March 8, 2012 – Melina Raquel Platas

From an interview with Jason Russell of Invisible Children, in the National Post, on the outcome of the Kony 2012 campaign.

“You really should do your research because this is a very unique and special case in which people do not have to die,” Mr. Russell said.

“We put a man on the moon. That’s what we did as human beings. People maybe should have died doing that but we figured it out.”

The key to capturing Mr. Kony is to outsmart him, Mr. Russell said in the interview.

“We have to use our technology and resources and human power to ask him to surrender because we don’t want this to end bloody,” he said, calling Mr. Kony “the world’s worst criminal.”

“We don’t want bombs being dropped. We don’t want a bullet through his head. We want him alive. That’s the win.”

Mr. Russell said he sees a “beautiful ending” to the manhunt that ends with Mr. Kony surrendering peacefully, boarding a helicopter and being tried in the International Criminal Court.

I am still organizing my thoughts for a response to the Stop Kony 2012 campaign and the video that has gone viral over the past few days. My initial reactions are now being subsumed by those that have come in response to the online debate (in some cases more accurately described as a virtual fist-fight) between Invisible Children supporters and IC’s critics. I am outraged by some of the accusations leveled by IC supporters at critics of the campaign — “you must not care or know as much as we do” — which would be hilarious if it weren’t so deeply offensive. I’m alarmed that such an important debate is frequently getting personal.

For now, some links:

A rant on good intentions — same debate, different campaign. My blog, April 2009

Invisible Children, the Next Chapter — Glenna Gordon

My response to Invisible Children’s campaign — Rosebell Kagumire

Invisible Children’s campaign of infamy — Angelo Izama

Joseph Kony is not in Uganda — Michael Wilkerson

Visible children — Chris Blattman

The definitive ‘Kony 2012’ drinking game — Wronging Rights

Invisible Children addresses critiques — Invisible Children

Kony 2012, viewed critically — Visible Children

On Kony 2012 — The Daily What

Viral video puts spotlight on Ugandan warlord — CNN blog