Screengrabs from the epic viral video "KONY 2012" (CREDIT: VIMEO)
KAMPALA, Uganda (TRP) — A week ago, most people wouldn’t have been able to pull Joseph Kony out of a lineup, but one fierce online campaign later, he’s a viral sensation.
A 30-minute film documenting the shocking inhumanities unleashed by Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army on several communities in Uganda has racked up millions of views on YouTube and Vimeo.
“KONY 2012” has spread like wildfire on the global interwebs in a mere 72 hours and sheds light on the atrocities Kony’s violent guerilla group is responsible for including forcibly recruiting tens of thousands of children to fight as soldiers over the last two decades.
The advocacy group behind the film and campaign called Invisible Children says all they seek is justice.
“KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice,” reads the group’s mission statement tagged on the video.
As the film and campaign gain more momentum, critics are accusing Invisible Children of misrepresenting facts, namely the way the film shrugs off the fact that Kony left Uganda years ago and his army has since been watered down to a few hundred.
Some skeptics even point out the brilliance of the film in respect to the way it captures the attention of the general public with captivating imagery and isolated soundbites, keeping them mesmerized to the point where they don’t ask questions or search for facts.
(One of the film’s most memorable scenes is where the filmmaker Jason Russell attempts to explain who Kony is to his 4-year-old son. It’s cute but a little distracting, but then again, who can deny the power of cute?)
Despite all that, the fact is Kony = bad news and the world will probably be a better place without him. Judge for yourself and watch the video.
the RAMOS project 
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