John Prendergast

On Our Watch

2013-04-30T16:12:33-04:00

As we gather to mark April as Genocide Awareness month, to recognize atrocities across the world and throughout history, it's important not just to recognize the past, but to learn from it.

Ten years ago this month, the international community joined together to bring the world's attention to brutal attacks that led to the deaths of 300,000 men, women, and children, and the displacement of a further 4 million. These attacks were perpetrated by the regime headed by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir against his own people in Sudan's Darfur region.

We have called attention to these atrocities for years, but the nightmare for the people of Darfur isn't over.

On June 24th, 2004, the Congressional Black Caucus, Leader Pelosi and others stood united and introduced H CON RES 467 and declared that genocide was occurring in Darfur, Sudan and that the Government of Sudan was responsible. Three months later, Secretary of State Colin Powell publicly declared that genocide had occurred.

But even after those formal declarations, the international community failed to act decisively to stop it. If we had acted then, we could have saved innocent lives. But we now have an opportunity to learn from that mistake of inaction. If we do the right thing now, we can help end the suffering, violence, and insecurity that tragically continue to plague the region to this day.

The same Sudanese government, ten years later, continues to have a violent, deadly grip on the region. The government has obstructed U.N. peacekeeping forces, and refused to prosecute individuals charged with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It has blocked international aid, used aerial bombardment against civilians, and has even extended its attacks on civilians beyond Darfur.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, the only sitting president with an outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, continues to defy the international community and evades arrest.

The U.S. government, in partnership with the U.N. and other international actors, should mark the tenth anniversary of the Darfur genocide by continuing to move forward toward accountability and justice for all the people of Sudan who have suffered under the Bashir regime.

In addition to supporting existing humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts, there are further steps the U.S. can take to close the chapter on these horrific events in Sudan, but also ensure that it never happens again.

Appoint a high level U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan. Expanded senior U.S. leadership will be required to help construct a comprehensive and credible peace process in Sudan. The U.S. can help build leverage in support of peace and justice objectives.

Support Bashir's arrest. Failing to arrest Bashir is a major factor enabling the atrocities happening today in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile. Arresting Bashir would show the next would-be tyrant in Sudan -- or anywhere else -- that accountability is real and justice will catch up to them.

Buttress democratic institutions and civil society. The U.S. should lead the international community in committing resources to support Sudanese individuals, organizations and institutions in building the change they seek. Fostering democratic institutions and building a strong civil society will help ensure that these atrocities never happen again.

Ten years after the beginning of the Darfur genocide, the time for U.S. leadership is more important than ever. Worthy goals include ending the government-sponsored violence in Sudan, protecting civilians in Sudan and South Sudan, promoting democratic transformation in both countries, ensuring unhindered humanitarian access for those in need, and bringing the perpetrators of genocide and mass atrocities to justice at the International Criminal Court.

We must finish what we started in Sudan: help to end the war, bring Bashir and other war criminals to justice, and ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.

_______________________________________

Congresswoman Barbara Lee is the U.S. Representative from California's 13th Congressional district. She sponsored legislation recognizing acts of genocide in Sudan, and has traveled to the region three times.

John Prendergast is the co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity affiliated with the Center for American Progress. He is author or co-author of ten books, including New York Times bestseller, Not On Our Watch.

Regardez la série "I Am Congo" parce que nous n'y figurons pas et c'est tant mieux!

2012-05-02T12:03:38-04:00

L'automne dernier, à Thanksgiving (Action de grâce), nous nous sommes envolés vers la République Démocratique du Congo. Ce pays, qui a vécu une guerre abominable, nous a pourtant donné l'occasion de connaître des gens extraordinaires. Fidel Bafilemba est l'un d'entre eux. Celui qui nous a accompagnés tout le long de notre séjour fait l'objet du premier documentaire de la série I Am Congo, tournée dans le cadre de la campagne Enough Project.

Les rares nouvelles en provenance de la RDC traitent de conflits armés, de viols et d'exploitation. Ces réalités sont impossibles à ignorer car leurs séquelles sont visibles partout. Or tout n'est pas négatif dans ce pays.

