ABSTRACT
On February 20, 2012, a little known California-based organization called Invisible Children uploaded a 30-minute video entitled Kony 2012.1 The video contrasted images of former child soldiers and victims of brutal violence in Northern Uganda with scenes of comfortable western lifestyles and the images of increasing international connection. Kony 2012 aimed to ‘make famous’ Joseph Kony, the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The film (correctly) depicted the LRA as a vicious armed group that has conscripted children, committed widespread abuses against civilians, and had a destabilizing effect in Northern Uganda and other regions in Central Africa. Invisible Children (wrongly) argued that by making Joseph Kony famous, the world would be pressured to finally capture the rebel leader, leading to safety and security for the people of Northern Uganda.
