Have You Really Invested in Kony 2012?

March 9, 2012 — 23 Comments
Have You Really Invested in Kony 2012? | Joseph Lalonde

By now you have probably heard about Kony 2012.

It is a movement started by Invisible Children to capture the leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony.

Kony has, for years, been part of the kidnapping and turning young boys into killers. It is a sad story that Invisible Children has brought to light through the Kony 2012 video.

The video has become a YouTube sensation. Over 40 million views. You or your friends have probably shared it on YouTube.

If you have not yet seen the video, you may do so below.

Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.
– Albert Einstein

Social Media makes it easy to feel like you have invested in a cause.

There are SHARE buttons. There are LIKE buttons. All to let your friends know that something appealed to you.

It is so easy.

You click the SHARE button on Facebook. Maybe even send out an email or two to your friends.

Your good deed is done. You have done your part and invested in capturing this monster.

But have you really?

Did you donate money to Invisible Children? Did you contact them to see what else you could do? Did you organize a fundraiser to raise money for this cause?

If all you did was share the video, you did not invest in the cause. You just clicked a button. You passed on information.

You are probably thinking this is pretty harsh. It may be. But it is also the truth.

You have no skin in the game. It cost you nothing to click the button.

To really be invested, you need to give.

  • Your time
  • Your money
  • Your energy

Until it costs you something, you are not invested. You are just sharing.

The same goes for your leadership.

Do you really invest yourself in the life of those that you are leading?

Do you

  • Invest your time freely in the team? Or do you just show up and do your thing?
  • Pour yourself out for your team? Are you willing to fill them while emptying yourself?
  • Help when you see others struggling? Do you go above and beyond your title?

Take time today to reflect on how invested you really are.

Have you been clicking the SHARE button and nothing else? Or have you truly been investing in others or a cause?

Look for areas that you can fully invest yourself into.

Is there a young man or woman that needs guidance? Guide them!

Is there someone that needs help paying the bills? Invest in them!

Is there someone that needs an ear to listen? Listen to them!

Get invested and watch it multiply.

If you feel like you have not really invested into a project and have just been clicking the SHARE button, I encourage you to put your money where your mouth is, put your feet to the ground, or put your words into action.

Regardless of who points you towards an organization, please be sure to look into any organization before you donate. Make sure the money or time you give is used in a wise and proper manner.

Below you will find four ways to invest in and help the less fortunate.

Invisible Children – They are working to end the atrocities in Sudan and other countries where boys are kidnapped and made into soldiers. Share the video but, more importantly, be willing to give of your time and money if you feel led to do so. Get invested in the cause.

Kiva – They are a micro loan program. You join with others to fund the loan of an entrepreneur in another country. Eventually they will pay back the loan and you can either withdraw the money or reinvest in other entrepreneurs. Currently they are offering 38,000 new lenders $25 to loan.

Gospel for Asia – For $11 you can give a pair of rabbits and help ensure a nutritious diet for growing families as they produce up to 40 bunnies a year! After a pair is given back to the church for distribution, additional offspring can also provide income for the family as well as nourishing meals. Or you can chose one of the many other items to donate or even your time and energy.

Adventures in Missions – You can choose from many projects to donate. Whether it be for Kenya, Disaster Relief, India, or locally. They have many great options.

No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his well-being, to risk his body, to risk his life, in a great cause.
– Theodore Roosevelt

Question: Have you thought that clicking the SHARE button was fully investing yourself in a cause? What ways have you put skin in the game by investing in a cause? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.


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Joseph Lalonde

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  • http://twitter.com/croyseniles Christine Niles

    Joe, you’ve hit on something that is really important…Social media is an amazing tool to increase awareness into causes, but awareness is just the first step of many needed to actually solve any problem.

    My skin is in the orphan-care game in a number of ways, including using my blog to create awareness. It feels to “braggy” to write everything out, and at the same time, even as I count them up, I know that I could and should be doing so much more.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Thanks for the comment and sharing how you have skin in the game. I can tell by your blog that you’re doing a great work. The work that you’re doing is something that needs to be brought to the attention of people and you’re leading the way. Not just by mentioning it but by doing something!

  • Jeff E.

    Great article Joe!! Did you read my mind last night? I was actually going to post some thoughts similar to this last night on facebook about 11:30, but it didn’t happen. LOL

    I’m finding myself frustrated by this whole Kony thing, but I can’t really put my finger on why. That being said, I think the points so well-written in your article sum up much of it.

    So many people are suddenly claiming to be making a real difference in this world (by their own words) by re-posting and sharing the Kony video. Truth is….most of these people haven’t given more than a few hundred dollars per year to charities at best, have never volunteered more than two hours a charitable organization, never gone down to the local mission to serve some people or play with the kids, or checked on the sick neighbor next door. At best, most of them have gone on an organized two-week ‘mission trip’ with some friends that was more like a vacation than anything else. All little spur of the moment things to do, because somebody else was there telling them to do it. The preacher was preaching on giving money, or the friends were looking forward to a road trip. Now, sharing the video is the cool thing…but that takes even less effort.

    I don’t want to downplay the Kony efforts. On the contrary, IC has really shown the world the true influential and positive power than good video production and social networking can have! To me, that’s exciting. There is some criticism about IC’s financial responsibility, but as I did say in one of my posts, one should always due their due diligence when giving. I don’t care if their buying $5 million in tanning lotion, as long as they make that information available to their donors, and the donors make themselves aware of this before they decide to give.

