"Into Congo to repent"
By Fran Quigley
Indianapolis Star, May 18 2009
In the midst of the United States’ worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we can’t possibly afford charity for the suffering people of Congo, can we?
Fine, says Woody Collins. Don’t call it charity, then. Call it repentance.
“If people in Indiana and the U.S. are even aware about the bad things that are happening in Congo, they usually write it off as another tribal thing.” Collins says. “When in fact we Americans and westerners are the root cause of the conflicts.
“Either in ignorance or with full knowledge, we have participated in the rape of Congo.”
Americans tend to think we enjoy our historically unprecedented level of creature comforts—yes, even in a recession—solely by virtue of red-white-and-blue ingenuity and gumption.
Truth be told, we bought Cold War security (or tried to) by propping up brutal kleptocrats like Congo’s Mobuto, to devastating effect for his country’s people. We have long enjoyed access to affordable consumer goods--like the majority of cell phones that contain coltan stolen from Congo--thanks to the systematic exploitation of people like the Congolese.
So when we read that millions have died in Congo from hunger or untreated disease as byproducts of a devastating conflict that is sometimes referred to as the “African World War,” we should feel more than pity. We should feel responsibility.
Collins does. For 33 years, he worked as a civil servant in various financial roles with the U.S. Department of Defense. Then his local Presbyterian church became involved in Congo, and Collins saw first-hand the humanitarian nightmare caused by the struggle over who would control the flow of the region’s precious resources to places like Indiana.
Collins could not turn away. He took early retirement from his job at Fort Benjamin Harrison at age 54, and devoted his life to the Congolese people.
The more he worked to relieve their suffering, the more Collins discovered that the region’s occupiers have always found a willing market for stolen natural resources in the developed world, particularly the U.S. “Our country's economic hands are stained with innocent Congolese blood,” Collins says.
Collins says we should demand electronics manufacturers purchase coltan from legitimate sources, and we should impose a tax on ourselves to support one of the many organizations working to end extreme poverty in Congo.
When it comes to responding to the crisis in Congo, Collins’ actions speak even more eloquently than his words.
Alongside others in his own organization of Congo Helping Hands, plus Rotary International, the Presbyterian Church, and others, Collins has concentrated his efforts on the village of Balupe, providing hospital care for women and children, student scholarships, and renovation of schools. Collins still lives in Indiana, but he is in Congo now to oversee the final plans for a major safe water project.
From there he sends on this message back home: If you can’t help the people of Congo, at least don’t do any more damage. “Morally, we need to make decisions not to further harm the Congolese people,” he says.
Fran Quigley
Indiana-Kenya Partnership/USAID-AMPATH
1001 West 10th Street, OPW M200
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317)630-6882
www.iukenya.org
www.ampathkenya.org
20 May, 2009
Fran Q on Woody Collins on Our Obligation to Congo
13 May, 2009
more from Kenya
Day 2 in Kenya: Alive and Kicking (www.aliveandkicking.org.uk), Rotary lunch, and visit to the slums of Nairobi.
Children we met in the slums. A volunteer who works in their school brought us in to see their classroom and where some of them live.
Mama takes care of the youngest children in the classroom.
Entrance into the slums.
In Kenya, Obama is everywhere - even on the back of matatus.
We purchased several soccer balls from Alive and Kicking to take to orphanages along the way. This is a fantastic fair trade organization Kelly discovered recently which seeks to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other issues through the creation of their soccer balls.
Children we met in the slums. A volunteer who works in their school brought us in to see their classroom and where some of them live.
Mama takes care of the youngest children in the classroom.
Entrance into the slums.
In Kenya, Obama is everywhere - even on the back of matatus.
We purchased several soccer balls from Alive and Kicking to take to orphanages along the way. This is a fantastic fair trade organization Kelly discovered recently which seeks to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other issues through the creation of their soccer balls.
Some photos from The Village Experience's trip to Kenya thus far...
Jambo from Kenya!
Our internet access has been spotty at best since leaving Nairobi for the Rift Valley so it has been difficult if not impossible for us to log in and post updates...however the following are some photos from our adventures thus far.
Day 1: Kazuri, Sheldrick Elephant & Rhino Orphanage, and Giraffe Center
10 May, 2009
Kelly from Kenya sends more news
Here's another update from Kelly Campbell.
Yesterday morning the group boarded buses with the children from Child Discovery Center and headed into Lake Nakuru National Park for a safari. This was the first time in the park for most of the children. This was a special treat for both travelers and the children as they were able to spend time together and learn about the animals and conservation efforts at the same time. The group treated the 80 children to lunch and then parted ways.
