From My Far Too Busy Mind (:

thedailywhat:

On Kony 2012: The Visible Victims Speak: Considering that Kony 2012 — the most viral video in Internet history — exploits the suffering of northern Ugandans to raise money, Victor Ochen, a victim of the Lord’s Resistance Army and a founder of the nonprofit African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), thought it only right that they should get to see it too.

Ochen traveled to the city of Lira, where he and his NGO set up a makeshift outdoor theater so locals could watch Invisible Children’s much-discussed fundraising campaign, and decide for themselves if it helps or hurts.

According to a statement released by AYINET, over 35,000 people attended the screening, many of whom rode in on bikes from neighboring villages. Additionally, some two million northern Uganda residents tuned in to a live broadcast of the audio aired simultaneously on five FM radio stations.

Al Jazeera reporter Malcolm Webb, who was on hand to gauge people’s reactions, filed the following account:

People I spoke to anticipated seeing a video that showed the world the terrible atrocities that they had suffered during the conflict, and the ongoing struggles they still face trying to rebuild their lives after two lost decades.

The audience was at first puzzled to see the narrative lead by an American man – Jason Russell – and his young son.

Towards the end of the film, the mood turned more to anger at what many people saw as a foreign, inaccurate account that belittled and commercialised their suffering, as the film promotes Kony bracelets and other fundraising merchandise, with the aim of making Kony infamous.

A woman Webb spoke with afterwards compared IC’s approach of selling products with Kony’s image to “selling Osama Bin Laden paraphernalia post 9/11,” which she felt would be offensive to many Americans, irrespective of how “well-intentioned” the fundraising campaign was.

Last night’s screening was AYINET’s first and last. It announced this morning that it had suspended further screenings of Kony 2012 in light of the outrage it caused.   Wrote Ochen: “It was very hurtful for victims and their families to see posters, bracelets and t-shirts, all looking like a slick marketing campaign, promoting the person most responsible for their shattered lives.”

“Why give such criminals celebrity status?” asked people in attendance, according to AYINET. “Why not make the plight of the victims and the war-ravaged communities, people whose sufferings are real and visible, the focus of a campaign to help?”

[aljazeera / ayinet.]

sealegslegssea:

calmitate:

cosmiceclipse:

kimpoyfeliciano:

GET INVOLVED. STOP AT NOTHING. THE WORLD MUST KNOW.

I dare you to stop scrolling through your dashboard. Stop checking your Facebook newsfeed that you’ve already checked two seconds ago. Stop updating your Twitter and seeing what your favorite celebrities are saying. Stop watching funny and nonsense videos on Youtube. Take time to educate yourself to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in this world. This is your chance! WATCH THIS VIDEO.

Let’s make JOSEPH KONY Famous!!

Who is JOSEPH KONY?

He is THE WORST LIVING CRIMINAL. He abducts children and makes them use guns to kill their own parents. He takes girls and forces them to be sex slaves. He calls his abducted children the Lord’s Resistance Army, AKA the LRA. He has abducted over 30,000 children and forced them to be child soldiers in Central Africa. He remains at large because he is INVISIBLE to the world. FEW know his name, even FEWER know his crimes. WE ARE MAKING HIM FAMOUS! Because when he is, the world will unite against him and demand his arrest.

We can help make a change. We can make a difference.

I feel so inspired. I feel the need to help and make a difference. This has to happen in 2012. We can’t let him go around and keep doing this to children in Central Africa. Let’s make his name known so he can be stopped. HE CAN NO LONGER BE INVISIBLE!

REBLOG IF YOU CARE.

This will not make your blog ugly, please take a moment to reblog and get the word out. SHARE THIS TO EVERYONE! Be a part of something BIG and when they catch this man, you would be able to say.. “I HELPED.”

LET’S START HERE ON TUMBLR.

I won’t stop reblogging this until December of this year, so please, visit the Kony 2012 website http://www.kony2012.com/ or the http://www.invisiblechildren.com/ website, please. I’m begging you just to watch.

Please, take the time to watch this. Please. 

So I know it seems a bit long but man, this was powerful.

Please watch and share.

(via childrenslaughter)

thedailywhat:

Words Of Wisdom of the Day: Washington state Rep. Maureen Walsh (R-Walla Walla) chokes back tears as she speaks candidly in support of the state’s bill to legalize same-sex marriages.

The legislation passed yesterday by a vote of 55 to 43 and now heads to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who has already promised to sign it into law.

Money: “My daughter came out of the closet a couple of years ago and you know what I thought I was going to agonize about that. Nothing’s different. She’s still a fabulous human being and she met someone she loves very much. And some day, by God, I want to throw a wedding for that kid. And someday I hope that’s what I can do.”

[buzzfeed.]

Love this so much.

thedailywhat:

So This Happened of the Day: Scrubs castmates Zach Braff and Donald Faison get the band back together for a very special Vanilla and Chocolate Bear rendition of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

[reddit.]

#alsoascrubsnerd

thedailywhat:

Stop What You’re Doing And Watch The Hell Out Of This of the Day: Metro Detroit native Ross Capicchioni, who was shot multiple times by a person he thought was his friend, tells The Berrics his absolutely must-hear story of survival, recovery, and justice.

[b3ta.]

thedailywhat:

Accidental Badassery of the Day: Totally meant to do that.

[reddit.]