Author Archive

Posted on March 9, 2012 - by Kambale Musavuli

KONY 2012 Response from Adam Branch in Uganda

You have probably heard the name Joseph Kony by now. You probably have seen stars such as P Diddy, Nicky Minaj, Russel Simmons, and others tweet #STOPKONY #KONY2012. You probably went on youtube or vimeo to watch the film KONY2012. You also have probably have read the backlash against the video and want to know more about this.

I have yet written a reply to the video. I shall see how I can set some time aside to articulate the issue with the film. As of now, more than 40 million people have watched the film though there are some serious inaccuracies and misleading information in the film. I thought my readers would appreciate a bit of info to guide them

With the ongoing debate about the video called KONY 2012 released by Invisible Children, I thought it will be appropriate to share a response from Professor Adam Branch, a Senior Research Fellow at the Makerere Institute of Social Research, in Kampala, Uganda where is is based for the Spring of 2012. His work has examined the politics of human rights intervention—broadly conceived to include relief aid, peace-building, international law enforcement, and military intervention—into episodes of political violence, with a regional focus on Africa, specifically Uganda. He is the author of “Displacing Human Rights: War and Intervention in Northern Uganda” (Oxford University Press, 2011).

Adam Branch
Senior Research Fellow
Makerere Institute of Social Research
March 8, 2012
Kampala, Uganda

From Kampala, the Kony 2012 hysteria is easy to miss. I’m not on Facebook or Twitter, and I don’t watch YouTube—but over the last twenty-four hours, I have received dozens of emails from friends, colleagues, and students in the US about the video by Invisible Children and the massive on-line response to it.

I have not watched the video. As someone who has worked in and done research on the war in northern Uganda for over a decade, much of it with a local human rights organization based in Gulu, the Invisible Children organization and their videos have infuriated me to no end—I remember one sleepless night after I watched their “Rough Cut” film for the first time with a group of students, after which I tried to explain to the audience what was wrong with the film while on stage with one of the filmmakers.

My frustration with the group has largely reflected the concerns expressed so eloquently by those individuals who have been willing to bring the fury of Invisible Children’s true believers down upon themselves in order to point out what is wrong with this group’s approach: the warmongering, the self-indulgence, the commercialization, the reductive and one-sided story they tell, their portrayal of Africans as helpless children in need of rescue by white Americans, and the fact that civilians in Uganda and central Africa may have to pay a steep price in their own lives so that a lot of young Americans can feel good about themselves, and a few can make good money. This, of course, is sickening, and I think that Kony 2012 is a case of Invisible Children having finally gone too far. They are now facing a backlash from people of conscience who refuse to abandon their capacity to think for themselves.

But, as I said, I wouldn’t have known about Kony 2012 if it hadn’t been for the emails I’ve been receiving from the US. I have heard nothing about Kony 2012 here in Kampala because, in a sense, it just does not matter. So, as a response to the on-line debate that has been going on for the last couple days, I want to explain why, from here, Kony 2012 can be ignored.

First, because Invisible Children is a symptom, not a cause. It is an excuse that the US government has gladly adopted in order to help justify the expansion of their military presence in central Africa. Invisible Children are “useful idiots,” being used by those in the US government who seek to militarize Africa, to send more and more weapons and military aid, and to build the power of military rulers who are US allies. The hunt for Joseph Kony is the perfect excuse for this strategy—how often does the US government find millions of young Americans pleading that they intervene militarily in a place rich in oil and other resources? The US government would be pursuing this militarization with or without Invisible Children—Kony 2012 just makes it a bit easier. Therefore, it is the militarization we need to worry about, not Invisible Children.

Second, because in northern Uganda, people’s lives will be left untouched by this campaign, even if it were to achieve its stated objectives. This is not because things have entirely improved in the years since open fighting ended, but because the very serious problems people face today have little to do with Kony. The most significant problem people face is over land. Land speculators and so-called investors, many foreign, in collaboration with the Ugandan government and military, are trying to grab the land of the Acholi people, land that they were forced off of a decade ago when they were herded into camps. Another prominent problem is nodding disease—a deadly illness that has broken out among thousands of children who grew up in the government’s internment camps, subsisting on relief aid. Indeed, the problems people face today are the legacy of the camps, where over a million Acholi were forced to live, and die, for years by their own government. Today’s problems are the legacy of the government’s counterinsurgency, which received full support from the US government and international aid agencies.

