GBA News

DR Congo celebrates independence

The Democratic Republic of Congo celebrated 30 years of independence on June 30. This round up of the news published around the celebration shows just how difficult independence is for the DRC. The recent murder of prominent human rights activist Floribert Chebeya earlier in the month highlights the challenges DRC faces.

Independence

BBC News:DR Congo: Celebrating 50 years of chaos

Africa Review:DR Congo: 50 years of troubled independence

Africa Review:The sad tale of the Congo

NPR:Impoverished Congo Marks 50 Years Of Independence

Foreign Policy:Congo's New Mobutu

Murder of Floribert Chebeya

The Guardian:The price of unconditional support for Congo's regime: The suspicious death of Floribert Chebeya has cast a dark shadow over the country's 50th anniversary of independence

My cell phone fueled Africa's "World War" - Contact Congress

A small window of opportunity just opened that could finally break the cycle of weapons freely flowing in to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and conflict minerals irresponsibly being mined out.

Right now, the House of Representatives is considering the Conflict Minerals Trade Act (H.R. 4128) that would make it easier to identify imports into the United States that contain minerals such as coltan, cassiterite, wolframite - commonly found in cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices - used to fund the activities of armed groups operating in the DRC.

We've been told that if Representatives don't hear from constituents on this issue in a big way soon, then they are likely to put this issue on the back burner until next year when the new Congress is seated.

Send an email to your Representatives right now and urge them to co-sponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act.

The link between the raging violence in eastern Congo (often referred to as the center of Africa's "World War") and the complex multimillion-dollar trade in conflict minerals is undeniable. A recent report by the UN found that armed groups in eastern DRC continue to control and profit from the extraction and trade of these minerals.

Representatives can ensure that critical protections like these are enacted to help promote peace and security in the DRC:

  • Improving standards for transparency and accountability from companies involved in the extraction and trade of these minerals
  • Mapping the mines currently under control by armed groups
  • Providing support for further investigations by the UN Group of Experts

We must do our part to let Congress know that we care about where these resources come from.

Help us break this cycle of violence. Tell your Representative to do everything possible to stop mining that fuels human rights abuses in the DRC.

- From Amnesty International

March newsletter highlights trip to Congo, Scholars Projects

GBA board member Richard Peterson describes his trip to Congo in November 2009 with co-founder Ann Marie Thomson and scholars Masani and Malivo report on their giving back projects. Read the latest about GBA activities in our March newsletter

Upcoming Events

Congo Symposium: Natural resource wars in D.R. Congo and their impact on women and children

Friday May 21 - Saturday May 22, 2010

Sheraton Hotel-Downtown, Indianapolis, IN

Featured Plenary speakers:

  • GEORGES NZONGOLA-NTALAJA

    • Professor of Political Sciences at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

  • KEITH HARMON SNOW

    • A war correspondent, photographer and independent investigator based at the University of California Santa Barbara. He is known for his investigative work on war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.

  • MUADI MUKENGE

    • Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa - Global Fund for Women. Ms. Mukenge's work is focused on issues related to women's health, sexual violence, human rights, conflict resolution, and foreign policy toward Africa.

Sponsored by Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ and The Center for Research on the Congo(CEREC), Urbana-Champaign, IL

Pre- Registration: $45, DAY OF EVENT: $50, Students/Seniors: $25

Download a registration form

For more information contact LaMarco Cable, (317) 713 2574

Newsletters

Articles

Past Events

GBA Week at Indiana University

  • Monday, April 5th - GBA speakers visit IU classes to speak about GBA mission and the Congo.
  • Tuesday, April 6th - GBA speakers visit IU classes to speak about GBA mission and the Congo. Percentage nights at both Opie Taylors, all day, and Scotty's, 5:00 pm - close.
  • Wednesday, April 7th - Join us in welcoming Kambale Musavuli, Congolese activist. Kambale will speak about Congo in the Danielson Room of the Wilcox House, 1606 N. Fee Lane. Doors open at 6:00 pm. Come early for light refreshments and to see artwork from local Bloomington children and their peers in the Congo!
  • Thursday, April 8th - percentage night at Penn Station, 4:00 pm to close.
  • Saturday, April 10th - Come to Buffa Louie's at any time during the day for a percentage of your purchase to go to GBA. Then come back! From 6:00 to 8:00 pm GBA will be hosting a concert at Buffa Louie's including the local band, The Working Hour, and a variety of other musicians.

    October 20th, 2009: GBA Student Association showed the film Lumumba on the IU Bloomington campus.

    April 23, 2009: Congo Day at Rider University. This Congo awareness day was hosted by Rider University 2009 Master's degree candidate Arthur-Kalala Katalayi, and gave people the opportunity to learn more about the DRC and GBA's programs. To read more about this event click here.

    The Greatest Silence film showing

    April 1, 2009: The GBA Student Association showed the film The
    Greatest Silence: Rape in Congo    . Joseph Mbangu, the assistant producer of the film, joined us to speak about the film and the situation in eastern DRC.


