Movies to Raise Awareness

Why does Hollywood succeed at raising awareness when the mainstream media fails? Drama captures one’s attention and emotions much more effectively than words on a page or a monotone newscaster. When an issue reaches the silver screen it can no longer be swept under the rug. Movies like Hotel Rwanda, The Last King of Scotland, and Blood Diamond have recently had this effect.

Charles Lindbergh once said, “How can there be writhing, mangled bodies? … It is like listening to a radio account of a battle on the other side of the earth. It is too far away, too separated to hold reality.” Lindbergh was speaking of the Holocaust, but his words hold true today. Many people hear reports of conflicts in Africa on the news and then forget about it twenty minutes later, it isn’t their country or their people so they are not interested. They are simply statistics scrolling past them on the bottom of the television screen. But, in movies the drama captivates and the tragedies can no longer be ignored.

Hotel Rwanda is probably the most important of the three aforementioned films because it made genocide real to the world. People began to remember the Rwandan Genocide and began to recognize the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. One of the things that made Hotel Rwanda great is that it is a true story of good prevailing against all odds. Moreover, the film captures the complexity of the conflict, the slaughter, the brutality, ethnic history, political stalemate, the press coverage, the hopelessness of the Red Cross, and the struggle to persevere. The story does not simply display the Rwandans as savages; it also displays the innocent and those who felt obligated to do the right thing.

The Last King of Scotland is a fictional account of Idi Amin’s regime in Uganda in the 1970’s. Though the story of the Scottish doctor is fictional the movie reveals many truths about Idi Amin and the stereotype harsh African dictator. Like Hotel Rwanda, The Last King of Scotland was made long after the events it portrays. The problem with this is that it allows some viewers to believe that the realities of these films are outdated. Although Blood Diamond is a work of fiction, it places the viewer in the present with the real issue of conflict diamonds. As a result of the movies message much more attention has been paid to conflict diamonds and other conflict minerals. Activists and authors have directed attention not only to conflict diamonds but to conflict minerals, such as columbite tantalite in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which is used in cell phones, laptops, and Sony Playstations (cf. “The Congo’s Resource Curse” in the archives).

Film is a valuable asset when raising awareness for a cause and it has been very effective in raising attention for Africa. However, serious movies about Africa come out bi-annually at the most (probably less frequently than James Bond movies). The effectiveness of these films are unquestionable but Hollywood should still do more to raise awareness for Africa. Many celebrities who are advocates for African causes should consider film as a means to make a difference. Perhaps Oprah should produce a movie about Africa or Angelina Jolie should seek out a role in a movie about Africa.

Images from Wikipedia

A Symbol of Democracy or a Failure of Democracy

On April 22, people across South Africa waited in lines for hours to vote and many polling stations stayed open an extra three hours until midnight to accommodate the massive turnout. The turnout is estimated to be roughly 77% percent which though very high by western standards pales in comparison to he record numbers seen in South Africa in the 1990’s. South Africa has now established three legitimate parties which were vying for votes in the national elections.
Despite these indicators of true democracy at work there is an egregious lack of bipartisanship. The main reason why there is so little bipartisanship is because of the stranglehold that the African National Congress (ANC) party has on national and provincial power. In 2004, the ANC won a record 70% in the National Assembly exceeding the two-thirds majority in parliament. It appears that the ANC will receive or fall just short of a two-thirds majority again this year. Jacob Zuma, leader of the ANC is expected to be elected when the new parliament opens on May 6th and would then be inaugurated on May 9th.
The only other significant victories came for the Democratic Alliance (DA) led by Helen Zille and the newly formed Congress of the People (COPE). The DA took home about 16% of the vote, up from 12% in 2004. More importantly, the DA regained control of the Western Cape Province making it the only province (of nine) which is not controlled by the ANC. The newly formed COPE was hastily created about five months before the election by disgruntled members of the ANC. Most pundits had predicted that the newly formed party would surpass the DA as the ANC’s main opposition and some predicted that COPE would take as much as 30% of the vote. COPE suffered from its affiliation with the unpopular former president, Thabo Mbeki, who resigned on September 25, 2008. COPE disappointed by taking home only 7-8% of the vote but it did solidify itself as a legitimate party in South Africa.
The ANC’s dominance of South African politics is a major threat to the democratic system in South Africa. Zuma even said “God expects us [the ANC] to rule this country [South Africa] because we are the only organization which was blessed by pastors when it was formed. It is even blessed in Heaven. That is why we will rule until Jesus comes back. We should not allow anyone to govern our city when we are ruling the country.” In this Zuma is declaring his and the ANC’s divine right to rule South Africa, just as European monarchs justified their rule in the past.

