Презентация на тему «THE WORLD’S TRAGEDY»

THE WORLD’S TRAGEDY

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Map of the Congo

Heart of Africa Straddles the Equator Bordered by 9 countries Third largest country in area and fourth largest in population with 65 million The size of Western Europe Second largest rainforest in the world behind the Amazon

Scramble for Africa begins

1884-85 Berlin Conference 2010 = 125 Year Anniversary King Leopold's Reign (1885 – 1908) An estimated 10 – 15 million died

David Livingstone British Explorer

Henry Morton Stanley American Explorer

Leopold II King of Belgium

The Berlin Conference

The First Holocaust

Extraction of Rubber Killing of 10 million Congolese under Leopold’s Rule

George Washington Williams

Civil War veteran, minister, politician and historian. Travelled to the Congo Free State and his open letter to Leopold about the suffering of the region's inhabitants at the hands of Leopold's agents, helped to sway European and American public opinion against the regime running the Congo under which some 10 million people lost their lives.

Booker T. Washington

American political leader, educator, orator and author. He was the dominant figure in the African American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915. He used his platform as a political figure to denounce the crimes of Leopold II in the Congo in his article “Cruelty in the Congo Country” published October 8, 1904.

William Henry Sheppard

One of the earliest African Americans to become a missionary for the Presbyterian Church. He spent 20 years in Africa, primarily in and around the Congo Free State, and is best known for his efforts to publicize the atrocities committed against the Kuba and other Congolese peoples by King Leopold II's Force Publique.

Lucy Gantt Sheppard

Wife of William H Sheppard. She lived in the Congo with Sheppard at the Presbyterian mission in the Kasai (Central Congo). She was the first person to translate a Congolese language (Tshiluba) into English.

Maria Fearing

Born a slave near Gainesville, Alabama in 1838, she learned to read and write at age thirty-three and worked her way through the Freedman's Bureau School in Talladega to become a teacher. At age fifty-six she went to the Congo, where for more than twenty years she worked as a Presbyterian missionary and eventually established the Pantops Home for Girls. Her students nicknamed her, "mama wa Mputu," (mother from far away) as a symbol of their love and appreciation.

Other Congo Supporters in the 1890-1908 era

Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness), Anatole France, Arthur Conan Doyle, (Crime of the Congo), Mark Twain (King Leopold's Soliloquy), Edmund Dene Morel, and Roger Casement founded the Congo reform association

Belgian Congo (1908 – 1960)

Economic Consolidation and Extractive relationship Independence movements disguised as cultural associations U.S. provided access to Congo’s uranium for its Manhattan Project during WWII Belgium accumulates debt in the name of the Congolese people

Patrice Emery Lumumba

Congo elects Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister (June 30, 1960 Lumumba takes office) Lumumba assassinated on January 17, 1961 with Belgium, French, British and UN Involvement Lumumba wanted the wealth of the Congo to be utilized for the people of the Congo and Africa at-large Crushing of the Democratic aspirations of the Congolese people Set back the advance of the entire African continent

The Mobutu Era (1960-1997)

Mobutu Era (1960 – 1997) Installed, backed and maintained primarily by the United States Reign marked by Kleptocracy Destruction of the country Overthrown in May 1997

Laurent Desire Kabila

Kabila’s time (1996 – 2001) Rwanda invades in October of 1996 using the Hutu unchecked presence in Congo as the rationale for the invasion Kabila made spokesperson of Rebellion May 1997 - Brought to power by Rwanda and Uganda with the help of Angola and the backing of the United States

The First African World War

Launched in 1998 with the second invasion of Congo by Rwanda and Uganda Attempt to remove Kabila Kabila appeals to Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia Marked by the systemic rape of Congo’s natural resources Geopolitics - 11 African Countries implicated Laurent Kabila assassinated in 2001 and replaced by his son Joseph Kabila who later was installed after the 2006 elections

Coltan and the War

Current Situation in the Congo

Transitional Government (2003 – 2006) One + Four (One president and four vice presidents) Structural flaws of elections in 2006 Rebel groups in the North and East of Congo

Predators in the Congo

Forrest International (George Forrest) Nikanor (Dan Gertler) Katanga Mining (Glencore) Dodge Phelps (Freeport McMoRan) Anvil Mining First Quantum Trinitech & Eagle Wings Kemet HC Starck Citibank American Mineral Fields/Adastra Cabot Corporation OM Group AngloGold Ashanti World Bank International Monetary Fund Heritage Oil Blattner Group Banro Traxis Woldwide Comprehensive List found on Website

The affairs of the Congo have not been determined by the people of the

Congo 2. Congo is trapped in the midst of a geo-strategic battle for her precious and strategic resources 3. Congo’s challenge is both internal and external 4. Congo is central to the future of the African continent 5. Congo is blessed with enormous natural and human potential

THE FIVE KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING CONGO

CONGO: CHALLENGES AND PRESCRIPTIONS

CHALLENGES Historical: Slavery, Personal Rule, Colonialism, Assassinations, Dictatorship, Kleptocracy, Wars = Organizational Deficiency External Forces: Foreign Governments, Neighboring States, Multilateral Institutions, Foreign Corporations, Local Elites PRESCRIPTIONS Global diplomatic and political engagement Strengthening of local institutions

Social Media for Advocacy

Congolese connecting to the world

HOW CAN I HELP

Join the global movement by visiting Friendsofthecongo.org and congoweek.org Text CLUBCONGO to 467467 Support Congolese petition to Sec. of State Clinton or President Obama Make a financial or material (phone, camera, laptop, etc) contribution to our social justice efforts Invite us to your campus or community and encourage your family, friends and loved ones to do the same