Kony 2012 Addresses its Critics

Invisible Children chief executive Ben Keesey defends his organisations Kony 2012 campaign in a new video.

Invisible Children CEO Ben Keesey has released a new video countering the organisation’s critics following the viral viewing of the Not for Profit’s Kony 2012 documentary which highlights Joseph Kony as the world’s worst war criminal.

Keesey says that the group has released the new 8-minute video to be "as transparent as possible". Though it's titled "Thank you, KONY 2012 Supporters" the video primarily aims to subvert skepticism and promote what the organisation describes as “the good intentions of Invisible Children”.

Invisible Children’s Kony2012 video went viral on YouTube last week as the Not for Profit claimed that its aim was to make Joseph Kony famous – not to celebrate him but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.

Critics claimed the Kony 2012 video encouraged a new term called ‘slacktivism’ and pointed to the organisation’s financials saying that too much of the organisation’s money was spent on non-program expenses and the video over simplified complex issues.

Keesey argues in the latest video that Invisible Children’s model includes “making compelling movies” and “encouraging advocacy” and development.

Keesey also says that Invisible Children’s 2007-2011 audited financial statements demonstrate that they spend more than 80 per cent on program expenses.

Keesey defends Invisible Children’s travel expenses and production costs and says these expenses are part of operational capacity building grant of $330,000 that the organisation received in 2011.

Invisible Children Inc. is headquartered in San Diego in the US and employs 43 full-time, permanent staff as well as hundreds of volunteers as part of their awareness and advocacy work internationally.

Invisible Children first began its work in Uganda in 2005.

While the original Kony 2102 28-minute video had hits in the tens of millions, so far views of the organisation’s new explanatory video are still in the thousands.

See the video here and make up your own mind.