TheDude Wrote:Ok, I'm in a MASSIVE argument on facebook on this. I'm sorry but this campaign is stupid. Do you know what Invisible Children really does? They actually spend over 50% of the money you donate to them. To make videos like this. They mass market this to North America and Europe and try to get people in on it but it's just gonna fade like every other video does. Ill even take it to comparing to celebs. We care so much about them for the week they died. But then, we forget about them like they were just the talk of the week.
If you're just gonna watch the video. Post it on facebook say omg look at this how sad.. then gtfo. Go actually to the country and do something about it physically your self. Don't sit here and donate to these complete bullshit charities that spend more money on there ads then their actual work in Africa.
Besides, I'd love to hear all the amazing things we have done for them. Seriously, we always think were good donating money there and giving them food, clothing and water. But you know what were doing in the long run? Were spoon feeding them. We aren't actually building factories or showing them how to create good agricultural such as super farms to feed them. We just open up a snack bar and give them free water. They are never gonna learn how to actually fend for themselves once we leave. Look at South Africa for example. They freed themselves by themselves for themselves. Not because we went in there and assited them they did it on their own. So will every other African nation. Sure it might takes years or decades but they will do it. Trust me us helping them as much as we do the way we do is wrong. It's just a bunch of hippies that think they are making a different. When really they need schools and people to teach them how to work.
Spartacus Wrote:Quote: Invisible Children is too late. It has taught us that MTV type media can get university students interested in a world crisis, the problem is it took too much time. Night commuting, outlined as one of the major problems in northern Uganda by the film, is practically non-existent now.
Why? Peace is coming to the region. According to UN reports, children who still are commuting at night are not doing it because of safety concerns, but because they want to enjoy the amenities that NGO’s are offering in the towns, like Gulu, Kitgum, and Lira. At the peak of the commuting, there were between 30,000 and 40,000 children commuting. Now, estimates are below 10,000.
http://ilto.wordpress.com/2006/11/02/the...-children/
I'm only vaguely familiar with 'Invisible Children' itself, I know it exists and why it exists, I don't know how it operates though, so I don't have an informed opinion about the organisation itself.
It's true that humanitarian aid (in general) won't solve the issues, it's not a structural, long-term solution. But I disagree with abondonning humanitarian aid altogether.
Countries won't be built by such aid, but it can (and does) save people in the short run. For example, in the case of a temporarily food shortage, or for tuberculosis treatment (doesn't cost much here but there it can save thousands of people). If the money actually gets used for those purposes of course, that's why it's maybe better to donate to the Red Cross or other ngo's, because the money given to the local governments probably will end up being spent for building a palace in Kinshasa or something.
You can argue that media campaigns are valuable in trying to get people to put pressure on their own government regarding the issue. The US government has spent efforts trying to capture Kony (there's an arrest warrant for him from the International Court).
On the other hand, getting rid of Kony won't solve the problem, he's just a part of it. Like said in the last article posted, the LRA and Kony have lost significance.
And it's not the only rebel group in that area. The problems there are a result of the Congo wars (also called the African civil war because of the many countries involved). It's pretty much a lawless area where tens of rebel groups operate. The fact that the biggest goal of most of those countries' leaders is self-enrichment doesn't help.
The worst area is eastern Congo. The main weapon they use there is rape. (Husbands being forced to rape their wives and children in front of the whole family and other stuff that's maybe too graphic to type out on a forum)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n35wgikamaM[/youtube] (Testimonies from rape survivors)
'Peace is coming to the region' may be "slightly" overstated, the quote made me laugh actually.
If you wanna donate money to help them directly, the best way to do it is probably donating to the Red Cross divisions there. I don't think you wanna go there yourself, it's a lawless jungle (except me of course, I'm G Of The Jungle).
RUSSIAN people spread it out!