese. “This could happen again. Invisible Children doesn’t acknowledge the complexity on the ground or local agency”, said Rosebell.