All photos are by Prince Balume and Achilles Balume, and are posted here with permission.
In 2006, DR Congo passed a new constitution, which is similar to our (US) constitution in many ways. The right to vote, to assemble, and to free speech are guaranteed. Beyond our constitution, it guarantees strong parity between men and women. The issue today, though, is that it imposes tenure limits on the President.
By law, President Joseph Kabila must step down and allow an open election in 2016. He began as a military dictator who led the country through a transitional government, and was then democratically elected President. His re-election met with some criticism, and he's since been maneuvering to extend his tenure -- recently by trying to amend the tenure law outright, and then by introducing requirements that would delay the election.
People in DR Congo are still learning about the law and starting to believe in their rights. If Kabila stays in power, it will set back the progress the people have made toward a Democratic DR Congo. John Kerry and the US State Department have been trying to get him to step down at the end of his term.
Last month, Kabila's supporters in Parliament passed a census requirement for the next election. That law would delay the 2016 election indefinitely. The people of DR Congo organized a coordinated demonstration to protest the census requirement. The government cracked down on the protesters. Some were killed and others are not yet accounted for.
The great success was that Parliament eventually relented and removed the census requirement. It was a real step toward implementing democracy. It dearly cost people who demonstrated, though -- some who paid with their lives.
So, what does this have to do with the climate?
In terms of climate, the Congo Basin is the heart of Africa.
A stable DR Congo is necessary to protect the fragile ecology there. The climate of the entire continent depends on the Congo Basin. The map below was generated by Mongabay. There is a larger, more readable version of the map here.
- The Congo Rainforest is the second largest in the world. The largest is the Amazon Rainforest.
- The Congo River (located entirely inside Democratic Republic of the Congo) is the second largest river by volume in the world. The largest is the Amazon River.
- More than 60% of the Congo Rainforest lies inside of Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Please check the action items at the end of the story.
Mass communication was hard to find in DR Congo until recently. Smartphone technology exploded in the last couple of years, though, so social media is allowing the people of Congo to organize in a ways that were not possible just a few years ago.
People organize in the streets in cities across DR Congo. These images are from Goma.
The government cracked down on the protestors. Many people were arrested -- some are still missing.
Timo Mueller compiled a more detailed account as it spilled out on social media. Please have a look.
Take Action!
Purpose: Convince the US to carefully watch the election process in DR Congo.
1) Contact your US Representative and Senators, and tell them to witness election-related activities in DR Congo.
2) Contact the State Department -- John Kerry and Russ Feingold are particularly interested in DR Congo -- and tell them you stand with State and support them as they bear witness to events in DR Congo.
2) Follow these accounts on twitter, and retweet news about DR Congo:
Department of State
russfeingold
kongoecho
jasonkstearns
ethuin
ida_sawyer
3) Congolese people living the US demonstrated in Washington DC. Tell your friends and family about what is happening in DR Congo. Help to raise awareness. It makes a difference when the world watches.
|
The Climate Action Hub
The 2014 People's Climate March accelerated civic momentum and successfully demanded world leaders to reach an adequate and just treaty at the December 2015 UN Climate Talks in Paris.
The Climate Action Hub is the fast track on the Road to Paris, featuring the latest news and actions from environmental activists, NGOs, scientists, reporters and Daily Kos bloggers on Sundays at 4:30 PM. The Hub also posts regularly at 8 AM weekdays. We encourage readers to utilize all posts to share related eco news and to promote other environmental diaries.
Our 'eco swat team' invites you to inform the community about campaigns in your local communities, to email us with story ideas, and to join The Hub to contribute your skills and experience.
It’s 2015! We need all hands on deck!
|