Kony 2012

Kony 2012 Campaign Timeline

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  • Kony 2012 Video Released

    The Kony 2012 video is posted on YouTube, garnering some 66,000 views on its first day.

  • Video Receives the "Oprah Bump"

    Oprah tweets about the video, views reach 9 million.

  • First Criticism

    The story is picked up and criticized by a Ugandan journalist.

  • US Government Responds

    The United States assures that it will continue to support the Ugandan region.

  • House of Representatives Releases Document

    In a public document, the US House of Representatives expresses “support for robust efforts by the United States to see Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, and his top commanders brought to justice and the group’s atrocities permanently ended.”

  • Kony 2012 Video Aired in Uganda

    The campaign video is aired to an audience in Uganda, causing angry reactions and riots.

  • Ugandan Prime Minister Responds

    The Ugandan Prime Minister expressed his disapproval of the Kony 2012 video, claiming that it made Ugandans out to be weak and dependant on outside intervention. That same day Jason Russell, the Invisible Children member featured in the video, was arrested and then hospitalized after a highly publicized scandal involving indecent exposure.

  • US Senators Condemn Joseph Kony

    33 US Senators introduce bipartisan resolution condemning Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army.

  • African Union Responds

    In an article, The Guardian reported that “The African Union has announced that it will form a 5,000-strong brigade to hunt down Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).”

  • Second Kony Video Released

    Invisible Children releases second KONY video addressing rising criticisms.

  • LRA Responds

    A response to the KONY video, allegedly released by Justine Nyeko "The Leader, LRA Peace Team" accuses the campaign of being a disguise for a US effort to expand its power.

  • Invisible Children Launches Cover the Night Campaign

    Invisible Children launches Cover The Night campaign, with over 3.5 million pledges from individuals to support efforts to stop the LRA. The campaign is widely considered to be a failure.