In the afternoon, the group visited a local IDP (internally displaced persons) camp right outside Nakuru. We met over 255 people living, eating, and sleeping in one tent that leaked water when it rained. The welcome and hospitality was overwhelming. We danced, told stories, shared a meal, and got to know one another. The group also purchased and distributed much needed feminine hygiene products to the women. Our eyes were opened to the severity of the problems in Kenya and the immediate need to do something about it. We will be raising money to uplift this community and help turn the "tent" into a sustainable village with permanent houses, farm land, gardens, fruit trees, fresh water, and fair trade product.
The next morning, the group spent the day in Mwariki Village. We explored the village via foot and met with members of the new Heart to Heart Women's Cooperative. We learned about this new grassroots initiative and purchased newly made product from the 54 women involved.
We leave tomorrow morning to begin our journey to Eldoret. More coming soon!
Yesterday morning the group boarded buses with the children from Child Discovery Center and headed into Lake Nakuru National Park for a safari. This was the first time in the park for most of the children. This was a special treat for both travelers and the children as they were able to spend time together and learn about the animals and conservation efforts at the same time. The group treated the 80 children to lunch and then parted ways.
In the afternoon, the group visited a local IDP (internally displaced persons) camp right outside Nakuru. We met over 255 people living, eating, and sleeping in one tent that leaked water when it rained. The welcome and hospitality was overwhelming. We danced, told stories, shared a meal, and got to know one another. The group also purchased and distributed much needed feminine hygiene products to the women. Our eyes were opened to the severity of the problems in Kenya and the immediate need to do something about it. We will be raising money to uplift this community and help turn the "tent" into a sustainable village with permanent houses, farm land, gardens, fruit trees, fresh water, and fair trade product.
The next morning, the group spent the day in Mwariki Village. We explored the village via foot and met with members of the new Heart to Heart Women's Cooperative. We learned about this new grassroots initiative and purchased newly made product from the 54 women involved.
We leave tomorrow morning to begin our journey to Eldoret. More coming soon!
08 May, 2009
Day Two from Kenya
Another Kenya post from Kelly Campbell. For more on the trip, see Matt Steele's blog, http://mtsteele.blogspot.com. Matt contributed the picture of the "Alive & kicking" workshop below.
Picture of Alive & Kicking workshop, from Matt Steele's http://mtsteele.blogspot.com/2009/05/alive-kicking-workshop.html.
This was the speaker they heard at the Rotary Club. See Matt's evaluation of the meeting here.
Today we visited an impressive social enterprise known as "Alive and Kicking.". They produce soccer balls with messages about HIV and AIDS and employ about 150 people. We bought a bunch of balls to donate to the orphanages later in the trip and the group is brainstorming ways to get teams in Indianapolis to commit to purchasing their new soccer balls through this group to bring new employment opportunities to Kenya.
Then we went to a rotary lunch with the oldest club in all of East Africa and made some wonderful connections. A representative from the EU was the guest speaker and he had a pretty straight forward speech about the levels of corruption in Kenya - this obviously sparked a great deal of conversation.
After that we went to visit a school in the slum area of Nairobi. There is a group of people who traveled to Kenya in 2008 that fund-raise and support this school from Indianapolis. The school is basically a tin shack where the kids sleep on the floor. Pretty grim. We were able to visit the homes of some of the families and discuss ways that they could start sustainable projects to generate an income. The group will reconnect with those in Indianapolis upon return and talk about future plans for the school. One thing we want to do is provide mattresses for the children so that they are not forced to sleep on the floor.
Tomorrow we head to Nakuru to prepare for our service days with an orphanage and a women's village.
Picture of Alive & Kicking workshop, from Matt Steele's http://mtsteele.blogspot.com/2009/05/alive-kicking-workshop.html.
This was the speaker they heard at the Rotary Club. See Matt's evaluation of the meeting here.
Our guest speaker this Thursday is Mr. Eric van der Linden the Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Kenya, one of our largest development partners.
The Delegation of the European Commission in Kenya was opened in 1976 and is involved in the political coordination process with the EU Member States represented in Nairobi, and in political dialogue with the Government of Kenya.
Additionally, the Delegation also has a growing role in trade issues; this has increased considerably due to the ongoing negotiations between the EU and ACP States over future trade arrangements under Economic Partnership Agreements.
