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AP: 48 women raped every hour in Congo, study finds
48 women raped every hour in Congo, study finds By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) -- The central African nation of Congo
has been called the worst place on earth to be a woman. A new study released Wednesday by the American Journal of Public
Health shows it's even worse than previously thought: 1,152 women are raped every day, a rate equal to 48 per hour. That rate is 26 times more than the previous estimate of 16,000 rapes reported in one year by the United Nations. Michelle Hindin, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health who specializes in gender-based
violence, said the rate could be even higher. The source of the data, she noted, is a survey that was conducted through
face-to-face interviews, and people are not always forthcoming about the violence they have suffered when talking to strangers. "The numbers are astounding," she said. Congo - a nation of 70 million people that is equal
in size to Western Europe - has been plagued by decades of war. Its vast forests are rife with militias that have systematically
used rape to destroy communities. The study found that 29 Congolese women out of 1,000 were raped. That means
that even in the parts of Congo that are least affected by the war, a woman is 58 times more likely to be raped than a woman
in the United States, where the annual rate is 0.5 per 1,000 women. Previous estimates of the number of rapes
were derived from police and health center reports in the nation's troubled east where the conflict is concentrated. The
authors of the study, "Estimates and Determinants of Sexual Violence Against Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo,"
used data from a government health survey and pooled data from across the country. The highest frequency of rape
was found in North Kivu, the province most affected by the conflict, where 67 women out of 1,000 have been raped at least
once. The analysis which will be published in the medical journal in June shows that more than 400,000 women had
been raped nationwide during a 12-month period between 2006 and 2007. "The message is important and clear:
Rape in (Congo) has metastasized amid a climate of impunity, and has emerged as one of the great human crises of our time,"
said Michael VanRooyen, the director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. -- Associated Press Writers
Saleh Mwanamilongo in Kinshasa, Congo and Mike Stobbe in Atlanta contributed to this report. ~~~ < africa.infodoc@online.be> ~ Coordinator: Rik De Gendt, 9031 Drongen-Gent, Belgium - Phone: +32-475 260239 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For
more than 7 years now, alleged war criminals of Darfur have lived freely, while the innocent people in their paths have lived
in fear. But last month, when two Darfuri rebel leaders, suspected of killing peacekeepers, surrendered
themselves to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the wall of impunity finally began to crack. The suffering in Darfur won't end until all those indicted by the ICC are brought to justice. International
justice can't work until there's international cooperation. In order for the ICC to effectively prosecute
those responsible for grave human rights abuses, the international community must do its part to fight impunity. Urge the U.S. to strengthen its support of the ICC in bringing Darfuri war crimes suspects to justice. |  | The U.S. has recently taken important steps forward to renew its engagement with the ICC. This
shift in U.S. policy signals hope that those who so egregiously abused human rights will finally be held accountable for their
crimes. Outstanding warrants for three high-profile individuals have been issued, but remain unanswered. Suspects Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb remain at large after being charged with 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against
humanity. And despite becoming the world's first sitting head of state to ever be issued an arrest warrant by
the ICC, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir continues to be welcomed as a guest in other countries and given full presidential
treatment. This blatant obstruction of justice has gone on for too long. The influence of the U.S. can
push negligent governments to stop shielding these men from accepting responsibility. Ensure that the U.S. is doing its part in standing up for justice in Darfur.After all the suffering the people of Darfur have endured, they deserve a glimmer of hope. Let justice
be the foundation of a new beginning in Darfur. In Solidarity, Juliette, Vienna and the rest of the
Justice for Darfur Team ************************************************************************
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FROM the NY DARFUR VIGIL GROUP and
Shine a Ray of Hope Dear Friends of Darfur, We know that you are also friends of the suffering people of the Congo, and that you would want to know if there is anything you can do to alleviate their suffering.
You have received e-mails from us before to contact our own area representatives
on the push to keep the conflict minerals that are fuelling the horrors in the
Congo out of the US. The conflict minerals trade is so lucrative because they
are needed in the manufacture of practically all of our electronics. Our Washington
representatives have been good on this issue, but there is, of course, pushback from the electronics manufacturing
and retail industry, even though the legislation would mean only a one
penny per product increase. Please call or e-mail the key legislators listed below. A vote is expected within 48 hours. It's Make or Break Day for Conflict Minerals Change the Equation for Congo Dear Friends,
During the last several months we've asked for your help to create real change on the issue of
Congo's conflict minerals. Never before has our request been more urgent than now. Critical language
requiring conflict minerals accountability is part of the financial reform legislation currently being finalized by Congress.
