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Subscribe to RSSGULU, Uganda – Young Jacob Acaye’s declaration that he would rather die than continue to lead his life in fear has broken the hearts of the tens of millions of people around the world who have watched “KONY 2012,” an Internet advocacy documentary about the misdeeds of a Ugandan warlord.
But about nine years later – and just a week or so after the video became an online sensation – one of the most talked-about people of current days is a picture of anonymity.
In his hometown in northern Uganda, the 21-year-old seemed relaxed, and perhaps a little reserved, as he wandered down the street where he used to huddle under blankets along with up to 800 other children for protection from advancing rebels.
I stood with him, gazing down a busy sidewalk waiting for someone to catch his eye – to question him, to thank him or to embrace him. There's nothing.
We had traveled to Gulu to assess reaction to the 30-minute video, which has become one of the most successful online campaigns of all time. As of this writing, it’s up to 78 million views on YouTube.
But tweets, status updates and trending topics mean very little here. In downtown Gulu, it has pretty much missed many of those people who have been most affected by the bloodshed.
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Ugandans watch the premiere of "Kony 2012," a 30-minute YouTube film created by the nonprofit group Invisible Children, in Lira district, an area 234 miles north of Uganda's capital Kampala on Tuesday.
Western campaign
It shouldn’t be a surprise. With access to the Internet limited, very few people here have seen the “Invisible Children” campaigners’ call to make Joseph Kony famous, a move they hoped would, in turn, make him infamous.
After all, he is already despised in these parts: His face and his name are known by everyone and have haunted this place for decades. It seems that everyone can name one of his victims – someone who was slaughtered, orphaned or abducted by his army of thugs.
Why make Kony famous? Video rubs some raw Ugandan scars
In fact, many people in Gulu are far from excited by the campaign; they have heard it discussed on local radio and feel that it has its heart far from the dusty roads of rural Uganda. This is a campaign by Westerners, “the white men,” said one resident.
What divides opinion is whether that really matters. To Jacob it doesn’t, he would welcome attention from anyone, anywhere. To many others it feels like a patronizing challenge to national pride. “KONY 2012” doesn’t really feel like their campaign.
In Gulu, there are memorials to a series of massacres, the most recent in 2004. But while the legacy of fear created by a generation of violence certainly endures, in many ways this place has moved on. Confidence has grown with peace.
Moving on
Sitting around making small-talk, a group of men asked me to join them. Their conversation is about Kony, as often seems to be the case. Fueled by bravado and, perhaps, a little beer, they said it would be impossible for the warlord to return. They spoke of him only in the past tense, despite rumors that he was in the area over Christmas for a brief visit.
“We don’t expect anything. We don’t expect him anymore in the country,” said one man, who is convinced that Kony is in hiding in the Central African Republic or South Sudan.
In other parts of the town, some told me that there is no need for a campaign at all, as Kony’s men have moved on. Others don't want to hear his name. “Why re-open these wounds?” one man asked me once he learned of my reason for being in Gulu.
Some fear that too much talk of Kony might bring him back and risk their community's relative calm. Others worry that their homeland is being characterized around the world purely as a place of terror – “Konyland” as one aid worker described it.
Most of all, they wonder why the world has suddenly started to worry about them now? It’s not necessarily that they don’t welcome the attention, but many cannot subscribe to the newfound enthusiasm of the campaign’s supporters abroad. They have long tired of asking for attention and being ignored.
Acaye, however, is as passionate as when he was as a boy and believes that the video is important and valuable.
“Kony has not yet stopped killing young ones,” he said. “Kony has not yet stopped abducting people. Kony has not yet stopped forcing young girls into sex slaves.
“And that is what we are fighting for. We want it stopped.”
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why worry, africa should be forgotten and BEEN put to rest, why should we worry unless it is the oil. they are stupid people and deserve what the have received. lets move on, we had slavery and now it is gone, to bad this world would have been better PLACE WITH SLAVERY.
Spoken like a true
sociopathconservative.Can we just collapse both previous posts (#1 & 1.1) and get it over with?
LOL, slavery is still common in africa as well as many places governed by islam. I wonder why the naacp never does anything about slavery except to say how bad it "was"............
haha, jersey you got punked
Wow, just wow....I have to assume that was a lampoon of that viewpoint taken to its extreme to expose just how silly it is to think that way. Otherwise, your lack of empathy and unwillingness to be your brothers keeper is appalling.
Idiotic thoughts like yours NEED TO BE PUT TO REST.