Since 1997 the Delegation in Nairobi has also taken over responsibility for the management of the relief and rehabilitation programme in Somalia, where the EC is the largest donor. It has taken an active role in the reconciliation process that culminated in election of the current transitional government.
07 May, 2009
Day One in Kenya
This comes from Kelly Campbell, Day One of the Hoosiers' trip to Kenya, on their way to Eldoret to participate in the reconciliation conference with IUPUI and Moi, and to push along Pamoja city projects between Indianapolis and Eldoret. Kelly, Carole Darst, and the others will probably be zapping photos as well as updates depending on the technological links ... in the meantime, my friend Google offers a few pictures of the places they have gone.
A warden at Sheldrick's Elephant and Rhino Orphanage feeds Maalim the rescued rhino at 3 weeks ... bet he was bigger when he met Kelly and her Hoosier crew
The group arrived in Kenya and met in Nairobi. After a night of rest, we gathered and headed to Sheldrick's Elephant and Rhino Orphanage to learn about conservation efforts happening throughout Kenya. A 2 month old baby rhino stole the show!
A warden at Sheldrick's Elephant and Rhino Orphanage feeds Maalim the rescued rhino at 3 weeks ... bet he was bigger when he met Kelly and her Hoosier crewWe then proceeded to the Giraffe Center to learn about the endangered Rothschild Giraffe. Group members were able to feed and get up close and personal with the graceful creatures.
We spent lunchtime at Utumaduni Craft Center and then headed to Kazuri Beads to learn about one of the most successful models of Fair Trade in the developing world.
The group interacted with the local women and watched the process of bead-making from clay formation and creation of beads to painting of beads, firing of beads, and assembly of jewelry. This was a special treat for the group who has seen Kazuri jewelry in The Village Experience store and now gets the opportunity to see the organization first hand. The group was moved by the success story and the economic impact it has had on the lives of so many women that many of us bought multiple pieces to bring back to the states.
In the evening the group experienced a traditional Kenyan meal of chicken, chapati, rice, and greens and celebrated the birthday of one of our passengers, Melissa Higgins. We had a special guest join us for dinner, a young woman named Esther, who is a teacher at a school in the slums of Nairobi. We had previously met Esther at a school in the Masai Mara in December 2007, so it was a special treat to see her again and learn about her new school. We are trying to arrange a visit there before we leave.
Stay tuned for more!
Program for the Moi-IUPUI reconciliation summit
Title:
Towards Kenyan National Dialogue, Healing, and Reconciliation: Reform Issues in a
Venue: Main Campus, Margaret Thatcher Library
DRAFT PROGRAMME
| Wednesday, 13th – Friday 15th May 2009. |
| UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION |
1. Chancellor - Prof. B. A. Ogot
2. Chairman of Council - Mr. E. Mwai
3. Vice-Chancellor - Prof. R. K. Mibey
4. Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Extension - Prof. B. E. L. Wishitemi
5. Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Planning & Development - Prof. S. Gudu
6. Chief Academic Officer - Prof. K. Ole Karei
7. Chief Administrative Officer - Dr. J. K. Sang
8. Principal, Chepkoilel Campus - Prof. B. M. Khaemba
9. Principal, Kabianga Campus - Prof. W. Kipng’eno
10. Finance Officer - Ms. M. Mutwol
11. Dean,
| SYMPOSIUM OPENING CEREMONY |
| |
VENUE: Margaret Thatcher Library.
| GUEST OF HONOUR |
HON. KALONZO MUSYOKA, EGH, MP
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
SESSION ONE: OPENING CEREMONY
Chairman: Prof Richard K. Mibey – Vice-Chancellor
Master of Ceremonies: Prof B.E.L Wishitemi – Deputy Vice-Chancellor (R&E)
| Time | Activity | Responsibility |
| 0800 – 0900 hrs | Arrival by all Guests and Participants Entertainment | Prof B. Wishitemi |
| 0900- 0915 hrs | Introductions | Prof R. K. Mibey |
| 0915 – 0930 hrs | Chairman of Council address | Mr. E. Mwai |
| 0930 – 0950 hrs | Chancellor of | Prof. B.A.Ogot |
| 0950 – 1030 hrs | Guest of Honour’s Address and Official Opening | Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka |
| 1030 – 1045 hrs | Health Break | All |
| | SESSION TWO: KEYNOTE ADDRESS | |
| 1045 – 1100 hrs | Objectives of the Symposium, Expected Output and Timelines | Prof. B. Wishitemi & Prof. Susan B. Sutton |
| 1100 – 1245 hrs | Keynote Addresses | Amb. Michael Ranneberger Prof. E. Aseka |
| 1245-1330 hrs | Discussion | All participants |
| 1330hrs – 1430hrs | Lunch Break | |
| SESSION THREE: BREAK AWAY SESSIONS |
1430hrs – 1730hrs
| Themes: |
1. The Role of Institutions and Community Leadership in Enhancing National Reconciliation and Cohesion: Case Studies
2. Perceptions of Exclusionary Politics: Threats to Local Communities
3. Challenges of Distribution of Resources in Society:
4. Poverty, Ethnicity and Instability in Modern Societies
5. Historical Injustices, Conflicts and Development of States
6. Impunity, Accountability and Transparency in Modern States
7. Harmonization and Reconciliation. Highlighting successful initiatives at the local level, and comparative perspectives from around the world.
