Tirren you're not going to be able to change my mind on this. I just think there are some incredibly dodgy motivies behind it, especially the way their video is marketed and explained. Firstly ok they are a public pressure group. Regardless of this everyone thinks they're a CHARITY. People are pledging money to them, and the majority of this money will not go to helping those who need it. It will be taken away by governments, or will end up in the pockets of somebody else. Secondly, their video makes it out that nobody is looking for him. I'm sure he is #1 of the UN's most wanted lists etc. - the guy is a wanted war criminal, along with many of his top men! People sticking posters up round towns will not change that. If it does then I'll eat my computer screen.

 

Doesn't matter Tirren, they're still funding warefare. You can't deny that, whether it's for good or bad intentions. A charity should not do that.

 

I'm with Rooney on this. Invisible Children are clearly a very shady organisation and we really have to question their motives.. Aid should come without strings attached. Kony is indeed a vile, vile human being (much like Saddam Hussein), but that doesn't mean to say that I support Invisible Children or their rather dubious ideology... Too many people are looking at this far too uncritically,and just lending support unquestioningly without looking at the big picture, one almost certainly has to ask serious questions of the Ugandan Govt as well. Let's bear in mind here, the Ugandan Govt have been dangerously close to signing off on a law which declares a death sentence on homosexuals.

 

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/03/07/...king-questions/

 

http://jezebel.com/5891269/think-twice-bef...dium=socialflow

I'm with Rooney and Grimly. Also, I seriously object to the sheer corporate nature of this video and I have no wish whatsoever to buy and wear a wristband.

 

Let's make international justice "hip". Horrible.

Tirren you're not going to be able to change my mind on this. I just think there are some incredibly dodgy motivies behind it, especially the way their video is marketed and explained. Firstly ok they are a public pressure group. Regardless of this everyone thinks they're a CHARITY. People are pledging money to them, and the majority of this money will not go to helping those who need it. It will be taken away by governments, or will end up in the pockets of somebody else. Secondly, their video makes it out that nobody is looking for him. I'm sure he is #1 of the UN's most wanted lists etc. - the guy is a wanted war criminal, along with many of his top men! People sticking posters up round towns will not change that. If it does then I'll eat my computer screen.

 

Doesn't matter Tirren, they're still funding warefare. You can't deny that, whether it's for good or bad intentions. A charity should not do that.

Christ Ren, as I said, they aren't a bloody charity! It doesn't matter if people THINK they are because they don't know what a charity is, they aren't doing anything wrong. The whole point is bringing forward public pressure - and you can't deny that as a result of this there's going to be a lot of public pressure for international governments to step up in their actions against Kony.

 

Anyway, Invisible Children's published a set of rebuttals against the claims made against them.

 

Critiques

 

Thank you for reading this and doing further research about Invisible Children and Kony 2012. In response to this explosion of interest about the Kony 2012 film, there have been hundreds of thousands of comments in support of the arrest of Joseph Kony and the work of Invisible Children. However, there have also been a few pieces written that are putting out false or mis-leading information about these efforts. This statement is our official response to some of these articles and is a source for accurate information about Invisible Children’s mission, financials and approach to stopping LRA violence.

 

Invisible Children’s mission is to stop LRA violence and support the war affected communities in Central Africa. These are the three ways we achieve that mission. Each is essential: 1) Document and make the world aware of the LRA. This includes making documentary films and touring these films around the world so that they are seen for free by millions of people. 2) Channeling the energy and awareness from informed viewers of IC films into large scale advocacy campaigns that have mobilized the international community to stop the LRA and protect civilians. 3) Operate programs on the ground in the LRA-affected areas to provide protection, rehabilitation and development assistance.

 

As you will see, we spend roughly one third of our money on each of these three goals. This three-prong approach is what makes invisible children unique. Some organizations focus exclusively on documenting human rights abuses, some focus exclusively on international advocacy or awareness, and some focus exclusively on, on-the-ground development. We do all three. At the same time. This comprehensive model is intentional and has shown to be very effective.

