I wish TLI could create so much
dialogue with one 30-minute video. In 5 days Invisible Children has
raised the profile of Joseph Kony, the man now famous for turning children into
soldiers, with a video that has 55 million views. The video's aim is to
bring Joseph Kony to justice by raising his profile amongst people, especially
younger ones tied into social media.
It Worked
I suppose that if the goal of
Invisible Children in this film was to raise awareness in the US about this
evil man, then mission accomplished. Last night on local news channels in
MN, the video was the lead story. Popular radio commentators talked about
it today. While I wonder if everyone has even watched all 30 minutes, it seems
most people at least know the gist.
What Christians Can Learn
This is one example of how
quickly new can spread through social media, and Christians would do well to
take note. There are many worthwhile causes in the world that deserve
help from people with great talent creating short films. Christians are
known for being behind the times when it comes to anything artistic.
Organizations that do invest in websites, good graphic design,
branding and video production have a much easier time explaining their mission
and inviting people to partner with them. Just think of Desiring God,
Resurgence and others.
But What about the Finances
Of course, anything that gets
this big is going to receive some criticism, and we would be wise to take note. The
Atlantic Wire posted a tongue in cheek article about the finances.
Yesterday's post
by Jeff Atherstone also highlighted the problem. There seems to be some
strange things going on with Invisible Children’s 990 (that's the tax form all
non-profits file every year). While reports vary, the group's financial
statement indicates that 32% of the money Invisible Children
received last year actually went toward direct services (money to Uganda).
The rest was spent on the production of film, travel costs and staff
salaries. Charity Navigator gives them 3 out of 4 stars.
The rub of course is whether you
believe in what Invisible Children is selling. If you want to give to a
non-profit who sees itself as raising awareness in the US by making t-shirts,
bracelets and movies, then this is your organization. If you want to see
your money going directly to children in Uganda, you should probably go
somewhere else.
What Christians Can Learn
Thank God for the Evangelical Counsel of Financial
Accountability. Started by Billy Graham
as a way of bringing financial accountability to Christian organizations, the
ECFA logo on an organizations website is a sign that you can trust where your
money is going. To be part of the ECFA you must have your books checked
by an independent accounting firm yearly and adhere to the practices set forth
by them. Not only that, but at any time the ECFA can audit their members
books to ensure people are following the rules. The ECFA also has a lot
of free resources, including compensation data to help churches and non-profits
determine salaries for their employees. If you are supporting an
organization that is not part of the ECFA, call and ask them why!
Another take away is that we must
be careful to clearly explain where the money goes, and it should not just be
on our tax returns. For example, TLI's books are open. We can tell
you the salaries of our employees, the cost of training pastors and the
administrative fee (10%) that we take for all of our activities.
But What about the Truthfulness
of the Video
Here is where some criticism is
justified. Let me again say - Kony is an evil man. There are many
men like him in the world. He does need to be dealt with. But let's
look at some facts:
- A 2011 story accused
Invisible Children of exaggerating the scope of LRA (Lord Resistance Army)
abductions and murders and the use of children soldiers. That does not
mean what Kony has done is not evil. It just means that Invisible Children
expands the facts.
- Joseph Kony has not been in
Uganda in six years. Not only that, we are not even sure he is alive!
This of course is a huge problem. Maybe the makers of the film are just
unaware.
- The LRA's numbers are now in the
100's and most of their crimes were 15-20 years ago. That of course does
not lessen what they have done. The video is just 15 years late.
- The Ugandan security forces are
not exactly the kind of group you want to get behind! As a matter of
fact, they have been accused of similar crimes against humanity.
What Christians Can Learn
I have heard wonderful and
glowing testimonies from short-term trips of how 1000's of people have come to
Christ because of the trip that was taken. I have read wonderful and
glowing reports of how villages have been saved, sickness has been thwarted and
churches have had their physical needs met, all from a group of 10 people who
stayed somewhere for 10 days.
We are prone to exaggerate or
imagine that our service has created bigger results than we think.
This is a problem. It is so
easy to exaggerate numbers. I have caught myself doing it,
almost as if it were natural. Let's all try not to exaggerate how
much we do and even relay the truth to supporters when things do not go as planned.
This leads to a great deal of transparency.
Western Charity - Toxic or
Helpful?
I do not doubt the intentions of
the filmmakers or those who are reposting this video all over Facebook. However, when the dust settles, what actually is going to be
accomplished? I offer some guidance here.
First, I would encourage you to read Toxic Charity and When Helping Hurts. These two books might open your eyes to the complexity of giving to charity and the often harmful things we as Western Christians cause through our generousity. $1 trillion dollars in aid has been given to Africa in the last 50 years and they are worse off because of it! It's good to think through why this is. I am so thankful that people in the United States desire to help people in desperate need. We just need to be more careful!
Second, read what Ugandans have to say. Read the thoughts of a principal of a Christian University. Read what a survivor of the LRA's attacks, whose life has been transformed by Christ says about this video. Read what some Ugandans are saying.
Third, think about supporting gospel centered organizations that are restoring the broken lives of those who have been oppressed by the LRA. Support ARCC, who is the only school I know of that has a degree in Child Development as well as an emphasis on disability ministry. If you know anything about Africa, you know that this type of education is important.
Lastly, don't just repost a cool video until you know the facts. Helping is just not that simple.
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