Congo: videos
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Amnesty Media Awards 2010 - Consume...
Raphael Gomide was shortlisted for his story 'Rio's life of crime' in Le Monde Dip...
Amnesty International ( SamSam ) on 28 June 2010 | 0 comments
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Current TV on the Congo Crisis
In eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 370,000 people have...
malbonster on 22 December 2008 | 0 comments
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What's more important: Brand and Ro...
What on earth has happened to the PM's sense of priorities?
damianrafferty on 29 October 2008 | 0 comments
If minerals are the root of the problem, it follows that they are the epicentre of the solution.
The involvement of the Chinese is the other, related, factor. China has turned a blind eye when it suits to all kinds of atrocities in Sudan and Congo, although to be fair it is not hard to find counter-examples where the US or UK have supported odious and murderous regimes for economic benefit too.
It then follows that some kind of code of investment principles, based on human rights, and adopted internationally could have an amazing effect on regions like this and in fact throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia. I think Krease Chan is also right in that we should look first to British companies and companies that do significant business in the UK like all the major mobile network operators. If they demand that handsets made in China come with human rights guarantees, this could have a major effect for example.
In the case of US churches, a name and shame campaign in the States might work but surely it is time for legislation making it illegal to send material support to organisations suspected of human rights abuses?
Thank you for the link Krease Chan. This documentary (Blood Coltan) should be watched by everybody. It really highlights the complexity of the economic chain of powers who is fuelling conflicts like the one in Congo today. It's sad to see the UN so powerless in front of those real problems.
also check this out:
http://video.google.com/vid...
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krease chan
over 3 years ago
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ZigZag
over 3 years ago
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krease chan
over 3 years ago
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damianrafferty
over 3 years ago
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ZigZag
over 3 years ago
View all comments (5 more)Global Witness are always good for info on resource exploitation - http://www.globalwitness.org/
nkunda claimed some time ago that he gets his funds, or at least a significant proportion from American "Missionaries"...the geopolitics are as usual under reported but extremely significant and its clear that there will be more "rebel" groups popping up to counter Chinas expansion in Africa (and soon South America)
Exposing the British people facilitating the conflict for profit - sounds like an interesting campaign's angle, Krease chan.
I think we need to hear more about the behind the scenes (who's selling arms fuelling the conflict / who is exploiting the minerals from North Kivu?) and not always the same story - crisis in Congo / rebel attacking / refugees / UN intervention.
I still think that exploiting the rich minerals of the North KIvu has got something to do with the all crisis. If coltan is already mainly extracted in Australia, it looks like there are new grounds ready to be exploited in Eastern Congo. President Kabila has signed up contract with China recently allowing them to exploit resources in the region. This is probably not making some people happy. everybody wants a piece of the cake.
British anti slavery campaigners from the 1780s would lay claim to a much earlier human rights campaign, whether that was the first is unlikely though given the history of many peoples fights for justice...it should also be noted that most of the world Coltan production, infact the majority is in Australia...not to diminish the devastating impact it has in the DRC
I think a campaign by UK based campaigners exposing the British people facilitating the conflict for profit would be an extremely good place to focus energies on
We need a kind of blood mobiles campaign. If only it were possible to get coltan from mines which were treating their workers well and were not invoilved in or contributing to the human misery of the Congolese people. Interestingly this has an echo of the world's very first human rights campaign which was targeted against King Leopold's ruthlessly vicious rubber industry.
Why are we not denouncing the bloody war for precious mineral resources like the coltan (more and more in demands because of its use in mobile phone and other wireless devices)?