Sources:

http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13528539
http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13527856&source=features_box1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Zuma

The Exception to the Rule

“Botswana is what it is because of diamonds.”

-Festus Mogae,
Former President of Botswana


Botswana is a landlocked country in southern Africa. Botswana was a British territory known as Bechuanaland until it gained independence in 1966 and became known as Botswana. The first president was Sir Seretse Khama who served fourteen years as president until his death in 1980. Sir Khama’s son Ian Khama became the president of Botswana in 2008, when then president Festus Mogae graciously retiring after serving for ten years, which is a rare occurrence in African politics.
Upon its independence most of the people survived by raising cattle since agriculture is limited by the sand that covers most of Botswana. This feeble economy was often susceptible to crisis because of frequent draughts in the region. But, with the discoveries on several diamond mines the fate of Botswana changed dramatically. Diamonds are the only reason that Botswana is one of the richest countries in sub-Saharan Africa instead of one of the poorest.
Many African Nations have the "oil curse" or a similar situation with gems or precious metals; however Botswana is one of the few nations which has utilized their resources for the betterment of the country and the people. Botswana has become an exemplar of the success and stability that mineral-rich African nations are capable of and should strive for. Botswana is one of the only economically, politically, and socially stable countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Botswana is the largest diamond exporter in the world and most mining operations are run by the government. Moreover, with only 1.8 million people, Botswana’s per capita income is four times the regional average at $5,900 per capita and taxes are also among the lowest as well. In addition, the government in Botswana has been able to avoid corruption and properly allocate its funds. Botswana government has spent its diamond revenues on building schools, clinics, roads, and sanitation.


Diamonds and the Economy


Upon Botswana’s independence most of the people survived by raising cattle since agriculture is limited by the sand that covers most of Botswana because of the Kalahari Desert. This feeble economy was often susceptible to crisis because of frequent draughts in the region. But, with the discoveries on several diamond mines the fate of Botswana changed dramatically. Diamonds are the only reason that Botswana is one of the richest countries in sub-Saharan Africa instead of one of the poorest.
Botswana’s government has partnered with De Beers, which controls more than seventy percent of all diamond worldwide. This partnership is responsible for the production of almost all of Botswana’s diamonds. Unfortunately this causes the government to become the sole driving force behind Botswana’s economy, since the private sector. This realization is a concern for Botswana’s economical future, since diamond production in Botswana will plummet in the next fifteen to twenty years barring the discovery of new mines.[i]
Before Botswana picks its diamond mines dry it must find a way to diversify its economy much as Algeria has succeeded in doing. If Botswana cannot diversify its economy it will plunge into a depression, which could cause a civil war and result in the destruction of Botswana’s reputation of stability that Botswana’s government has worked so hard to establish. Currently the only thing that Botswana’s economy can fall back on is Botswana’s large coal reserves, which are similarly limited. Botswana’s government has announced that it plans to build power stations, which would be a sustainable source of income for Botswana.
There are also other economic issues that currently face Botswana. Aside from mining companies interested in diamonds Botswana has been unable to appeal to foreign companies and investors. Botswana’s government has tried to appeal to foreign investors with its low taxes and labor costs. Additionally, unemployment is roughly eighteen percent and the income gap between the people in the cities and those in rural regions of Botswana is large and growing.
[i] Economist southern star

Civil War in the Congo is Worse than in Sudan

“Congo is the deadliest crisis anywhere in the world over the past 60 years. Ignorance about its scale and impact is almost universal and international engagement remains completely out of proportion to humanitarian need.”

