Showing posts with label Congo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congo. Show all posts

Friday, November 27, 2009

Am I Not Human: Conflict Minerals




While some of us are aware of Western culture's hand in stripping the Congo's coltan for use in our wireless devices, a large host of others have no clue that the majority of resources Western culture depends upon have been stolen, and/or barely paid any of their worth as they're taken from the dark continent. So it lights my heart to see the mainstream attention 60 minutes is giving the issue of conflict minerals this Sunday.
The more we become aware of how we come by our luxuries, the sooner we can take action to ensure their is no theft and horror attached to them at the root of acquisition, moving forward. While many are celebrating a holiday that was founded on the genocide of Indigenous Americans (in our home, as a matter of conscience, we had to flip it, make it vegan, and global-culture celebrating for a week rather than focus on the designated day or it's rituals), the majority of the world is paying in blood for yet more frivolity by the privileged few who even in uncomfortable financial times are truly more privileged than imagined.

Be thankful for the information age, and the lightning fast speed of the truth. It will set us all free, eventually.



View the bill seeking to improve transparency and reduce the trade of conflict minerals H.R.4128

Click to read the information page Enough project has put together.


On behalf of our human siblings in the Congo who have been robbed, made to engage in life-threatening labor, and suffer Western-culture orchestrated internal-war horrors I ask:


Thursday, August 27, 2009

Am I Not Human: Rape Assaults Both Genders In The Congo

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/world/africa/05congo.html

The tools of war escape the imagining of the average American citizen, but it's a very real threat for our human siblings in many areas of the world, where communities of innocents are under siege as their land is ravaged by militias that are funded by Western, and other Imperialist powers for their resources.

In addition to murdering, and separating people from their families, rape has become an inhumanly frequent matter of international news. In the Congo in particular, an area rich in the Coltan our wireless devices are dependent upon, women have known the threat of rapists bearing arms [with the Eastern Congo considered by the UN the rape capital of the world], but until recently men have either remained quiet about their experiences being raped by other men, or the phenomena has only recently become a reality for them in recent months, with what some consider hundreds of recent cases.

Though I had heard of this in passing, [I haven't spent a tremendous amount of time on the net over this particular Summer season] a recent Kameelahwrites blog post focusing on this crime's new, or newly-revealed face alerted me of the need to be a part of spreading this message, because without knowledge of the horrors our human siblings are experiencing in other parts of the world, we're in danger of fooling ourselves into thinking these issues aren't relevant, or even there. We're in danger of feeling these evils can't touch us, though they are touching our sisters and brothers in ways nothing should ever touch an individual or community.

What is most troubling to me about these evils is the underhanded networking that pulls the strings of these militias, and the way these militias [in alot of cases from the use of drugs- often for child soldiers] are able to distance themselves from their own people and rain unjust horrors down upon them.
It is certain the evils that have plagued Rwanda, The Uganda, The Congo and Darfur, to name only a few, are not in the true control of roaming militias.
The "intelligence" goes far deeper than that, into the direct pockets of those benefiting from the accumulation of resources gathered after the depopulation of the lands that are targeted. It's not a new tactic, and this is what is most upsetting. When and indeed what measure can we take as universal citizens to ensure safety, and basic resources be available to everyone? How do we disconnect the many heads of the greed-feeding network that ravages the human family with soulless regard, and exact strategy?

At present, I say we continue to spread the word. Bring it up at mealtime. Ignore the vibes others may give that it's somehow 'a drag'. Appeal to the selfishness in the community by raising the simple point that these kinds of crimes will eventually be able to strike anywhere. Without strong moves made by the ICC at least, to punish war criminals, who will care if evils that have become all too familiar to lands we may consider far away from us now, come to ours in full-bloom?

We can't afford, for the sake of humanity itself, or for our own personal lives, to pretend we're powerless. That kind of passive response to greed-mongering savagery has only empowered it. I say we at least have to be willing to speak on behalf of those suffering, and share what we can [within reason of course, as we're all struggling to survive] to aid those being stolen from and treated as less than human, or animal for that matter.

