Dear
Invisible Children supporter,
I hope you
will hear us out. I want to start off by
saying that we are not blindly criticizing your efforts and we know that you
love and care about the Ugandan people just like we do. The human connection can be a wonderful
thing, but only if we are willing to listen- and I mean really listen. In fact, that’s why we are writing to you, we
hope that it is because you care so much, you would be willing to think through
some of this and thoughtfully reconsider plastering the face and name of a
vicious warlord throughout our city.
I’m sorry
you’ve had to spend so much time defending criticisms that just aren’t true- We
know that you are aware that the conflict moved out of Uganda in 2006 and that
Kony has moved into Central Africa. We
know that you understand that this conflict is complex. We know that you favor a peaceful resolution
over the use of military- we know that you see this as an
option of last resort. We know that
Invisible Children does work on the ground- we are familiar with the Schools
for Schools program, the LRA Crisis Tracker, etc. So if you’re still with us, that is not what
we will be addressing in this letter.
We believe
that you mean well, and truly want to see Joseph Kony brought to justice and
the LRA disarmed. We believe that this
event is full of young people who desire peace and restoration in a region that
has experienced the terror of this rebel group for more than 26 years. But maybe our place is partnering, not paving
the way- If we are going to help, listening is critical, and abandoning our
entitlement to solving Africa's problems and telling Africa's story is key.
The central
and most important issue with the approach to Kony 2012 and Cover the Night-
How the people the film is about feel. If you think otherwise, you should probably
reconsider your advocacy for this issue all together. No seriously.
The
reactions to screenings of the film in Northern Uganda were extremely negative
for the most part. Many Ugandans are
deeply troubled by the campaign- among many strong emotions and reactions; a
common theme seems to be that Ugandans feel exploited by Kony 2012.
Exploited? Man, when we tell someone
else’s story, if they feel exploited we should probably reconsider the way we
are telling it.
Our stand
against Cover the Night, therefore, is not in light of our own personal
opinions or qualms with Invisible Children- It is in honor of Ugandan friends,
who are more like family. Because we
feel it is most important that their voices are heard. While we may feel so deeply connected to the
pain and suffering so many have experienced as a result of Kony and his rebel
army, our entitlement to the commodification of a warlord's name is a result of
it becoming "our cause" instead of realizing it is their cause and
has been since before we were born. It seems we have decided that we don't
really care if this is approach upsets Ugandans; we're getting the job done
right- or are we?
I beg you to
reconsider. I beg you to try and realize
the insensitivity of plastering the face and name of Kony in public
spaces. His name is one, that for many,
is still hard to speak. It carries with
it pain and terrible memories of living in fear. A survivor of LRA attacks responds to Kony
2012: "If people in those countries
care about us, they will not wear t-shirts with pictures of Joseph Kony for any
reason. That would celebrate our
suffering". So maybe the way we are
going about this is not okay. Maybe
there is another, more effective and appropriate way of coming alongside
Ugandans, Congolese, Sudanese, and others of this region to show our support in
bringing Kony to justice.
With the
start of the campaign coming 6 months after U.S. troops had been deployed and
literally no concrete evidence that the U.S. troops will be pulled out if you fail
to plaster Joseph Kony’s face and name throughout your respective city- One
must question the timing and purpose of this event and campaign in
general. The troops were already working
with the UPDF and now other military forces in the region. Hanging up signs, watching a video, and
wearing a t-shirt will unfortunately not aid in Kony’s capture- so if some of
these actions are viewed as insensitive and exploitative, maybe they should not
be a part of our advocacy.
What we suggest instead- Think before
you do
Knowledge
and critical thinking are wonderful things.
So is acknowledging our ignorance about this conflict- it allows us to
place the focus and attention on efforts being made by Africans to bring peace
to the region. To listen and hear how
they believe this should be done, and to respond accordingly. It is very clear that the approach Invisible
Children has taken largely fails to do this.
So, we are going to provide a few resources to get you started.
Both sites
have compiled research, writings, videos, etc. on the problems with Kony 2012
and a way forward. Acknowledging that
opening up respectful dialogue between all parties is key in appropriate and
effective activism.
This is not
to discourage you from being involved, just asking that you reconsider the
approach.
Best,
Kelsey
Nielsen
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