 

Re: Financials

Invisible Children’s financial statements are online for everyone to see. Financial statements from the last 5 years, including our 990, are available at www.invisiblechildren.com/financials. The organization spent 80.46% on our programs that further our three fold mission, 16.24% on administration and management costs and 3.22% on direct fundraising in FY2011. Invisible Children is independently audited every year and in full compliance with our 501 c 3 status.

 

Below is a screen-shot from pages 35 and 36 of the 2011 Invisible Children annual report that detail our total expenses for Fiscal Year 2011. An expense statement by class is the way nonprofits present their expenses to the public because it’s the clearest way to show the purpose of different organizational expenses vs. a line item expense statement such as the one on Page 6 of our Audited Financial Report.

 

http://www.invisiblechildren.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/images/breakdownofexpenses.jpg

 

Re: Charity Navigator Rating

Charity Navigator gives our Programs its highest rating of 4 stars. Our Accountability and Transparency score is currently at 2 stars due primarily to the single fact that Invisible Children does not have 5 independent voting members on our board of directors--we currently have 4. We are in the process of interviewing potential board members, and we will add an additional independent member this year in order to regain our 4-star rating by 2013. We have been independently audited by Considine and Considine, since the fiscal year end of June 30, 2006 and all of our audits have resulted in unqualified opinions on the audit reports.

 

Re: Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Participation in BBB's program is voluntary-- we are choosing to wait until we have expanded our Board of Directors, as some questions hinge on the size of our Board. The current Board is small in size and reflects Invisible Children’s grassroots foundation. Invisible Children has now reached a juncture of success that has astonished even its greatest supporters. While it is important to retain a presence on the Board that reflects Invisible Children's early beginnings, we also are working to realign the structure this year.

 

The best researched paper supporting the policy position of the KONY 2012 campaign can be found here, drafted by Paul Ronan of Resolve: http://www.theresolve.org/peace-can-be--3

 

But here are a few quick responses to some of the most common questions we’re seeing online:

 

Re: The strategy to secure Kony arrest

For more than two decades, Kony has refused opportunities to negotiate an end to the violence peacefully, and governments of countries where Kony has operated -- including Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic -- have been unable to capture Kony or bring him to justice. This is because regional governments are often not adequately committed to the task, but also because they lack some of the specific capabilities that would help them do so. The KONY 2012 campaign is calling for U.S. leadership to address both problems. It supports the deployment of U.S. advisors and the provision of intelligence and other support that can help locate and bring Kony to justice, but also increased diplomacy to hold regional governments accountable to their basic responsibilities to protect civilians from this kind of brutal violence. Importantly, the campaign also advocates for broader measures to help communities being affected by LRA attacks, such as increased funding for programs to help Kony's abductees escape and return to their homes and families. For a clear understanding of the KONY 2012 political goals, please see the letter to President Obama.

 

Re: Ugandan government human rights record

We do not defend any of the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Ugandan government or the Ugandan army (UPDF). None of the money donated through Invisible Children ever goes to the government of Uganda. Yet the only feasible and proper way to stop Kony and protect the civilians he targets is to coordinate efforts with regional governments.

 

Re: Stopping Kony

We are advocating for the arrest of Joseph Kony so that he can be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a precedent for future war criminals. The goal of Kony 2012 is for the world to unite to see him arrested and prosecuted for his crimes against humanity.

 

Re: Why work with the UPDF if the LRA is no longer in northern Uganda

The LRA left northern Uganda in 2006. The LRA is currently active in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Invisible Children’s mission is to stop Joseph Kony and the LRA wherever they are and help rehabilitate LRA-affected communities. The Ugandan government’s army, the UPDF, is more organized and better equipped than that of any of the other affected countries (DRC, South Sudan, CAR) to track down Joseph Kony. Part of the US strategy to stop Kony is to encourage cooperation between the governments and armies of the 4 LRA-affected countries. The LRA was active in Uganda for nearly 20 years, displacing 1.7 million people and abducting at least 30,000 children. The people and government of Uganda have a vested interested in seeing him stopped.

