blood minerals
GRITtv: Can We Turn Pain to Power in the Congo?
It's a heartwrenching story: more than five million dead, and rape is used to terrorize the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where spillover from the Rwandan conflict has led to the ongoing violence of daily life despite an official ceasefire. And minerals like coltan, used in your laptop or cell phone as well as aerospace technologies, are funding the violence. We all use cell phones and computers, but what can we do to stop supporting the horrific abuse of women and children in the Congo? Joining to discuss this are Eve Ensler, Rose Mapendo, and Kambale Musavuli, and they debate the "climate of impunity" under which rape is normalized, and the responsibility the rest of the world has to help the women in the Congo help themselves. For more information, check out Congo Week's Take Action page.
Email this pageGRITtv: Oct. 21, 2009
Sometimes the struggle for basic human rights seems overwhelming. Everywhere you turn, the same corporate interests, the same apathetic or outright hostile governments--it's enough to drive social justice activists to despair. Instead of giving up, though, plenty of people figure out ways to keep going, to draw energy from the oppression and pain and to win victories against incredible odds. Today we talk to Eve Ensler, founder of V-Day and the activist behind a year-long campaign to stop the violence, Rose Mapendo, a survivor of the war who was dubbed UN "humanitarian of the year" for her work with refugees, and Kambale Musavuli, student coordinator for Friends of the Congo.