Which brings up the question that I am constantly asked in the US: “what can we do?”, where “we” tends to mean American citizens. In response, I have a few proposals. The first, perhaps not surprising from a professor, is to learn. The conflict in northern Uganda and central Africa is complicated, yes—but not impossible to understand. For several years, I have taught an undergraduate class on the conflict, and although it takes some time and effort, the students end up being well informed and able to come to their own opinions about what can be done. I am more than happy to share the syllabus with anyone interested! In terms of activism, I think the first thing we need to do is to re-think the question: instead of asking how the US can intervene in order to solve Africa’s conflicts, we need to ask what we are already doing to cause those conflicts in the first place. How are we, as consumers, contributing to land grabbing and to the wars ravaging this region? How are we, as American citizens, allowing our government to militarize Africa in the name of the War on Terror and securing oil resources? That is what we have to ask ourselves, because we are indeed responsible for the conflict in northern Uganda—however, we are not responsible to end it by sending military force, as Invisible Children tells us, but responsible for helping to cause and prolong it. In our desire to ameliorate suffering, we must not be complicit in making it worse.

Posted on February 19, 2012 - by Kambale Musavuli

Thank You For Your Support

A few days ago, I put out a call for financial support for a friend who was in need.

I can report that she is doing well. I know it was a very short noticed. I am very humbled that supporters from Africa, Europe, Canada, and USA decided to provide financial support in a critical time.

What is also moving is that while she was still in need, she still had the word “Congo” in her mouth when I reached out to her to give her the update of what people did in her support.

Again, thank you for being there for my friend. I am forever grateful.

Until Peace Comes to the Congo,

Live.Love.Light.

Posted on February 15, 2012 - by Kambale Musavuli

A Much Needed Help for a Friend in Need

I have been on a hiatus for almost a year in regard to writing on this blog, but Valentine’s Day 2012 is making me come out to ask for your support.

The story is neither romantic nor joyful. I am writing this as I seek to support a true friend of mine who needs financial support for medical attention.

Here is a little bit about her.

I met her in 2009 while visiting a friend in New York. Of course anyone who meets me it is usually around the Congo. When I shared with her what was happening in my country, I was able to get her enrolled in breaking the silence around the situation in my country.

Over the years, I have gotten close to her and she was the first person who when she told me she loved me, I stuttered. I looked at her in the eye and was not able to respond back. That same night, I contacted her back to share that she was the first person I know who told me she loved me and I was not able to respond. I felt her love so strongly that I knew she loved my soul to the core.

No, she is not my girlfriend… she is more… she is someone who showed me why it was important to care about myself outside of work. I still remember how I did not know where to take a friend to diner in New York one day, and she was the person I called to help me find a nice restaurant in New York.

Most importantly, she is the woman who removed fear in me. She asked me one day “what are you up to Kambale?” I responded about what I was going to do that day. Then she said again “No, Kambale… What are you up to in life? what are you trying to achieve on this earth?” This started a very emotional talk of why I stand for peace in the world and how I came to find out exactly my reason of being. Since that day, she helped me see humanity in everyone starting with me. She helped me take some time to first start doing things for me, though I am still learning but without her, I wouldn’t even be able to stop and live.

So, what is going on?

I received a very alarming message from her yesterday, on Valentine’s Day reminding me that life is a journey we must always cherish. She shared more than what she should have told me, but I felt so much pain when I finally find out that she is in dire need. I can’t even share everything she shared… I felt so powerless that as she spoke to me, I could not even help her.

How could someone who saved my life… my personal life… be in need today and I can’t even help her?

This is why on Valentine’s Day, I sent an appeal on my social media network. I know what she needs and I shared I will try to at least raise $5000 for her medical need.