| Refreshments 1730 – 1830 hrs |
Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor – (Research and Extension)
| DAY TWO – 14TH MAY 2009 (THURSDAY) | ||
| SESSION FOUR: INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND REFORM AGENDA CHAIR: PROF. IAN McINTOSH, IUPUI | ||
| 0900-0925 hrs | The Church and the State in Times of Crisis: The Catholic Church Experience | Bishop Cornellius Korir |
| 0925-0950 hrs | Institutions of Higher Learning and Reconciliation: The | Prof. Richard Mibey |
| 0950-1015 hrs | A Historical Perspective of Kenya’s Reconciliation Efforts | Prof. Bethwel Ogot |
| 1015-1115 hrs | Discussion | ALL |
| 1115-1130 hrs | Tea Break | |
| SESSION FIVE: KEYNOTE ADDRESS CHAIR: PROF. S. GUDU | ||
| 1200 -1245 hrs | Reconciliation and Reforms | Dr. P.L.O. Lumumba |
| 1245-1300 hrs | Discussions | All |
| 1300-1400 hrs LUNCH BREAK | ||
| SESSION SIX: BREAK OUT SESSIONS CHAIR: PROF. B. WISHITEMI | ||
| 1400-1530 hrs | THEMATIC AREA DISCUSSIONS | |
| 1530-1600 hrs | Discussion of Break Out Session Issues | ALL |
| 1600-1630 hrs | HEALTH BREAK | ALL |
| SESSION SEVEN: SYMPOSIUM SUMMING UP CHAIR: PROF. S. GUDU | ||
| 1630 -1730 hrs | SUMMING UP OF INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM | ALL |
| DAY THREE – 15 MAY (FRIDAY) COMMUNITY DAY | ||
| SESSION EIGHT: WEAVING A FABRIC FOR THE FUTURE CHAIR: PROF. B.A. OGOT - CHANCELLOR | ||
| 0900 - 09 15 hrs | Opening Remarks and Welcoming Speech | Carole Darst |
| 0915 – 0945 hrs | Responses | Community Speakers; Rotary Club |
| 0945 – 1030 hrs | Discussion | ALL |
| 1030-1100 hrs HEALTH BREAK | ||
| SESSION NINE: GIVING HOPE CHAIR: AMB. MICHAEL RANNEBERGER | ||
| 1100 – 1230 hrs | Giving Hope | Linda Robbins et al Dr. Naomi Shaaban, MP Minister for Special Programmes |
| 1230 – 1250 hrs | Discussion | All |
| 1250-1400 hrs LUNCH | ||
| 1400 – 1530 hrs | Closing Ceremony | Hon. Dr. Sally Kosgei, MP Minister of Higher Education, Science & Technology |
| 1530 – 1600 hrs | Photo sessions | all |
FRIDAY 15TH MAY 2009
Venue: Margaret Thatcher Library Hall
HON. DR. SALLY KOSGEI, MP
MINISTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CHAIRMAN
Prof. R. K. Mibey – Vice Chancellor
MASTER OF CEREMONIES:
Prof. K. Ole Karei – Chief Academic Officer
| Time | Activity | Presenters |
| 14.00 | Arrival of guests | Conference Secretariat |
| 14.00 | Entertainment | · Traditional dancers |
| 14.30 | Remarks | · Vice Chancellor- Prof. R.K. Mibey · Chair of Council- E. Mwai · Chancellor- Prof. B. Ogot |
| 15.00 | Keynote address | Hon. Dr. Sally Kosgei, MP Minister for Higher Education, Science & Technology |
| 15.30 | Vote of thanks | Dr. J. K. Sang |
| 16.00 | Refreshments | Office of DVC R&E |
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