Thursday 5 April 2012

Sequel To Kony Viral Video Hit 'Digs Deeper'


A sequel to the hugely popular viral video aimed at boosting the international hunt for the brutal Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army has been released.

The original film - Kony 2012 - became an internet sensation last month, racking up 100 million hits on YouTube since it was posted and thrusting the activists' group director into the spotlight.
The follow-up - Kony 2012: Part II: Beyond Famous - provides further details on the progression of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the various political movements that have begun since the release of Kony 2012.
Both films were made by Invisible Children, a US non-governmental organisation.
Its chief executive Ben Keesey said: "We want people to dig deeper into this conflict and actively engage in the solutions.
"A month ago, we launched Kony 2012 with the goal to make Joseph Kony famous in order to bring his crimes to light, and people all around the world are now calling for his arrest. 'Beyond Famous' is a call to turn global awareness into informed action."
According to the new film, since the campaign to have Kony hunted down began the LRA has abducted 57 more people.
Kony 2012 filmmaker Jason Russell during promotional work for Invisible Children
Director Jason Russell suffered a brief breakdown last month
Noticeably missing from the new video is the voice of the activist group's co-founder, Jason Russell, who directed the first instalment.
Russell was diagnosed with brief psychosis last month after witnesses saw him pacing naked on a street in San Diego, California, screaming incoherently and banging his fists on the pavement.
His outburst happened shortly after Kony 2012 thrust the group into the global limelight.
The success of the first video was hailed for inspiring young people to activism, but has been criticised for oversimplifying the long-standing human rights crisis in the region.
The conflict is not limited to Uganda, but has long since spilled over into the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Kony was last sighted, and where other rebel groups and government forces have also been accused of atrocities.
Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court for leading a campaign of rape, mutilation and murder, kidnapping boys to serve as child soldiers and girls as sex slaves.
The LRA also operates in South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

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