I can not believe you! You are the most inconsiderate person in the entire world! >=(
seahawk - your commentary is offensive and ignorant - shame on you
Don't feed the troll.
Hello folks, be careful, I watched the Kony video and the depictions were very sad. While I was watching the video I remembered I had read an article on a big oil find in Uganda. I hope the guy that made the video isn't in the pocket of the Corporate, Banking, and Oil cartels. Enclosed is the article:
Fresh Uganda Oil Find ‘Africa’s Biggest’
By The Times
14 Jan 2009 "The Times" - -Heritage Oil announced details of a large oil discovery in Uganda yesterday, which the company claimed could be the largest onshore discovery in sub-Saharan Africa.
Heritage said that its latest discovery – Giraffe1 – in the Lake Albert region, could total at least 400 million barrels of oil.
However, Paul Atherton, chief financial officer, told The Times that the wider field it was developing, dubbed Buffalo-Giraffe, had several “billions of barrels of oil in place”, although it was unclear how much of this would be recoverable.
He said that the field, which is 9,000 square kilometers in size – or six times the size of Greater London – was unquestionably the largest onshore discovery made in sub-Saharan Africa in at least 20 years, possibly ever.
Mr Atherton said that of the 18 wells the company had drilled in the basin so far, all had produced oil. “Clearly the entire basin is full of oil,” he said. “It’s a world-class discovery, the most exciting new basin in Africa in decades.”
Previously, the largest onshore fields discovered in sub-Saharan Africa were at Rabi-Kounga in Gabon, where 900 million barrels were found in 1985, and at Kome in Chad, where 485 million barrels were found in 1977.
Mr Atherton said that it would take at least another three years to start commercial production. The crude could be exported by road or rail, he said, but analysts believe that the most practical solution would be to build an 806-mile pipeline to take it to Kampala, Uganda’s capital, and then the Kenyan coast. The pipeline would need to be heated and designed to traverse swampy and mountainous land. It would cost an estimated $1.5 billion (£1 billion) to complete.
Heritage and its partner Tullow Oil, which also has a 50 per cent equity stake in the project, would need to demonstrate that the field could produce at least 400 million barrels of oil to justify the cost of building such a pipeline. Richard Griffith, an Evolution Securities analyst, said the latest discovery “thrashed” this commerciality threshold.
See Also - Uganda : Pressure Mounts To Make Public Oil Agreements:Uganda's oil discovery is already attracting major players like Italian oil giant Eni Spa, U.S. Exxon Mobil, France's Total and of recent the China National Offshore Oil Company. The country does not have the funds to finance the production of oil and instead signed agreements with oil giants spelling out how the revenue will be shared with investors willing to fund the production phase. The companies will build an oil refinery in Uganda and an oil pipeline to the Indian Ocean. This will enable the landlocked country to sell its estimated two billion barrels of crude oil internationally
Uganda's oil contracts leaked - a bad deal made worse: The repeated claims by the Ugandan government and the oil companies that Uganda has received a very good deal and the best in the region are not only a fiction, but were reliant on the real terms of the contracts being kept secret. While the contracts will deliver vast profits to Tullow Oil and Heritage Oil, the contracts will prevent the Ugandan people from receiving their due benefits.
Oil extraction and the potential for domestic instability in Uganda: The paper identifies and discusses in detail three sources of domestic volatility that may arise as a result of oil development.
Uganda: Oil could cause war : The attacks are by armed gangs suspected to be rebels of the FDLR, LRA, and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). In the ongoing campaign in DR Congo, President Joseph Kabila is being criticised for failing to restore peace in this vital area.
Mr. Clooney has reported that one half of the country has the oil, and the other half has the refineries and the the current slaughter is "ethnic cleansing" - not suprising considering that so much of that continent is uneducated and illiterate - This country spends billions of dollars assisting countries to rid themselves of dictators, yet, this contintent seems to be at the bottom of the list and the reports of mass murder, pillage of entire vilages, kidnapping & rape of children continues. Do not the leaders of these countries care about their countries? Do they not want their countries to move into the 21st century? Are these leaders so short sighted? I weep for the young people of this continent.
individuals don't like the truth, then look elsewhere.
That doesn't even make sense
Marion, it would make more sense to you if, like Arizone seahawk, your mother and father had also been brother and sister.
I knew I was missing something...
Good one, alclinicalresearcher & canuck.
