General Chat

I knew, vaguely, of the brutal behaviour of 'rebels' in Central Africa, but why had I not hear of the Invisible Children until very recently?

Why and how could the world look on and allow this to happen? Why and how has it not been screamed from every rooftop in the world? Are we so blase as a species that things like this are not significant enough for us to care about and stop?

If you don't know what I'm rambling on about, either google Ugandas invisible children or watch the youtube video for Joseph Kony. Beware - it's quite harrowing. But it should be compulsory for every single person in the whole world to watch it. Apologies if its been highlighted previously on here, but if it has I've missed it. It certainly puts life into perspective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Haven't seen it on here, Eldrick, but I've been spreading the word on Facebook. The more who watch the video the better.

Let's hope action is taken.

Gwynne

I must confess to being totally unaware of this. I wonder why it is not more high profile in the media. 66000 children, appalling.

Thank you Eldrick.

Watched and put on FB as a start, thankyou Eldrick.

just watched the video, i wonder why its not mre well known, i hope they get him, them poor chikdren

nudge.....

I thought that this would create more interest. Seems I was wrong!

A lot of people have viewed Eldrick, I think it's possible that people just don't know what to say....you get to a point where there is just so much evil in the world it can leave you without words, or hope to be honest

gun +man comes to mind,,,,,, :-( :-( :-(

I've just watched the video. I saw the thread earlier but didn't have time to watch it then.

I wish I could say I was shocked by this, or even surprised, but sadly I'm not. I've never heard of Kony before but I have heard of stuff like this and other atrocities happening before. I just hope that something can be done to get rid of this *insert description of choice here* but wouldn't be surprised if someone else was waiting to take his place...cynical moi?

I've put it on FB and Twitter as well.

Nudge for as many people to be aware as possible.

Puts petty GR squabbles into perspective.

Gwynne

Be aware that there is *apparently* some controversy surrounding the Invisible Children Organisation. It has been said that they support the Ugandan army who have also been accused of r**e, looting and gross mistreatment of children. Hopefully this is propoganda perpetrated by Kony supporters.

I think, however, that the main point is the fact that the world looks on and does nothing whilst this atrocity is being perpetrated. I agree that very little in central africa is what it seems, but i dont think it can be denied that hundreds of thousands of people are being subjected to the most horrific treatment imaginable.

Imagine it happening in, say, romania. Or poland. Of scotland. We would do something about it. Because it is happening in an area that is a political wilderness, no one gives a damn. Until now and that manages to restore a little bit of faith in human nature. And the wider issue of people power influencing governments is a lesson that will not have gone unnoticed in high places.

I think you'll find this was known even in the British media a number of years ago, it just didn't get the hype it's getting now. My understanding is that amongst others the American special forces have an ongoing mission to stop him. I think you must also look at the funding/spending of the group doing this current video, and question their backing of the Ugandan army and remember that armies background.
I do not for one minute support Kony and will be as pleased as the next person when he is finally stopped.
I do though have a problem with this video personally in that without my knowledge it was shown to my 11 yr old child at school. I was not even informed of the fact after the event. I did not know until later that night when he came to me all upset and talking about dead bodies and sex slaves. I later found out a number of his class mates had the same problem and a large number of the parents are annoyed with the school for showing it to such young children without the parents knowledge. The school is standing by the fact children should be fully aware of the worlds issues. Agreed they should know we don't live in a world full of love and peace, but I question whether this video was aimed at 11 yr old children who with the best will in the world can make no change at this moment in time. A waterdown version/teaching by all means or at least tell the parents before the nightmares.
I know many will not agree with me, and no I do not wrap my kids in cotton wool before anyone says that !

I didn't see anything on the film that I haven't seen on the news and I let my son watch the News when he was 11.

I expect the complaining parents make sure their children don't watch the news at home. But that's a bit too sheltered to my way of thinking.
Gwynne

No my child watches the news but the early broadcast which did not show the dead bodies or sex slaves. My child knows there are bad people, that people get killed etc. He knows there's poverty in the world, we regularly give to food banks AND he helps with serving at food banks.
He isn't totally shelted as I said a watered down version was fine. The mainpoint is not telling the parents this had happened, this isn't an ordinary day to day school topic.
I do though feel children today have been desensitized too much, and they should be able to have a carefree childhood before they are adults when they are able to maybe make a change.

I personally think that children SHOULD be exposed to this and taught the realities of life. Why not? Life isnt all fluffy kittens and puppy dogs and it does no harm to teach that - IMHO. I have strong views on certain topics being taught in some schools as compulsory that, in my view and that of many others, does long lasting harm to children, but others wouldn't agree. So best leave it to the teachers. Thats what they get paid for. If they took every bit out that parents didnt like, their job would be even harder than it already is.

It's a matter for individuals, though, and as I dont have any children in school now I dont feel as if my views count for very much and nor should they.

Its not easy to decipher internet reports of what is happening either with this group or what is going on with the Ugandan army - but they are side issues. Seems to me that they are being highlighted to try to draw attention away from the scandalous indifference the rest of the world has shown in this. Genocide in Africa is acceptable to the rest of the world. The lack of action during the Rwanda masacres was shocking, sickening and every country in the world should hang its head in shame over that. The butchery in the Congo, CAR and the other countries in that region are equally appalling, but, hey, they provide cheap minerals and diamonds to big business so that we can have our ipods, ipads and plasma tellies. (google coltan)

Its about time they taught that in schools as well. That the west is happy to exploit peoples lives, that life is cheap and that mortality rates dont matter as long as we can send text messages and watch x factor and corry.

I think school is a place first to learn to read and write, and this is failing right now for many students in many western countries. I find schools right now in my experience tend to worry more about what's trendy and on the internet, rather than giving a basic foundation and then building on it.
Yes there are MANY wrongs in this world, but this one is at risk of becoming a trendy must be seen to be concerned trend....rather along the lines if I'm not for it there must be something wrong with me. This story is not a new story, just the way it's been presented to the younger adults eg the internet. To "get to him" you have to get through his body guards.....that would be the children he's "recruited".
For many years he has been hunted for, not just forgotten about.
Yes there are many problems in Africa and many other places, and until the western world stops buying those products it will go on.........next time you go shopping look at where that item came from there's not many items that haven't come from some poorly paid worker.
The main problem in many of these areas is the leadership on the ground, and until that changes you can make all the videos you want and it'll not make a jot of difference.....but then who are we to tell any other country how to run their lives.

Interesting points of view - agree with some but not others.

I cant see how opposing the utter degradation of human beings can be seen in any way as being trendy. And I would disagree about it not being a new story. It is new, because I, to my shame, have never heard it in such minute detail before. And many, many other people are the same.

Having first hand knowledge of the Rwandan massacres and the gutless conduct of the west during that debacle, there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong in pursuing every possible means of stopping the slaughter.

Who are we to tell anyone else how to run their countries? We told Libya. We are telling Syria. Afghanistan, Iraq. Is it something more fundamental when it comes to the central african countries? After all, we Europeans created the countries in the first place by drawing indiscriminate lines on maps. Historically we have viewed Sub Saharan Africa as merely a resource and paid scant regard to its peoples. We havent really changed much, have we.

So yes, there are many wrongs in this world. Some we can do something about, some are more difficult and some are impossible. This one is possible. Let me be blunt and possibly offensive here, but I make no apologies for it. If it was white children being massacred, it would stop. In a flash.