At the Berlin Conference in 1885 King Leopold claimed the Congo. He did so on condition that all nations would be allowed to trade freely and Congo’s citizens were brought to the modern world. King Leopold however, ignored these conditions, found a way to make personal fortune off of the land’s ivory and rubber, while callously running the New State. He was directly or indirectly responsible for the death of around 10 million people.
Today, the DRC is the home of the world’s deadliest war. The stories coming out of the Democratic Republic of Congo are heart wrenching and unbelievable. Every family lives in fear of the warlords running the show. They’re forced to work in appalling conditions, mining for tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold. The majority of these minerals go into making electronics. Yep, our cell phones and laptops are filled with conflict minerals or what people are calling “The New Blood Diamonds”.
Free the Slaves is researching the different types of slavery occurring within this war. There is a large number of slave labor in the mines, sex slavery, and child soldiers. The UN estimates over 20,000 child soldiers are involved in the fighting.
Whenever I get overwhelmed with this topic I call my friend Sean and make a request for decompression assistance. Sean started the organization Falling Whistles and is one of my most loved and respected abolitionists. He has seen unforgettable tragedies first hand, but has hope shining from his eyes. He has heard inconceivable truths from the front lines, but still speaks of attainable peace. He has dedicated his life to finding ways to bring peace to Congo and he plans on achieving it, one whistle at a time.
Here you can see Falling Whistles’ new short film called Peace Is The New Frontier.
To me, there is nothing more comforting than an army of freedom fighters. As Free the Slaves and Falling Whistles continue to research sustainable solutions to slavery in the DRC, join the conversations. We promise to be heard.
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