DRC has been an object of exploitation for its resources in tin, tungsten, gold and a mineral called coltan. The country is home to 80 percent of the world’s supply of coltan. Rebel groups look to get rich off the resources, and the perpetuation of violence and instability only makes exploitation easier. There are some reports that even the Congolese government allows the promotion of violence so members of the higher class and administration can benefit from illegal smuggling, which is estimated to earn close to $1 million a day.
Now is where some of you ask me why any of this matters.
The plight of the Congo matters because every one of us is helping to bring about unspeakable violence to people like us, children like our children, mothers like our mothers, friends like our friends. We must no longer be ignorant in our role as consumers.
Remember when I said that the DRC has 80 percent of the world’s coltan? You may not know what coltan is, but I guarantee you use it every day. Coltan is in our cell phones, our computers, cameras, Xboxes and countless other electronics that sustain our society. Along with the demand for gold and the other minerals that the DRC is rich with, it is easy to see how struggles over resources are the roots of many conflicts. That means that our demand for coltan (possibly the greatest resource) increases as we want newer laptops, flashier and multi-purpose phones, and exciting gadgets. This desire directly inspires brutal and devastating violence.
I’m not asking us to trash all of our technology and return to the Stone Age, but I am asking you to be aware and acknowledge what went into the production of the electronics that you can’t live without. Are they conflict free? If you think they should be, there are several things you can do:
You can join the Virginia Tech chapter of STAND, which focuses on issues like this. You can also look up places in the DRC that help civilians who have been attacked, such as the Panzi and Heal Africa hospitals. They are always in need of support. If you follow politics (or even if you don’t), you can urge your legislators to co-sponsor and support the Conflict Minerals Trade Act: H.R. 4128, and S. 891.
Whether you do any of these things or not is up to you, just consider the lives of those in conflict areas like DRC. They are not so different from us, and yet they are subject to horrors we cannot even imagine.
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A version of this article appeared in the Mar 30 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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I'm sure your efforts will really help a region with thousands of years of strife. Now let's go protest something in the Congo, 8,000 miles away. That'll show those warlords!
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If they are to take action, your cell phone and laptop company also needs to know that this issue matters. Email them to urge them to make a conflict-free phone or laptop at the Enough Project's site at http://www.enoughproject.org/conflict-minerals
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Learn what Congolese women and politicians are saying the best way that the international community and ordinary people throughout the globe can help: http://change.org/friendsofthecongo or http://friendsofthecongo.org/Blog.php
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As an expat who lives in Congo and hears about and is impacted by this every day I thank you for writing this article. I think many people can tell you that there is conflict in DRC but don't realize how our thirst for technology is fueling the conflict. The movie "Blood Diamonds" brought diamonds fueling conflict to the general publics attention though other minerals such as coltran are not as sexy and won't be the story line for a Hollywood movie. It is only through people like you and articles like this that we can start bringing awareness of this topic to the people who can make a difference (you!).
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