On behalf of our human siblings in the Congo [and everywhere else humanity is assaulted by inhumanity] we ask:


Sunday, December 7, 2008

Blood Coltan



Blood Coltan is a full documentary that details the reality surrounding the coltan use in our wireless devices, and the Congolese who have paid the price in blood.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Am I Not Human? (Nov 2008)

We truly appreciate all bloggers and blog readers who support our monthly 'Am I Not Human?' campaign on the 27th of each month. Here is a list of blogs (human rights abuser in parenthesis) supporting the blogging campaign this month:
  1. A Slant Truth (United States)
  2. Eddie G. Griffin, BASG (United States)
  3. Electronic Village (Multiple Countries)
  4. From My Brown Eyed View (Multiple Countries)
  5. Hagar's Daughter (Multiple Countries)
  6. Living Life Abundantly (Haiti)
  7. On The Black Hand Side (United States)
  8. Sojourner's Place (Multiple Countries)
  9. The Jose Vilson (United States)
  10. Thinkbridge (Multiple Countries)
  11. Ultraviolet Underground (Congo)
  12. Why Am I Not Surprised? (United States)

Please let us know if we've missed any blog posts from this month's campaign!

Am I Not Human: Congo


It wasn't until Congo week that I realized people are dying in the Congo for the shiny wireless devices that have made our lives convenient. The coltan used in wireless devices like cell phones and laptops is a product of the Congo, but the Congolese do not benefit from the sale of it, nor do they even enjoy safety or basic resource needs despite the wealth of their land which is raped savagely by Western interests, while stirred up wars have continued in their region, which act as a convenient diversion for those interested in the valuable resources of the Congo, as is usually the case in similar conflicts.

The Sudan, for instance, is rich in oil, and savage depopulation posed as war becomes a distraction while it is procured and distributed. The list goes on. Track a war between rebels and government and look more closely to see which resources are being lifted by the greedy hands of soulless commerce.

On behalf of the people barred from communication whether by denied technology, their governments or both, we ask:





"Africa is suffering because of the West's policy of "divide and rule""
-http://www.congopanorama.info/


Please help to raise awareness for the Congo: www.friendsofthecongo.org

crossposted at Ultraviolet Underground.




War will never be the seed of peace
-Angela Morelli, Italy

Thursday, November 13, 2008

New Front Opened In Congo



KINSHASA (AFP) — Fighting between rebels and pro-government forces opened up on new front in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as southern African nations said they were ready to send in peacekeepers.

As Kinshasa warned it may deploy Angolan troops, raising fears of igniting the volatile Great Lakes region, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said it was prepared to provide assistance to the DRC armed forces.

The clashes on the borders of the two provinces of Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu started before dawn on Sunday and prompted thousands of people to flee, the United Nations said.

The fighting that has erupted in August with rebels led by renegade Tutsi general Laurent Nkunda, in violation of a January ceasefire, had so far been limited to Nord-Kivu.

Tomaz Salomao, the head of SADC, told reporters after a summit meeting in Johannesburg that the region backed calls for a ceasefire and the creation of a humanitarian corridor.

"SADC should immediately provide assistance to the armed forces of DRC," he said, reading out the summit's communique.

"SADC will not stand by and witness any destructive acts of violence by any armed groups... and if necessary will send peacekeeping forces," he said.

Salomao said a military advisory team would be deployed immediately to lend advice to the DRC's armed forces, while another team would be sent to evaluate the situation on the ground to determine what other help might be needed.

A military monitoring commission will also be dispatched to monitor DR Congo's border with Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, he added.

Salomao said the DRC armed forces needed help to protect the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.


(Read More)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo


Amnesty International Executive Director Larry Cox sent us a message earlier today that we thought our Roots of Humanity blog readers would want to see:


UN peacekeepers remain the last hope for hundrds of thousands of affected civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, mainly women and children. The current force is thinly stretched and cannot effectively enforce its mandate of stopping attacks against civilians and protecting humanitarian operations.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the spiraling crisis in the Congo. (...) We urge the Congolese Government, rebel leadership and the neighboring governments to take all possible measures to prevent human rights abuses by troops under their command. We condemn all attacks on innocent civilians and urge all parties to the conflict to ensure that such attacks cease. The cycle of violence and impunity must be stopped."

Powerful statement. The U.S. State Department issued it more than 10 years ago, in August 1998. It did not prevent what became known as “Africa’s first world war” (1998-2003), which was centered in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and involved several neighboring countries.

