2012 March 19 — It’s obvious that the acts Joseph Kony has committed against humanity are heinous. Attacking and kidnapping children to form an army. Horrendous.

Yet, I wonder what to make of the KONY 2012 campaign led by the likes of John Russell and his organization, Invisible Children. I’ve been skeptical of the charity for some time now and my concerns have been confirmed with the recent evidence mounting against the reliability of this organization, where its fundraising goes, and its claims to fight against against Kony.

Let’s look at the funding paper trail.

The largest chunk of donations are used for the functional expenses of the charity i.e. “awareness” products, films, travel expenses, salaries of the groups leaders, the “documentary,” merch with Kony’s name on it, and video campaigns to rival the most epic of flash mobs, boasting show-stopping musical numbers that look like they cost a fortune.

“According to Invisible Children’s 2011 annual report, the group brought in $13.7 million in revenue that year. The breakdown of expenses shows: $2.3 million was spent on “awareness” programs. The group spent $1.4 million for management and general expenses, $850,050 on ‘awareness products,’ $699,617 for media and film creation, and $286,678 for fundraising.” (See the breakdown on Charity Navigator)

Wouldn’t this money be better spent attempting to get humanitarian aid and rescue services to these children?

$3.3 million is directly funneled to the army of the Ugandan government in order to “provide weapons and resources.”

Although, with a bit of research, one realizes that the Ugandan army itself is guilty of many sexual and violent crimes against its own people and may be using the funds for nefarious purposes.

And then, if my math is correct, that leaves $4.9 million…Where is that going?

Not only are the expenses and salaries staggering and other funds going to questionable and unknown sources, there is also the fact that the Ugandan people and their government are insulted by the KONY 2012 charity and its methods.

“On March 13, the documentary was screened in northern Uganda, where many are personally affected by the acts of Kony. The reaction was surprising. People began getting angry, yelling, and throwing stones at the screen and the organizers who co-ordinated the screening. People were angry that real victims were not used in the video. Most of all, however, they were angry about the method in which they were trying to solve the issue. By making Kony a celebrity, the people of Uganda affected, felt insulted and sick, seeing millions around the world carrying around or wearing Kony’s name or face. One woman related the efforts of Invisible Children to if people around the world were to wear Osama Bin Laden’s name and face on their clothes, bracelets and signs.”

The Prime Minister of Uganda, himself, stated in response that while the KONY 2012 campaign is quite “inspiring” he believes that “we (the Ugandan people) do not need a Youtube video to take notice of this problem.” Right Honourable Amama Mbabazi goes on further saying, “Let Africa deal with its problems, instead having the US military invade it.“

It was also emphasized by Ugandan leaders that these travesties have been occurring in Uganda for decades, so their main response has been: Why now? Especially when Kony hasn’t really been heard from for over 6 years.

The straw that broke the camel’s back though was the incident which occurred 3 days ago, when Jason Russell (co-founder and spokesperson of Invisible Children, as well as figurehead behind the KONY 2012 campaign) was arrested for public drunkenness, vandalism of property, and public masturbation.

It seems to me that while it is inarguable that Kony is a vicious and disgusting man who must be stopped, Invisible Children is not the organization you should put your faith in to do it. It abuses charitable donations to pay salaries, create merch with a criminal’s name on it, and make big budget videos. It gives donations to the military committing crimes against its own people, hides where the rest of its funding goes, and doesn’t think first of the Ugandan people and their needs, as they are the actual victims of Kony.

What can we learn from this?

With every new campaign, charity, or cause, we all have to be a little skeptical at first. We live in a time in which social media spreads news like wildfire. And while that can be of positive benefit when generating awareness and organizing movements, it is becoming hard to distinguish what is trustworthy and reliable when we live in a world of misinformation and compulsive re-tweeters. I am a college student and I cannot tell you how many people I knew who re-posted the Kony doc, but then admitted to never watching the 30-minute video. They hardly knew what it was about, but shared because that’s what everyone else was doing. Or, if they did take the time to watch the video, they didn’t dig any further into Invisible Children before hastily supporting. This to me is unsettling and disappointing.

I’m the first to fight for what I believe in. You’ll always find me joining a rally or protest, donating, and volunteering for the causes dear to me. Being an activist opens doors to change, alters government policies, and encourages others to join.

But, you have to make sure you are fighting the right way and supporting ethical charities in the process. Too many people just jump on the bandwagon and don’t take the time to investigate what they are championing.

We saw this same thing happen with the Occupy movement. I encountered multiple people who only joined in on Occupy Cincinnati because they wanted to be part of a protest, but they didn’t even know what it was all about. These same people were the ones plastering their selfies from the protest on social media later that day. And probably the same who turned their Twitter icon green in support of the opposition party in the Iran election?

I ask you: What do music videos and social media selfies and colored profile pics truly do to advance a cause? In my opinion, there are far better ways to use your time and actually help others.

The next time you decide to commit to a cause: Be in it for the long haul and choose mindful activism over fake activism.

Don’t just add a symbolic banner to your online account. Share posts and blogs with educational information. Visibility and getting knowledge to others is important.

Get your hands dirty. Volunteer.

Research before you donate and support an organization. Make sure you’re backing those who are making a real impact.

Fight because you are passionate. Because it’s something you believe in. Because you have done your homework and are well-versed. Be a leader not a follower.

Get involved and make a difference. For the right reasons.

Jillian Leedy