 

Re: Programs on the Ground

While the vast majority of the recent exposure and commentary about Invisible Children has been towards the awareness portion of our mission, below is an up-to-date explanation of our direct work in Central Africa, an equally important element to the mission of Invisible Children.

 

Re: The photo of the founders with the guns (see banner image)

A story told by Jason Russell: The photo of Bobby, Laren and I with the guns was taken in an LRA camp in DRC during the 2008 Juba Peace Talks. We were there to see Joseph Kony come to the table to sign the Final Peace Agreement. The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) was surrounding our camp for protection since Sudan was mediating the peace talks. We wanted to talk to them and film them and get their perspective. And because Bobby, Laren and I are friends and had been doing this for 5 years, we thought it would be funny to bring back to our friends and family a joke photo. You know, “Haha - they have bazookas in their hands but they’re actually fighting for peace.” The ironic thing about this photo is that I HATE guns. I always have. Back in 2008 I wanted this war to end, like we all did, peacefully, through peace talks. But Kony was not interested in that; he kept killing. And we still don’t want war. We don’t want him killed and we don’t want bombs dropped. We want him alive and captured and brought to justice.

 

Invisible Children’s Program in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan:

Protecting communities and demobilizing the LRA

 

HF Early Warning Radio Network:

To address the lack of information from the most vulnerable and remote communities, Invisible Children partnered with Commission Diocesaine Justice et Paix (CDJP), under the umbrella of the Catholic Diocese of Dungu, to expand a High Frequency (HF) Radio Network connecting communities to one another through twice-daily security and humanitarian reporting. This network allows for advanced warning of LRA activity and increased security information for humanitarian responders. Communities participating in the project were selected due to their susceptibility to LRA attack and their lack of the communication infrastructure necessary to report and receive security information. A Local Protection Committee is established in each community to gather and disseminate information, provide regular maintenance to the equipment, and to ensure that trained operators in each community are carrying out the daily reporting,

 

This project connects communities with local and international humanitarian groups, ultimately allowing for heightened humanitarian response, while limiting the LRA’s ability to attack without warning. Through Invisible Children’s support, there are now 27 communities linked into the HF Early Warning System in Haut and Bas Uele.

 

FM Radio: To encourage and facilitate the surrender of LRA combatants, Invisible Children partnered with UN DDR/RR and Interactive Radio for Justice (IRfJ) to increase the capacity of Radio Zereda, a community-run FM radio in Obo, Central African Republic, from 1km to an over 30-km radius. Through locally produced radio programming, members the victims’ association in Obo and cultural leaders from LRA-affected regions share insight and sensitize local populations to the LRA’s activities. In conjunction with sensitization, LRA-directed programming is broadcast in both the local Pazande and Acholi languages to encourage and give instructions for peaceful surrender.

 

In 2011, Invisible Children also provided support to repair Radio Rhinoceros in Faradje, and provided monetary support for a DDR/RR mobile FM unit deployed on rotation in Haut Uele. Additional community-FM projects in Haut Uele and in the highly remote and vulnerable district of Bas Uele are being identified and assessed for support during the 2012 calendar year.

 

LRA Crisis Tracker: The LRA Crisis Tracker is a real-time mapping platform and data collection system created to bring an unprecedented level of transparency to the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army. Using information sourced from Invisible Children’s Early Warning Radio Network, UN agencies, and local NGOs, this tool allows for better response from governments, policy-makers, and humanitarian organizations. This joint project, developed by Invisible Children and Resolve, marks the first time data surrounding the crisis has been comprehensively aggregated and made publicly available.

 

Rehabilitation Center:

As forceful abductions continue throughout Central Africa, Invisible Children is partnering with a renowned LRA-trauma specialist, Els de Temmerman, and the leadership of CDJP-Dungu, to establish the first intensive rehabilitation program in the LRA-affected regions of northeastern Congo. The center, located in Dungu, is locally managed and provides one-on-one counseling, utilizing UNICEF-approved Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). The center provides vocational and life skills training and reunification services. Upon completion of the second phase of construction, the center will have capacity for up to 250 children and youth to live and receive holistic counseling services. Currently, a limited number of severely traumatized children are receiving treatment while the center builds staff capacity and develops systems in preparation for full operation. Program management will continue to coordinate with both local and international NGOs and UN agencies to ensure that the center’s activities are utilized by, and fit within, the regional psychosocial and protection strategies.

