Earlier today, the Enough Project's Raise Hope for Congo campaign launched the first-ever Instagram petition calling for the next president of the United States to prioritize the conflict in eastern Congo.
After watching President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney in the foreign policy debate, Raise Hope for Congo was disappointed that Congo was never mentioned.
The conflict in eastern Congo is the deadliest war in the world, and the presence of a new rebel group has brought a new wave of violence and instability to the region. The United States has an important role to play in coordinating the international response to the crisis.
Instagram is a photo editing and sharing service available on smart phones, and Raise Hope for Congo thought it was the perfect tool to capture the attention of the next president in a unique way. Participants can submit photos with the tag #Vote4Congo on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. Raise Hope for Congo is gathering all of the photos posted on its own Instagram account. After the election, the campaign will print all of the collected photos into a book to deliver to the next President of the United States.
Enough Project upstanders Robin Wright and Emmanuelle Chriqui have already joined activists from across the United States in casting their #Vote4Congo.
The Raise Hope for Congo Campaign is no stranger to using social media to get the attention of policy makers. In 2010, Raise Hope for Congo helped pass conflict minerals legislation by capturing the attention of members of Congress on Facebook. Last year, Raise Hope for Congo encouraged electronics companies to step up for Dodd-Frank 1502 via Facebook.
Go here to participate in Raise Hope for Congo's #Vote4Congo campaign: http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/content/vote4congo
Photo: Actress Robin Wright's submission for the #Vote4Congo petition