Le profil vidéo de Fidel permet de comprendre la réalité quotidienne de ses habitants et la créativité dont ils font preuve pour bâtir un avenir meilleur. La vie de Fidel est le symbole par excellence de la complexité et du potentiel des habitants de la RDC. Cet ancien membre d'une milice armée s'est reconverti en travailleur social et en défenseur des droits de la personne. Passer du temps en sa compagnie équivaut à consulter une encyclopédie vivante. Fidel connaît tout de la politique, de l'histoire et des peuples de son pays, en plus de parler un total de 13 langues. Toujours élégamment vêtu, il adore la pizza et trouve le temps de s'occuper de sa petite famille. Souriant et blagueur, il résiste au stress avec grâce et compassion, comme la plupart des ses compatriotes.

Après en avoir appris davantage au sujet de Fidel, il vous sera possible de connaître d'autres courageuses personnes qui ont surmonté l'adversité et se tiennent debout. La série dresse un portrait touchant du peuple congolais, qui saura vous émouvoir au même titre que le voyage que nous venons d'accomplir.

Bref, nous vous conseillons de regarder I am Congo parce que les voix et les visages locaux y occupent toute la place. Nous n'y figurons pas et c'est tant mieux !

Ryan Gosling est un acteur originaire de London en Ontario. John Prendergast est l'auteur du livre "Unlikely Brothers" et le cofondateur de la campagne humanitaire "Enough Project".

Watch I Am Congo -- Because We're Not in It

2012-05-01T08:49:01-04:00

On our second trip together to Africa last Thanksgiving, we decided to go to the place where the deadliest war in the world was occurring: the Congo. The entire time we were there, we traveled with an extraordinary Congolese guy named Fidel Bafilemba. His video profile is the first in a new video series being launched by the Enough Project, called I Am Congo.

Most of the stories we hear about Congo are of rape, conflict, and exploitation. Those stories are real and we saw plenty of evidence of them.

But that's not the whole story of Congo. Watching our friend Fidel's video profile helps expand the story of Congo beyond its pain, and highlights what Congolese people all over are doing to create a better future for their country.

Fidel symbolizes the complexities and potential of Congo. He was formerly a member of a militia, but now he is a human rights activist and community organizer. Hanging with him is like being with a walking, talking encyclopedia of knowledge of history, culture, politics, and people. He speaks 13 languages. In the midst of all the difficulties, Fidel is a snappy dresser, he loves pizza, and he is a devoted family man. He has a great talent for quips, and a quick smile. He also shows deep compassion, and amazing grace under pressure. Just like Congo.

One of our favorite features of this video is that we're not in it.

After you learn a little about Fidel, there are other profiles of courageous Congolese living their lives and standing up for what they believe in. We hope you'll take the time to watch these profiles and get to know Congo and its people a little better. Our time getting to know Congolese people deeply affected us, and we hope the same will be true for you.

Watch the new I Am Congo video series -- because Congolese faces and voices are front and center in it.

Ryan Gosling is an actor. John Prendergast is a co-founder of the Enough Project and author of "Unlikely Brothers."

Chris Meloni Vs. Joseph Kony: Funny or Die, Enough Project Take on the LRA (VIDEO)

2012-03-29T13:39:02-04:00

A few years ago, the Enough Project helped the producers and writers at NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" do an episode in which the central character was a former child soldier in Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, or LRA. The cast of "Law & Order: SVU" was deeply affected by the backstory of the LRA. Mariska Hargitay went on to become an outspoken advocate against sexual violence in Central Africa. Chris Meloni decided to get involved in a different way, but you have to see it to believe it.

Check out the video and keep reading below to find out what you can do to support efforts to end the LRA:

Kony Hunter with Christopher Meloni from Christopher Meloni

Several months ago, we teamed up with the folks at Funny or Die to create this video about ending the LRA and going after its now infamous leader, Joseph Kony. We want to get as many people as possible involved in helping to support a solution to this crisis, which over 25 years has led to the displacement of millions of people in four countries in Central Africa and the abduction of tens of thousands of kids to be child soldiers or sex slaves. We want people to get involved because Africans from throughout the region are forging a solution, and they just need a little support.