    Indeed I am a critic, but not a critic of IC per se. More of a critic of the hoards of people jumping on a bandwagon, who know nothing about the inner workings of IC, and have suddenly now labeled themselves as serious-minded world changers because they jumped on board and clicked a mouse.

    Oh yeah….the kid down the road is looking for someone to hang with since his dad got locked up. The other neighbor next door just needs someone to talk to as she’s on the bring of suicide since her husband walked out 4 months ago. There’s another friend on facebook who just had surgery and could really use a hot meal brought over, and the kids babysat for a couple of hours. Man…I’d love to help these people Joe, but I’ve got a world to change. I’ve got mouse buttons to click. Videos to share, so they’ll just have to wait.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Maybe Jeff or maybe you read mine? Oh well, great minds think alike, right?

    • http://talesofwork.com/ kimanzi constable

      Very well said Jeff, I feel the same way!

    • Dan, (look it up in Genesis)

      “[...] but I’ve got a world to change. I’ve got mouse buttons to click. Videos to share, so they’ll just have to wait.

      You forgot the biggest way most ‘world-changers’ (think they’re) impacting the world: signing an online petition. Now, that’s intense! I mean, it combines time -although not as much as watching a 30 minute video – with effort, (having to ‘write’ their name on the line). Talk about a sweat shop environment!
      As for me, I think going to a small – and shrinking – church full of elderly folks who have been attending that church, (and little/no thing but attending church) for 50-ish years, to hear what dead men did 250-340+ decades ago is about as time involved and sacrifical as I can possible risk getting. And most my christian friends seem to agree, given the inertia/indifference/verbosity they tend to engage in — and engage in quite frequently!
      Which is why I don’t bother with online petitions or videos any more. Hearing about Hosea & Gomer in a service full of spectator-critics is more involvement than most folks around here do. (I live in a region where 1/8 – 1/12 go so far as to attend church.) Yeah, I have plenty to be proud of!

      NOT!

      • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

        Ahhh… The good old “Sign the online petition” that requires only a few keystrokes and no accountability.

  • http://talesofwork.com/ kimanzi constable

    I think it’s interesting when people get all fired up about something like this video and want to send money but aren’t faithful in their tithe to the Lord. Most of the time they donate or share is because they see everyone else doing it, especially when celebrities are involved. Giving starts with the tithe.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Oh, so true Kimanzi! You hit on a great point that I overlooked.

      You can also take the tithing and offering issue to why the church has been unable/unwilling to help those in need and crying for the government to step in and help.

      • http://talesofwork.com/ kimanzi constable

        Amen brother!

    • http://tcavey.blogspot.com/ TCAvey

      Very good point! God wants us to be wise Stuarts of our money (really His money). That means giving in tithes and donating to reputable charities.

  • http://danblackonleadership.com/ Dan Black

    Sharing can help but its not the answer. It takes more to give your money or time than it does to spread the word. Hopefully with enough sharing the people who will step up and make the changes needed.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Exactly Dan.

  • http://www.thestoriedsoul.wordpress.com/ Arny

    Really good thoughts Joe…

    there are so many things we can do in our own towns that we overlook…go look under a bridge in downtown…

    in mine….countless homeless…and children too…

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Thanks Arny.

      It is so true. I know our city has many homeless and needy people too.

      One of the guys from my church has started to bring some of the homeless or less fortunate to church with him. To be honest, it surprised me as it is not the norm.

  • http://tcavey.blogspot.com/ TCAvey

    I think I live in a bubble, I had not heard of this- but maybe I shouldn’t be surprised I haven’t heard of it, I don’t have FB and I rarely look at You Tube. Thank you for sharing.

    I agree that far too few people actually invest in a cause (besides the cause of themselves). Following Christ should cost something, if it’s not maybe its time to re-evaluate the relationship.

    You wrote a very convicting post.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      You might TC but that is okay since you don’t have Facebook. If you did, I’m sure you would have seen this video.

      I agree about our relationship with Christ. We think it should be all sunshine and roses yet that is the farthest thing from it. Jesus said we would have to die to ourselves, give up our desires, and leave the ones we love.

      I don’t know of many people who have done that. Do you?

      • http://tcavey.blogspot.com/ TCAvey

        I don’t Joe. Living in America has given us many blessings, however I think it has also weakened our walks with Christ. We don’t know how to count the costs-not like Pastor Youcef in Iran.
        God has been speaking to me about this very topic, I invite you my latest blog post. I would love to hear your perspective on what God has laid on my heart about living a breakthrough life!

        Thank you for your wonderful posts. You have a great blog.

  • http://www.jasonvana.com Jason Vana

    I can honestly say I’m not invested in the Kony 2012 cause, but I am fully invested in impacting the lives of youth, young adults and university students around the world. I’ve given my time, energy, even my vacation time from my job to work with young people and lead mission trips.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      That is an amazing area to be invested in. Those three demographics are usually overlooked in the church world.

  • http://tcavey.blogspot.com/ TCAvey

    I really hate doing this. But I prayed about it and since I first heard about Kony from this post, I want to share with you the latest developments I have found related to Kony. Please check out my blog post http://tcavey.blogspot.com/2012/03/curiosity-killed-this-cat-kony-2012.html
    I hope it raises awareness and makes people think before getting caught up in a movement.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Thanks for sharing the link to your post TC.

      I agree with your point. We should always investigate what we are investing in before we actually donate or give. I thought I made mention to check into any organization before you invest in it but I guess I missed it. I’ve since amended the post.

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