-Richard Brennan

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the third largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria and it is located in the heart of central Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also the fourth most populous country in Africa after Nigeria, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also home to the Congo River, which is the most powerful river in Africa and is the second largest river in the world by volume. The Congo River flows through the Congolese rainforests, which are home to many rare and endangered species, and then flows east into the Atlantic Ocean. These are all factors that make the Democratic Republic of the Congo essential to the Great Rift Valley and the great lakes region of Africa.
The Belgian Congo gained its independence from Belgium in 1960 and was known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1971 the name was changed to Zaire, but the original name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was restored. When Joseph Kabila was elected the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo he became the first democratically elected Congolese leader in over forty years. Prior to Kabila’s election had been ruled by dictators most recently Kabila himself. Joseph Kabila became dictator after his father, Laurent Desire Kabila, was assassinated in 2001. Despite many rumors that Kabila rigged the election, the emergence of a structured, democratic government offers hope to many Congolese citizens and to the international community.
Since the Congolese Civil War has result in the deaths of 3.9 million men, women, and children since the conflict erupted in 1998. Richard Brennan, the primary author of a study about the Congolese Civil War that was conducted by International Rescue Committee and published in the Lancet, cited the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as, “the deadliest crisis anywhere in the world over the past 60 years.” He also makes mention of the ignorance exhibited by the global community in regard to the scale and impact of the Congolese Civil War. The most prominent issue is domestic terrorists and rebels who are terrorizing the northeast and east regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most problematic countries in Africa. The problems that face the Democratic Republic of the Congo are numerous and varied. One of the most prevalent issues are disputes between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda over oil rights in Lake Albert and ownership of Rukwanzi Island, which is a small island in the southern region of Lake Albert. Drinking water is another important issue for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to deal with.
The armed conflict between Congolese and Ugandan troops over Lake Albert’s oil ended a four-year peace between the two countries, which followed the Congo Wars between Ugandan and Congolese forces which lasted from 1997 to 2003. In 1997, Uganda backed Rwandan forces that helped Congolese rebels to overthrow Mobutu Sese Seko, the military dictator of Zaire (now Congo), but Uganda later opposed his successor Laurent Desire Kabila as well. After rising into power changed the name of the country from Zaire back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2001, Kabila was assassinated and he was succeeded by his son Joseph Kabila who is the current president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After his death the Ugandan military accused Laurent Kabila of arming rebels and began occupying cities in the east and north-east of Zaire (now Congo). In 2003, Ugandan and Rwandan forces began to pullout and were replaced by 17,500 UN Peacekeepers. After the conflict the International Court of Justice decided that Uganda must compensate the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to atrocities committed against Congolese civilians, which included rape, torture, and murder; another reason for the decision was the looting of Congolese resources by Ugandan forces.


