Last month a video went viral that forced the world into action; Kony 2012 completely grasped the world’s view of an event taking place in Uganda as well as East and Central Africa.
This video began with a cry to stop Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRS) once and for all.
The film was created by Invisible Children, an organization that aims to do one thing, make Kony the name on everyone’s lips.
By making Kony famous, Invisible Children hopes that President Obama will chose to continue to aid in the capture and incarceration of Joseph Kony.
Kony believes himself to be leading a Christian Movement, but this movement of over 26 years has brought nothing but terror to the countries of Central Africa. He has kidnapped thousands of children, turning the boys in to killers and forcing the girls to become sex slaves.
Kony has been hunted by the International Criminal Court since 2005, when he was charged with humanity and war crimes, yet he is still free, bringing us back to the Kony 2012 project.
Since the videos release, people around the world have been sharing, tweeting and creating groups dedicated to the movement, all with the date April 21 in mind, including students here at Mercer.
A freshmen here at Mercer, Haley Robinson, create a group called “Covering the Town and Campus with Kony Poster” on Facebook.
“If people know, [then] it will become something that cannot be ignored,” said Robinson.
KeAndria Willis joined the group and said, “It’s easy to get involved with this movement so we should give a helping hand by making our community aware.”
There are many Facebook pages and forms dedicated to the posturing of towns on the night of April 20 but this is just one part of the Kony movement here on Mercer Campus.
Stephanie Jensen, a resident assistant in the Mary Erin Porter complex, has been passionate about the Invisible Children’s program since last year when she first hear about it through a Residence Life program.
Jensen along with other resident assistants have put together an information night.
“The evening will include watching a video called Rescue Mission that Invisible Children put out a few years ago. We will also be discussing the recent Kony 2012 video, as well as talking about the blanket the night event that is coming up in April. This will be an opportunity for students to create awareness around Macon,” said Jensen.
Jensen was not the only organizer of the night; Brittany Chandler, Michelle Moran, Gary Wall, Belsy Garcia, Crissy Dyson, and Josh Deremer all helped to organize the event.
Chandler, another resident assistant, heard about the Invisible Children’s movement two years ago.
“When I attended the first Invisible Children program held at Mercer, I was shocked. I could not believe that this was the first time I was hearing about Joseph Kony and the LRA. I thought to myself, this man is committing genocide and half of the world knows nothing about his brutal actions. I knew that something had to be done to raise awareness about the LRA, even if it meant starting locally with Mercer’s campus,” said CHandler.
For more information about the Kony 2012 movement or to watch the video, visit www.kony2012.com.
Kony 2012 hits Mercer