Why does " The white man" care now? Oil was found in Uganda
a couple years back. George Soros is a partner in the drilling
operation.. the same George Soros who created MOVEON.ORG
and funded two think tanks that persuaded President Obama to
send in Specaial Forces to kill Kony a few months back. Now
you know why the U.S. ( or at least Soros and pals) suddenly
cares....
Who's the drilling company? Sounds like a good stock to buy.
God Bless George Soros for persuading President Obama to send troops in to hunt down this murdering thug!
now thats a joke and a liberal dbl standard
At least these folks in Uganda are hip to that these white people don't care anything about Kony killing/kidnapping/raping their children, and that they're using this campaign for their own twisted purposes.
So why did Obama send our special forces there to hunt Kony if he hasn't been around since 2006?
Who has Oil and Gas interest there?
Where will most of the money these leftist con artist get off this video end up?
Does someone need campaign cash?:
Helping Africa to become a stable region is in the world's best interest. Stable countries are able to advance and become reliable trading partners, creating more jobs world wide.
Brokinarrow,
That is a broken record. As nice as it sounds it will never happen. Too much history and cultural difference in Africa.
Remember Black Hawk Down? THAT didn't go over so hot, did it?
Arizona_seahawk: High school dropout perhaps??
Fix problems here in the U.S. before moving on to other countries. We have horrible atrocities here every day - poverty, hunger, inequality, racism, disease, illegal immigration, polution... Let's try to fix our own problems before we go trying to fix the problems of others. Heaven forbid Africa (or any other country) fix their own problems without us...
This sounds just like a situation were you finance a revolution go in and take all of the natural minerals then leave or stay just like the germans did in south africa who were trying to hide after they did their crimes else where.
Don't forget about Cecil Rhodes
The sad fact is that, as evil as the LRA is, it's hard to argue the rest of Uganda is really that much better. It always seems to get buried in the press, but for the last few years Uganda has been on the brink of committing crimes against humanity and exterminating a population of its own people. At the behest of the Christian Right in America, shameful to say...
Toasty McGrath: Until people stop being in denial about the true mission of certain groups of religous retards the killing for thing's that are not their to begin with will never stop, profit to get something for nothing has always been the goal of the christian right in america, that is why you see so many preachers asking for other people's money so they can afford what ever they want without having to come out of their own pocket.
Reminds me of welfare.
Nancy Pelosi comes to my mind
Hey guys, thanks for derailing my important point about genocide...
Then leave out the crap where you accuse the Christian Right in America of commanding genocide.
I'm not even religious is was just a dumb statement. Don't worry I say dumb things too.
Ya, like the Christians (or ANY OTHER segment of the U.S., for that matter) want anything to do with THAT third world cesspool; right, Toasty????
*Rolls eyes*
Toasty,
You post wasn't wasted on all of us.
For those who don't know this, American fundamentalists have been promoting a campaing against gay people in Uganda. They only backed off (just a little) when it became well publicized that gay people in Uganda were going to be procecuted and capitally punished (ie, murdered), for their "crimes"..
www.washingtonpost.com/national/massachusetts-preacher-sued-over-alleged-anti-gay-campaign-in-uganda-he-calls-suit-absurd/2012/03/14/gIQAtRmMCS_story.html
I'm not a religious man, but as much as you folks want to blame what is happening in Uganda on American Christians, it just does not fly. You folks would also say that Kansas church that demonstrates at military funerals represents America's Christians as well.
If a Republican President had sent military advisors into Uganda at this time, these same clowns would be railing against him saying he did it for oil. Obama does it for oil to help out his good buddy Thoros, and you guys just pretend like it isn't happening. Clear example of the hypocrisy from the left.
Sorry Bobby, Hotticket, but it's a recorded fact that American Christian groups have been pushing an agenda in Uganda to exterminate people who are born homosexual.
Swing the machete this way for flesh wounds and try this angle to cut bone.
Say no to Facebook intervention on MSNBC
Can we make up our minds people? One minute it's bring all troops home and mind our own business. Than the next minute we are trying to vilify people who say I don't care about Africa?
Honestly I don't care about Africa. It isn't our mess. Just like this article points out, even when you try and help or do something about it, the locals say why do you care leave us alone.
Africans don't need your care or your sympathy to be who they are or on this planet. Just mind your own misery.
No they don't need my sympathy. They need to get off their own butts and stand up for themselves. On the contrary if they didn't have our "support" Qaddafi would still be in power.
They can be whoever they want to be, I guess they have chosen a third world lifestyle for a reason. Sorry if the truth seems callous to you, I am sick and tired of sugar coating these "PC" issues.