President Obama sent roughly 100 U.S. military personnel to help the governments in the region to enhance their strategy to arrest Joseph Kony and bring an end to the LRA. To ensure that the advisors are successful in their support mission, the Obama administration should:

encourage regional or other African governments to deploy more special forces for the American soldiers to partner with;

provide the intelligence capabilities to pinpoint Kony and his commanders' locations in real-time;

encourage European states to pony up helicopters and other transport to enable the regional forces to act quickly on that intelligence;

intensify diplomatic efforts to allow the Ugandan army to undertake anti-LRA operations in Congo, which is quickly becoming a safe haven for the LRA;

insist on accountability for any human rights or other violations committed by the forces pursuing the LRA; and

commit for the long haul to supporting communities in their efforts to rebuild and recover.

There is so much we can do to help support efforts to end the LRA and to help the communities affected by the conflict. Go to enoughproject.org/stopkony to learn more and find out how you can get involved. And please share our new video, "Kony Hunter with Christopher Meloni," using Twitter hashtag #KonyMeloni.

John Prendergast is Co-founder of the Enough Project, a project at the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity, and co-author of Unlikely Brothers.

Why Obama Sent Troops to Africa

2011-10-25T14:11:08-04:00

This month President Obama announced that he is sending 100 U.S. military advisers to central Africa to assist regional forces in ending the reign of terror orchestrated by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, Mr. Obama noted that the LRA "continues to commit atrocities across the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan that have a disproportionate impact on regional security." He concluded, "I believe that deploying these U.S. armed forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy."

There is also a human interest.

In improvised camps near Yambio in South Sudan, parents keep children close. "When we go to sleep, we don't know if we will be alive in the morning," a young mother revealed to one of us (Ms. Farrow) this year. Everyone there has a story of murder, torture, mutilation or abduction.

Sister Giovanna, an Italian nun, cares for children who have been abducted by the LRA. "These children have been taught to kill without mercy. Those who are able to escape come back traumatized," she told Ms. Farrow. She pointed to a slight, silent boy of 11 or 12. "That child was forced to kill his father, breaking his head with a log."

Another boy was outspoken; he had killed 82 people, he said. He was forced to cut one of them into pieces with a machete.

"Do you think the children can ever forget what they did?" Sister Giovanna said. "They scream in the night."

During its 24-year existence, the LRA has abducted some 70,000 civilians, mostly children. The group has killed tens of thousands and displaced two and a half million people in four countries. Countless villagers have been mutilated -- their lips, ears and noses cut off.

The LRA was founded in 1987 by Joseph Kony, a Ugandan, in the north of that country. His stated goal was to overthrow Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and establish a regime based on the Ten Commandments. It wasn't long before he had shattered all 10, and then some.

In 2001, the U.S. Patriot Act declared the LRA to be a terrorist organization. Kony and two of his most brutal henchmen are wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war crimes including murder, rape, sexual slavery, and using children as combatants. There are longstanding allegations that the LRA has enjoyed the support of another indicted war criminal, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Five years ago, Ugandan forces succeeded in driving the LRA out of Uganda into the dense brush along the border areas of neighboring South Sudan, Congo and the Central African Republic, where they have continued their depredations. The brutal, messianic Kony long ago abandoned any pretense of a political agenda. The LRA is a self-sustaining predatory guerilla group that replenishes itself through plundering villages and abducting children to use as soldiers, porters and sex slaves.

The Bush administration supported a Ugandan assault on Kony's forested encampment, but when it failed, executive attention faded. However, spurred on by a growing U.S. activist network led primarily by students, in 2010 Congress passed a strong bipartisan bill demanding a presidential strategy to end the LRA and bring the hundreds of captive children home.

Republican Sen. James Inhofe welcomed President Obama's announcement. "I have witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the LRA, and this will help end Kony's heinous acts that have created a human rights crisis in Africa," he said in a statement.

Fighting in some of the most impenetrable terrain in the world, the Ugandan forces significantly reduced LRA numbers to some 200-400 of its most hardcore fighters. But Uganda has now redeployed some of its best troops to Somalia for counterterrorism operations there.

With U.S. troops on the ground, President Obama has the credibility to ask African and other nations to contribute troops. The mission must be backed by sophisticated intelligence and logistical capabilities from the U.S. and others.

With this additional support, it shouldn't take long to bring Kony and his henchmen to justice, return captive children to their families, and restore peace to this agonized region.

