Semba’s Shining Star

Yuri Da Cunha is a household name in Angola, and is on his way to becoming an international star. He has taken the older Angolan genre of semba music and modernized its appeal to urban youth. His lingering vocals combined with his fluid dance style have captured fans from Angola to Portugal. The combination of dance styles from the Congo, Brazil and the United states can only be described in one word: Fresh. He sings in Portuguese and mixes Angolan languages into his songs, making his music more accessible to fans. Yuri calls himself a “People Artist”, and credits his music’s inspiration to the daily lives of people in Angola. Growing up amongst poverty in Luanda, Yuri vows to remain close to the place of his upbringing. By pledging to live in his hometown, he hopes to bring attention to the needs of his community.

Chris Blattman

On November 12th The New School Study Group on Economics and Security featured Chris Blattman, an Assistant Professor of Political Science & Economics at Yale. Blattman uses field work and statistics to study poverty, political participation, the causes and consequences of violence, and policy in developing countries. He concentrates on development and security in Africa, while focusing on Liberia and Uganda.

Chris Blattman

On Friday, Blattman discussed the consequences of child soldiering. Child soldiers are forcibly recruited through abduction and vary from ages 12-20. They are often targeted and trained as soldiers since it is likely that they will remain loyal to the cause . In Uganda, these militias are surprisingly encompassed with spirituality.  “When you’re not fighting, you’re praying.” Missions are often promoted as being religious in nature, which disguises the true motives behind the violence. Children are easily manipulated and forced to commit atrocious crimes and are often shamed into continuing these violent acts.

Surprisingly, Blattman found that child soldiers are empowered to vote, and they often become political activists in their community.  Blattman discussed this when he described “PTG” (Post Traumatic Growth). Despite the difficulties these children have endured, this experience ironically sparks an energy that makes them want to succeed in their communities.

To find out more, check out Chris Blattman’s blog at www.chrisblattman.com.

Mulatu Astatke

Known to many as the father of Ethio-jazz, Mulatu Astatke has been making people move with the fusion of jazz, Latin and traditional Ethiopian music. His albums consist mainly of instrumental music showcasing the sounds of the vibraphone and conga drums as well as keyboards and organs. Parisian record label Buda Musique released a series called Ethiopiques, which exposed Astatke to the Western music scene and gained his work international notoriety.  Astatke has also collaborated with many hip-hop artists including Nas, Damien Marley, Cut Chemist, Quantic, Madlib, and Knaan.

Check out this 2008 performance in London:

Conflicting Stories: A Look at the Conflict Diamond Debate

“Africans need this industry”-Russell Simmons, Founder of Def Jam Records and current CEO of Simmons Jewelry Co.

Adam Hochschild’s brief piece on the diamond industry, entitled, “The Blood Diamond Myth” would have the reader believe that they are going to indulge in an exploratory piece of journalism that navigates its way through a controversial topic, debunking fallacies and proffering new explanations. Instead Hochschild presents a flaccid argument surrounding the war ravaged Congo, saying that efforts to rebuke the diamond industry would only leave meagerly paid miners without jobs. He furthers his argument by likening a boycott against the diamond industry to past humanitarian efforts, suggesting that it is merely the topic du’jour of this decade.

Some would agree with Hochschild that the solution may not rest solely with eradicating the industry as a whole. Many people rely on the diamond trade as a source of income. In the proper hands with the proper governance, the conflict that we see today could be tempered so that we see growth in revenue instead of growth in violence. Music mogul, Russell Simmons, is one public figure who echoes similar sentiments as Adam. In 2006 he and then wife, Kimora Lee Simmons, announced that their jewelry company, Simmons Jewelry Co., would launch the “Green Initiative“, a capsule collection of malachite and diamond bracelets with 25% of proceeds being donated to selected African charities.

Simmons staunchly defended his use of diamonds in his jewelry line, saying simply that, “Africans need this industry.” (CBS News, 2006) While it is unclear how and or why an entire continent needs an industry that only a select few countries actually participate in, it is to be assumed that Mr. Simmons feels that his use of diamond jewelry and charitable donations is enough to ignore the surge in rebel violence, with many Congolese men being killed, women being raped, and children being turned into child-rebel soldiers.

Recently the NY Times ran an op-ed piece on conflict minerals from the DRC that shed light on the mining industry and its link to violence. While many people I know personally have vowed to abstain from buying diamonds, the article noted that almost all of us contribute to the war that rages on. Many cell phones, computers, and gaming devices use the minerals tantalum and tin, which are peddled to supply chains by Congolese warlords. As I sit here typing this article on my Macbook Pro (with my iPhone next to it) I may be just as culpable as someone buying blood stones.

The solution, as to be expected, is convoluted. What Adam Hochschild suggests is a reorganization of the government so that the poor have access to the country’s wealth. This is a sort of “well duh, of course!” panacea for a country knee-deep in bloody violence and outrage. Doing away with the diamond industry is not a cure-all either. Wars won’t end just because we all start wearing cubic zirconium. But to deny the correlation is dangerous. To sit idly by and hope that the DRC government suddenly does right by its people, is disastrous.  Demand more.

To learn more about what you can do, check out Enough Project.