Anyone would feel sorry for innocent victims, however why does an entire nation allow it to continue?
Seriously?! They aren't advanced enough to help themselves the way that we can help them. I agree with making sure that our own countries' needs are met, but at the same time, we should care about others, too!
Sarah
Yours is one of the more intelligent comments, there have been some good comments, but not many.
Why people bash those that are helping the innocent, is beyond me?
If they were living without clothing, adequate food, and a dirt home, I bet they wouldn't be saying the Trash about third world countries, that they do.
We Sponsor a Child, through Compassion International, it's a great way to share with a family in Uganda. Last Christmas we gave our sponsored little girl a bonus of 35 dollars, She bought her brothers cloths and herself a little dress. Wow! the smiles in the photo she sent us. Her Father helps at the community Church, they make about 20 dollars a month. For fun she likes to carry water to their small house.
Can you imagine, if every person that could afford it in the USA, would sponsor a child, how much joy they could bring to thousands of children. For the price of a family meal at Mc Donald's each month.
God bless you abundantly for your kind words.
Jesus has a special blessing for those that take care of the little ones.
Love in Christ, His Servant.
Kony and his thugs have been terrorizing these people for over 20 years. Why would they celebrate 100 US "consultants" coming now? Whoever started the Kony 2012 campaign needs a little lesson in timing.
As moronic as most of arizona seahawk's post is, there is one truth. If there are no US interests at stake, you won't get much assistance from us. 100 consultants after 20 plus years? Sad how warped our nation's morals have become...
He's actually been campaigning to get this done sience 2001, and just now he's getting some luck.
NooooooO!, who has been campaigning for this? Obama? One glaring difference between 2001 and now is the discovery of huge oil reserves in Uganda. George Thoros, one of the left's most famous fat cat supporters, is a partner in the company going after that oil. Chelsea Clinton's wedding was held at one of the Thoros' mansions. Wonder if our Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton had anything to do with our troops being sent in now? What a coincidence! Don't get me wrong, I am all for private business going after profit. It's the crony capitalism that I don't like and the Obama Administration has taken that to new heights.
A message to all black males, females, children, when you see a white person run up to them and give them a hug or a handshake and thank them for taking your relatives away from those depressed countries you came from. Hey it wasn't perfect, you had to work and endure some deprivation but it has made you better people, be proud America helped you gain the title of African American, lift your head high and thank the people that made it possible.
England.
Wow that sounds so racist, but it's so smart... what the frack...
People from Uganda won't benefit anything from caching Koney and his comrades...There lives are gone be the same. Poor and dispensable. The only one that is going for a big buck is that guy that came with the idea to make a averseness video for the kids to be involved in catching Koney ...Its grooving big and lots of people is going to put money thinking that actually they will make a difference in peoples lives...And then our Hollywood opportunists ....One day you see a movie about Koney..and somebody is going to make a lots of money and win a OSCAR
RE: generation of violence
This is not just a generation of violence. There has been violence there since the dawn of time and no amount of money, aid, talking, rebuking, military intervention, spiritual awakenings, etc. etc. has ever stopped the violence that is so inbred into certain cultures such as this one. What makes anybody think it can be stopped? Maybe this one individual will be stopped. I pray that is the case. God, I pray for these people.
After what I saw happen in Rwanda nothing makes sense anymore.
This is a human threat that will continue to go on no matter how many millions of dollars or films you make or give to try and expose it or stop it.
The human suffering of these parts of the world shall continue like a bad virus that has no cure.
Animals are given more respect then any of these people.
The tyrant is an animal and will not leave his prey alone until he is either dead, or replaced by another animal that is worse.
It is what it is, and nothing will stop it unless of course you plan on nuking the whole damn area.
That would be a mercy killing for some of these people, but in the end they still loose.
We live in a world of killers that take pleasure in what they do.
Sad, but the honest truth....
if a third world country is able to see this video for it's underlying intentions, it's sad that most Americans can't, that @!$%# has been happening in Africa since before we were born, it is plain and simple a political move to distract, while we should help other countries, we should only help if THEY want it, not if WE think it's right for THEM, we act like the judge jury and executioners of the world, but it's not our place to be so.
We are helping ourselves to a good dose of imperialism - heck why not Russia and China have in an economic sense invaded Africa in earnest about 10 years ago
Idi Amin!
Nuke uganda. Who cares about that God forsaken perverted country.
Idgaf about uganda but nuking anything would cause nuclear war. we would probably not have to worry about the superpowers but the smaller countries with nukes are WAY too trigger happy.