Ms. Farrow, an actor and activist, has traveled throughout LRA-affected areas in the Central African Republic, Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Mr. Prendergast, cofounder of the Enough Project, is coauthor of the book "Unlikely Brothers" (Crown, 2011). This opinion piece originally appeared in The Wall Street Journal.

What the Arab Spring Means for Sudan

2011-09-13T17:17:52-04:00

The level of violence in Sudan since South Sudan seceded has few parallels in the world right now. The instigator and party most responsible for the death and destruction is the regime in Khartoum. A 22-year dictatorship, it is deeply entrenched, and until recently changing the status quo was almost unthinkable. But the secession of South Sudan, a growing armed and unarmed coalition inside Sudan seeking fundamental change, the eruption of the Arab Spring throughout a number of Sudan's key neighbors, and international success in protecting civilians in places like Libya and Ivory Coast has provided a window of opportunity for historic change in Sudan.

In my policy essay on this moment of opportunity, I try to make the case that the Obama administration should shift its policy away from trying to negotiate a series of deals with regional actors, an approach which played right into Khartoum's divide and rule approach to governing, and move toward support for Sudanese efforts to change the status quo. In the first instance, U.S. and allied efforts should promote a comprehensive peace deal involving all parties in conflict with the government, alongside democratic elections. If that peaceful route is refused by the regime, then more forceful policy options should be employed.

My Enough Project colleague Omer Ismail recorded a video discussing some of these needed changes.

Take action in support of the Sudanese people and their aspirations for peace and democracy.

John Prendergast is co-founder of the Enough Project and co-author of Unlikely Brothers.

Schools and Solutions in Sudan

2011-06-20T08:36:09-04:00

Unfortunately, when we hear about Sudan these days, it is usually about the escalating crises between North and South Sudan and in Darfur. But as we pause to recognize the millions of refugees around the world today on World Refugee Day, we also want to point out that all is not gloom and doom. There are ways we all can get involved to make a difference in the lives of those forcibly uprooted from their homes in Sudan.

In refugee camps for people driven from their homes by the violence in Darfur, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and other aid agencies barely receive enough funds to provide food, water, medicine and shelter for the refugees. Quality education often is a luxury that cannot be afforded.

That's where we come in.

Working with the Luol Deng Foundation, USA for UNHCR, the Enough Project, and other NBA stars like Tracy McGrady and Derek Fisher, we collaborated on launching the Darfur Dream Team Sister Schools Program, which helps provide a quality education to thousands of refugee students in schools in the Darfur camps in the neighboring country of Chad. Luol made this video about the Darfur Dream Team before one of his Chicago Bulls games.

Through our Sister Schools Program, the Darfur Dream Team connects middle school, high school and college students throughout the United States with schools in the refugee camps. American students raise funds to support education in the camps and also exchange photos, videos and messages with their Darfuri peers, using satellite technology and a secure online social network.

You can get involved in the Darfur Dream Team and make a real difference in the lives of refugees from Darfur. We're going to keep working for peace through the Enough Project and its efforts to encourage an end to war. But the best way to provide immediate support to the survivors of the wars in Sudan is to help give them an education and real hope for their futures.

Luol Deng is a basketball star with the Chicago Bulls and founder of the Luol Deng Foundation. John Prendergast is Co-founder of the Enough Project and author of Unlikely Brothers.

War Again Between North and South Sudan?

2011-05-23T15:44:37-04:00

Sunday, as the Khartoum regime was solidifying its military occupation of Abyei and beginning to loot and burn the town, I heard from one of the foremost experts on Sudan in the world, Dr. Douglas Johnson. We agreed that Bashir's government felt certain that it would face no international consequences for its attack on Abyei, which threatens to plunge the North and South back to full-scale war. In the absence of any cost or accountability, to have believed that Khartoum would NOT strike would have been foolhardy.

This is what Dr. Johnson wrote to me:

The Sudan Army's occupation of the Abyei Area has been long anticipated and should come as no surprise. In his opening presentation to the Abyei Boundaries Commission back in 2005, the leader of the Sudan government delegation warned that his government would never concede its control of the territory and it threatened to go to war rather than accept any other solution. Khartoum officials have repeated this claim at different stages during the prolonged international mediation since then. After preventing the democratic referendum last year various Sudanese government officials, including President Bashir, have proclaimed that Abyei was part of the north and would remain part of the north.

