Congolese Activists Bring a Local Perspective to D.C.
Four Congolese civil society activists recently joined international experts for a unique conference at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Voices From Congo: The Road Ahead. In an effort to speak with these Congolese activists on a more intimate level and to further the dialogue from the day before, the Enough Project hosted an additional meeting with the delegates on Wednesday at its Washington, D.C., office. The Congolese activists shared their stories with the staff at Enough, reminding us of the personal challenges and hardships that the local population still faces on a daily basis ...
A Voice for Those Affected by the LRA
Recent efforts to stop the Lord’s Resistance Army have faltered. LRA commanders are reportedly regrouping in the Congo, and Ugandans have reduced their deployment, greatly underestimating the capability of the LRA. With the LRA now in operation for more than two decades, organizations like The Voice Project are looking for new ways to promote the cause of peace. Women in northern Uganda have banded together to write songs that encourage former LRA soldiers in the bush to return to their communities. The Voice Project highlights a message sung by the women in those communities: “Come home, you are forgiven.” ...
Discussions in Washington Spotlight Long Road Ahead for South Sudan
There was a myriad of events in Washington last Thursday that focused on South Sudan’s newly-gained independence, all attempting to answer one question: Now what? The lineup of Sudan-focused events included a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, a White House conference call, and panels at the United States Institute of Peace, or USIP, the Society for International Development, and the Heritage Foundation. While the panels and individuals represented different organizations and ends of the political spectrum, they all reached a strikingly similar chord on what was at stake in the two Sudans ...