Alex said;
"Nuke Uganda. Who cares about that God forsaken perverted country".
You would be killing a great many of God's beautiful children.
Alex, You don't know what you are saying, If someone in your family lived there, would you say the same thing?.
God loves you anyway.
His Servant
i think we should help them but not act like their animals with no brains
In order to help most regions on the "Dark Continent", the entire mindset of all of the Africans will need to be changed. Killing each-other for trivial items is common practice. When charities drill water wells for them, within hours of their departure, somebody takes it upon himself to start charging others for the water, and it becomes a weapon against the weak. Murder, rape, incest, theft, and other crimes have always been prevalent in their culture, and "we" can not change that, through a mere youtube video and facebook campaign.
I speak from first hand experience in many of these "armpits" of the world, from working there. The same mentality that is seen in Africa, is seen in the US. I have spent time with MANY good people, and tribesmen and have cherished memories. However, there are a lot of scumbags as well. They think they should get free food, housing, and money, simply because they exist and desire it, but not though hard work. The will cut someones throat for less than a dollar. They will take free food given to them (I donated 20K lbs from a cull hunt), and trade it for alcohol and drugs. Young children are just as likely to have a gun, as the adults, and are likewise just as quick to kill you. They poach their wildlife, and do not take the meat, only the ivory, horns, and claws. Without "white man's" conservation, they would have wiped out their wildlife long ago, in many areas. They also have no sense of contraception, and freely engage in sexual activities with many partners, which is why the whole damn continent is AIDS infested, some locales have over 85% infected rate.
Seem familiar??????
The same behavior, it seems, is a problem in the US as well. "Something-for-nothing mentality" Where they think there ancestors misery, constitutes them to receiving everything in life they desire for free. If they are not given it, no big deal because they can easily steal it. Hell in some areas, wearing a nice watch, will get you shot dead by someone who thinks they deserve it more than you, because of their oppression.
When Anybody mentions these facts, the first thing said is "That's racist!!" OMG the mighty race-card, and stories of modern oppression equivalence begins, and excuses are made, and more lies are told to defend why they should get more free stuff, and be excused of criminal acts. Of course, this is only a small percentage of the entire culture in the US, but it is still reminiscent of my time on the "Dark Continent". Some Africans come here and work hard and make a good life for themselves, in fact many are good workers, and get excellent educations.
To change the problems in Africa, is to change the ideals of an entire culture, globally. It is unlikely in mine, or anyone else's lifetime, to see peace in Africa. I have fought for various freedom groups, in consulting, training, and active combat. Through injury in combat, I have earned the right to call it as I see it. The same can be said of my work in CONUS as well, in the worst areas of the worst cities in the nation. You have to call it what it is. Existence in this world, does not guarantee freedom, at times, it must be fought for, and war is an ugly business, but necessary for freedom from tyranny.
Our thoughts and prayers should be with them, but unless they fight for themselves, they will never appreciate the price and cost of freedom, and will only return to their previous ways of life. Meanwhile, in America, there are starving and deprived children who DO want the help.
Where's some of ya'lls humanity? Keep it up or we'll all end up like Africa
Toda
I agree, they may push God's patience, to far.
These little Children, are God's children.
"Such is the Kingdom of Heaven"
His Servant.
KONY IS DEAD. The charity is a scam.
I work with African refugees, who were rescued from their make-shift tents, by Catholic Charities. I am not Catholic. I do not condone that religion in any way. However, to say that they want genocide in Africa is just ignorant. Every single African refugee that I know, and I know a lot, are so grateful to be in the USA. They don't understand why Americans are so lazy. They don't even want to go on welfare unless their situation forces them to. Americans have absolutely no idea what these Africans have been through to get here. To say that they, as a whole, do not want our help is just a ridiculous statement. These refugees have lived in a tent, their village demolished, for 37 years! If it weren't for Catholic Charities and other charities, these people would probably be dead by now or forced to join the rebel army. Americans are so selfish. How can one say that they don't care at all what goes on in Africa? These people are humans and deserve to treated with respect, just like we demand to be. Yes, we are in Africa because of the oil, but that is not the only reason. I guess we have to take the good with the bad.
Oh, I forgot. The article doesn't even mention who the creator of the Kony movie is. I know who he is. He's from Ohio, an independent filmmaker. Knowing what I do about him, I very much doubt that he is in the oil companies' pocket. Stop jumping to conclusions, when you don't even have your facts straight.