The intention of Khartoum has been clear for several years, but the international community's equivocal response has only encouraged them to take action. The UN peace-keeping force in the area for far too long has confined its role to that of monitoring and reporting, rather than actively keeping the two armed groups apart and protecting the area's civilian population.

The US government, having been responsible for drafting the Abyei Protocol in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which promised Abyei's citizens a referendum to choose whether the area would join South Sudan or remain part of the north, then adopted a hands-off approach to the implementation of the agreement. Rather than insisting that Khartoum adhere to the agreements they signed and the referendum legislation their own National Assembly passed, the US and other international actors instead got behind compromise proposals that whittled away the rights of Abyei's citizens to a democratic choice and emboldened Khartoum to undertake the action they have just taken.

The current invasion must be seen in the context of Khartoum's military build-up along the border with Abyei and the adjacent oil regions of South Sudan -- a build-up that has been well documented over the preceding months -- and is a culmination of a series of provocative acts by members of the Sudan Armed Forces and allied militias since January. The danger is that if Khartoum feels that it can get away with yet another flagrant violation of the peace agreement in Abyei, other territorial seizures of strategic oil fields will follow.

John Prendergast is co-founder of the Enough Project and co-author of Unlikely Brothers.

Unlikely Brothers

2011-05-17T10:13:09-04:00

This is a picture of me -- when I was 20 years old -- with a family I met when I was visiting a homeless shelter. Michael, the boy on the far left, became my "little brother," and I've been his big brother for the last 27 years. Michael and I wrote a book in dual narrative about our lives together and apart, called Unlikely Brothers, and it comes out today via Random House.

In the book I write a lot about why I first took notice of what was happening in Africa. I describe my first few trips to the continent, and how I ended up in war zones as a human rights activist. I touch on the close calls I've had, as well as some of the amazing African success stories that I've been able to witness. And I cover the birth of the Enough Project and what we're trying to do here to build a permanent constituency to battle human rights crimes like genocide, rape as a war weapon, and child soldier recruitment.

Through my long relationship with Michael, which endured my living and working in African war zones while Michael was growing up in a different kind of war zone only minutes away from the White House, I learned anyone can make a difference in another's life if we take a risk and make a commitment. Through the book, we'll be helping Big Brothers Big Sisters recruit new "bigs" as well as mentors and tutors and others willing to take that step.

Through my years of working on war and peace in Africa, I have learned that there are solutions to some of the greatest human rights challenges, and we all can be a part of those solutions. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Angola wouldn't be peaceful today if we didn't raise our voices about blood diamonds. Apartheid would still be the law of the land if we didn't join forces with South Africans to support peaceful change there. Unlikely Brothers talks about the importance of citizen action, and shows why and how we can make a difference.

I wrote my share of this book to chronicle my life, warts and all, in the hopes that I might be able to inspire others to get involved and act both locally and globally. As you'll find out if you read the book, if I can make a contribution, trust me, ANYONE can.

I look back at my father's rage when I was too young to understand it, our constant relocation throughout my childhood, Michael's living out of Hefty bags in the shelters when he was a kid, the near misses we both endured, and the extraordinary paths to redemption we both traveled, and I realize the only way we had a chance to experience all the things we did and have any success is that we dove in head first and tried our best. Michael and I put our hearts and souls into Unlikely Brothers. We hope you'll read our book, and that it inspires you to make a commitment locally to being a mentor and/or globally to helping to end Africa's deadliest wars.

On the Unlikely Brothers Facebook page, people are posting their own stories of mentorship. Visit our Facebook page to read inspiring stories and to post your own.

John Prendergast is a human rights activist and co-founder of the Enough Project.

Keeping the Spotlight on Sudan

2011-05-11T12:20:00-04:00

South Sudan was on our mind five years ago when we met during the filming of the movie War Child. At that time, we both thought there was little chance the government of Sudan in Khartoum would allow a peaceful and fair referendum to determine the fate of southern Sudan.

Happily, we were both wrong.

In January, Emmanuel and millions of southern Sudanese voted for independence, and on July 9 the Republic of South Sudan will become the world's newest internationally recognized country.

