A Strange Day

Is there something in the air? It was a strange day for me today due to emotions evoked from conversations and news stories etc. So much so that I thought it warranted a blog. 

It was great today to witness the whole school where I work get together and rally around a student who was shaving off his much loved hair for charity. I always find it interesting how much the atmosphere of a place and the people in it changes for the better when someone is doing something for others. There were other stories today but in my line of work most of those are confidential. I can talk about some of the other stuff, like the public headlines that I encountered today in the news.

Our National Treasure, mining magnate Mr Clive Palmer has accused today the CIA of funding the greens in a conspiracy to destroy Australia's coal industry. The CIA? usually when someone thinks the CIA is out to get them we wrap them up in a straightjacket and put them in a padded room. Maybe the mining tax legislation going through took it's toll on him? And how the mining tax was passed was weird because the ex opposition Speaker of the House stepped in to break a voting deadlock,  siding with the government. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen nearly blew it for the government by missing the vote. I'd be inclined to whack him on the backside for that except that another piece of legislation was also passed, one that I'd like to shake his hand for.

Refugees arriving by boat are now to have the same rights as those that arrive by plane in how their application for asylum is processed. There is still a long way to go to stop the deliberate dehumanisation of those arriving by boat as a detterant to others who might come. I get why they do that but it doesn't make it right. The courts have stated over and over that government and opposition strategies for dealing with refugees are illegal. If Australia is so intent on stopping the boats and branding refugees as illegal immigrants then we should remove ourselves from the treaty that says we will honour the human rights of refugees. I for one see no honour in dehumanising and turning away those in need so while there is still a way to go, this legislation is a step in the right direction and I applaud it.

And then all of this was overshadowed by the passing of Jim Stynes. He's the real national treasure here, loved by many because he lived his life with dignity, humility and generosity. Jim was a man with a big heart, big enough to care for others and help young people in need. He was a giver, not a taker and he loved life and will continue to be an inspiration for generations. I actually cried at the news of his passing, maybe cos he reminded me so much of my dad. I find someone we admire passing away can really help to focus us on what is really important in our lives. I wonder how fondly our whinging mining magnates will be remembered in comparison...

Going Viral - Kony 2012

Is the Internet Kony 2012 phenomenon a more popular story in itself than the story of what has been happening in Central Africa for decades? Not that it's more important but I'm finding it very interesting nonetheless. The story of Joseph Kony has been around for a long time but wide public awareness of it is only happening now because of this viral campaign that has spilled from the social networks these last few days and into more traditional media.

Seeing the social network used as a place that is getting people to think, talk and act on issues outside of themselves is encouraging. And as it's providing people with a platform to have a voice, that has persuaded me to add mine for what it's worth (which is probably nought outside of figuring it out for myself).

How is it that a viral campaign has been magnitudes more successful at raising awareness than traditional media? Well for one thing, reputable broadcasters who make documentaries about stuff that matters probably wouldn't get away with making a similar doco. The use of children to pull at the heart strings and making the documentary as much about the journey of the documenter as the subject he wants addressed would be frowned upon. By golly it's effective though. It is very well produced, it meets a young market perfectly who have been trained by the more unreputable side of our media to get emotionally involved in a story.

I don't mind so much this time with that being the case because at least the rage they are trying to manufacture from us is something worth being angry about. After watching the video I did have concerns such as:

• As effective as it was, was it right to use his son who has been seen now by nearly 50 million people alone on YouTube? Should we question this method? Should we be listening to our children more to be getting a clearer perspective?

• Is making an evil warlord famous a good idea? If someone craves power so much is creating a new form of celebrity feeding the monster? Will more monster's come out of the woodwork as copycat's wanting immortality through being infamous?

• Was the chanting in unison of young people a bit brainwashy or militant?

• Do I really want to wear Kony's name on my person? How about a bracelet with Invisible Children on it instead? That's where I'd rather focus my thoughts but obviously they chose the angle of wanting to make Kony the focus.

• Should you choose to be the voice of the invisible children? How about instead of speaking for them, provide them the opportunity to speak for themselves?

• I cringed when Jacob was interviewed and we ended up with a white man offering sympathy and promising to fix everything. White man's history of fixing everything has left a lot to be desired for. I would have rather have seen empathy. Rather than coming in as the rescuer the West should be supporting the oppressed to free themselves from oppression and tyranny.

And I must acknowledge that Invisible Children are doing just that as well. The early warning radio network is a great initiative. Supporting the Ugandan Army in its efforts to bring Joseph Kony to justice is indicative of that approach too.

I personally cannot in good conscience though support an organisation that advocates for a military solution from an army that has a questionable human rights record. I do not want blood on my hands and I will not be swayed by the argument that if I do not join this movement then I will have blood on my hands anyway for not acting. I also will not play the righteous card if someone feels that they do want to support military action. Leaving the people to fend for themselves is not an option but we should tread very carefully where we advocate something that will result in deaths.

So while I may be uncomfortable with much of the methodology that IC incorporates I still applaud them and those that support for them for caring enough to try something. I might like to see more happen on the ground and it's yet to be seen how this raised level of awareness will affect that. I don't like the promise to fix everything but I admire that the documenter is trying to keep that promise. Previous efforts have been largely unsuccesful, maybe it's time to give this way a shot.

It is an interesting experiment that raises much internal conflict and many questions.

• What if the hype dies down and nothing happens?

• What if it doesn't work and we are left with a generation of jaded young people?

• What if they get Kony and nothing of consequence really changes?

• What if it works and it sets a new precedent for how we deal with injustices in the future?

• What if the internet and social networking becomes societies protector?

• What if someone tries to use the power of social networking for evil? I would hope that the social networking community is capable of the self regulation to stop this from happening.

And seeing the sheer quantity of people and of young people in particular coming out in support of this cause does give me hope that as they said at the end of the documentary that 'the better world we want is coming, it's just waiting for us to stop at nothing.'

Am I going to stand in the way as the new wave of social activism tries to find its feet, hell no! Maybe the time for this idea has come. Go for it people, believe, do, and I hope you succeed cos I could do with seeing a win to restore some more hope in humanity.