Congo
November 4, 2009
- For the first time in my life, this past week I felt pity. It may sound strange as the word is so commonplace and yet it was profound experience. As a writer, I am fascinated by the near impossible challenge of capturing human experience in words. It is the ultimate paradox: to attempt to capture the subtleties, complexities and vastness of human experience with materials and tools that are ...
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February 27, 2009
- This morning I received an email from Care2 Action Alerts at actionalerts@care2.com. Their website is at http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFKNs/zjwm/Ap_d4. They told of the devastating situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are asking for people to sign a petition to ask President Obama appoint a special envoy to the DRC. The following is a description of what they are suffering. ...
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December 1, 2008
- The spread of HIV/AIDS is among the many deplorable effects of the continuous violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While the country as a whole has an estimated adult HIV prevalence of 3.2%, UNAIDS reports that prevalence of the infection among women who have suffered sexual violence in areas of armed conflict may be as high as 20%. The eastern provinces have seen an astounding number ...
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November 10, 2008
- The refugee count keeps climbing in the Democratic Republic of Congo as fighting between the Congolese army and rebel warlord Laurent Nkunda drives more and more people from their homes. Recent tallies by the United Nations add more than 250,000 people to the rolls of displaced persons, bringing the total to over a million. Numbers are only part of the story, of course. It's highly ...
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November 4, 2008
- I would like to join the crowd that considers the possible victory of Senator Barack Obama as an historical event. When I see the hope of his family and people in Kenya, I am moved to tears. I doubt that a single man could change history, but perhaps in Africa his policy might be less immoral than that of his predecessors, Republicans and Democrats.A few thoughts on Africa on the news inspired by ...
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October 4, 2008
- Today was a great day at Roosevelt Island in New York, where hundreds of people gathered to run, walk, and otherwise offer support for women in the Congo who have been victimized by the endless war that forms the setting for Heart of Diamonds. It was the NY Run for Congo Women, a fundraiser for Women For Women International.This four-star charity helps women provide for their families by ...
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September 28, 2008
- Why did I choose the Congo as the setting for Heart of Diamonds? That's one of the most frequent questions I get from readers. The answer is really pretty simple: there are few places on earth where such action and adventure are daily events. War is a horrible thing—and the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the worst ...
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August 24, 2008
- Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and setting for many scenes in Heart of Diamonds, is a metropolis of 8,000,000 people served by a dozen public hospitals and 2,700 doctors. Those doctors went on strike this week.The cause was low salaries. Doctors in public hospitals earn about 120,000 Congolese francs per month, including bonuses. That works out to about $216, or ...
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July 26, 2008
- All Things Must Fight To LiveStories of War and Deliverance In CongoBy Bryan Mealer Bryan Mealer has penned a brutal memoir of his three years as a reporter in the Congo, three years when teenage gunboys roamed the countryside and city streets, when UN peacekeeping forces faced mystical leaders operating from jungle mountaintops, when rebel militias and government forces alike pillaged their ...
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June 3, 2008
- For $10, you can buy a net and save a life. It’s so easy a child can do it and many are, according to the New York Times. The $10 mosquito net—a prime tool in the fight against malaria—has become the latest way for teenagers to show they give a damn. The concept is beautiful in its simplicity. An insecticide-impregnated mosquito net costs $10, lasts three to five years, and saves the life ...
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