'KONY 2012' - Fact and Fiction in Post-Colonial Central Africa

A poster from the 'Kony 2012' Campaign. Photo: Zarateman

On 5th March 2012, the US-based non-government organisation Invisible Children released a 29 minute video entitled 'Kony 2012' on YouTube. Four months later, millions of people worldwide have viewed the viral video and its campaign call to capture the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, Joseph Kony, to face justice at the International Criminal Court.

But while the 'Kony 2012' campaign may be motivated by sincere humanitarian concerns, the message was oversimplified, misleading, and potentially dangerous.

Dr Wendy Lambourne from the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney joins Ugandan political activist Geoffrey Onen for the 'Politics in the Pub' series event, 'KONY 2012' - Fact and Fiction in Post-Colonial Central Africa

This conversation will discuss the challenges and weaknesses in Australian foreign policy on such issues as peacebuilding and development, as well as international justice for war criminals such as Jospeh Kony. Why do foreign policies fail to prevent mass human rights atrocities like Rwanda, Darfur and Syria, and instead often end up picking up the pieces? And when we do intervene, how do we justify the use of force which might cause more human rights violations, such as in Kosovo, Iraq and Libya, that undermine peacebuilding that addresses the root causes of the conflict?

Encompassing the perspectives of Geoffrey Onen, from Gulu in Northern Uganda, this discussion will include the views of those directly affected by the 'Kony 2012' campaign to highlight the current needs of people in northern Uganda and other hotspots of human rights violations.

Time: 6pm - 7:45pm

Location: The Gaelic Club, 64 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills

Cost: Free, no RSVP required

Contact: Dr Wendy Lambourne

Phone: 02 9036 9286

Email: 4e2c0a5235192239420737252345302620311c1a533f492a3d367c0623

More info: http://politicsinthepub.org.au/