“Field of Hope” -- A Woman's Enterprise Provides a Future to Fellow Survivors

By Karrie Zych

Many of us know that the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to some of the highest global rape statistics. We know that these numbers roughly amount to 48 rapes per hour, and we know that this is why rape has been deemed a weapon of war. We know that these women are raped in front of their children, siblings, husbands or parents and suffer trauma beyond our darkest nightmares. What is less known is that these women's hope, dignity and future can be restored.

In her documentary “Field of Hope” featured on Al Jazeera's Witness, Fiona Lloyd-Davies tells the story of Masika and her tireless efforts to improve the lives of fellow rape survivors. Masika herself was raped alongside her two teenage daughters by militia, after the latter killed her husband, a wealthy shopkeeper. Her sad story does not end there, as Masika and her daughters were ostracized by their neighbours and family, and were forced to relocate to another village. Upon arrival to their new home, Masika began to take in fellow survivors and was inspired to restore their dignity in a unique way. She rented a field, which she pays for with local donations, brewing local beer and carrying others' produce to the market.

Since she began this initiative, Masika has helped hundreds of women, by providing them with economic and psychological support. Her work has grown into a network of volunteers, who bring in survivors, many of whom are pregnant as a result of rape. While these women come from a variety of backgrounds, their sad stories are all very similar-- militias looted their villages, never leaving before raping the women, thereby robbing their victims of their youth and future. It is Masika, often lovingly referred to as Mama, who restores their will to live by teaching these women to work the fields; here, on this land, the survivors find food, shelter, economic independence, and status. “You'll feel their suffering,” Masika explains in the 25 minute film. “But your task is to try to restore her to her old self. That's how I've managed to look beyond my own pain to help them.”

Masika's trauma still haunts her, and since taking on this initiative she has been raped yet another 3 times. She herself has contemplated suicide, but has rediscovered her own will to live by helping other women. Her work is never-ending, and she has no one to turn to for support. Her efforts are not in vain, though, as her impact continues to grow. Each time fighting increases among the militias, so does the amount of rapes, and subsequently the amount of women who come to Masika's fields to grow from their trauma. Together, these women work the fields, singing songs as they sow and praying before planting beans and maize, in hopes of a good harvest.

Nothing can be done to undo the terrors these women have faced in their pasts. However, the group members support one another, working forward from their violent crises. These women are strong and determined to rebuild their lives and have newfound hope for their futures-- truly rape survivors.

Since the time of filming in 2011, a private sponsor has provided Masika with a substantial donation. Through this generosity and her own hard work, she has purchased a field and is able to send all the children from her field to school, further increasing the impact of her initiative. Her story, of compassion and strength in more detail, can be found here:

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2011/08/2011830114234479922.html

Push a button to ruin a woman

Did you know that your cell phone is keeping war-rape alive in the DR Congo?

Yep. You read it right.

You’re probably attached to the contraption: texting, checking your emails, listening to music, gaming, saving memos, setting up an alarm, taking pictures... or whatever else it is that you need your phone for.

You may have found yourself marvelling at technology and its advancements. You might think it is super awesome that you can reduce your thoughts to words and send them blitzing across to a friend somewhere else in the world. Which is all very well, really – for technology is good, and all that stuff.

But just pausing a moment, have you wondered what makes these phones what they are? They contain a metallic ore that has heat resistant properties among other things that make them useful components in cell phone manufacture. If it wasn’t for this mineral, which is called coltan, you’d probably be carrying heated contraptions in your hands for posterity.

Before you roll your eyes and decide to give this a pass, stick with me. This is going somewhere.

Coltan comes from the DR Congo. And it isn’t just mined like minerals are mined in a peaceful place. In the Congo, coltan is mined by putting women through torture, sexual violence and rape. Brutal and harsh killings continue thriving, as villages, rebel groups, companies and the government lock horns for a giant share in the mineral wealth. The government used the chaotic backdrop of war and violence to institutionalize corruption and money-making through the trade in rare minerals. Soon titled conflict minerals, the monetary revenues that the trade in them generated fuelled the continuance of war and sexual violence. Corporate houses, high ranking military officers, businessmen and governments effectively played a role in backing the rebellious groups, to continue the state of war, so as to make business easy. The DR Congo is a treasure trove of minerals – with cobalt, coltan, copper, diamonds, gold, tin and tungsten available in abundance. Imagine how much more war and sexual violence will thrive, and for how much longer, just for the sake of minerals.

Why would it thrive, you may ask.

Well. Because of the huge customer base for cell phones that includes you.

