The world’s deadliest war is raging today in Congo, and it is being fought on sacred territory: women’s bodies. The incidence of violent rape is higher in Congo than anywhere in the world
What would you think if we told you that you play a role in the perpetuation of violence in Congo, that you likely have a small piece of that war in your pocket right now?
Today, we’re launching a new project that will illustrate in a very visual way the links between the illicit mineral trade in eastern Congo, violence against women, and the cell phones we have all come to depend on. We’ve teamed up with YouTube to kick off a new video contest — Come Clean 4 Congo — that will call on people to create short videos that creatively show how consumers are connected to the violence in Congo through their cell phones.
Enough’s Executive Director John Norris explains:
Much of the violence in eastern Congo is driven by armed groups competing to dominate the illicit minerals trade. These are the same minerals that ultimately end up in our personal electronics devices such as mobile phones, laptops and digital cameras. It seems only fitting that we can use something like YouTube and the huge creativity of its users to help end the scourge of conflict minerals.
At Enough, we’re calling on electronic companies to pledge that they will certify their products are ‘conflict free’. We’re not asking consumers to boycott electronic devices. Instead, we’re working to help consumers be better informed so that we can all pressure electronic companies to audit their supply chains and shine some light on the illicit mineral trade.
Between now and July 1, submit a video on the Come Clean 4 Congo page on YouTube. At the end of the summer, our panel of celebrity judges — Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling, actress Sonya Walger from ABC’s "Lost," and Oscar-nominated director Wim Wenders — will select the most compelling and creative video and fly the winning filmmaker to Los Angeles (from within the United States), where the video will be screened at an entertainment industry event.
At Enough, we’re hopeful that this YouTube partnership will help raise the profile of ‘conflict minerals’ so that it becomes a household phrase like ‘blood diamonds’, motivating consumers to compel electronics companies to ensure that their supply chains do not continue to fuel the world’s deadliest conflict. Visit Come Clean 4 Congo to watch new videos and learn how to make your own.
Because we have a role in perpetuating Congo’s devastating conflict, we also have the power and responsibility to help stop it.