I don’t know if I will reach that amount, but I know I can only ask the universe, my ancestors, The Most Graceful and Merciful, the Almighty, all the powers who we may believe in… that at this time, they come to support the life of a person who is very dear to me.

For those who responded to my call on twitter and facebook. Thank you!

You can support by clicking on the button below and donating what you can.

 

Whatever you can give, be it $1 or more, will help tremendously. In coming days, I will give an update on her situation so you can keep up with how she is doing. I am devastated by the news and really do not know where to start.

I hope I was able to capture the beauty of her spirit.

All I can do is create the possibility and witness how the impossible becomes possible.

I believe…

I know…

She will be ok.

Posted on November 13, 2011 - by Kambale Musavuli

Aziz Fall Speaks of Panafricentrism

Aziz is a political scientist who has taught international relations at McGill University and at Université du Québec à Montréal. He was the former coordinator of the Quebec network against apartheid. He is a founding member of the Group for Research and Initiatives for the Liberation of Africa (GRILA) and in which he serves as a coordinator the first international campaign against impunity in Africa, with one of the actions being the International Committee for Justice for Thomas Sankara.

Watch Professor Aziz Fall’s conference

Panafricentrage from Aziz S.Fall on Vimeo.

His talk covered: International panafrican strategy of disengagement and the making of balanced continental development. Understanding of the unfavorable insertion of Africa in the international partition of labor and condition for the emancipation of this order by controlling the accumulation and the various means of achieving this. Rewrite scientific history of the victors, recover a sense of maat, for historical maaterialism and an anti-imperialist self-reliant development, gender-neutral and environmentally friendly. Advanced and revolutionary contribution of the intelligentsia and Diaspora at his advent.

Posted on October 15, 2011 - by Kambale Musavuli

Live Webcast, Sunday, Oct. 16, 4:30 PM EST, Conflict Minerals: An Exchange Among Experts

Friends of the Congo is partnering with Sahara Reporters to launch Congo Week IV with a live webcast from Congo in Harlem at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem, New York on Sunday, October 16, 2011.

The live webcast will begin at 4:30 p.m. US Eastern Standard Time at www.congoinharlem.org after the screening of Blood in the Mobile directed by Franck Piasecki Poulsen. A rich dialogue and exchange will take place among Congolese and non-Congolese experts. Sekombi Katondolo (producer of Blood in the Mobile and founder/director of Mutaani FM), David Aronson (freelance journalist, blogger, author of NY Times article on Conflict Minerals), Steve Hege (current member of the UN Group of Experts on the Congo), Eric Kajemba (founder and director of Observatoire Gouvernance et Paix), and Mvemba Phizo Dizolele (writer, foreign policy analyst and independent journalist) will discuss the impact of the Dodd-Frank Conflict Minerals provision on the situation in the Congo.

Click here to read recent articles written on Conflict Minerals and the Dodd-Frank Provision.
Click here to find out more about Congo Week and how you can participate in the global movement.

About Congo in Harlem
Congo in Harlem is an annual week-long series of film screenings accompanied by special events, panel discussions, performances, and receptions. Congo in Harlem will provide audiences with more than the traditional movie-going experience — it offers opportunities to discover Congolese culture, learn about the ongoing humanitarian crisis, engage in dialogue, and get involved.

About Sahara Reporters
Sahara Reporters is an online community of international reporters and social advocates dedicated to bringing you commentaries, features, news reports from a Nigerian-African perspective. A unique organization, founded in the spirit of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, comprising of ordinary people with an overriding commitment to seeking the truth and publishing it without fear or favor. Because its core members are unapologetic practitioners of advocacy journalism, Sahara Reporters also serves as an umbrella outlet for objective reporting of verifiable and accurate news and untainted social commentaries for anyone wishing to exercise their freedom of speech in the public interest and common good.

Posted on October 10, 2011 - by Kambale Musavuli

Congo Week IV, October 16 – 22, Join The Global Movement

Dear Friends,

I greet you in the name of many Congolese youth who are seeking to ride the winds of change that blew from the African youth revolution in Soweto in 1976 to the streets of Cairo today, and making its way across the Atlantic to America, symbolized by the Occupy Wall Street movement.

