Catching Kony

I like many others, have been upset and horrified by the short film titled invisible children. The film for those who haven’t seen it, highlights the plight of Uganda’s child soldiers and the actions of Joseph Kony’s Lord Resistance Army. This group of rebels takes children away from their parents and turns them into soldiers, prostitutes and drug addicts. Their objective is not political but is only to increase a climate of fear and power in the region which it operates. This appalling treatment of children does nothing to help Uganda or its neighbours move away from remaining a third world country.

So what do the film maker’s actually want us to do? They want us to campaign, raise awareness and help bring Kony to the International Criminal Court. However, even with twenty-two million hits on you tube is that any closer to happening? The cynics have come out in droves claiming that only 30% on the charities income goes to African projects and the rest is spent on staff wages and lobbying. The Today programme on BBC Radio four suggested that issues going viral do absolutely nothing to help a cause, and after I watching the video (on Erev Purim), I made Hamentaschen with the kids.

As Jews we have an obligation to “Justice, Justice, you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20) Does this mean we should join the campaign? Should we be lobbying our politicians to put pressure on Uganda to use more government troops and resources to track Kony down and hand him over to the ICC? Should we be showing this is our assemblies, youth clubs to highlight and educate our youth about other less fortunate than them? Should I be giving my monthly donation of charity to this organisation? Should I be ordering an action pack and car sticker? There are so many things that I could do to raise awareness and to help.

However, do invisible children really need my help? Will sending Kony to The Hague allow Ugandan children to live without fear and hope for a brighter future? Will it solve the huge psychological issues and permanent fracturing of Ugandan society that the LRA have created? Will the LRA cease to exist because of the arrest of one man? We have already seen that the death of Osama Bin Laden has not removed the threat of terrorism so why is the LRA any different?  Perhaps Uganda needs to focus on its other issues and challenge those who are still practicing female circumcision, those who are bystanders to the high rates of physical abuse that takes place at home and at school. What Uganda needs is help is our support in developing its educational programmes and its economic and social infrastructure. What Uganda needs is a change in culture that make child exploitation in any form completely unacceptable. For Uganda to develop as a strong country, its children need to live free from fear of the LRA but also their carers and educators. As Jews we have the obligation to pursue justice. In the case of Uganda, we should pursuing the cause of children throughout the country, not just those affected by the terrible acts of Joseph Kony and his relatively small band of LRA followers. Let’s give Ugandan children the tools to improve their lives and move on from the traumas that their childhood has inflicted upon them. Let’s support them by enabling them to break the cycle of violence that so many of them are part of.  Let’s support them by getting people on the ground to educate them and empower them to change the country which is their own. Maimonides suggests that the best way of giving charity is giving money, a loan, your time or whatever else it takes to enable an individual to be self-reliant. In this manner a gap year student teaching children how to read would have much more of an impact than writing out a cheque, of which a small proportion benefits Ugandan children. While the US government sends troops to Uganda to help track Kony down, is this really going to improve the lives of these children. This video, whilst compelling, raises awareness but the film makers’ job is by no means done. When things go viral, they become yesterday’s news very quickly. How will the team from invisible children turn this film into something meaningful in the long term?