Kony 2012 - Lessons for the Vincentian Family
The power of this story already equals 35 million viewing hours! The 30 minute Kony 2012 video is now officially the fastest spreading viral video of all time, with over 70 million views and half a million comments in less than 5 days — and by the time you finish reading this post, there’s bound to be many more.
Apart from the merits of this video which is also drawing significant critical backlash there does seem to be a lesson in here for the Vincentian Family. Stories, well told, are powerful tools as the voice of the poor and suffering.
How did this video reach reach so many people? There are various professional analyses – What Kony 2012 can teach non-profits about marketing and How Did the Kony 2012 Video Go Viral So Quickly?
For Vincentians it can serve as a reminder of the power of our advocacy if we take it seriously and do it well. We must learn to be more effective in telling the story of the forgotten and marginalized ones.
Tags: Advocacy, children, Human trafficking, Kony 2012, Vincentian
The success of the Kony viral video has been amazing to observe. I viewed it in its entirety in the early hours of the campaign, but I didn’t share. Something about it stuck in my craw. I think it was that tone of vengeance at the end, with the message from President Obama re: the sending of military advisors. But the phenomenon is well worth contemplating. The video did indeed harness the power of story, even if it dumbed it down considerably. It communicated clearly a singular message and captured viewers’ interest. The move may backfire, so it is important to keep watching what actually happens. It’s easy to share a video on Facebook. Will the millions actually DO anything? So much Famvin can learn from this, especially in how the story of the poor is communicated in the 21st Century and among young people. See similar reflections in noted non-profit blogger Beth Kanter Resources on the controversy Lessons from Kony 2012 for power social media users4 Comments
http://www.bethkanter.org/kony-and-transparency/
http://rachelheldevans.com/invisible-children-kony-2012-resources
http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/03/09/12-lessons-from-kony-2012-from-social-media-power-users/
The success of the Kony viral video has been amazing to observe. I viewed it in its entirety in the early hours of the campaign, but I didn’t share. Something about it stuck in my craw. I think it was that tone of vengeance at the end, with the message from President Obama re: the sending of military advisors. But the phenomenon is well worth contemplating. The video did indeed harness the power of story, even if it dumbed it down considerably. It communicated clearly a singular message and captured viewers’ interest. The move may backfire, so it is important to keep watching what actually happens. It’s easy to share a video on Facebook. Will the millions actually DO anything? So much Famvin can learn from this, especially in how the story of the poor is communicated in the 21st Century and among young people.
See similar reflections in noted non-profit blogger Beth Kanter
http://www.bethkanter.org/kony-and-transparency/
Resources on the controversy
http://rachelheldevans.com/invisible-children-kony-2012-resources
Lessons from Kony 2012 for power social media users
http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/03/09/12-lessons-from-kony-2012-from-social-media-power-users/