But southern Sudan is not out of the woods yet. The main reason the referendum was successful was that the world shined a bright light on the situation, and made it hard for the spoilers to ruin the moment. In order to prevent an escalation of violence in the two months left before independence, we are going to have to keep the focus on the situation there.

Join the tour of schools and universities that Emmanuel is doing beginning fall 2011 to promote peace in Sudan and in support of other critical issues through the power of music. Now is your chance to make some noise for peace!

Find out what you can do to make a difference and help bring peace to Sudan. As Emmanuel's video proclaims, We Want Peace in Sudan! Your voice is instrumental in making this wish of all Sudanese a reality.

Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier, is a South Sudanese musician, activist and the founder of Gua Africa. John Prendergast is co-founder of the Enough Project and author of Unlikely Brothers.

A Deadly Mother's Day Secret

2011-05-06T08:47:40-04:00

This is not your typical Mother's Day message.

We email, text and call each other from our Blackberry and iPhone regularly. We would have been Facebook friends if we had our own Facebook pages. And surely we would tweet each other if we became twitterers. But underlying all these dizzying 21st century communication tools is one of the saddest secrets in the world involving mothers and daughters. Innocently, inadvertently, we are using communication products that are powered by minerals (conflict minerals) that are fueling the highest rates of sexual violence in the world in a place called the Congo.

Congo is the most dangerous place in the world to be a mother or a daughter. We got together and made this video to explain why.

The very good news is that there is much we can do about this. Start by signing this petition to one of America's Mothers-in-Chief, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who visited the Congo and cares very much about the issue. The petition calls on Secretary Clinton to lead a process that removes conflict minerals from the supply chains of our electronics products, much like the system that removed blood diamonds from our jewelry and sweatshops from our clothing.

On this Mother's Day, as two momma's boys, we cherish our mothers extra special. Join us in cherishing the mothers and daughters of the Congo and taking a small step to protect them from some of the worst horrors in the world. Together we can use our consumer power to make our phones and laptops conflict-free and rape-free.

Javier Bardem is an Academy Award-winning actor and activist. John Prendergast is co-founder of the Enough Project and author of Unlikely Brothers.

Congo's Conflict Minerals: The Next Blood Diamonds

2011-04-27T07:30:03-04:00

We recently traveled together to Congo, where the deadliest war in the world is occurring. During the trip, Ryan made this video, "Raise Hope for Congo."

Ryan Gosling: "Raise Hope for Congo" from Enough Project on Vimeo.

(Special thanks to musician James Blake for the use of his track, "Lindisfarne I.")

It's a war which most people know nothing about, despite the fact that we're all directly connected to it. Armed groups are fighting over the lucrative minerals that power our cell phones and laptops, leaving a trail of human destruction that has no equal globally since World War II.

We spent most of our time in Congo talking with survivors of this silent war. We wanted to know what they experienced, and what messages they might have for those of us who have come to rely on cell phones and laptops that inadvertently connect us to Congo.

Marie is a rape survivor twice over. She has overcome her suffering to found a women's organization that helps others who have survived sexual crimes. We asked her what message she would have for electronics companies. "Please stop this bloody business," she pleaded. "You are fueling conflict. Families are being torn apart. Women are being raped. Communities are being destroyed so armed groups can profit from mines. Companies should stop supporting this and do ethical business."

The conflict in Congo has left millions homeless, fleeing from their villages after they have been burnt to the ground or looted by armed groups. In a camp for internally displaced people, we met Mapendo, a young woman who survived an attack on her village in which members of an armed militia went door to door raping women and killing men. In reply to our questions, she said starkly, "There is no difference between the phone companies and the people doing the killing here in Congo."

The president of one refugee camp told us, "The problem in Congo is greed. They should prosecute the greedy people, wherever they come from, who benefit from illegal minerals." A young man living in the camp named Innocent who had been driven from his home by an armed group taking over a nearby mine concluded, "The people that are doing this to me are the people who are making the phones that use these minerals."

Esther, another displaced camp resident, challenged us in a unique way: "I want the users of these minerals to come live in these camps with us so they can understand what we are going through." Finally, a 14 year old girl whom we befriended spoke with a level of clarity well beyond her years when she told us, "Anyone who buys a cell phone should question their conscience and insist on fair trade."

