Among the major criticisms are issues with The Invisible Children's financial accounts, their methods of spending, and their suggested methods of ending Kony's reign of terror in central Africa.
While many critics of The Invisible Children have some valid concerns, there are a few things that I feel should be addressed.
First, I do think it would improve their image to allow for external auditing. However, I am not quite as opposed to using funds raised to keep their salaries - at least not on a philosophical level. This type of mission is something that takes up just as much time as a full-time job. Perhaps that means that they shouldn't be a non-profit organization, but I don't have a huge issue with people that work as much as these people do using some of the funds so that they can actually spend the time they need to on the work.
Second, I don't really find it too weird or uncalled for that they spend so much money on filmmaking. The people that started this are, first and foremost, filmmakers. Making a film was the entire reason the founders went to Uganda. Films are what they've marketed themselves with, so it's only natural that they would want to continue using what works (especially when it's also what they are familiar with.)
Last, and my personal biggest issue with many critics, I think it is foolish to pitch a fit about how The Invisible Children are petitioning for a military response. Kony has repeatedly been approached to find a peaceful way to end his war, but every time, he has only used the peace to "recruit" more children. I'm kind of convinced that there isn't a peaceful way to end the issue unless he dies and nobody steps up to take his place. Which is extremely unlikely. That's just how it is with psychopaths. They do not feel remorse for what they do. Combine that with someone that's narcissistic, and honestly think they deserve the power, and frankly, I would be very surprised if Kony ever surrendered. So, while there isn't a fiber in my being that would ever praise the idea of killing children, which is what would happen if military action is taken, I'm honestly not sure there is an alternative.
I know this sounds really pessimistic, but I can't help but see the children he currently has as lost causes. First, because if military action is taken, they will likely be killed; second, if we find him, offer the option of leaving to the children, he will likely kill any that try; and third, even if we could somehow save them, they will need excessive amounts of therapy to have a chance to function in society again, and even that isn't guaranteed to succeed.
At the risk of sounding heartless, this is what I would propose: organize an international manhunt through Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to work together and hunt this man down. I'd be entirely supportive of other countries offering manpower and resources to find him (assuming that the countries he operates in are accepting of the aid). After all, he is literally the most wanted man in the world. I know that it's likely that the children he has will die in the process, but I honestly don't see any way to save them. I suppose that if he is tracked down, that it's possible that the area could be flooded with troops that are trying to subdue him, but even then, some of the children will die. Besides, if some children are saved, they wouldn't really be kids; their childhood has been erased to the point that the resemblance to children is only physical. Instead, I believe that the focus should be on ending his reign of power so that more children are not lost to his cause.
That said, and at the risk of appearing to contradict myself, I don't really see how this problem is an international problem. As in, politically, this is a problem within several African countries that, at least to my knowledge, haven't really asked for international help. Asking for international help isn't hard, so I have to wonder if the governments of central Africa really care about solving the problem.
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