Allyson Tibbitts, Senior,
President of Invisible Children at KSU
Dear Editor,
As an Invisible Children volunteer for six years, and Founder/President of Invisible Children at KSU since 2009, I was appalled when Robert Pless published an uneducated, misinformed article bashing the organization and Kony 2012. Pless first mentioned that multiple news outlets discovered financial misappropriations within IC, which is simply untrue. By doing research, he would have seen that IC has always posted its financial statements online, has always been audited by an external firm and that its financials received 4/4 stars on Charity Navigator. Secondly, IC spent 80.46 percent of its money on programs in FY2011, and only 16.24 percent on total administration and nonprofit management costs.
Pless purported that Kony 2012 is oversimplified, condescending and ignores victims. IC has made 10 full-length documentaries, all
which highlight victims’ stories. Ideally, everyone would know the intricate details, but a 26-year-long war cannot fit into a short film. Kony 2012 was intended as a viral video and accomplished its goal of making Kony famous so that international pressure would induce a governmental reaction to apprehend him.
Pless mentioned that Kony and his army fled Uganda, as indicated in Kony 2012. After failed peace talks, the Lord’s Resistance Army left Uganda in 2008 and began fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan. Despite the migration, IC has several programs in Uganda to help rebuild war-torn communities. These include educational scholarships, rebuilding schools, hygiene, economic and adult literacy training, among several other programs. IC has numerous protective initiatives in currently affected regions, including unprecedented crisis tracker technology and rehabilitation centers.
Pless alludes to the white savior theory, which is irrelevant here. All programs are implemented with conscientious input from local community leaders. More than 95 percent of IC’s staff are Ugandans. IC partners with international and local groups to support projects that have been prioritized based on local realities and needs. The LRA has operated in four countries, making this a human issue. It is not about America’s power, oil or a crusade. It is about saving lives, ending a war and proving to terrorists that the world will not allow them to continue as murderous offenders.
Finally, Pless seems bitter toward the idea that social networking is powerful. People understand that sharing a link is not the same as going into the war-torn regions; however, when did sharing information about atrocities become a bad thing? Kony 2012 is now known as the fastest spreading viral video ever, with over 100 million views in less than one week. This has sparked conversation, international pressure, and additional LRA-related legislation. Sharing links with such intensity actually makes a difference in the world.
In the future, I hope that Pless will take his own advice and conduct research before attempting to smear a nonprofit organization. I am available for contact to discuss further criticisms. Those interested should attend our film screening on Monday, April 23 at 8 p.m. in the Social Science auditorium. A Ugandan guest speaker will share his story, and representatives from IC will be present to answer questions regarding Kony 2012.
