KONY 2012 Good or Bad?
Yikes. Yet another commentary about the KONY 2012 film that’s taking the internet by storm (you can watch it at the bottom of this post). Let me first say that the title of this post is A) not going to be answered B) a false dichotomy C) a crappy question. So then why did I choose it? I think (hope) it gets at something important. I’ve got so many thoughts and feelings about this film – I mean it has been consuming the better part of my brain since I watched it. Pretty sure words will fall short of capturing it all, but I’m gonna throw it all out there anyway. Apologies for the mess. First off, come on: over 50 million views in a 3-day time-frame? It’s how long!? A half hour. What?! And it’s about…Uganda, child soldiers, the LRA, Joseph Kony. WTF? Is this–am I dreaming? How the hell did this happen? It is truly a staggering achievement. I’m still blown away by it (can you tell?). And from a technical standpoint, the film is superb. It’s beautiful; compelling graphics, powerful soundtrack, great cinematography, excellent structure – but most significantly, an exceptional story. These guys are awesome storytellers. And I think there is so much to learn from what they’ve done – for all nonprofits trying to spread their message in a meaningful and impactful way. Problem with this story is that it appears to be somewhat made up, or at the very least, misleading. Rather than get into all of that here, I encourage you to read some of the many commentaries on the film. Here are a few I’ve read: //blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/07/guest_post_joseph_kony_is_not_in_uganda_and_other_complicated_things //thatneedstogo.tumblr.com/post/18907388408/kony-2012-causing-more-harm-than-good //www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/120307/kony-2012-campaign-criticized-dumbing-down-conflict And at the end of this post I have included some really important Ugandan response videos. I think these critiques have a ton of validity and ultimately it is disappointing. For me, it boils down to one thing: respect. The film doesn’t really respect the audience, nor does it really respect the people it is trying to help. And I hesitate to even put those words down because I think these guys have amazingly good intentions that have led to an unprecedented amount of attention on important issues. So when I say the film doesn’t have respect, that isn’t to say the filmmakers don’t (not something I can or should judge). And, importantly, I have not produced a better film! I’ve got to face the facts here; my most popular video is five years old, has a respectable 36K views and I’m glad I made it. But I look at it now and, yeesh, I can do SO much better. Seriously, who am I to make a video titled “The African...
Focusing the Lens in 2012
If my blog were a handwritten journal, this would be me digging it off of a shelf somewhere, blowing off the dust, and peeling back the last crumpled page I scribbled down to find new space for a new entry in a new year. How and where to start? It has been nine months since my last blog entry. A gestation period for this new post; wasn’t quite ready to see the light of day until … well, I’m not sure it even is now! I have to admit, after taking this long of a break from writing, the task is surprisingly intimidating. I’ve got so much I want to share, but will the words still flow?! Okay, here goes… 2011 was the best year of my life. I’m writing this post in my new home where I am living with my new wife, from where I commute to my new job. As I had hoped after previewing things earlier in the year, it indeed has been a trilogy of epic proportions. As is the usual case with this blog, the lens through which I can best reflect on the year came during my most recent visit to Dana Farber. Just a week and a half ago, I found myself there for another regular check-in, accepting more good news: that I’ve been cancer-free for over two and a half years now. But even before the visit with the doctors, just being in that place puts life into sharp focus. Every visit draws to the surface a vast array of emotions at every wavelength of the spectrum; good and bad. Actually, good and bad is too black and white, really. The emotions are much more colorful. Regardless of which color though, the place implores a certain level of presence that I find hard to attain anywhere else. I am struggling to put into words just how profound an experience it is for me. Every emotion is so much more… emotional. Joy, happiness, anger, sorrow, peace. The place breathes all of them, in and out. With each post, I find myself coming back to my experience with cancer. I wonder sometimes, if that becomes a crutch for my writing. Maybe, I force more weight into my experiences than they merit. It’s always tough to know where that line between reflecting and indulging is, and how not to cross it. Authenticity is the goal. The fact of the matter, though, is that the best lens I’ve got in my arsenal (indeed, the one that sparked this blog) is my experience overcoming cancer. It is in looking at life through that lens especially, that I...
I’m Still Alive
I’m afraid I have become a bit of a social media hermit lately. A recluse, when it comes to updating the world with the latest ‘great’ thoughts or ideas contained upstairs – this being only my second blog post of the year. Perhaps I have run out of things to say? A glimmer of hope as you read those words? Well, no, not quite. I could simply say that I have been incredibly busy this year and leave it at that, but that would be far too easy. Truthfully, this year has been remarkable thus far; the beginning of a new chapter in my life, for many reasons. I know…that sounds awfully dramatic. But really, without exaggeration, The Times They Are a-Changin’. Where to begin. Let’s start with this exciting piece of news: I was hired by Oxfam America as New Media Specialist. Wooh! I start the new job Monday (as in, tomorrow!) and I am just thrilled about it. It has been a journey, to say the least, since I graduated from Curry College in 2009. Slowed down by my health, the great recession, and some other bumps in the road (both good and bad), this new opportunity feels all the sweeter. Of course I will miss my family at BOWES Real Estate in Arlington, who I have worked with for nine years now. Surely I will remain connected with them; this life-change was only a matter of time though. For this new position, I’ll be working in Boston at the headquarters of Oxfam America, collaborating with the new media team to bring attention to the voices that go largely unheard every day, the voices of those living in extreme poverty around the world. To go into work every day, knowing that I am working towards social justice – wow. A dream come true. And it gets better, for in just over two months I will be marrying my soul mate and we’ll be travelling to Greece together for two and a half weeks. AND, if all goes well in the next couple months, we will close on a new condo in Stoneham! We’ve been saving our pennies for a place (if not this condo, then another) and are so excited to have our own home just in time for our marriage. So, with all of these wonderful happenings, what more could I possibly add? Well, this is one of those messages you see at the end of a show: ‘made possible by…”. Worry not though, I won’t be adding product placement to my blog. In this case, it goes something like this: made possible by my health. I had my...