Today, the humanitarian and human rights crisis in eastern DRC will again spiral out of control – if we do not act now.

At least 250,000 civilians have been displaced by the recent fighting, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from this and previous rounds of conflict to well over one million. Many IDPs remain out of the reach of aid workers, and some humanitarian operations have been suspended because of the fragile security situation. There is a high risk that the situation will escalate into a regional conflict.

Amnesty International works continuously on addressing the underlying causes of conflict, trying to end impunity for perpetrators of the most egregious human rights violations. But, our priority now is to protect civilians through reinforcing the capacity of the UN’s peacekeeping mission (Mission des Nationa Unies en République Démocratique du Congo, MONUC).

A few hours ago, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy, briefed the Security Council and stressed the difficulties facing the UN peacekeepers. Now, members of the Security Council must act to strengthen the peacekeepers’ capacity.

We must act to guarantee that hope for civilians becomes a reality, not a sound bite. Ask Secretary Condoleezza Rice for her support to strengthen UN peacekeepers in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.

What are your thoughts about the crisis in the DRC?

Friday, November 7, 2008

Dying For Western Creature Comforts

http://weblog.liberatormagazine.com/2008/11/how-we-fuel-africas-bloodiest-war-in.html


The Independent via Liberator Mag writes:



How we fuel Africa's bloodiest war; What is rarely mentioned is the great global heist of Congo's resources: The deadliest war since Adolf Hitler marched across Europe is starting again – and you are almost certainly carrying a blood-soaked chunk of the slaughter in your pocket. When we glance at the holocaust in Congo, with 5.4 million dead, the clichés of Africa reporting tumble out: this is a "tribal conflict" in "the Heart of Darkness". It isn't. The United Nations investigation found it was a war led by "armies of business" to seize the metals that make our 21st-century society zing and bling. The war in Congo is a war about you.


Every day I think about the people I met in the war zones of eastern Congo when I reported from there. The wards were filled with women who had been gang-raped by the militias and shot in the vagina. The battalions of child soldiers – drugged, dazed 13-year-olds who had been made to kill members of their own families so they couldn't try to escape and go home. But oddly, as I watch the war starting again on CNN, I find myself thinking about a woman I met who had, by Congolese standards, not suffered in extremis.


I was driving back to Goma from a diamond mine one day when my car got a puncture. As I waited for it to be fixed, I stood by the roadside and watched the great trails of women who stagger along every road in eastern Congo, carrying all their belongings on their backs in mighty crippling heaps. I stopped a 27 -year-old woman called Marie-Jean Bisimwa, who had four little children toddling along beside her. She told me she was lucky. Yes, her village had been burned out. Yes, she had lost her husband somewhere in the chaos. Yes, her sister had been raped and gone insane. But she and her kids were alive.


I gave her a lift, and it was only after a few hours of chat along on cratered roads that I noticed there was something strange about Marie-Jean's children. They were slumped forward, their gazes fixed in front of them. They didn't look around, or speak, or smile. "I haven't ever been able to feed them," she said. "Because of the war."


Their brains hadn't developed; they never would now. "Will they get better?" she asked. I left her in a village on the outskirts of Goma, and her kids stumbled after her, expressionless.


(Read More)

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The UN urges end to the conflict in the Congo


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7698882.stm



BBC writes:

The United Nations Security Council has condemned fighting by Congolese rebels, calling on the governments of DR Congo and Rwanda to work to defuse tensions.

An emergency session of the council expressed concern over the humanitarian consequences of the fighting.

Earlier UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate end to the fighting, which he said was creating a "humanitarian catastrophe".

Thousands of people have been fleeing a recent upsurge in fighting in the east.

Earlier, the Tutsi rebel leader whose forces are threatening the city of Goma declared a ceasefire and urged others to do the same.


Read More

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Cell OUT

http://z.about.com/d/worldnews/1/7/L/4/-/-/drc_civil_war_congo.JPG


Please do not use your phones from 12 noon to 6pm as part of a protest against the raping and pillaging of the Congo for the coltan used in worldwide wireless devices.




Josh M says:

The Cell OUT is an organized cell phone usage boycott from 12pm - 6pm on October 22nd to bring awareness of the Congo conflict over the natural resouces. Coltan, used in many electronic devices has caused many Congolese people to be killed since 1996. Why?



