Thread: KONY 2012 sequel is out and firing back at critics

Kony sequel is out and firing back at critics

A famously viral and controversial video that turned an African warlord into a household name in February now has a sequel.

On Thursday morning, the San Diego-based organization Invisible Children released "Beyond Famous." Coming in at 19 minutes – about 10 minutes less than the group's first video – the sequel addresses media criticism of the first "Kony 2012" video, which caught fire on Twitter and was reportedly viewed on YouTube 100 million times. It also explains what politicians in Washington and in Africa have done in the past month since the original "Kony 2012" video.

The second video continues to advocate for the capture of Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army. Formed in the 1980s, the LRA is a sectarian military and religious group that operates in Uganda and South Sudan. As its leader, Kony recruited child soldiers and committed numerous atrocities include raping and maiming civilians, experts say. Kony is at large.

Ben Keesey, Invisible Children's executive director, told CNN the makers of the first video said they wanted to explain the plight of children affected by the LRA. The video hung its narrative on 30-something American filmmaker Jason Russell, his friendship with a young Ugandan boy who had escaped from the LRA, and Russell's young son, Gavin.

At one point in that video, Russell tells his son on camera that there are bad guys like Kony in the world. The child reacts as any child would – incredibly scared. Russell, who recently had a public meltdown, is not part of the sequel.

Critics blasted the video as overly simplistic.

"We made the first video intentionally for a young Western audience, and therefore it was a priority that the video keep their attention," Keesey told CNN on Thursday. "This (new) video goes deeper. I think people will respond."

The sequel opens with soundbites from critics of the first video. The voices of various pundits and media personalities say "simplified" a couple of times. Mid-sentence soundbites from journalists, several of them on CNN, round out the beginning of the video.

Keesey narrates, explaining the creation of the campaign, its progress and ongoing efforts to stop the LRA. Part two essentially rehashes what was in the first video, but Keesey notes that officials from the United States to Africa have spoken recently about their desire to stop Kony or have signed measures aimed at stopping him. He adds that the African Union recently announced plans to deploy 5,000 troops to hunt down Kony.

The United Nations, meanwhile, said in late March that attacks by Kony's army are increasing.

Kony sequel is out and firing back at critics – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

5 April 2012 Last updated at 13:35 ET

Kony 2012 activist group releases new video

US activist group Invisible Children has released a sequel to its video highlighting the activities of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony.The first 30-minute film attracted some 100 million views online, but was criticised for simplifying the issue.

The follow-up has been made without input from the group's co-founder, who suffered a mental breakdown following publicity generated by the film.

The film-makers pledged to include more context in the latest video.

The first film profiled Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army, a militia operating in several African countries which has kidnapped thousands of children, forcing girls to become sex slaves and boys to fight as child soldiers.

Some criticised the video for oversimplifying a complex issue. Uganda's Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said that the video wrongly gave the impression that the country was still at war.

Titled Kony 2012: Beyond Famous, the new release begins with the huge media reaction to the initial release, highlighting the mainstream media coverage the video gained across the US.

Analysis
Martin Plaut

Africa editor, BBC News

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This film is a huge improvement on the first version. Still very slick, it uses African voices to make the case for ending the threat from Joseph Kony. As the former Ugandan presidential candidate Norbert Mao puts it: "Let those who are the professors write their books and create academic awareness. But this one grabs your gut and shakes you until you are forced to pay attention."

The campaign says it has already chalked up achievements: two resolutions in the US Congress signed by nearly 100 members. Without this kind of pressure political support for the US special forces tracking Kony could easily evaporate. It's claimed that since the first film was shown another 57 people have been abducted by his murderous group - the Lord's Resistance Army.

The need for action is real and immediate, even though the campaign is somewhat vague about whether it wants Kony dead or in custody. But who can argue with the basic message: "The human connection extends around the world?"

But it quickly switches focus to Africa, with more voices from Uganda than were featured in the emotive first release.

That film struck a chord with a younger generation not often engaged with the traditional news agenda.

"This generation has responded to the call to make Joseph Kony famous," the group said, promising to take the "next step" on 20 April.

"Part II gives a closer look at the Lord's Resistance Army, the international efforts to stop them, the progress that has already been made, and what we can all do to help," the group said.

New news

Some US senators claimed to have been alerted to the problem by their children amid the popularity of the first release.

"All three of my kids, in different context and different times have said: 'So what are you doing about Joseph Kony and the LRA?"' Senator Chris Coons told the Associated Press.

Mr Coons is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations African affairs sub-committee. He has travelled to Africa to hear about the issue firsthand.

A recent report from the US Pew Research centre concluded that the first film represented a new way for young people consume news.

Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army is no longer active in Uganda
It found that 40% of 18-29 year-olds had heard about the video, compared with 20% of 30-49-year-olds and 18% of 50-64-year-olds.

The younger age group was also far more likely to have viewed the video. The majority had heard about it via social networks such as Twitter.

"The 30-minute video... provided striking evidence that young adults and their elders at times have different news agendas and learn about news in different ways," the report said.

Invisible Children's co-founder Jason Russell is currently in hospital after he was found semi-naked and screaming at traffic in the streets of San Diego.

He made himself the focus of the first film and came in for some heavy criticism from other advocacy groups and aid agencies.

Many criticised the Kony 2012 project for prescribing a "colonialist" approach to the issue of the LRA without empowering Africans to fix their own problems.

BBC News - Kony 2012 activist group releases new video

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