As long as there is demand, there is supply. And as long as there is supply, the prevailing practice will continue. A warlord, a rebel, a company or even a government that is making piles of money isn’t necessarily going to bother brokering peace when war is his breadwinner. They make plenty and more with a war going on, with territory, power and money in abundance under their control. And sexual violence, there, is a painful feature.

You can shrug this post off and say “Ah no big deal. I can’t live without my cell phone.”

I understand.

But just think for a moment, can you?

What hope do we have if the world just believes that rape is ‘no big deal’? What use is any rhetoric, if everyone just stands and watches? Inaction, apathy and simply turning a deaf ear actually encourage the perpetration of such evil. A girl of your age in Congo would have faced harsher reality than you could possibly fathom. A woman of your age in Congo would be living a life far, far away from what’s ‘normal’ for you.

What you CAN do, is to continue using a cell phone, but one that does not source coltan from the DR Congo. Coltan is available with as much abundance in Australia, Brazil, Canada with possible avenues opening up in Greenland. There are companies and brands that use conflict minerals. There are those that do not. Do your research, and be on the right side of the fence.

 By Kirthi Gita Jayakumar

Congolese army and rebel fighters accused of mass rape and looting (News & Media -United Nations Radio)

We are the backbone of society—yet we are truly at the background of many societies.

I am afforded many rights and blessings; thankful to my American Upbringing I have lived a dichotic lifestyle. When I hear the U.S. Army, Navy, American Foreign Policy the first thing I think of is that I’m safe. Sadly this is not the case for many like me, many women that is.  

Recently, in the Democratic Republic of Congo women have been the victims of human right violations.  These violations are degrading, derogatory and disheartening to truly learn of.  Women amounting to a total of One-Hundred and Twenty-Six victims were sexually harassed, violated and raped.  

Take a moment to reflect on that---

In less than two weeks, ten days to be exact, at minimum 126 women lost a right that they had and were insulted, ridiculed and used.  What makes matters worse is that these women suffered silently, as coverage of this mass rape failed to transmit over our popular media outlets.  

Over ten days they were victims, and not one voice resonated through.  

Then I look back and I reflect on how thankful I am to feel safe, and have some of my basic human rights afforded to me.  Although, women around our nation face these acts of violence and injustice there remains one major difference between every act– The Perpetrator.  

These women were victims of those who were supposed to protect them, their own Congolese Army Soldiers. Amidst battles against rebels within the country, women were made victims instead of being protected.  It is a shame to see that women experience these atrocious acts every day and even more so when the country that they live in, supplies their very own enemies.

I encourage you to read more at News & Media - United Nations - Democratic Republic of Congo. Learning brings awareness, awareness leads to advocacy, and advocacy brings change.   So BE that change.
By: Juliet Abdeljawad

[headlines] Congo DRC: Mass arbitrary execution of civilians, including dozens of children

KINSHASA/GENEVA (14 November 2012) – A UN investigation into the human rights situation in southern Masisi in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has revealed that at least 264 civilians, including 83 children, were arbitrarily executed by armed groups in more than 75 attacks on villages between April and September this year.

The report published on Wednesday details the result of six investigative missions and more than 160 interviews with victims and witnesses by the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC (UNJHRO). Investigators found that the victims were often those least able to flee the attacks, largely children and the elderly. Due to security constraints, the investigators were not in a position to confirm many more human rights violations that were reported to them, meaning the actual number of victims could be considerably higher. The figures noted in the report reflect cases documented in only some parts of Masisi over a relatively limited period of time and are thus far from presenting a comprehensive overview of the human rights situation throughout Eastern DRC.

Investigators found that the Raia Mutomboki armed group, with allied Mayi Mayi groups, was responsible for most of the killings, which were often perpetrated with extreme violence. Many victims were hacked to death with machetes while others were burnt alive in their homes. The opposing Nyatura group was found to be responsible for other human rights violations, including killings, sometimes carried out in collaboration with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The civilians killed by the Raia Mutomboki group were mostly ethnic Hutu, while those killed by the Nyatura were mainly of Tembo ethnicity.

Other human rights violations outlined in the report include mass forced displacement and large-scale looting and destruction of private property. Investigators also confirmed four cases of sexual violence involving the rape of 12 women.

“The systematic human rights violations committed by these armed groups, including the slaughter of so many children, are the most serious we have seen in recent times in the DRC,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said. “The Congolese authorities must take immediate measures to protect civilian populations and to combat the persistent impunity which only serves to embolden the killers.”

“The UN is ready to offer support to the recently opened Congolese judicial investigation which must lead to the prosecution of those responsible for these acts and ensure justice for the victims,” she added.

The ethnic dimension of the attacks is of particular concern in eastern DRC where tensions over the past 15 years, while fundamentally rooted in competition over land and natural resources have resulted in cycles of violence committed along ethnic lines. Both Raia Mutomboki and Nyatura have launched targeted and systematic attacks against civilians, often based on the real or presumed ethnicity of the victims, for supposed political or economic gain.

