With the KONY 2012 campaign less than a month away, organizers are excited about the event and hope Centretown residents will participate.
Invisible Children, an organization dedicated to saving child soldiers from Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, started the KONY 2012 campaign. Kony is the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan guerilla group that is said to have tortured and abducted thousands of children.
The campaign began in early March when a video was released on Vimeo, a public media website similar to YouTube. The video has over 100 million views worldwide. The 30-minute video explains Kony’s actions and lays out a plan of action in order to stop him.
“Basically, it’s a 30-minute video that says who, what, where, when, why and how about everything Joseph Kony,” says Patrick Martell, KONY 2012 organizer and volunteer. “And Russell saves the best for last, the blueprint for the campaign.”
American Jason Russell, Invisible Children’s creator, directed the video. In the video, Russell says the ultimate goal of the campaign is to make Kony famous so “culture makers” and policymakers will want to act and stop his madness.
To make him famous, on April 20, participants will Cover the Night by scattering around the city spreading posters of Joseph Kony so that the city will wake up and see Kony’s face on every building in the city. KONY 2012 kits, which include bracelets and posters, were available to buy online, but demand is so high that the organization is no longer selling the kits and has instead made a downloadable version of the posters available on their website.
This is not the first time Invisible Children tries to raise awareness about child soldiers.
In 2009, Invisible Children held an event in Ottawa where protesters chained themselves together trying to symbolize the child soldiers marching in Uganda. Protesters marched from Parliament through the streets of Centretown before settling at LeBreton Flats, setting camp in front of the Canadian War Museum. The march attracted hundreds but activities were halted after gusty winds chased away most participants.
Martell says Centretown will once again be the focus of the campaign, but says that no official route has been drawn for KONY 2012.
Centretown resident Benoit Maranda participated in the 2009 event and says KONY 2012 will attract more people than 2009.
“This will be huge. I think it will be double or triple the turnout this time than it was in 2009,” says Maranda. “I will be there for sure.”
The campaign is controversial.
In 2011, Invisible Children spent only 32 percent of their funds on their programs. The other 68 percent was spent on staff salaries, office rent and other expenses.
Shortly after the release of the video, Russell was captured naked on video in San Diego screaming obscenities and pounding his fists in the middle of an intersection. An Invisible Children spokesperson said the incident was a result of dehydration and sleep deprivation. Russell has apologized for his actions.
Despite the controversy, Martell says the event is still expected to be popular.
Melanie Cartick, a Centretown resident, will not be participating in Cover the Night on April 20th and does not agree with Invisible Children’s financial management, but says the campaign in the end is for a good cause.
“This is a man who has to be stopped,” says Cartick, a University of Ottawa student. “The objective of the campaign is good and I really hope it works.”