The truth of what we heard from survivors is rooted in simple economics. Profits made from this illicit minerals trade arise from market demand for such minerals. If consumers demand conflict-free products, then companies will eventually meet that demand, in turn cratering the market for minerals mined through violence.

Luckily, instead of just feeling guilty or even boycotting consumer electronics, there are things you can do, positive steps that will have an impact on this deadly trade in conflict minerals.

First, you can join the growing movement of people across the U.S. and beyond who are raising hope for Congo by directly contacting the 21 biggest electronics companies and demanding conflict-free products here. The Enough Project ranked the top companies on the actions they have taken on conflict minerals to date and found that two-thirds of them have done little to nothing. Many of them assert their conflict-free intentions, but with a few exceptions their actions haven't equaled their rhetoric. The bottom line here is this: if you demand conflict-free products, they will supply them, just like with the blood diamonds campaign that ended that deadly trade and helped stop three wars in West Africa.

Second, if you are connected to a college or high school, you can join the national drive for conflict-free campuses, in which students are leading efforts to convince school administrators to demand conflict-free products as well. Download the toolkit at RaiseHopeForCongo.org/campus.

Congo is the deadliest war in the world for a reason. For the last 150 years, the world has taken whatever it wanted from this country, from people who were enslaved for America's plantations, to ivory for our jewelry, to rubber for our automobile industry, to uranium for our atomic bombs, to today's conflict minerals for our cell phones, laptops and other products. Finally, a global people's movement has begun to be formed to stop this history of destructive extraction.

Now that you know, what will you do?

Ryan Gosling is an actor. John Prendergast is a co-founder of the Enough Project and author of Unlikely Brothers.

Protecting Civilians and Promoting Peace in Sudan (Video)

2011-03-28T12:04:52-04:00

Three and a half months from now, the world's newest nation will be born: the Republic of Southern Sudan. Heady times for a people who have fought for fifty years for freedom, and won the right to vote in what was a peaceful independence referendum in January. But this road to freedom is filled with danger points, none more so than Abyei, the hotly disputed Connecticut-sized territory wedged within the border between North and South.

Peace processes are full of moments, of choices, with implications that affect hundreds of thousands of lives. Sudan is mired in one of those moments, and leaders in Northern and Southern Sudan are facing a monumental choice between war and peace. The locus for this poignant moment is Abyei. Militias aligned with the North burned three villages in the last few weeks, leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of Abyei's residents. Here is visual evidence from the Satellite Sentinel Project.

We both have visited Abyei since the beginning of the year.

We've talked to the residents there who feel abandoned by the international community. But we also know it is not too late to change the equation. The U.S. should continue to enhance its diplomatic efforts in support of a deal on Abyei between North and South Sudan, and redouble its efforts to revitalize the peace process for Darfur, where 70,000 people have been newly displaced in the past few months. Tell President Obama you support enhanced diplomatic engagement on Abyei and Darfur as the best way to support peace and protect civilian life in Sudan.

Peace is possible in Sudan in 2011. The U.S. role will be critical. President Obama said that standing idly by was not an option in Libya. This is equally true in Sudan. The time to act is now.

Actress and human rights activist Mia Farrow has just returned from her latest trip to Southern Sudan. John Prendergast is a human rights activist and author. He is co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity. He is the co-author of The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes.

Bang the Drum for Peace in Darfur (Video)

2011-03-15T11:58:00-04:00

There is a moment in every global crisis where things no longer seem new and dynamic. Where hope for a solution is replaced with uncertainty, which morphs into cynicism, despair, or even indifference. Many people who were such enthusiastic supporters of building a movement to end the genocide in Darfur have gone through some of these stages, frustrated by the lack of a resolution of the crisis there.

As one of our former presidents used to say, "We feel your pain." But people are still dying in Darfur. Villages are still being bombed. Women are still being subjected to sexual assaults. Tens of thousands have been displaced in the last few months.

We got together and talked about what can be done in this video, "Bang the Drum for Darfur."

