Yvette Mulongo honored for work with women in the Congo

Source: Twin Cities Daily Planet

On Tuesday, March 1, Yvette Mulongo, a healthcare advocate from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was honored with a grant from the Americans for United Nations Population Fundat a luncheon at the Grand Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) provides healthcare for women and promotes the rights of women in over 150 countries worldwide.  Each year Americans for UNFPA hosts educational and public awareness events.

The Congo is located in central Africa.  It has been a war zone since 1998 despite two peace accords, with more than three million people killed and more than a million displaced. The most affected areas still are the northeastern provinces, where young girls 10 to 17 are the most vulnerable.  The prevalence of rape in the Congo has been described as the worst in the world.  A U.N. report details the widespread use of rape as a weapon of war, and the increasing prevalence of rape by rebel and government soldiers, and by civilians.

Hollywood , Pirated Videos and Child Soldiers

On Wednesday evening Macalaster College is hosting what looks like a fascinating lecture by Emmanuel Dongala, a Chemistry professor from Bard College, on child soldiers in the Congo.

Starting from a fateful encounter he had with children at a roadblock they were controlling, he will discuss why and how these kids turned into child soldiers. He will explore the impact of Hollywood movies and satellite TV on child soldiers.  He will also discuss the current state of ex-child soldiers.

French Lecture Series: “Hollywood , Pirated Videos and Child Soldiers”
Macalaster College
4:45 PM  – 6:00 PM
Wednesday Feb 16, 2011
Humanities Building 401
1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105

Breaking The Silence Congo Week: Oct 19th – 25th

 

by Nelima

Friends of Congo and students worldwide have today launched a huge campaign to raise awareness of the atrocities in the Congo.  Student activist Kambale Musavuli, who is at the forefront of this campaign, often notes that Darfur happens in the Congo every five and a half months. Resource-rich Congo has been ravaged by war since 1996 and about 6 million people have lost their lives so far. Exports of Coltan, which is used in every cell phone, laptop, video games and other electronic devices, has been attributed by experts to helping finance the present day conflict in the Congo. Musavuli is very passionate about the plight affecting his home country that even an explusion from Facebook for advocating a cell phone boycott in March this year did little to stop him. As part of Congo Week’s campaign, there will be a cell out on Oct 22nd from 12pm to 6pm – and that means no texting. Instead have this recording as your voicemail.

“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”

Learn more about this campaign here.