 

Uganda:

Promoting peace and prosperity through Education and Livelihood initiatives

 

Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP):

The scholarship provides fully paid, merit-based scholarships and mentoring from local full-time IC Mentors. Students are selected based on academic potential and need.

 

Stats as of December 2011:

University students: 250

Secondary students: 590 (currently recruiting additional students)

 

Schools for Schools (S4S):

This program partners with 11 secondary schools and their surrounding communities in northern Uganda, working on projects that both build and renovate structures, while also investing in teachers and curriculum. The program also facilitates a yearly Teacher Exchange Program benefiting both Ugandan and international educators.

 

Stats as of December 2011:

Partner schools: 11

Students attending partner schools: 9,048

 

Livelihood Program:

The Livelihood Program takes a holistic approach to providing sustainable economic growth and improved living conditions for war-affected northern Ugandans. It impacts rural communities using a three-pronged approach: over 1,250 community members are saving and loaning together, participating in our Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) program; 5,000 community members are benefiting from clean water and health and sanitation initiatives through the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program; and over 1,000 people are receiving training on numeracy, reading, and writing in their local language as a part of our Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) program.

 

Stats as of December 2011:

WASH: over 5,000 (20 communities with an average of 250 community members)

VSLA: 1,250 community members (50 groups of 25-30 members each)

FAL: 1,000 community members (50 groups of 20-25 members each)

 

These are the stats used by the KONY 2012 film and campaign:

30,000+ children abducted in Uganda by the LRA

Source (2007): http://www.worldvision.com.au/Libraries/3_...iers_Uganda.pdf

 

66,000 youth (interviewed when 14-30 years old) abducted by the LRA

Source (2006): http://chrisblattman.com/documents/policy/...port.pdf?9d7bd4

 

2.1 million people displaced in Uganda

Source (2010): http://ochaonline.un.org/ocha2010/uganda.html

 

440,000 people displaced in DRC, CAR, and South Sudan:

Source (2011): http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/f...es/map_1044.pdf

 

Re: On a personal note.

We’ve done our utmost to be as inclusive, transparent, and factual as possible. We built this organization with “seeing is believing” in mind, and that’s what why we are a media-based organization. We WANT you to see everything we are doing, because we are proud of it. Though we would no longer consider ourselves naive, we have always sought counsel from those who know much more. We have never claimed a desire to “save Africa,” but, instead, an intent to inspire Western youth to “do more than just watch.” And in Central Africa, focus on locally-led long-term development programs that enable children to take responsibility for their own futures and the futures of their countries. Our programs are carefully researched and developed initiatives by incredible members of the local community that address the need for quality education, mentorship, the redevelopment of schools, resettlement from the camps, and rehabilitation from war - and if you know anyone who has been there to see it first hand, there is no doubt they will concur. Also, we have invited you to join us on LRACrisisTracker.com, which we established as a way to bring you near real-time reports from the ground, making available to the public the same information received by humanitarians working on the ground.

 

But, credibility in the eyes of policymakers, fellow non-profit workers, LRA-affected communities, and YOU is our most important asset, so we would like to encourage you, if you have critiques, to get specific: find facts, dig deeper, and we’ll gladly continue the conversation from there. If encountering something you disagree with, suggest an alternative to what we are doing- and we will absolutely take heed. If it’s a matter of opinion, taste, humor, or style: we apologize, and will have to agree to disagree. As the poet Ke$ha says, “we are who we are.”

 

Let's focus on what matters, and what we DO agree on: Joseph Kony needs to be stopped. And when that happens, peace is the limit. This is the beautiful beginning of an ending that is just the beginning. We are defending tomorrow. And it’s hopeful.

I've only read the first and last paragraphs of the document, but all it needs is someone who is good at PR to put that together. Not exactly hard.