Happy New Decade!
A new year. A new decade, even. What better time to blog! Well, I’ve been thinking about just what it is that I want to write. Thought about recapping the year, pulling out the lessons, and… well, you know how that goes…. But I just came back from seeing The Fighter and I’m not sure exactly how yet, but it seems totally appropriate to share my thoughts on this incredible film as a way of reflecting on the promise that a new year brings. For your sake, I hope I can avoid that late-night tendency to ramble…. I don’t want to recap the film or give anything away, for that would be unnecessary. Go see it. Please. Seriously, it is as good as I am making it out to be. Micky Ward’s story is one that will awaken something powerful from within you. There is just so much depth to the story; so many points to touch upon. Let me just extract and sum up one of the powerful themes: if you want something in life, you’re gonna have to fight for it. Sure, that sounds like a cliche (it is a cliche) but that doesn’t make it any less true and I have never seen a film so beautifully capture and express that message before as The Fighter has done. No matter how bad things get in life, no matter how much you’ve screwed up, there is always a way to climb out of it. How refreshing. What a great way to start off the new year! I feel so completely blessed for the life that I’ve had; for the experiences, for the people, for everything. Even so, there is so much I want to do! So much I want to accomplish. And, well, life can be discouraging sometimes. Life can just get freakin’ busy. And sometimes that’s all it takes, getting sidetracked, feeling secure and comfortable; that’s all it takes to hide those ambitious goals. So many of my posts have talked about the importance of ‘checking-in’ with yourself. But I still forget to do it! Checking in with those ambitions, dreams, hopes – it is so important. I’m starting this new year off full of optimism, ambition and drive. I think that’s an important combination. But hey, I’m still trying to figure out the recipe. What do I want to accomplish? Let’s see… I want to end global poverty. I want to send two young women in Afghanistan to medical school. I want to stop the war in Afghanistan. I want to stop war, period. I want to make sure no more children are ignored, neglected, starved, killed in...
Eye Contact
Waiting to be able to cross the street tonight after work, a thought came to me. Looking into the eyes of the people driving past, I saw one after the other avoiding eye contact, either very purposefully or with total obliviousness. I waited until every car had passed before crossing. And the thought went something like this: it is only those few who do make eye contact who stop and let you walk across the street. Duh, right? But have you ever, while driving, made eye contact with someone waiting to cross, just after it’s too late for you to stop and let them? Makes you feel like kind of a douche bag right? Hang with me on this one… When we make eye contact, something happens. I think I’d call it empathy. Our common humanity comes to the surface. ‘Oh yeah, that’s another human, like me!’ But hey, what’s the big deal really? No biggie if someone has to wait to cross the street. Tonight I made eye contact with two beautiful young Afghan women. After making it across the street to my car, I drove to Curry College where I met with ONE Curry and we made our first video chat connection with Jeena and Beena who currently live in an orphanage in Pakistan and who will be the first recipients of a scholarship to attend medical school that will be fundraised by Help Women Heal. Talking to Jeena and Beena tonight was simply incredible. I am still overwhelmed by it. They woke up at 5AM to be able to chat with us before starting their seven hour school day! Fortunately, they are able to squeeze a little fun time in between studying. When one member of ONE Curry asked them if they know Lady Gaga, the two women responded, “Of course! Who doesn’t know her???”. I’ve been a Director for Help Women Heal since April now and I have always felt impassioned by this cause, knowing that it is women who must be empowered across the globe to heal our world. And although I have been fully aware of the impact we can have, it wasn’t until tonight that I have been able to fully realize, “Oh yeah, that’s another human, like me!” There is some deep wiring that suddenly finds itself connected. Here are two young people just like me, who just happen to have been born elsewhere – in a country where they can be abused, neglected, ignored, oppressed and even murdered simply because of their gender. We share a common dream of a better world, but it is they who bear the scars and they who bear the grunt of the...
In Need of a Push
For so long, creating a blog was one of those things on my list. You know, that list in the back of your mind – the one that sits there patiently and waits… and waits… and waits… Oh yes, we all have those lists. Then, I got cancer. Or, cancer got me I suppose. And suddenly that list began to surface. I thought, well I have a real reason to share updates with people and journal my life now. Plus, I have lots more time to reflect. Literally, as I write this though. I wonder if there was more to it than that. I wonder, perhaps, if that list we keep lodged comfortably in the back of our mind, needs some dislodging sometimes. Maybe, a little push. Cancer seems a bit much though. Bit overdoing it, I’d say. Sure, it provided me with one of those perspective-changing pushes in life. Thankful that it’s over, but also thankful for the perspective that it brought. Completely healthy now for over a year, back into ‘the grind’ of life, I wonder this: Maybe we can push ourselves. Maybe we should push ourselves. Enter this blog post. This blog has found it’s way to the back of the line, if you haven’t noticed. Thinking about all the work I need to get done, my fingers are typing as fast as they can right now to be able to get back to production mode. Breathe. Sometimes I think we need to push ourselves. (Hopefully this blog post doesn’t show otherwise.) And so, time for some experimenting. I am going to start pushing and see what comes out. No babies, don’t worry. Only more posts. Likely, in more bite-size form – like...
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