A Step Forward: The SEC Releases Rules on Conflict Minerals and Transparency
In the fall of 2008, I met for the first time with my local member of Congress, Representative Spencer Bachus of Alabama. As a sophomore at Samford University, I was nervous and far from an expert on the topic of discussion: transparency of companies in the extractive industries. Little did I know, after four years of advocacy efforts with activists across the country that I would be sitting in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, last Wednesday to hear the commissioners release and implement two monumental rules from the 2010 Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act ...
Faith Amid the Rising Conflict in Eastern Congo
Faith, for many in eastern Congo, is a source of hope in an environment where optimism is often in short supply. Many Congolese consider faith communities to be among the few trusted institutions in a society (and a government) rife with corruption ...
Congo’s Faith Communities: A Q+A with Africa Faith and Justice Network’s Jacques Bahati
The following is an interview with Jacques Bahati of Africa Faith and Justice Network, who is originally from Goma in eastern Congo, and Aaron Hall of the Enough Project. Together, they share stories of faith communities in eastern Congo and the leadership role these groups play in Congolese civil society ...
Congo Video: ‘Not of My Faith… But Children of God’
“Being Jewish, you know after 1945, the world said ‘never again.’ Yet, here it is. Happening again.” So said Dr. Denis Mukwege of Panzi Hospital in the eastern Congo city of Bukavu when he met with our partner organization, Jewish World Watch, about the more than 5 million deaths since 1996 and unjust treatment of women ...
The Key Missing Feature in the New iPad3
Here it is, the “revolutionary” iPad3, with breakthrough retina display, quad-core processor and 4G LTE wireless connectivity. This next-generation technology is captivating, and if you’re an Apple fan, as I am, you’re going to want to trade in your iPad2 and put your name on the waiting list for the iPad3.
And yet, as a human rights activist, it gives me pause ...
Congo, Industry, Environmental Experts Make Joint Call for Rules on Conflict Minerals
It is no longer a question of should the international community tackle the logistics of cleaning up the supply chain of conflict minerals from eastern Congo, but how to address the crisis through our globalized economy. A panel of leading policy makers, experts from the private sector, and faith leaders echoed this sentiment during an event last week held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C ...
From Church Groups to College Campuses, Congo Movement Taking Hold in SC
As my travels continued, I made my way from Alabama to South Carolina to meet with even more fired-up Congo activists. After spending a day in Greenville with students at Furman University, who are now working to pass a conflict-free campus resolution, I made a trek out to meet with different members of the faith community in Columbia ...
A Note from Alabama: Congo Advocacy in Action
During the first stop on what has effectively become my “Southern Tour” for the Raise Hope for Congo campaign, I recently found myself catching the contagious enthusiasm of Congo advocates in Birmingham before I had even had a morning cup of coffee. These two incredible women were taking their Congo story to the office of U.S. Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL), and I met them at a coffee shop to prep for the meeting and learn about their efforts ...
Congo Analysts, Advocates Gather in D.C. for Field Briefing
After a week of business attire and meetings with policy makers on Capitol Hill, the State Department, and the White House, activist and actress Robin Wright helped convene a relaxed round-table luncheon with Enough’s partner organizations to delve into a discussion about the situation on the ground in eastern Congo. After showing her video trip diary, Wright and two of her travel partners, Enough’s Congo field researcher Fidel Bafilemba and Congo campaign manager JD Stier, each offered impressions from their experiences about the challenges Congo faces and the role that U.S. advocates can play ...
After Congo Visit, Actress Robin Wright on Capitol Hill to Push for Conflict Minerals Regulations
“Here we are on Capitol Hill – where countless receptions, countless causes, and countless speeches take place. But there is only one deadliest war in the world, and that is in Congo.” So began remarks by Enough Co-founder John Prendergast at a reception last night featuring actress and activist Robin Wright and Congo-based researcher Fidel Bafilemba. Wright and Bafilemba, who recently traveled together in eastern Congo, are in Washington this week to meet with legislators, key policy makers, and activists about U.S. efforts to help end the conflict ...