Friday 9 March 2012

Uganda, Kony and Us


This is the first post which I've ever been asked to write, a teenager I know and respect sent me a link to this BBC news item about Uganda and Kony and suggested I blog about it.  Thanks D, for reading and pointing me in the direction of this.

55 million people have watched the You Tube video Kony 2012.  This is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.  There is a lot of bad press about Invisible Children and their methods but truly I am pleased this video has gone viral because it has finally made the world sit up and listen thanks to social media and young people around the world.

So what's the real story?
Northern Uganda is being terrorised, and has been for almost 20 years (yes, 20 years!!!) by the LRA - The Lord's Resistance Army which is led by Joseph Kony. The LRA and Kony have been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2005 for the mass murder, rape and kidnapping of innocent children through the DRC (Congo), Sudan and Central African Republic. 

The world seems to have sat back and ignored the very real horror in this area but no more will this be tolerated.  The young people of the world have stood up and said NO MORE. 

Things must change.

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