As we embark upon the fourth annual Breaking The Silence: Congo Week, October 16 – 22, 2011, I would like to bring you up-to-date on the global movement in support of the Congo.

Congo Week continues to grow both inside and outside of the Congo as people throughout the globe utilize Congo Week to articulate the challenges and potential that exist in the heart of Africa. Since we launched Congo Week in October 2008, over 60 countries and 300 university campuses and communities have joined us in the global call for justice for the people of Congo. Over 200 Congolese organizations reiterated the global appeal for justice, accountability and an end to the impunity by calling for international action on the recommendations of the United Nations Mapping Exercise Report.

Your role in Breaking the Silence by demanding justice for the people is making a difference. More people are becoming informed, educated and engaged. Your actions, no matter how small, are strengthening the resolve of the youth and others inside the Congo who are waging a courageous fight, day and night to bring about peace, stability and human dignity. Knowing that they have the support of people of goodwill throughout the globe makes a tremendous difference.

The key teaching tool for Congo Week IV is Friends of the Congo’s short documentary, “Crisis in the Congo: Uncovering the Truth.” Since its launch, over 100,000 people have viewed the film on YouTube and over 1,000 people have downloaded it to view or screen in their homes and communities. Youth throughout the Congo are using the film as a teaching tool during Congo Week; we encourage you to do the same by downloading the film here: http://congojustice.org

The youth of the Congo who represent the majority of the people are encouraging you to continue to support our fight for justice and human dignity. In the past year, our youth partners have made great strides in strengthening their capacity in the quest to bring about peace and stability in the Congo. We encourage you to participate in our special contest to support the youth of the Congo and their pursuit for social change. http://congoweek.org/congo-week-fundraiser.html

Key Organizers in Japan, Australia, France, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, The United States and many other countries are joining with our partners inside the Congo to call for justice for the people. Organize or participate in an event or activity for Congo Week on your university campus, in your home, religious institution, community center or any other venue in your community. Should you be in New York during Congo Week, join us for Congo in Harlem – a week of film screenings, performances, panel discussions, exhibitions, tributes and special events highlighting Congolese cultures and its people’s contribution to the global community. http://congoinharlem.org

This is an historic opportunity for you to be a part of the global movement to bring an end to what is the greatest humanitarian crisis at the dawn of the 21st century and the deadliest conflict since World War Two. Seize the moment and become a part of a noble pursuit for justice and human dignity in the heart of Africa, my home, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kambale Musavuli
Student Coordinator
Friends of the Congo

Remember to post your event on the events calendar:
http://congoweek.org/component/events/

Share the Congo Week promotional video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0AWeWvMkHk

Sign-up for Congo Week!
http://congoweek.org/participation-form.html

Download Congo Week Organizers Tool Kit and Materials:
http://congoweek.org/downloads.html

Support the Congo Week Benefit Concert:
http://www.congoweek.org/congo-week-benefit-concert.html

Participate in the CELL-OUT, on Wednesday October 21, 2011. The CELL-OUT is a digital moment of silence for the people of the Congo and the usage of our cell phones to mobilize support for the people in their pursuit for social change.
http://congoweek.org/the-cell-out.html

Posted on September 13, 2011 - by Kambale Musavuli

Human Rights Advocates Denounce CMU’s Collaboration with President Kagame

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Human Rights Advocates Denounce CMU’s Collaboration with President Kagame

Contacts: Rebecca Cech  (412) 736-9889
Jeffrey Cech (724) 880-4371

The Pittsburgh City Council advised caution in US support of Kagame’s government, but Carnegie Mellon University invites Rwandan president to begin a privileged relationship with the university, ignoring both local concerns and international charges against him.