Civil War


The civil war that now ravages the Democratic Republic of the Congo began in 1998 and is the most troublesome issue that is widely overlooked internationally and specifically the western world. The American People were outraged by the United States inaction during the genocide in Rwanda, particularly after the release of the film Hotel Rwanda. The civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in the death of 3.9 million people both from fighting and diseases caused by the conflict (according to a study conducted by the International Rescue Committee and published in the Lancet, a British medical journal). The 3.9 million deaths that have occurred during the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are nearly four times more than resulted from the genocide in Rwanda it is also makes the Congolese Civil War the most deadly conflict since World War II and the Holocaust. The Congolese Civil War has resulted in the deaths of more people than the conflict in Iraq, the conflict in Afghanistan, and the Genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan combined. This conflict is also one of the most disturbing as well with rebel militias raping women and spreading HIV/AIDS as a weapon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is being stripped of its natural resources much as it was when it was ruled by Belgium, and most disturbingly, one rebel faction has been accused cannibalism stemming from reports that some rebels had murdered innocent Pygmies, who have no part in the conflict, and then ate them. The United States government now shows similar inaction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, yet the uproar from the American public is seemingly nonexistent in comparison to the uproar that resulted from the United States’ inaction during the genocide in Rwanda. One factor which may contribute to the American public’s unawareness of this conflict is that the US is currently at war and most of the outcry for African struggles is about the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Between early 2007 and April 2008 alone 550,000 people have fled from their villages in the eastern Congolese provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.[i] Many who flee from their villages become malnourished and become more susceptible to many diseases which can kill them.
Although the Congolese Civil War officially ended the conflict continues and it is now concentrated primarily in the mountainous eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are an estimated 20,000 rebels in the east belonging to various rebel factions. These groups are responsible devastating entire villages as well as raping and murdering innocent civilians. The 17,000 UN peacekeeping troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the largest UN peacekeeping force in the UN’s history and is known by the acronym MONUC. Of the 17,000 UN peacekeepers nearly ninety percent are stationed in the near-anarchical eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. The east has been a lawless region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Since 1960, the east has lacked a structured government and has been primarily ruled by warlords and militia leaders. Among the rebel factions in the east are Hutu rebels, the ethnic extremists who were responsible for the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Most Hutu rebels are members of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), who fled from Rwanda after the genocide ended in July 1994. President Kabila and the Congolese government have struggled to suppress these rebel militias in the eastern provinces, despite a strong military presence as well as the thousands of UN peacekeepers stationed in the east.
Another notable rebel faction was led by Jean-Pierre Bemba, a Congolese senator who lost to Joseph Kabila in the 2006 presidential election. Bemba went into exile in Portugal after his rebel backers were defeated by Congolese troops in 2007. In May 2008, Senator Bemba was arrested in Belgium and is now being charged for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
Congolese rebel factions are funded in various ways mostly through the smuggling of natural resources, which robs the government of profit. When Rwandan troops were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo they looted many Congolese resources and then funded and backed Congolese rebel militias. But, even after Rwandan troops withdrew smuggling continued. In 2004, seventeen tons of ivory, which came from five-hundred to a thousand illegally poached elephants, were smuggled out of the Congolese province of Ituri alone.[ii] There have also been surprising reports that some UN peacekeepers are supplying Hutu rebels, whom they are supposed to be fighting, with ammunition in exchange for illegally poached ivory.[iii] In another report, Indian and Pakistani UN peacekeepers were accused by the BBC of exchanging their weapons with rebels from the FNI militia, a rebel militia operating in Ituri, in exchange for gold. Another concern in the Congolese forests of Ituri is the okapis. Okapis are a rare species of forest giraffes that are only found in the Ituri province, but during the war they were poached and their pelts were smuggled into neighboring Uganda where they were sold illegally to fund rebel militias in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Despite the ecological problems of war, peace could cause even more. If there was peace in the eastern provinces, international timber companies might be attracted to Congolese rainforests including those in Ituri. Industrial logging in the forests would devastate the now fragile ecosystems in the Congolese rainforests. The obvious threat is deforestation which would reduce the habitat of many endangered species including the okapis and several species of elephants. Logging is still occurring on a far smaller scale as rebels are smuggling timber in ways similar to coltan and other Congolese natural resources.
In the Ituri jungle a semi-nomadic people, the Pygmies, who still live and hunt in ways long forgotten in the western world, have been caught in the crossfire of this deadly conflict in the Ituri province. Pygmies are believed to have been the first people to settle in the area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pygmies will go to villages and work in the fields in exchange for food and metal tools, but many farmers take advantage of the Pygmies. There have been disturbing accounts of members of a Congolese rebel faction, MLC (Movement for the Liberation of Congo), murdering and eating Pygmies in Ituri.
Unfortunately, Congolese civilians have frequently been victims of the Congolese Civil War often times women and children. Both Congolese rebels and the Congolese army have used rape as a barbaric weapon of war against innocent civilians during the civil war. Soldiers and rebels will often rape women in public places and force the victim’s family watch. Even worse is that some rebels will force men at gunpoint to rape their own mothers, sisters, and even daughters. Furthermore the UN Fund for Women and various other human rights organizations have estimated that hundreds of thousands of Congolese women and girls have been raped; however an exact figure is unattainable since the vast majority of rapes are not reported because social stigma brought on the victims. Roughly 4,500 cases of sexual violence were reported in the Congolese province of South Kivu in only the first six month of 2007. In addition, to that staggering figure the UN estimates that for everyone instance that is reports ten or twenty will go unreported because of the harsh social stigma brought upon the victims. Even more disturbing are some of the accounts of the vicious attacks. Some victims are as young as eighteen months and are raped in front of their parents and other victims are as old as seventy-five years old. In other accounts the assailants rubbed salt in the victims eyes until she was blind so as to ensure that she could not identify her attackers. Additionally, more than a quarter of Congolese rape victims contract HIV/AIDS. These women are then viewed as “contaminated” and they are shunned by their village and abandoned by their husbands. Also, many refugees feel when they reach a UN refugee camp that they are safe, but unfortunately women are raped in these camps everyday because of this false sense of security.
The effects of rape are not only felt emotionally and physically by the victim, but they are also felt by the village and local economy. Women would usually tend to the fields and harvest the crops, but now more and more women are staying inside. They fear that they could be abducted from their fields and raped. This has caused a rapid decline in agricultural production which has crippled many localized economies and also has caused many to go hungry. These violent rapes have also destroyed the trust many Congolese women once had since many of these assaults were committed by neighbors, taxi drivers, and even teachers.


[i] Economist atrocities beyond words
[ii] National Geographic a hole in the forest sep. 2005
[iii] economist


Images from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo#Civil_Wars