To learn more about conflict minerals, check out the video below:



Community Media: Telling Their Own Stories

On Wednesday, The Bright Continent attended a discussion panel entitled Community Media and Civil Society: Then and Now. Since we usually focus on Africa’s portrayal by Western media, it was refreshing to hear from journalists and media organizations that report news from African perspectives. The panel included Liz Hodes, the Programs Manager of Digital Democracy, Lova Rakotomalala, the French Language Editor of Global Voices Madagascar, Pricila Neri, the program coordinator of WITNESS, and James Lebbie, the radio producer of Cotton Tree News in Sierra Leone. All the panelists spoke about the power of community media in countries that are confronting issues of democracy, development and post conflict resolution.

During discussion, James Lebbie, the Radio producer of Cotton Tree News in Sierra Leone shared the organization’s mission. Cotton Tree News grew out of Fourah Bay College, and partnered with University of Sierra Leone and Fondation Hirondelle. Lebbie explained the high importance of radio as a media tool in Sierra Leone, as well as radio’s shift from government controlled news to community based news. CTN Programs report in English as well as four other official languages of Sierra Leone. News is often reported live, with shows that focus on education, politics, health, sports and women’s issues. Lebbie was proud to note that CTN has grown from 1 radio station to 14 at present, and has also been nominated for the BBC’s “Special Award for Development Media”.  After the forum we caught up with Lebbie and asked him a few questions about Cotton Tree News. Watch our interview to learn more about Cotton tree News as well as other African media sources.

Rape in the Congo

On Friday Project Africa, in collaboration with The Mantle, held the first of their African Revolutions series about the Democratic Republic of Congo in honor of Congo Week. We viewed the documentary The Greatest Silence, a powerful account of rape in the Congo by Lisa F. Jackson. The film is difficult to watch, but as most of us are aware, is an educational tool and brings attention to a topic that somehow slips beyond the scope of the media. The rape of women is used as a weapon of war and has become an unfortunate result of the scramble for Congo’s mineral resources. The situation is grave and hopes of resolution are bleak without US intervention.

Maurice Carney, who has the gift of inspirational speaking (and probably inspired every person in the room), introduced us to Friends of the Congo, an organization that raises awareness about the challenge of the Congo and works to support institutions as they strive to bring about change to their country. Here are a few statistics we learned on Friday:

Snap Shot of South Kivu Province in DRC:

82% of rape survivors have STDs

60% have lost their husbands

Estimated 30% of rape survivors are HIV positive

There have been an estimated 40,000 cases of rape and only 30 brought to prosecution.

In response to the question “Who protects you?” respondents answered the following:

God 44%  Army 25%  Police 8%  Nobody 7%  U.N. Peacekeepers 6%

How does the greatest humanitarian crisis of our lifetime escape our radar? You can make a difference by taking action. Join the movement and break the silence. More Project Africa events are coming up …stay tuned!

DR Congo: The Weight of History (A France 24 Debate)

Although incredibly vast and rich in mineral resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo still struggles after 50 years of Independence. In France 24’s debate on the Congo crisis, we learn of the nation’s turbulent history and struggle toward democracy. How does a country that is constantly being pillaged of their natural resources overcome poverty and corruption?

On June 30^th, 1960 The Democratic Republic of Congo became a free and sovereign state, independent from Belgium. Initially, there were high hopes that immediate change would occur. However, Belgian rulers were not planning on granting full independence right away and had hoped to suppress ideas of self-rule, education and power. Patrice Lumumba had been appointed Prime Minister upon the country’s independence, but was eventually dismissed by then President, Joseph Kasavubu. Lumumba immediately protested the legality of the President’s actions and the two leaders subsequently divided the country into two political groups.

Patrice Lumumba

Joseph Mobutu, who had been the chief of staff of the New Congo army, took advantage of the conflict between both Lumumba and Kasavubu and ultimately ousted them in a coup. Lumumba was detained and eventually assassinated. As pointed out in the debate, the government supported a suit against 11 Belgian government officials for complicity in the assassination. Lumumba’s assassination was devastating to the Congolese people. Hope was lost and morale was down, as Lumumba was a symbol of a new direction for the country.

Initially supported and trusted by the Congolese people, Mobutu would prove to be yet another self-interest politician and ultimately a dictator. What would follow, would be 32 years under a leader, backed both by the US and Belgium, who would ultimately run the country into the ground.

What is important to note, as mentioned by Dr. Muzong Kodi in the debate, is that the state of Congo today is not only the fault of Belgian colonialism, but the fault of “…one of the bloodiest rules in Africa.” In 1990, the international community decided to part ways with Mobutu as he was no longer useful to the West. Neighbors to the east also played a part, as was shown with the Rwandan/Ugandan invasion and civil war which began in 1998. The war spawned what would become some of the world’s worst human rights violations, including the brutal rapes of the Congolese women.

As Adam Hochschild points out, the Congolese often joke that they wouldn’t have all this trouble if they weren’t so rich. Money and resources (i.e. diamonds, gold, silver, rubber, timber, tin etc.) are constantly flowing overseas and somehow not benefiting the people of the Congo. It is the exploitation of these resources by other countries that result in conflict, severe poverty, violence and rape. Will this country ever get back on their feet? They do seem to be a resilient and hopeful people and many are still optimistic about the future of their country. However, they must have  the support and intervention of the US.

While still a Senator, President Obama passed a law called Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006, but the law has yet to be fully implemented. The act would cut aid to countries that contributed to the conflict in D.R. Congo. However, this would directly effect both Rwanda and Uganda, two countries that are strong allies to the United States.

I found this great film on Youtube that will help you to understand the Congo’s complex history. It’s divided into three short films: Congo – How did it come to this?

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3