Wednesday, September 13, 2011 (Pittsburgh, PA) — On Friday, September 16, 2011, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) plans to inaugurate a partnership with President Paul Kagame to develop Rwanda’s leading role as an ICT (Information and Communication Technology) nation. Human Rights Activists have expressed outrage at CMU’s extension of privilege and resources to President Kagame despite his human rights abuses in the DR Congo and serious curtailments of political freedoms in Rwanda.  As Kagame delivers his speech on Friday, advocates will gather beside University Center on Forbes Avenue to denounce CMU’s decision and counter the institution’s public act of support with one of disapproval.

CMU’s red carpet treatment of Kagame is a jarring contrast to the Pittsburgh city proclamation 2011-1897, adopted July 12, 2011 which urges caution in the US relations with the Rwandan government. The Council supports Public Law 109-456, which “gives the Secretary of State the power to withhold U.S. Aid dollars from countries acting to destabilize the Congo.” The Council understands that giving resources to Kagame means underwriting his human rights violations and many abuses of power in Rwanda and the Great Lakes region of Africa.

► In 2008, The Spanish National Court, The Audiencia National (same court that tried Chilean dictator Pinochet), indicted forty Rwandan military officers for terrorism, mass killings, and several counts of genocide against Rwandans, Congolese, and Spanish citizens, following the 1994 genocide. Spanish Judge Fernando Andreu has said he has evidence implicating Rwanda’s current President Paul Kagame, who has immunity from prosecution as a head of State.

► In 2010 Human Rights Watch wrote that “if leaders continue to ignore the darker side of Kagame’s story, they will only compound the problem. Burying the truth about horrific crimes is a very effective way to sow the seeds for future grievances and more violence.”

► The United Nations Mapping Exercise Report of 1 October, 2010 identifies countries “that could be held responsible for serious violations of human rights committed by their national armies during the period under consideration in the DRC, and in particular Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Angola.” Crimes committed by Kagame’s army in the Congo have also qualified as acts of genocide by U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

CMU’s red carpet treatment of Kagame defies these warnings and protests. Advocates are urging CMU to revoke its partnership or to make its relationship with Kagame explicitly conditional on improvements in his human rights record and extensions of political freedoms in Rwanda.  Without these measures, they argue, CMU will earn an almost certain historical stain as one of the institutions that supported the despotic rule of another African strongman.

###

Posted on August 26, 2011 - by Kambale Musavuli

When Walmart Mocks the Suffering of Congolese

This week has been very engaging and busy for me. From earthquake in Manhattan to hurricane watch for the week-end. These natural disasters still do not top the action of Walmart who released on August 9 via the Walmart Youtube Channel a very disturbing commercial for their Back-To-School Campaign.

When I was made aware of this ad by a Congolese sister of mine who happened to have caught it on TV, I became very confused in trying to understand why Walmart would make such ad where they create the image of Congo that the world has been stuck with from Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.”

The commercial implied that Congo is a country where there is a high risk of contracting leprosy as one travels there.

Walmart ad made by the Martin Agency

As a Congolese, I could not let this go and not do something. This is also true for many of my Congolese countrywomen and men who have taken this opportunity not only to let Walmart know that this type of stereotypical ad is unacceptable, but to also say that we as Congolese will not remain silent anymore about how the world is misinformed about the situation in the Congo.

My little contribution to the movement is a letter that was sent today to the Chief Executive Officer of Walmart, Mr Mike Duke, informing him about the Congolese people’s discontent of their ad. Thanks to the tireless advocates who helped in the research and writing of the letter.

Here is what was shared with the CEO of Walmart. You can track the letter by following this link.

August 26, 2011

Mike Duke
Chief Executive Officer
Walmart Home Office
702 SW 8th Street
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611

RE: WALMART BACK-TO-SCHOOL AD “URGENT CARE” BY MARTIN AGENCY

Dear Mr. Mike Duke:

My name is Kambale Musavuli. I am a Congolese Human Rights Activist and Spokesperson of Friends of the Congo. I am writing to lodge a formal complaint against your “Urgent Care” advertisement released August 9th, 2011 on the web and on TV networks, as part of the Walmart Back-to-School campaign. This ad, created by the Martin Agency, constitutes a serious offense to Congolese people in particular and Africans in general.

