Who is Joseph Kony?
An online video aimed at raising awareness about the Ugandan guerilla leader went viral yesterday, taking Twitter and Facebook by storm. Non-profit group Invisible Children said they made the 29-minute video to further expose the practices of the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The video itself has over 36 million views and counting, while “#StopKony” continues to trend on Twitter.
Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court and stands accused of mass kidnapping and abduction, sexual abuse and murder, among a multitude of other offenses. Many estimates put the number of children abducted by the LRA at 30,000 or more. The ongoing human rights violations have prompted activism in the West for intervention in the conflict. Activists succeeded in getting President Obama last October to dispatch 100 “combat-equipped US forces” to assist region militaries fighting the LRA.
The video hopes to rally support from both cultural icons and political policy-makers.
To watch the KONY 2012 video, click here.
To learn more about the cause and ways to get involved, click here.