Besides the issue of enlisting child soldiers, Kony's Lord's Resistance Army was brutal towards innocent citizens. They went through villages defiling, murdering, and butchering countless people! Over two million Africans were left homeless after Kony and his army came through ("Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel.").
By 2005, Kony's death toll had reached 10,000 with child subjugations reaching 24,000. Warrants were issued for Kony's arrest, and the African Warlord preceded to go into hiding. In 2008, Operation Lightning Thunder was launched against Kony and the LRA, but this military offensive failed to stymie the LRA or capture Kony ("Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel." ).
As I stated earlier, a viral video was released via social media that described Kony's atrocities and why he needed to be brought to justice. The video was lauded for bringing awareness to the pressing need to capture Kony, but also criticized for implying that Africa needed the people of the West to step in and take care of a problem that really pertained to them only ("Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel." ).
The Kony story is a good example of how social media can raise awareness for a cause that is miles away in another country. Although the campaign died out and did not lead to Kony's capture, it helped bring light to an ongoing social issue. This shows how powerful social media can be and, when used for the right purposes, how much positive impact it can truly have on the world around us.
Sources:
"Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1017670/Joseph-Kony>.
https://vimeo.com/37119711
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