The ad misinforms viewers and customers alike, encourages prejudicial attitudes toward Africans, and desensitizes its audience to the greatest humanitarian crisis at the dawn of the 21st century, which is grossly under-reported and widely misunderstood.

1. Misinformation: The ad depicts a student researching WebMD on his smart phone as a means to diagnose a friend’s skin condition. In the process, he suggests that the Congo is either a unique or high-risk source for leprosy, and that he has pulled this information from the WebMD website. Research reveals no mention of Congo on WebMD’s leprosy page. The World Health Organization’s site referenced by WebMD states that leprosy in the Congo reached a stage of elimination in 2007. The same page confirms that 100 cases of leprosy occur annually in the US, meaning that one would not have needed to leave the country for exposure. Viewers are wrongly encouraged to associate leprosy and the Congo without any logical basis for the connection.

2. Prejudice: The ad is only 30 seconds in length, making full characterization of any place or people logistically impossible. However, the Congo has long held a space in Western imagination as a symbol of fear and contagion. With this historical and cultural context, referring to the country as shorthand for disease further entrenches prejudicial stereotypes. The ad encourages us to laugh at the idea that a Caucasian, American, middle-class freshman would travel to the Congo. The joke hinges on the improbability of his visit, either because of the boy’s race, nationality, income, or age. Congo’s undesirability as a destination remains a strong overtone throughout. Viewers are encouraged to think of the Congo solely as a place to be avoided and feared.

3. Desensitization: The media has not adequately covered the conflict in the Congo, despite the fact that it has the most human casualties worldwide since World War II. Nearly six million people have died in the last fifteen years of Congo’s conflict, many from disease because of poor living conditions and displacement. Part of the reason why the conflict receives little coverage is the lack of interest by American viewers. By referring to disease in Congo as a joke, the ad encourages viewers to dismiss conditions of struggle and conflict in the country as “normal” and, therefore, unworthy of attention, intensifying an already serious case of inattention and mis-education about Congo in particular and Africa in general. In fact, it plays into the vilest stereotypes about Africa that desensitizes Americans about the place and the people.

While no one is meant to treat advertisements as public service announcements, they nevertheless function as strong public messages. Ads have power, and this one constitutes a particularly aggressive form of ignorance. It is questionable to benefit as a corporation from the sale of technological products like smart phones while suggesting publicly that the poor living conditions in Congo are an unrelated misfortune, especially when metals found in the phone may play a role in fueling the conflict in the Congo.

I am just one of thousands of supporters, Americans and Congolese, demanding that Walmart takes responsibility for its negative impact with this ad. At minimum Walmart should:

1. Remove the “Urgent Care” ad from all forms of media circulation (TV networks, web, etc.),
2. Issue a press release delivering a public apology to the Congolese people about the ad, and
3. Educate and sensitize a.) your staff (especially the Marketing Department who approved the release of this ad) and b.) your customers by providing teaching materials that explain the situation in the Congo and what Walmart is doing to practice responsible sourcing as it relates to the Congo’s mineral resources.

Through your reparative actions, I ask you to fulfill your 2010 statement that Walmart “will make the absolute most of our opportunity and capacity to lead as a retailer, as a company, and as people who truly care about serving and helping other people around the world.” Thousands of people eagerly await your response and evidence of this commitment.

Sincerely,

Kambale Musavuli

Spokesperson
Friends of the Congo

Note:

Link to learn more about the Congo
http://www.congojustice.org

Link to Walmart ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUyxzgmoyuQ

Link to response from the Congolese community
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSejKW9OJjE

Link to Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CongoAdProtest/

Posted on August 11, 2011 - by Kambale Musavuli

Friends of the Congo’s Visit to Los Angeles An Overwhelming Success

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Sync News
Timothy Shumaker
818.508.7645
msn@mediasyncnews.com

Friends of the Congo’s Visit to Los Angeles: An Overwhelming Success

Hollywood, CA – August 11, 2011 – “Angelino’s responded with an enthusiastic show of support in response to the screening of the film “Crisis In The Congo: Uncovering The Truth” said Kambale Musavuli, International Spokesperson for Friends of the Congo.

