Violence Against Women in the Congo

"Fighting the Silence", a film made by two Dutch women about the violence against women in Congo, will be screened at 7 p.m. 18 September in Earth House, Lockerbie United Methodist Church 237 North East Street, Indianapolis.

Following the film, there'll be a discussion led by Valerie Masumbuko, a native of Burundi who is currently working with several governments in Europe on issues of women’s victimization. For more, check out Provocate.org.

Provocate is also organizing events for "Congo Week, set for 19-25 October. Congo Week is a global initiative led by students to raise awareness about the situation in the Congo and provide support to the people of the Congo.

Prendergast to Speak at IU Bloomington

John Prendergast, an American human rights activist currently focusing his activities on genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, violence against women in eastern Congo and atrocities in Chad and northern Uganda, will speak at Indiana University Bloomington at noon on Tuesday (19 February). The presentation in the Oak Room, Indiana Memorial Union, 900 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, is open to the public at no charge.

Prendergast is a co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity that is a joint initiative of the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress. He is co-author of Not On Our Watch (pictured).

His presentation is sponsored by IU's African Studies Program, the Office of the President, Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President of International Affairs.

Child Soldiers in Africa, International Law and War Crimes

Two related events on these topics are scheduled next week.

First, on Tuesday (13 March), the Indiana Council on World Affairs will discuss war crimes with an expert in international law, an activist working to prosecute a Congolese warlord before the International Criminal court, and a former child soldier from Congo.

The next evening (14 March), the same three presenters will appear at the Old Centrum for a film screening and further discussion.

This information comes from John Clark, who invites all interested to attend either or both programs.

Tuesday's event, part of the ICWA's Great Decisions Series, takes place from 7-9 p.m. in Room 103 of the Pharmacy Building on the campus of Butler University, Indianapolis.

Wednesday's film and discussion takes place from 7-9 p.m. in the Old Centrum, 520 East 12th Street, Indianapolis.

Here's what John Clark has to say:

"The systematic and widespread use of children—the most vulnerable members of the population—in armed conflict is not new. The plight of these children continues to shock the conscience and demands immediate and urgent action.

"The International Criminal Court is launching its first case, formally charging Thomas Lubanga Dyilo (the onetime leader of the country's Union des Patriotes Congolais) with 'war crimes of enlisting and conscripting of children under the age of fifteen years'. Although the US has opposed the ICC, fearing that American soldiers or policymakers could be subject to prosecution, it has cooperated in the case against Lubanga.

"On Tuesday, March 13, Golzar Kheiltash of Citizens for Global Solutions will explain what this means. Golzar combines a rigorous academic legal background with strong advocacy skills to promote international legal norms and mechanisms that can prevent and punish the most heinous crimes such as genocide. Golzar has researched, analyzed, and advocated for the ICC in a personal and professional capacity for the last seven years, and currently coordinates the Washington Working Group on the ICC (WICC).

"At her March 13 talk at Butler University, Golzar will be joined by two special visitors to Indianapolis. In a recent visit to the ICC, she met Bukeni Beck, an activist and filmmaker who seeks to revealing the plight of child soldiers and to give these children a second chance. They will be accompanied by 'Madelaine', a fifteen year old former girl soldier from Congo.

"Beck documents the stories of hundreds of child soldiers on film, revealing a stark and systematic cycle of recruitment and conscription, narrated by the children and their families in their own words. His films demonstrate the difficulties of many children who want to reintegrate into their communities after leaving the camps. This is especially true of girl soldiers who have suffered the added brutality of rape and sexual violence at the hands of their commanders.

"What a fantastic opportunity to hear how these terrible issues are being addressed at a global and multilateral level, and at a local level as well.
"The event Wednesday March 14 should be even more interesting. At the Old Centrum, Bukeni will show films of the plight of child soldiers, programs that are helping restore them to a life resembling normal, and with Golzar and Madelaine we will brainstorm about what we can do to help," Clark concludes.

"Othering" and "Indigenization"?

Don't let academic jargon deter you from attending a presentation on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis this week.

The title of the talk by Prof. Didier Gondola of Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, “Transient Citizenship: The Othering and Indigenization of Blacks and Beurs within the French Republique”, can be "translated" as exploring the roots of racial confrontation and discontent in France.

You're invited to participate at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in room 508 of Cavanaugh Hall, 425 University Boulevard. It's part of IUPUI's acclaimed School of Liberal Arts Sabbatical Speakers Series.

Prof. Gondola, a professor of history at IUPUI, was born in the Congo and raised in Paris. He is the author of The History of the Congo.

For more information on his presentation or the series, contact: Annette Hill, 317:278-1839.

Here's John Clark (of the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research writing about Prof. Didier in IndyBuzz, his postings of "intellectual caffeine served piping hot" in Indianapolis:

"Riots in 2005 wreaked havoc in several French banlieues [French suburbs that feel more like inner city slums than US suburbs such as Carmel]. This led some black and beur [second and third generation French who roots are in North Africa and other parts of the former French Empire] civic organizations — including “les Indigènes de la République” — have attributed the anger fueling the riots to the persistence of colonial relations between France and its population of African descent, the so-called Français issus de l’immigration (first- and second-generation French) as opposed to Français de souche (“native” French). Needless to say, most French pundits and scholars quickly dismissed such an explanation not only as flawed but dangerous as well, a cipher likely to drive a wedge into French society. Instead, these pundits have turned the table on the rioters by putting forth arguments that range from the breakdown of African families living in France, to polygamy, rap music, and more generally their unwillingness or inability to assimilate as more accurate explanations for their marginalization."