[ASU] Invisible Children and Ethics!!

[jk573108 at ohio.edu]

Dear Members,

This is a message regarding the group "Invisible Children". I don't know how 
many of you may keep tabs on their activities, but they have been suspect to a 
number of anthropologists and aid agencies working in Uganda for some time. 
Their latest gimmick has truly gone too far,a lot of mis-representations.

On April 25th the group Invisible Children will be staging "Abduction events" 
in over 100 cities around the world. Their soundbyte for this event is "Abduct 
yourself", and its alleged intention is to "free the children of Uganda 
abducted by Joseph Kony and the LRA". What they are asking people to do is to 
mock being abducted, while wearing gear purchased from Invisible Children.

This is one the most despicable examples of unethical action taken by an "aid" 
organization I have seen in years. There are several reasons why any student, 
or professional, who cares about human rights and social justice should avoid 
any involvement with this organization and their activities.

First, abduction is not a soundbyte. It's a serious, traumatic event that 
destroys childhood and fractures families beyond repair. To belittle the 
horrors faced by these kids by asking college students in the U.S. and other 
developed nations to pay a fee [$5], buy a t-shirt [$15], and pretend to be 
abducted is beyond poor taste. It's insulting, culturally destructive and 
arrogant. We need to have ethics, and this crosses the line.

Second, this group has a commercial website, that is linked to their non-
profit organization. They encourage people to purchase the kits, clothing and 
other gear from them, without explaining where the income from that website 
goes.

Third, this group has been considered suspect by numerous anthropologists and 
aid workers on the ground in Uganda for some time. They do things in a very 
contrived, dramatic way that does not accurately represent the current 
situation, or their involvement in proceedings. An example of this, is that 
they claim that the LRA is as strong as ever and terrorizing communities in 
the Congo, Sudan and Uganda.

The reality is that the LRA is at their weakest point in history - almost to 
the point of complete impotence. Joseph Kony is extremely ill and is isolated, 
with the inability to influence the actions of his group. To illustrate this, 
the Ugandan government doesn't even consider them a viable threat any longer.

I STRONGLY urge you all to avoid the scheduled film showing tomorrow night on 
Ohio University's campus and to refuse to engage with this group. They are 
exploiting the people of Uganda for fame and monetary gain, and as committed 
activists for social change, we should not condone or tolerate such behavior.
Lets keep working hard on reminding the world of "The Africa they Should Know".

Kind Regards,
Joan Kanyange