The Washington D.C. staff of Friends of the Congo reported that they were impressed by the tremendous outpouring of empathy and support from the people of Southern California.

Sojourner Truth hosted by Margaret Prescod of KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles has just completed a week long broadcast of an interview with Kambale Musavuli infused with selected segments of the film. Interested parties can listen to KPFK archives Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4).

Dominique Diprima of Stevie Wonder’s radio station, KJLH, Charlene Muhammad of KPFK and Jamaal Gorree of Inner Light Radio have all provided a media platform for Friends of the Congo to speak to the Southern California community.

“Over 50,000 have watched the film on You Tube and the film is well on its way to being viral,” Musavuli opined.

Former TV host, Joe Rogan, of the popular show FEAR FACTOR called the film “an eye opening video on what’s going on in the Congo.”

“The film ‘Crisis In The Congo: Uncovering the Truth’ was screened before 200 young South Africans who were so moved that they vowed to join in the effort to bring peace and stability to the Congo. The film is also being shown in the Democratic Republic of Congo via Tele 7. Several Congolese newspapers, blogs and online news sites have written about the film and have encouraged Congolese leaders and politicians to see the film,” stated Musavuli.

There are ongoing calls for the screening of “Crisis In The Congo: Uncovering The Truth” in additional cities such as San Francisco, Berkeley, Chicago and there are other screenings scheduled in San Diego, New York, St. Louis, Houston, Dallas and other cities around the world. Friends of the Congo is encouraging communities throughout the globe to screen the film, which can be easily downloaded from the CongoJustice.org website. The film has been translated into English, Spanish, French, Japanese and soon German.

The Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Kenya has screened the film and made copies to share with its network to encourage others to watch the film and do screenings.

“As an increasing number of people throughout the globe watch the film, they are being moved to act and help bring an end to the unnecessary suffering in the heart of Africa. People ask how can the world stand by and let such atrocities continue while we benefit from the Congo’s rich resources? People are responding to Friends of the Congo’s call to conscience and action,” stated Maurice Carney, Executive Director of Friends of the Congo, Washington D.C.

For further information contact http://www.friendsofthecongo.org or phone 202.584.6512

Posted on June 30, 2011 - by Kambale Musavuli

Cinquante et un ans d’Indépendance – « Le Conflit au Congo : La Vérité Dévoilée »

Ce jeudi 30 juin 2011, le Congo célèbrera le 51ème anniversaire de l’indépendance de la République Démocratique du Congo. Dans l’esprit du 51ème anniversaire, Friends of the Congo organisera la sortie mondiale du film « Le Conflit au Congo : La Vérité Dévoilée ».

Une caractéristique constante des 51 années d’indépendance est l’intervention d’entités extérieures dans les affaires du Congo. « Le Conflit au Congo : la Vérité Dévoilée » explore le rôle joué par les alliés des Etats-Unis et de la Grande-Bretagne, le Rwanda et l’Ouganda dans le déclenchement de la plus grande crise humanitaire du monde à l’aube du 21ème siècle.

Le film replace le Congo dans un contexte historique, social et politique. D’éminents experts, praticiens, activistes et intellectuels nous livrent des analyses et des prescriptions auxquelles la population Congolaise n’a que très difficilement accès. Beaucoup d’analystes abordent souvent le Congo en dehors des enjeux géostratégiques qui empêchent les Congolais de déterminer pleinement leurs propres affaires.

Parmi les intervenants, on compte d’éminentes figures telles qu’Adam Hochschild, auteur de « Les fantômes du Roi Léopold », Anneke Van Woudenberg, chercheuse en chef à Human Rights Watch, et Howard French, ancien reporter du New York Times et auteur de « A Continent for the Taking ».

Ce film est un appel aux consciences et à l’action.

Le film est disponible au téléchargement et à la distribution. Cliquez ici pour télécharger ce film.
http://congojustice.org/download-video/

Apprenez-en plus sur nous en visitant les liens suivants:

Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/CrisisInThecongo

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CrisisInTheCongo

Twitter
http://twitter.com/CongoCrisis