In April 2012, army desertions and the subsequent creation of the M23 armed group led the Congolese army to focus on efforts to contain this new rebellion. Important progress in tracking down the FDLR made early in 2012 by the Congolese army has been reversed since their redeployment to M23-threatened areas. Many armed groups have taken advantage of the security vacuum left by the redeployment of army units to expand their own areas of influence, often carrying out violent attacks against civilians and exacerbating interethnic tension, already heightened by the M23.

In response, the Congolese army has deployed - with MONUSCO support - several units to the affected areas over the period July - September 2012 and the North Kivu provincial government has promoted initiatives to favor dialogue and ethnic reconciliation. MONUSCO also sent several protection teams to Southern Masisi in order to evaluate the needs of the population and recommend action which has included the deployment of temporary military bases in Remeka, Katoyi and Ngungu, and 15 helicopter-supported foot patrols in the most volatile areas.

“The UN Stabilization Mission in Congo has observed a significant increase in human rights violations across the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu in 2012 due in large part to the activities of armed groups, including the FDLR who remain amongst the perpetrators of the most serious human rights violations in the region, in addition to the M23, Nyatura and Raia Mutomboki,” said Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Roger Meece. “The risk of intensification of this ethnically charged conflict is real, and gives rise to serious concerns for peace and for the security of civilians in the region.”

Recommendations made in the report include a call for Congolese security forces to urgently take additional measures, with the support of the international community, to restore security in southern Masisi and to ensure the protection of civilians. Congolese authorities are also urged to take into account the human rights violations detailed in this report and to implement a systematic verification of the human rights records of individuals and their commanders during any future integration of armed groups into the national army.
United Nations Press release

The heart of Congo is bleeding and why should we care?

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second biggest country in Africa and home to over 66 million people. Its size is also matched by an abundance of vast natural resources.  Unfortunately these natural resources have turned out to be more of a crushing burden than a blessing as they have triggered a rush of violence, corruption, wars and dictatorships. In 1877, King Leopold II of Belgium declared himself the owner of the DRC dubbing it the Congo Free State. The Congo Free State had brought the king immense financial fortune all the while by committing heinous crimes against humanity. A supposed estimate of 5-15 million Congolese men and women were killed during his reign. Due to international scrutiny, the king’s powers over the DRC were relinquished and ceded to the state of Belgium in 1908. Lesser abuses and malpractice at the hands of the state of Belgium were now in force. Nonetheless, new times were blowing in the wind thanks to nationalist movements. On June 30^th 1960, the Congolese people achieved long awaited independence.  Europhobia was rife, but it did not last very long. What followed after independence was further socio political decay and unthinkable violence especially against its home of compassion, its women.

Congolese Women and War

The DRC has been reported to be one of the worst places to be a woman. Women are never safe. They risk being raped while going to the fields, the market to buy food or to a stream to fetch water. Babies and even women in their 70s and older have also been raped. It is estimated that roughly 1 rape a minute occurs. After decades of terrible violence, the DRC is burning again. Reports say that tens of thousands are fleeingextreme violence including rape in the Eastern part of Congo. Rape is used as a weapon of war with no disregard in the DRC.

Why Should We Care?

It has been widely proven that sexual violence leaves immense physical and mental strains on its sufferers.  As rape is a weapon of war, Congolese women targeted by rape have in most cases, all given birth to their aggressors’ children. In the DRC, we are talking about millions of children being born under such circumstances. When these unwanted children come into the world, many mothers cannot give their children the love and nurturing they need to become healthy and well-functioning citizens. According to psychotherapists, children who experience severe neglect in the early stages of their childhood are likely to suffer severe mental illnesses which then make it difficult for them to lead loving and sustainable lives. There are naturally cases where some children overcome their illnesses, but in most cases it is very difficult.  

We should care about these women because the very foundation of their country is dying. Women embody the true essence of love, nurturing, kindness and love. When women are unable to tap into their inner essence and pour it our into society, an entire society suffers.

The Dalai Lama has said “we need more warm-heartedness. We need more compassion” His words echo such truth. In Congo, the women of this great country who bear the seeds of compassion have never known proper love neither from their colonizers, their own government or even their own people and as such have never been able to fully exert their compassion into Greater Congolese society. The aftermath of this reality is clearly evident.

CONGOLESE WOMEN DESERVE A VOICE AND DIGNIFIED LIFE FREE FROM FEAR. THE VERY SURVIVAL AND HEART OF THEIR SOCIETY DEPENDS ON IT.

By Charlotte Lazarus