The fate of this conflict minerals language will likely be decided over the next 48 hours. Despite
tech industry support and strong bi-partisan support of the language and the legislation it's derived from, manufacturing
and retail industry groups are lobbying hard to have it removed. Now is the time for you and the grassroots movement to stand
up against corporate lobbyists. Even though tech companies have admitted it would cost one penny per product to ensure a conflict-free
supply chain, lobbyists for manufacturing companies continue to argue that even this penny
is too expensive. Today we're urgently asking you to spend a few minutes to get key members of
the Congressional conference committee to support the language (this is the group responsible
for deciding the final fate of the legislation.) Each of the members below is of high strategic value to ensuring the conflict
minerals language stays in the legislation. TAKE ACTION TODAY ON FACEBOOKWe need to ensure
that the following members use their influence to keep the conflict minerals language in the legislation: Please click on the links above to visit their Facebook pages. Click the
"Like" button at the top, and then post a message asking for their support of the legislation. On Senator Lincoln's
page, you will need to place your comment on her most recent post, because she doesn't allow feedback otherwise. We've drafted
a sample for you to work from, but please feel free to customize your own if you would like: "Senator
{Insert Name}, please join a bi-partisan group of Senators in fighting to keep the Congo conflict minerals language in the
financial reform bill. The tech industry
estimates it would cost less than a penny per product to guarantee that their products are free of conflict minerals."
Without
strong grassroots support, industry groups might succeed in undoing the progress you've made to end the trade in conflict
minerals and bring peace to the people of Congo. Join us today and thank you for your urgent support at this critical time. Sincerely, Jenny
Russell
Advocacy Director
Enough Project
HERE YOU WILL FIND INFORMATION ON
GENOCIDE, ETHNIC CLEANSING AND THE
HOLOCAUST
DARFUR
----- Original Message ----- Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2010 4:39 AM Subject: Save Lives in CONGO:Help
to pass Conflict Minerals Trade Act
Dear Friends of Darfur: While we try to keep
our communications focused on Darfur and Sudan, we believe that you are just as concerned about the horrors in the Congo. The
butchery and rape perpetrated by roving gangs of militias in Eastern Congo is fueled by conflict minerals--minerals used in
the manufacture of electronics like cellphones and laptops. The Conflict Minerals Trade Act (HR 4128) is a bill
that would monitor the importation of these minerals into the US. In the message below you are asked to contact
your representative to co-sponsor the bill and to contact two other key representatives to support the bill so it
can come to a vote in the House. Since the message was composed, Congressman Rangel (D-NY) has signed on. Overall,
the outpouring of pressure on the targeted Congresspersons has reaped success. So, please join in this
effort to continue the pressure to get the bill passed. We have made and will continue to make a difference. The
information below comes from Sharon Silber of the NYC Coalition for Darfur: sharonsilber@aol.com(The Enough Project, which works on both Sudan and Congo, is asking that we help them push for
a vital piece of legislation to stem the violence in the Congo) TAKE ACTION FOR CONGO THIS WEEK IN JUST A FEW MINUTES Over 5 million people have died as a result of the war
in Congo. The math is stark, and it has to stop. You can help us change the equation for Congo. Take a minute and urge your
representative to co-sponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009. Let's get ten more co-sponsors in the next 10 days.
So far, only Gerrald Nadler and Anthony Wiener in the New York City area have signed on as co-sponsors. We need others.
Contact your Representative by calling 1-202-225-3121
and asking to speak to the office of your Congressional representative. Leave a message for the aide for foreign affairs in
that office that says the following: " I am a constituent and I am deeply concerned about the war in the Congo. I urge
you to co-sponsor the Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 HR 4128 and to do all you can to move this bill out of committee
onto the floor of Congress. There is ongoing violence in Congo and we need more transparency in the trade of minerals that
fuel this conflict.". The following New York City representatives sit on Foreign Affairs
and Ways and Means, committees that are particularly important for this bill right now: Crowley, McMahon, Meeks, Ackerman,
Engel, and Rangel, Other congress people who have been good on human rights in the past should also be targeted such
as Lowey and Maloney, If it is easier you can send an email to your representative bygoing to their website or to their
FACEBOOK page. And if you are a constituent of Representatives Nadler and Wiener, you can also call or message them to
thank them for their support of this legislation. See below for more information on our local campaign and the national
one.