It's not over. We need you back. We need new people to raise their voices for the people of Darfur. Citizen action made a difference in helping to lay the groundwork for a peaceful referendum in Southern Sudan. It's Darfur's turn now. Much has been learned about why earlier international action in Darfur didn't work. We can apply those lessons and make a real difference. Go to www.enoughproject.org/take_action to find out how you can help.

Don Cheadle is an Academy Award-nominated actor, film producer, philanthropist, and author. He is a co-founder of the anti-genocide organization Not On Our Watch. John Prendergast is a human rights activist and author. He is co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Cheadle and Prendergast are co-authors of The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes.

Certifying Congo's Deadly Conflict Minerals

2011-02-07T11:36:39-05:00

Co-authored by Aaron Hall

It's time for a new blood diamonds campaign, but this time for the conflict minerals that are tearing apart the Congo.

Ten years ago a handful of African countries were being torn apart by civil conflict perpetuated by the extraction and trade of "blood diamonds." As the extent of the political, humanitarian, and environmental damage being done in countries like Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Angola became apparent, alarm bells began to ring. The result was a process in which Western and African governments, industry stakeholders, concerned NGOs and civil society came together to create a system that would legitimize the diamond sector and choke off funding to those belligerent leaders that depended on it. The global blood diamonds movement helped to end these wars, and the resulting Kimberley Process, although far from perfect, has helped to consolidate peace in those areas playing a significant role in ending conflict in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Angola.

Currently, we're faced with a similar situation in eastern Congo. This area has been home to some of the most horrific violence in recent history, driven by the extraction and trade of "conflict minerals" -- tin, tantalum, and tungsten, or the 3T's and gold. Armed groups, including the Congolese and neighboring armies, have battled for control of strategic minerals reserves in the region and prey off innocent communities for survival. These minerals provide the raw materials for industries as diverse as electronics, automobiles, and jewelry.

Eighteen months ago, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited eastern Congo and helped to compel the U.S. to re-address its policy towards the region. This visit was followed by U.S. legislation on conflict minerals and a regional governmental initiative on mineral certification. This creates an opportunity for transformative U.S. leadership in central Africa. As mandated by the legislation, the Obama administration is now set to release a strategy to Congress to address the linkages between the conflict mineral trade and human rights abuses in Congo. A successful strategy will be impossible without making two key elements the centerpiece: a minerals certification process for legitimate extraction and trade, and national army reform.

The current administration should collaborate with Congo and regional partners to take the lead on driving the nascent certification processes already underway. Following Dodd-Frank, President Kabila of Congo is seeking such a partnership with the U.S. to reform the sector. Greater engagement will spur more productive private sector participation from U.S.-based companies in key industries; and align their need to comply with legislation aimed at ending mineral-fueled violence in Congo.

The U.S. finds itself in a unique position because our economic influence to combat the illicit minerals trade provides the missing leverage for leaning on the Congolese state to deliver meaningful security sector reform. Criminal networks within the Congolese national army are a major impediment to legitimacy in the development of Congo's eastern provinces. Military justice is paramount to reform and the U.S. can make a significant contribution by supporting military justice initiatives within the country, including broadening the focus to include economic crimes.

Given the enormity and complexity of the conflict in the Congo, it is easy to devise a strategy for tackling the conflict mineral issue that details the laundry list of initiatives already underway with limited U.S. support -- but that's not enough. If the Obama Administration doesn't lead this process, it effectively relinquishes power to malicious actors with interests in both the minerals trade and the security sector that are actively seeking to maintain the status quo. A successful U.S. strategy must entail a commitment to certification as the framework for local efforts to demilitarize the Congolese mining sector, in conjunction with a surge in support for military justice.

Heading into the New Year, the Obama Administration signaled its intent to increase engagement in Africa. In the Congo -- the linchpin to stability in the region -- the administration is positioned to bring credibility and coherence to the emerging multilateral architecture developing around Congo's conflict minerals, bolstering the hard-fought efforts here in the U.S, while at the same time supporting efforts towards peace and legitimate economic development in Congo. Secretary Clinton's follow-through on eastern Congo could bring the Obama Administration one step closer to its New Year's Resolution on Africa.

John Prendergast is the Co-Founder of the Enough Project and co-author with Don Cheadle of 'The Enough Moment.' Aaron Hall is a Policy Analyst for the Enough Project.
www.enoughproject.org