Four letters, four numbers and about 90 million total views. KONY 2012.
On March 5, nonprofit organization Invisible Children Inc. posted a short film on YouTube about Joseph Kony, leader of African rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army.
According to the video, Kony has abducted tens of thousands of children for soldiers and sex slaves.
The video launched a campaign to rally celebrities and politicians to work for Kony’s arrest, and UF students are joining in.
A KONY 2012 Gainesville Facebook group has about 370 members. About 1,200 people clicked “attending” for Gainesville Paint the City, a national night of hanging posters on April 20.
Associate professor of history Paul Ortiz, who teaches an African diaspora course, said students should be smart about taking action.
Though Ortiz said the campaign’s efforts to educate are good, he suggests researching the organization before donating or forming opinions. Invisible Children Inc. has been accused of manipulating facts and misusing donations.
“Don’t let your activity be guided by one documentary,” he said.
Contact Julia Glum at jglum@alligator.org.
