Widely discussed and criticised, the second installment of the controversial awareness film Kony 2012 was released on YouTube on 4 April 2012. “Kony 2012: Part II – Beyond Famous” is the much-anticipated follow-up to the 30-minute video by the Invisible Children organisation, which seeks to mobilise the world to take action against the elusive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, leader of armed .

Kony 2012 has sparked a worldwide movement, grabbing attention in the international media and attracting major attention. The first video, published on YouTube on 5 March 2012 has over 87 million views and has elicited polarising reactions the world over.

Some were irked by the fact that the movie was created by American filmmaker Jason Russel, calling it yet another negative depiction of Africa by the West; others yet described it as hypocritical.

One comment on a news site read:

“The problem is that this video comes from the US, who is not part of the ICC. If Joseph Kony was an American, he could not be tried at the ICC. There’s many sad stories from children in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the perpetrators can not be bought to justice by the ICC because the US refused to sign.”

In the follow up video, “Kony 2012: Part II – Beyond Famous”, Jason Russel, one of the founders of the Invisible Children organisation and director of the film, address the critics who refer to the #Kony2012 movement as a “passing fad” soon to blow over.

Beyond Famous shows the impact Kony 2012 has had in the world, spurring the United Nations, United States and the African Union to action, as well as spreading through social media.

“Beyond Famous offers a closer look at the LRA and explores the solutions put forward by leaders of the currently-affected areas of CAR, DRC, and South Sudan, where local communities continue to live under the constant threat of LRA violence,” the YouTube description reads.

“This generation has responded to the call to make Joseph Kony famous. Now we need to dig deeper and turn awareness into informed action. That starts with sharing this film and continues with participating in Cover the Night, the advocacy and awareness event taking place worldwide on April 20th.”

“Cover the Night” is your way of getting involved in the movement.

Watch “Kony 2012″

Join the discussion… what do you think of Kony 2012, passing fad or real change?