 

So what if they're not a charitable organisation, they're marketing themselves as if they ARE one. Do you think people who are posting about Kony really have the faintest idea about what is actually happening? Of course not. The public are easily led, and very gullable. These wristbands that peope buy are funding warefare. That should not happen, I don't care who is right and who is wrong, child soldiers or not, no charity or non-profit organisation should be funding war. The whole thing is amatuer. Stopping Kony will not stop what is going on, like I said earlier, pump money in to re-building Uganda, not to builing ammunition and artilery. I support the message, but their motives lead a lot to be desired and questions. A few people retweeing a message, and getting celebrities to post about the issue is not going to stop it. Spread awareness, yes. But they make it sound like it is a problem that can easily go away if you buy a bloody wristband.

If you're going to just read the bits about the general message of the campaign rather than the responses to claims made against them of course it's going to look like it's just the work of a good PR man Ren :manson:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/WashingtonPost/Content/Blogs/blogpost/201203/Images/GlennaGordonInvisibleChildrenA.jpg

 

~ <3 rich white kids <3 ~

 

But, of course, I am all for awareness of the situation, so I'm a little conflicted to how to feel about the whole situation. If I donate, I'll probably try to find some other organization though. I don't trust Invisible Children at all. Also, considering how long this has gone on for, and how the LRA is apparently not even very active anymore from what I've read (?), this all feels way too late and kind of manipulative.

The LRA's still active, just not in Uganda...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/WashingtonPost/Content/Blogs/blogpost/201203/Images/GlennaGordonInvisibleChildrenA.jpg

 

~ <3 rich white kids <3 ~

 

But, of course, I am all for awareness of the situation, so I'm a little conflicted to how to feel about the whole situation. If I donate, I'll probably try to find some other organization though. I don't trust Invisible Children at all. Also, considering how long this has gone on for, and how the LRA is apparently not even very active anymore from what I've read (?), this all feels way too late and kind of manipulative.

 

Pretty much how I feel... I look at that picture and I just think "fukkin' morons". This is not how genuine "charity workers" act. They dont pick sides in a war, they tend to go in and just help the victims. And frankly, the Ugandan Govt is extremely dodgy which is committing its own human rights abuses. I cant support them either...

 

I can see why people are sceptical of the charity, I am a little bit, but kudos this campaign.

Its getting this guy recognised which is the most important thing, as the topic being touched is absolutely horrendous. Things like this really hit a nerve for me Especially as its children, and africa. I keep meaning to go out on one of those 8 week volunteer programmes to ghana to work in the hospitals or teach or something but I can never get the money together. I would be so amazing.

So now the guy has been arrested for vandalising cars and mastubating in public.

 

These people are not good!

Oh PLEASE Ren, it's a mental breakdown! I'd hardly say it's representative of anything...

So now the guy has been arrested for vandalising cars and mastubating in public.

 

These people are not good!

 

ha ahahahaha. Is it very wrong to laugh when a Christian fundamentalist cultist arsehole gets literally caught with his pants down...... :lol: :lol:

 

Gotta love a bit of Brooker.... :heart:

 

Just saw that, it was VERY good. I'm becoming steadily more convinced that while there are good aspects to the idea it's been carried out pretty inappropriately.

I've not read the rest of the report but I like the colours in their breakdown of expenses, so pretty. They should join in the CD cover design comp.

ha ahahahaha. Is it very wrong to laugh when a Christian fundamentalist cultist arsehole gets literally caught with his pants down...... :lol: :lol:

 

Since you asked, I would say that it is, yes. Laughing at the misery of another human being is incredibly low indeed, and I find your lack of empathy disturbing. This guy has gone from being absolutely unknown to being one of the most recognisable faces on the internet within the space of a few days, so the pressure on him must have been immense. There's a reason why popstars spend just as much time doing media training as they do learning to sing and dance - being firmly in the public eye is very stressful indeed. The same thing happened to Susan Boyle after she became a public sensation overnight, so I'm not surprised to see another person who became notable overnight going through such mental breakdowns. Don't get me wrong, I was suspicious of the Kony 12 campaign from the start, largely due to my hesitance at leaping onto bandwagons before the facts become apparent. But getting kicks out of someone's deteriorating mental state? That's just not on.