    March March 25, 2009: The SPEA student organizations and the GBA Student Association organized a fundraiser for GBA at Mother Bear's Pizza in Bloomington, IN. The event was a great success. More than 100 people attended and Mother Bear's generously donated $2 for every pizza sold!

    December 2, 2008: GBA Student Association film screening and discussion about the current conflict in the DRC with Professor Osita Afoaku.This event was part of the first annual Africa Awareness week at Indiana University Bloomington, which was organized by IU student groups, including the GBA Student Association, that are working to raise awareness about issues in Africa on the IUB campus.

    September 29 - October 12, 2008: GBA Art Show at the Village Deli in Bloomington, IN. The art display consisted of drawings, photos, and writings by children from Kinshasa, DRC and from Bloomington's Binford Elementary school. The opening reception was organized with help from GBA's IU Student Association.

    PAID students' drawing

    In 2006, a fourth grader from Bloomington, Anna Wienberg, called Ann Marie Thomson, co-founder of Giving Back to Africa, to ask how she could make a positive contribution to young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This desire to learn more about children her age in a different culture, and to seek positive ways to connect with them is the essence of giving back. Her curiosity, imagination, vision, and desire to make a positive difference in the world in which she lives inspired the connection between GBA and Mrs. Cummings fourth grade class at Binford Elementary School in Bloomington, IN.

    Members of the GBA board visited Mrs. Cummings' class twice to speak about the DRC and to share stories about how children live and learn at PAID, an orphanage and school outside of Kinshasa with whom GBA partners. Twice, the Binford fourth graders collected educational materials and supplies that GBA board members took to the orphans during their visits to the DRC.

    PAID students' drawing

    The students at Binford and the students at the orphanage reached out to each other more collaboratively through art. By sharing pictures and personal thoughts with each other, it is remarkable to consider how fourth graders in Bloomington, IN and the Democratic Republic of Congo discovered that, though thousands of miles away, they are not so different after all. This art show was a testament to the fact that differences in culture and distance need not separate us from the human capacity to experience our common humanity and share what we have with others. The art show was originally displayed at Binford Elementary School during the Lotus Blossoms educational outreach event.

    Presentation at the International School in IndianapolisSeptember 21, 2008: GBA Congo Lunch Forum at the Unitarian Universalist Church. This event included a traditional Congolese meal, a film screening, and a presentation by GBA board members.

    February 9, 2008: International School forum on Congo in Indianapolis. Ann Marie Thomson, GBA co-founder, presented on GBA's work in the DRC.

    Past News Stories

    Kambale Musavuli speaks at Wilcox House on IU campus

    April 7, 2010

    Mr. Kambale Musavuli is a Congolese activist, student coordinator and spokesperson of Friends of the Congo. Pursuing his Civil engineering degree at North Carolina A&T State University, he produces weekly podcast on the situation in the Congo. He has written for the Washington Post, Pambazuka News and numerous other online publications. He has been interviewed on National Public Radio, Democracy Now, ABC, Aljazeera, Radio France International and myriad radio and television programs throughout the globe. He has toured the United States speaking to university students, religious groups, community organizers and many others in an effort to mobilize support for the people of the Congo. Mr. Kambale's ultimate aim is to mobilize the global community to help bring an end to the conflict in the Congo and provide support to the people of the Congo as they strive to control their enormous natural wealth and build lasting peace and stability in the heart of Africa.

    Mr. Kamblae Musavuli will talk to IU and Bloomington community members this Wednesday night, April 7 at 6 pm at the Wilcox House, 1606 N. Fee Lane. Come early for light refreshments and to see artwork from local Bloomington children and their peers in the Congo!

    GBA partners with IU Student Foundation to educate IU and Bloomington about Congo

    April 7, 2010

    Giving Back to Africa sponsors a week of events with the IU Student Foundation to raise awareness of Congo and funds for GBA's work there. The week of events includes classroom visits by local Africa scholars, fundraising percentage nights at local restaurants and a concert fundraiser. Kambale Musavuli, Congolese activist, student coordinator and spokesperson of Friends of the Congo, headlines the event Wednesday night.

    These events are part of Congo Week is a week-long event hosting by people around the world to raise global consciousness about the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. See Upcoming Events for details of each event during the week.

    GBA featured in the cover story of Bloom Magazine. The article, "From the Heart of Indiana to the Heart of Africa" discusses GBA's work in the DRC and our connection to Bloomington, IN.

    The Scholars, Dorothee, Ann Marie and MeghannJanuary 2009 Trip to Kinshasa

    In January GBA co-founder, Ann Marie Thomson, and executive director, Meghann Beer, traveled to Kinshasa, DRC. They visited the Protestant University in Congo to work with the GBA Scholars and the university administration on establishing the Scholars' Giving Back Projects; the key element of the GBA Scholars Program. They also visited GBA's partner organization, PAID, to continue to develop our collaboration. Visit our photo gallery to see pictures from the recent trip and click here to see a video of the GBA Scholars at PAID.