The Curious Case of Kony 2012 And Its Flaws.

So many thoughts are running in my head, i don't even know where to start? Ok, Since I'm an entrepreneur and  social media consultant, let me first talk about the social Media strategy part of Kony 2012 and then i will talk about my view on the behind scene-politics in the grand scheme of things. Its surprising how Kony video went viral 


First, Social Media:  Its a campaign that managed to steal the limelight from Apple’s iPad launch. It has achieved important mile stone in digital activism. It just showed us the glimpse of the future social media enabled activism and whats possible in hyper connected world. As a person heavily involved in social media marketing, i've  appreciated the quality of the work and the style of story telling in a way that engaged the viewer instantly. 


In general Kony 2012 movement across different social platforms  is truly inspirational for many in a context of social activism.  For years the governments has been at the top and the people at the bottom but now the tables have turned for almost a decade. After all we live in an age of wikileaks. WE have a say, and what we say matters--especially if our collective voice is loud enough.  Think about what else we could do with this social power!  Besides, this campaign is helping thousands and thousands of young people feel important and like they have made a difference--you can't steal that away from them. 


 And the clip has clear end goal: From marketing perspective i must say it's well executed piece of project. Hope to see more and more real world problem solving viral videos in near future.
In my perspective, i feel the video nailed the following points pretty well. We the social media strategists could learn from.


No1. Buy people's emoting by Appealing to their emotion.
No.2 Have a simple A-call-to-action for people to act up on.
No.3 Target Influencers to amplify the message and the cause.
No.4 Make people know the commitment has a dead line.


While runing  Hyderabad Twestival's social media campaign with friends to help a charity( Aashayein) that supports underprivileged children education, i know how difficult it is create awarness and make people part of it and act. But now because of Kony 2012 for once it actually feels good for people to participate in something this big. There is nothing wrong with trying to do a little good in this rotten world, and if we can unite people in doing it.






Secondly, lets talk the politics from behind scene
The short film narrates a story in the name of antagonist Kony, who represents or creates obstacles that the protagonist US-govt must kind of overcome in order to secure their oil from Uganda in a fictional way. Where is equally bad dictator government of Uganda, and the real voice of Ugandan people in the film? There is always danger in single side of story


Its True, Probably these three guys are doing much more than what you and me could articulate while sitting on the bean bags. But there are real isuses i feel i should bring to light for the viewers while i applaud the the effort of the social media strategy team behind Kony 2012. As an online & offline activists, Doing something may not always be the best option? We should act intelligently. Meaning we must know more than what was presented in a few minute clip.
Invisible Children  started a social media campaign to garner support and awareness of the LRA and Joseph Kony. The campaign focuses on the website that features a roughly 30 minute video and social sharing tools, and a plan for encouraging activism and bringing public awareness for the end goal of capturing Kony in 2012.


I'm against Joseph Kony, and also i'm  against the very point that this video is trying to make (Direct Military Intervention to catch Kony). It has long term political ramification on the people of in that country. I feel Its a slap on the face of Uganda's people. Thanks to Europeans, they are the genesis of the problem when they divided southerners and the northerner. History tells us a lot about that, you could look it up. After all these hangama and social media drama what's gonna happen to KONY? You might say he'll be arrested and presented to ICC. (International Criminal Court is a joke for me, that tries only African leaders who are against the west interest) Here is my problem. Capturing Kony will achieve little...the war has been over for 6 years. Lets spend our resources rebuilding Uganda's infrastructure, and by giving the Ugandan people tools to support themselves.


So you assume that the soldiers of Uganda are going to find and capture Kony without a fight? If the US-supported Ugandan military forces go after him 30k people may die because he will use every person under his army(children) as a human shield till his last breath.  We all know someone had to keep re-arming Joseph Kony since 1980s, they also have to stop selling weapons over to rebels. This is a practical start that will hurt not just Kony, but the entire LRA and other militants.


In addition here lies the long term interest of US, geologists recently discovered oil in and around Lake Albert -- seems another reason for closer cooperation and for stabilizing the area. But even so, for obvious reasons it is unusual to publicize the movements of special forces in advance of their deployment. The US may denie interest in Uganda's oil, but who will believe to them.
What scares me is looking at the US's track record in Iraq, I think they'd be better off being left alone to a comparatively small scale tribal war. Without the need for the US to kill more than 500,000 people in the name of  'safeguarding the people' We know how well the good intentions of US intervention works out. Mass Murder, Occupation, and Corrupt tyrants protected by US power that torture and destroy the wealth and rights of the people(eg. Haiti, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan).
No offense to anyone, Nobody kills like the US war machine---And its economic sanctions create famine. Kony is a Minnow of menace compared to the Leviathan of Mass Murder and War Crime the US practices across a few continents.
What we need to do is protest and put an end to the people supplying guns to "rebels" around the world. Kony is to Uganda what the rebels in Libya were to Ghadafi. The American Military Industrial Complex is responsible. The UN and other countries such as France that sell & distribute  arms are responsible.

Someone commented saying: They go into these countries, give arms to rebels like Kony, then go and sell arms to the country's government to get the rebels, and make zillions from it. It then installs a "Federal Bank" (privately owned in reality, nothing Federal about them) and then taxes its innocent citizens with an "income tax" to pay off the debt that their government accumulated from the interest of the debt for the weapons it wouldn't have needed if it weren't for the armed rebels in the first place, which it can't repay.After not being able to repay the loans for the arms, the same companies that sold them the weapons takes the country's natural resources like oil, for free.Then to further plunge the country into debt, they PRINT money, then lend it to countries like Uganda AGAIN at interest to pay for Infrastructure, with the work being carried out by the same people's companies!!!Uganda hasn't seen LRA since 2006  but KONY 2012 ignores that success, preferring to cast Ugandans as weak, defenseless, and besieged, and in need of immediate white/American/Western/privileged intervention. Seriously, what the hell?

My Fear, now this movement will give free passage the US army to the country (which they were doing it in low profile for a while) and they will twist the arm of the country for their oil that was discovered recently. Wait and see People, This is the real scam behind.


Liking on Facebook is OK; Awareness is OK; calling your congressman is OK; marching is OK; Tweeting to celebrity is OK, but OK don't mean any thing for the people of Uganda. Think it through, act as a responsible citizen, and understand the consequences of your actions both positive and negative. 


I don't want to say much about the donation that is pouring at the moment.
Why donate to people making videos in America when you could  donate to Ugandans working (in Uganda!!) with the victims? I surly know that Non-profits are still a business. We just hope they do some good along the way. I personally prefer donating to someone like Sam Childers. ( Those who watched Gerard Butler's The machine Gun Preacher will know what i'm talking about)


One last thing? But once the Kony posters are up, who will clean it all up? Who? You can bet it won’t be Kony. Nor Invisible Children. I foresee, we need another social media camping for that?



Sorry for such a long post. But if you made it this far. Please listen the Song "The Keeper"