 

On a separate note, I would advise that you learn the difference between fundamentalist and evangelical. The two are not the interchangeable.

Since you asked, I would say that it is, yes. Laughing at the misery of another human being is incredibly low indeed, and I find your lack of empathy disturbing. This guy has gone from being absolutely unknown to being one of the most recognisable faces on the internet within the space of a few days, so the pressure on him must have been immense. There's a reason why popstars spend just as much time doing media training as they do learning to sing and dance - being firmly in the public eye is very stressful indeed. The same thing happened to Susan Boyle after she became a public sensation overnight, so I'm not surprised to see another person who became notable overnight going through such mental breakdowns. Don't get me wrong, I was suspicious of the Kony 12 campaign from the start, largely due to my hesitance at leaping onto bandwagons before the facts become apparent. But getting kicks out of someone's deteriorating mental state? That's just not on.

 

On a separate note, I would advise that you learn the difference between fundamentalist and evangelical. The two are not the interchangeable.

 

"Deteriorating Mental state" my arse.. He was reported as being drunk or on drugs... TBH, the video that I saw of him is the sort of behaviour you would see from someone high on PCP or Crystal Meth..

 

And, frankly, most of the "Evangelicals" that I've seen are just as nuts as the fundies, same old anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti birth control, culty fukkin' crap.... -_-

 

I think making excuses for someone like this is pretty offensive to people who really DO have mental problems.. Is the "pressure" he's under more than the pressure a soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq is under..? So, hey, let's make excuses for the guy who killed 16 Afghan civilians just the other weekend as well then..... <_<

Great piece here on the issue: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsi...000/9703627.stm

It's been discovered that Jason Russell, the director of the viral video on Ugandan war lord Joseph Kony, may have connections to rightwing antigay organizations. But that's not his only problem — he was detained Thursday by San Diego police for masturbating in public.

 

Russell, 33, is the founder of Invisible Children, a nonprofit organization that produces films to educate people on global issues such as environmentalism and human rights. He was arrested Thursday after allegedly vandalizing several cars and masturbating in the streets while possibly being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police told NBC San Diego.

 

Lt. Andra Brown said, "Due to the nature of the detention, he was not arrested. During the evaluation, we learned we probably needed to take him to a medical facility because of statements he was saying."

 

Russell's business partner, Invisible Children CEO Ben Keesey, said Russell has been under an immense amount of stress since the release ofKony 2012.

 

"Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition," he said in a statement Thursday. "He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better. The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday."

 

For & Against with Jim Morrison, a news magazine on Here TV (a network that's part of Here Media, which owns The Advocate), reviewed the documentary, pointing out Invisible Children's ties to antigay organizations, such as the National Christian Foundation. The NCF describes itself as "the largest Christian grant-making foundation in the world." Truth Wins Out reports that the organization has disbursed grants to some of the most antigay groups in the country, including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council.

 

Ironically, NCF, which donated $135,000 in 2009 to Invisible Children, also helps fund the Fellowship Foundation, which works in conjunction with the fundamentalist shadow organization known as “The Family.” That outfit has largely pushed Christian Ugandan lawmakers to propose a "kill the gays" bill, which would make homosexuality punishable by death.

 

Invisible Children's tax records also show several churches, private religious schools, and religious organizations like Legacy of a Christian Vision, and the antigay, antiabortion Malachai Foundation. Other donors include several public schools, secular organizations, and liberal individual donors, as well as celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and NFL player Jamal Williams.

 

Russell was also an invited guest of Liberty University, a staunchly Christian college, where he told students about how to use "extremely low-key, or stealth evangelism," Alternet reports.

 

Morrison also points out that while the film does shed light to an issue that many people around the world are unaware of, the film is an incomplete look at the egregious human rights violations that have occurred in Uganda and across Africa. Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, Morrison says, is equally to blame for the deaths of thousands, as well as forcing children to become soldiers.

 

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/20...Antigay_Groups/