Kony 2012: Invisible Children And 7 Other Charities Fighting For Child Soldiers

The “Kony 2012” video campaign against Joseph Kony, the leader of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army, was met with fiery reactions across the board after it exploded across social media platforms Wednesday.

The documentary's graphic portrayal of Ugandan children as soldiers became a viral sensation, racking up more than 38 million views on YouTube.

While the film has garnered a great deal of support for the cause, some suspicious viewers are taking a critical look at Invisible Children, the organization behind the documentary. Since the release of "Kony 2012", questions have been raised about the organization's spending practices, support for military action and failure to hold Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni accountable.

But what both supporters and dissenters can unequivocally agree on is that "Kony 2012" has opened the eyes and minds of millions who would not otherwise know the extent to which Kony tortures and trains children to kill.

Since before the film came out, several human rights organizations, including UNICEF, International Rescue Committee, Child Soldiers International and SOS Children's Villages have been working to rescue and rehabilitate child soldiers in Uganda. Whatever your opinion is on the viral Kony campaign, consider learning about -- and contributing to -- the nonprofits that continue to perform lifesaving work in Uganda.

SLIDESHOW:

Comments

[Suzan Song]

02:35 PM on 03/11/2012

Great post- thanks for highlighting some of the meaningful work that's been on-going, and life changing for many. Most of the above are international NGOs - hopefully some of the local ones will emerge. I've worked with a few in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Burundi that are wonderful, and locally-driven.

[Suzan Song]

01:23 PM on 03/11/2012

Great post- thanks for highlighting some of the meaningful work that's been on-going, and life changing for many. Most of the above are international NGOs - hopefully some of the local ones will emerge. I've worked with a few in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Burundi that are wonderful, and locally-driven.

[keezze]

11:30 PM on 03/10/2012

A surgical air strike is long over due/

[brutusmojo]

05:56 PM on 03/09/2012

I'm all for charities and what they represent .I'm also under the impression that most of these children,after all is said and done ,will be unable to change their ways. They have been indoctrinated by an evil devil of a man,Inured to the fact of cruelty,rape,slaughter and inhumanity.This challenge will be greater than that of disarming or killing them to do so.

[Kristi Marshall Jordan]

05:05 PM on 03/09/2012

Another fantastic charity http://www.tharcegulu.org/ helping women and children heal from trauma inflicted by Joseph Kony.

[ballboy2300]

08:38 AM on 03/10/2012

One of many noble, but uninformed attempts with a Hollywood (b-level) personality behind it as their "cause dujour"...and yes, I do know it is her mother who fostered this attempt. How do you measure or define "fantastic?"

[georgette orwell]

02:35 PM on 03/09/2012

great insight....http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/invisible-children-founders-posing-with-guns-an-interview-with-the-photographer/2012/03/08/gIQASX68yR_blog.html

[HollyElissa]

01:39 PM on 03/09/2012

Caleb's Hope is there as well. 100% volunteer run. We're in Atiak which is even further north than Gulu and we could sure use some positive support whether it's from volunteers, sponsors, donors or other NGOs that want to come up here and help rebuild the region. We don't use misinformation to get our point across. We exist solely to serve Northern Ugandans in the rehabilitation and rebuilding process. Also, GuluWalk is a grassroots NGO that was doing this way before Caleb's Hope, IC, and many other non UN or gov related orgs. But because they don't take the shock and awe route to get supporters' attention, no one seems to pay attention. Great article and I'm glad more information is out there.

[bazodee]

02:06 PM on 03/09/2012

I visted your webpage but I can't find any information about your financials and I'm wary. Can you point me in that direction?

[rainman120]

10:08 PM on 03/09/2012

Non-profits do not need to show financials. Most do it out of their own pockets, and I respect them the most.

[shortyshay]

01:29 PM on 03/09/2012

Great article!

[Teri Springer]

01:24 PM on 03/09/2012

These other charities need to take a lesson in marketing from Jason Russell. While they are all wonderful, none of them have raised the awareness like Invisible Children.

As for the "failure to hold Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni accountable." Right now Kony is Public Enemy #1 according to the Hague. Take him down....then move on down the line, including to Museveni. Better to concentrate resources on one battle at a time and win it than spread ourselves too thin trying to fight on many fronts at once and lose them all.

[limitzero]

06:59 PM on 03/09/2012

actually the Ugandan government is a bigger problem currently.

"Land speculators and so-called investors, many foreign, in collaboration with the Ugandan government and military, are trying to grab the land of the Acholi people, land that they were forced off of a decade ago when they were herded into camps"
http://dakinekristen.blogspot.com/2012/03/email-from-dr-adam-branch-in-response.html?spref=fb&m=1

[rainman120]

10:10 PM on 03/09/2012

Awareness is not what we need right now to be quite honest. We truly need our government to actually give a crap and actually try.

[Teri Springer]

10:34 PM on 03/09/2012

The only way to get any bunch of politicians to give a crap is by pressure from the people....that's why you need awareness.

And limitzero, I agree, the current regime in Uganda has to go....but I don't see where ANY of these charities are involved in that. Invisible Children never claimed they were the ultimate solution...only that they are trying to bring the man identified as the #1 war criminal in the world, as identified by the World Court, to trial. To do that, he needs to be captured first. By whatever means possible.

[Heron Ortiz]

01:21 PM on 03/09/2012

I Just have a simple question for those who oppose "Invisible Children"

Do you have a better plan?

If you have one, how come you haven't got started?

"Disturbing a child's peace is N E V E R right!!"

[limitzero]

07:01 PM on 03/09/2012

that isn't the issue. sometimes doing something does more damage than doing nothing. many Africans have seen and deal with the negative consequences of well-meaning actions.

[emilyphillips]

11:58 AM on 03/09/2012

Want to make a meaningful difference in the world of child soldiers? Consider the work of non-profit Freedom in Creation, whose work rehabilitating former child soldiers and their communities through meaningful contributions is making a difference on the ground. Freedomincreation dot org.

[Rebecca Tinsley]

11:27 AM on 03/09/2012

Please check out www.network4Africa.org. They work with survivor's of Kony's atrocities. Read about their work in today's Huffington Post article by Rebecca Tinsley. Jospeh Kony's Legacy. Thank you.

[Teri Springer]

01:29 PM on 03/09/2012

While the page reads well, the fact that I cannot find this organization listed on Charity Navigator makes me suspicious.

[aanamos]

05:04 AM on 03/09/2012

That's funny. According to Kony2012 report, they claim that Rush has their back.

[Teri Springer]

01:25 PM on 03/09/2012

Last I heard, Rush was supporting Kony because he's a "Christian."

[Teri Springer]

01:43 PM on 03/09/2012

Sorry. Your information is erroneous. Rush has, indeed, come out in support of Joseph Kony. Once again, he shot off his mouth before knowing the facts....not that this is surprising.

http://www.allgov.com/US_and_the_World/ViewNews/Rush_Limbaugh_Supported_Joseph_Kony__Really_120308

[ScorpioTop]

11:16 PM on 03/08/2012

Kony uses religion in a similar way that Santorum uses religion.

[Latzy von Biron]

10:37 PM on 03/08/2012

This is a great cause, but - Evangelical Christian charities? ............... hmmmmm............ the whole idea leaves me very suspicious.

[Teri Springer]

01:26 PM on 03/09/2012

That's my concern too. Evangelical Christians never do anything without demanding those who benefit, convert. That's not charity in my book....it's blackmail.