Why We Need Your HelpThe House of Representatives is primed to consider legislation that would create a practical and enforceable
means to end the deadly conflict minerals trade in Congo. But the bi-partisan Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009 (HR 4128)
must first pass two powerful committees – Foreign Affairs and Ways & Means - before it can receive an up or down
vote by the full House of Representatives. We need your help. We need to secure the support
of ten key committee members to make this happen, and time is running out to get the bill passed this year. ANOTHER
THING YOU CAN DO Since so many of us are already on Facebook and Twitter, Enough
Project is cureently spearheading a campaign to use these powerful online tools to build momentum for HR 4128.
Enough launched a week-long campaign to get 10 new congressional champions for the Conflict Minerals Trade
Act, or HR 4128, which was introduced in the House of Representatives last fall. Activists from around the country are taking
5 minutes each day this week to target 10 crucial members of Congress that are essential to advancing the bill. By posting a message on their Facebook walls,
we can demonstrate broad grassroots support and generate pressure for them to become co-sponsors. Information on Change
the Equation for Congo with your action on Facebook is below.. TAKE ACTION on Facebook Today Here is a sample message you can use: Representative
{BLANK}, Change the Equation for Congo! Please co-sponsor HR 4128. Visit http://bit.ly/d44Xxp to learn more.
To help inspire you to action, writer and activist
Omekongo Dibinga has this message on why HR 4128 is important. 
Click to watch the video .
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History matters
Polish
Radio
26.07.2007
American students study history of the Holocaust at the Auschwitz
camp
Michal Kubicki
reports
There is surely no better place to study the Holocaust than the site
of the former German Nazi camp of
Auschwitz.
Some 1.1 million people, almost one million of them Jews from Poland
and elsewhere in Nazi-occupied
Europe perished there. A group of
ten American students is spending several weeks at the Jewish Centre
close to the
former camp to gain insights into the common history of
Poles and Jews.
The Auschwitz Jewish Centre was founded
eight years ago to cater for
Jews and non-Jews alike. It serves as a place where visitors to
Auschwitz can memorialize
Jewish victims of the Holocaust and
commemorate the rich Jewish-Polish life and culture eradicated
during World War
Two. It also helps visitors to learn about the
vibrancy of Jewish culture through exhibitions, lectures and
educational
programmes. Under one of these programmes – A Bridge to
History - the Centre brings groups of foreign students to
Poland so
that they, in turn, can educate the next generation about the Jewish
community that once existed in Poland,
the Holocaust and its
message.
The director of the Auschwitz Jewish Centre Tomasz Kuncewicz.
`It's a new
experience for most of them. Some of them have already
been to Poland but for most of them it's the first time. The
exposure
to the Jewish heritage, what is left here, the whole Polish-
Jewish interaction and the current revival of Jewish culture
in
Poland – all this is for many of them a new experience.'
In addition to Auschwitz, the American students
toured Jewish
heritage sites as well as Polish historical sites in Warsaw, Łodz
and Krakow with its former Jewish
district of Kazimierz. David Frey:
`We spent a lot of time in Kazimierz and we had a lot of discussions
about what
is the best way to preserve and to commemorate Jewish
culture. We have no agreed opinion on that because there are
questions
of what is legitimate preservation, what is not legitimate
preservation and commemoration. Certainly there's a lot of
evidence
of Jewish presence in the Kazimierz district in particular. There's
obviously preservation of pre-existing
Jewish life but the reasons
for it all are to be discussed. Some of it is commercial, some of it
is legitimately scholarly
and intellectual, and some is obviosuly
from interest on the part of Poles in reviving a part of their
broader heritage.'
Some
members of the American group are Holocaust educators. I asked
Carol Simon how useful has this Polish experience been
for her work
in the United States.
`Absolutely beyond value. I have a notebook that is more than full
of information
and feelings that I've got. We've been very fortunate
to have the opportunity to speak with scholars here on different
aspects of pre-war life, the Holocaust and post-war life. We had the
opportunity to meet with some Polish people and
have discussions
and I will certainly bring that back onto my community. I also run a
film series and the first four
or five films will deal with Poland.
When I show a film I speak for twenty minutes before the show to
give some information
about all aspects of Jewish life in Poland and
I will certainly incorporate what I learnt here in that.'
Carol
Simon, one of ten American students participating in
the `Bridge to History' programme at the Jewish Centre, located
close
to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps. The programme is made
possible largely by a grant from the US State Department.
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