I’m sorting through my thoughts on the debate about KONY2012, prompted by the viral video made by Invisible Children (Here: KONY2012).  If Invisible Children just showed up last year and made this film I’d feel worse about their cause.  Certainly, they shouldn’t be seen as the panacea.  But they’ve been around since 2003 and they made a good film.  In my book, Growing Up Global I wrote about them in the Appendix listing hundreds of Action Steps and organizations to get to know.  Here’s an excerpt:

Sponsor a child’s education. Even where primary education is offered for free, “hidden costs” prevent kids from attending school. These include the purchase of uniforms, shoes, school supplies like pencils, books, and paper, as well as daytime meals. They usually cost a fraction of what you’d pay in the United States, but any extra strain on a family’s budget might be enough to prohibit a
child’s school attendance—especially a girl’s. Many organizations sponsor children through school, including: Save the Children, Plan USA, Christian Children’s Fund, and others, including those that are specific to a geographic location, like Tibet, South Africa, Cambodia, and in America. Through InvisibleChildren.com sponsor a child from northern Uganda’s war zone to pursue secondary school education. Invisible Children’s documentary film exposes the horrors of war and its impact on children, then offers a youth-oriented outlet to take action. (Growing Up Global, p. 248, emphasis added)

I believe there are so many teachable moments from both sides of the debate.  Stay tuned.  It’s not black or white…

What’s your take on this debate?  Please respond here or join the discussion on Facebook.