- Nearly 6 million people have died in the Congo since 1996 due to a scramble for Congo’s spectacular natural resources.



- Coltan is a key source of the conflict in the Congo. It is a mineral widely used in numerous electronic devices such as cell phones and game consoles (Microsoft X-Box and Sony Play Station) and is mined illegally in the Congo by rebel militia and foreign forces then sold to multinational corporations.



- The boycott is to bring awareness to the war in the Congo, which started in 1996 and continues to this day with 45,000 people dying each month till today. We would like to invite organizations on college campuses and in the community to support us in our endeavor to raise awareness about the atrocities taking place in the Congo.

What do I do during the Boycott?



- Turn your phone off from 12 noon to 6 pm on Wednesday October 22, 2008. No texting!



- Change your voicemail to this: “Did you know that Congo has anywhere from 64 - 80 percent of the world's reserve of Coltan, a natural resource that is central to the operation of our cell phones? As we benefit from coltan nearly 6 million Congolese have died in the deadliest conflict since world war two as a result of the scramble for coltan and other minerals key to the functioning of modern technology. Join us in solidarity with the Congolese people and turn your phone off for a day”



For more information: www.congoweek.org | www.friendsofthecongo.org




Grazi Josh


Crossposted at UltravioletUnderground.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Wealth Of The Congo




Next week join Break the Silence during Congo week
(congoweek.org)

There will be a film and panel discussion at Howard as well as a talent show dedicated to the people of Congo on Monday October 20. Participate in the 'Cell-out' all day on Wednesday, October 22.There will also be a teach-in on October 24th.



Josh Myers has written an enlightening piece about this:

"An estimated 6 million people have died since 1996. That is 45,000 people per month. This is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here we have yet another example of the devaluing of black or African life and of the necessity of our fight to reclaim the humanity of all African people. Why? Because amid these atrocities, there has up until recently not been a peep heard from the international community. And even now, not many can point to this region on the map let alone tell anyone what is going on. So we will attempt to inform you now.

Lying literally in the heart of Africa, the vast region that comprises the nation-state, Democratic Republic of the Congo is very important to Africa and its future. Leaders and historians such as George Washington Williams, Kwame Nkrumah, and even Barack Obama have researched, wrote about, or mentioned the Congo on numerous occasions. In his work, the Challenge of the Congo,Kwame Nkrumah sets forth a strategic agenda premised on the Congo’s importance to the liberation of the whole of Africa. Set aside as the personal playground, for King Leopold II, the Belgian government was allocated what was now known as the Congo at the Berlin Conference in 1884. As the Congolese fought for their independence, the first prime minister of the Congo, Patrice Emery Lumumba, recognized the need for Congolese people to benefit from the very resources that came from their native land and was extracted on their backs. This caused great controversy from the Western powers, including this country, which plotted to and eventually assassinated Lumumba in one of the more heinous assassinations in the contemporary history of Africa. Lumumba’s vision of a free Congo and a free Africa was too much for the West to stomach. Lumumba was replaced by a more manageable and eventually destructive Joseph Mobutu and the plight of the Congolese further worsened. Mobutu chose to lead the Congo towards its destruction by complying with the mandates of Western imperialism.

The very thing that draws the international economic powers to the Congo is the same thing that prevents or inhibits their action of at the very least exposing the atrocities of the region. These are the vast resources that can be found in the region. The Congo is home to immense mineral wealth in the form of diamonds, gold, silver, copper, zinc, uranium, iron, cobalt, and many more. Its rivers could provide electricity to the whole of Africa, and even half of Europe. Its soil could produce the agricultural potential to feed the entire world through 2050 when the population will be an estimated 9 billion people. Why then are so many Africans malnourished? It is simply the rape of these needed resources that is causing the secondary problems of wars, diseases, and women being raped. As long as this wealth is being used to prop up Western society, the Congolese will continue to suffer. The West has even aided the Congo’s neighboring countries to engage in conflict in order to get their hands on some of the mineral wealth. Congo holds 80% of the world’s reserve of coltan. Where does it go? It is in your pocket or in your bag. Coltan is found in every cell phone, computer, Xbox, Playstation, and many other electronic devices."



Read More