An embarrassed US president admits that reports of massacres taking place in an African capital are "very sketchy". Then, he is asked: "If mass genocide had broken out in a small European country, would your intelligence briefing this morning have been quite so sketchy?"
The above dialogue took place only on television, in the drama The West Wing. The realities of the situation in Rwanda, on which the episode was based, were far more complex and defied any such easy life lessons and moralising.
Before the age of social media, news events, especially in Africa, were often viewed through the prism of popular culture. And fictional accounts rarely give the full picture; reality is never as black and white as it is presented on television.
In 1994, the US showed little inclination to intervene as Hutus in Rwanda tried to exterminate the country's Tutsi minority in Rwanda. For then-president Bill Clinton, who would later claim that he was unaware of the extent of the massacres at the time, the perception was that there was very little to gain and much to lose. Since then, little has been done to end many African conflicts, including in Darfur, Congo and on the border of the two Sudans.
But times may be changing.
Two weeks ago, the name Joseph Kony was barely known outside of Africa and policymaker or activist circles. Today, he is arguably one of the most famous men on the planet.
The campaign Kony 2012, conducted by the NGO Invisible Children, has highlighted the crimes against humanity that Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army have carried out in Uganda over the last 26 years. A now-infamous video published on YouTube went "viral", with 75 million hits by the most recent account, and within days a backlash ensured.
Certainly, that video has its share of cringeworthy oversimplifications. Some criticisms were valid: the Ugandan government that is hunting Kony is not without blood on its own hands. The NGO Invisible Children does appear to be engaged in shameless self-promotion on the back of people's suffering.
But other objections were mere rants: the LRA may be waning, but that doesn't erase the litany of rape, murder and enslavement that Kony's bizarre, cult-like militia has committed. The fact that the group has been pushed out of Uganda hardly diminishes the quest for justice.
All of this detracts from a single fact: the video has, irrevocably, made Kony and his crimes famous, becoming the fastest-growing social media event of all time.
Of course, this has been a phenomenon of popular culture, not policy. Kony already was at the top of the International Criminal Court's list of most-wanted war criminals. And last year, US army advisers were sent to Uganda to help bring him to justice. However, Kony 2012, with a little help from (Facebook) friends, achieved a notoriety that dwarfed the efforts of decades of good intentions.
So did tweets and Facebook posts make a difference? And can such campaigns really change the world? Yes, and yes, it would seem.
In October 2010, a few months before the Arab revolutions started, The New Yorker magazine published a controversial essay by Malcolm Gladwell headlined Why the revolution will not be tweeted.
Gladwell dismissively asks: "Are people who log on to their Facebook page really the best hope for us all?" He concludes that the weak ties that social media are built around "seldom lead to high risk activism".
But why should they? Individuals may care about issues, but it is unreasonable to expect them to rededicate their lives.
And so, we are left with the mere perception of activism: a tweet here, a post there. But do not sell perception short. Kony is in the public consciousness and so, in a way, are the myriad of related problems that Africa faces. Leaders may or may not take effective action, but unlike Mr Clinton, they can never claim ignorance.
Do not sell 75 million people short.
akhaled@thenational.ae
Follow on Twitter: @AliKhaled_
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Naga
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
What is 'Soft Power'?
Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye.
He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength.
Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force.
This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now