Congo Stories: Battling Five Centuries of Exploitation and Greed

by John Prendergast, Ryan Gosling (Contribution by), Ryan Gosling (Photographer), Fidel Bafilemba, Dave Eggers (Contribution by)

Overview

Congo is one of the most complex countries in the world, yet it is the most overlooked. It is one of the wealthiest in Africa as a result of its natural endowments, but its people are some of the poorest in the world. Congolese culture is informed by the brutality of war. Over five million Congolese died at the beginning of the 21st century because of our demand for the minerals that power our cellphones and laptops. Billions of dollars are being siphoned out of the country while billions in humanitarian aid and peacekeeping are coming in to clean up the mess. Although the country has paid a price for over five centuries, progress has and continues to be made.

Wanting to learn more about this incredible land and history, Ryan Gosling and activist John Prendergast went to the Congo to learn firsthand how the prosperity of America and Europe has defined Congolese history for the last five centuries in a multitude of ways. A Monstrous Greed introduces readers to the incredible men, women, and children whose lives have been upended by conflict. Filled with a collection of essays by Gosling and photos he took during their trip, and Prendergast's meticulous research, A Monstrous Greed is a stirring exploration of the Congo experience, an invitation for readers to connect with a vibrant but embattled part of the world, and a worthy call to action and engagement.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781549177415
Publisher:	Hachette Book Group
Publication date:	12/04/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 5.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Ryan Gosling is an actor and filmmaker.

John Prendergast is a New York Times bestselling author who founded and runs both the Enough Project and The Sentry.

Fidel Bafilemba is a Congolese field researcher who coordinates a civil society network called GATT-RN.

Table of Contents

Foreword Soraya Aziz Souleymane xi

Chapter 1 Why Congo? 1

Honorata's Story 1

Chapter 2 The Story of the Kongo Kingdom: Before and After the Europeans Landed 11

Chapter 3 How Congo Helped Build America and Europe: Following the Money and Greed for Five Centuries 19

Upstander Story Dominique Bikaba 60

Upstander Story Petna Ndaliko 70

Chapter 4 A Den of Highly Armed Thieves 77

Upstander Story Rebecca Kabugho 80

Chapter 5 Africa's First World War: Reverberations from Rwanda's Genocide 87

Phoebe's Story 93

Chapter 6 Road to Congo Ryan Gosling 99

Upstander Story Justine Masika 102

Chapter 7 Crimes Against Humanity: Ground Zero 105

Chouchou Namegabe on Mass Rape 109

Huguette's Story 112

Upstander Story Dr Denis Mukwege 126

Dr. Namegabe Murhabazi on Child Soldiers 133

Claude's Story 137

Fidel's Own Story 141

Chapter 8 Life Today in One Part of Congo 149

Goma's Story 149

Jonathan's Story 184

Mane's Story 200

Chapter 9 Congo Responds to the Onslaught: The Whistle for Change 211

Upstander Story Douce Namwezi 218

Chapter 10 Davids and Goliaths: Global Rights Activists vs. the War Profiteers 225

Upstander Story Neema Namadamu 245

Chapter 11 Steve Jobs and Conflict Minerals: Apple and Corporate-Driven Change 249

Chapter 12 War Crimes Shouldn't Pay: Lessons from AI Capone to al-Qaeda 255

Chapter 13 Vanquishing the Vampires: What You Can Do 265

Conclusion: Countering Myths and Stereotypes 271

Josephine's Story 271

Postscript Dave Eggers 281

Afterword Chouchou Namegabe 287

Acknowledgments 293

"A Geological Scandal" Results in a Governing Disaster 295

Notes 301

Index 321

About the Contributors 331

Final Thought from John 333

Editorial Reviews

01/14/2019

Prendergast (Not on Our Watch), the founder of Enough Project, and Bafilemba, the coordinator of the Congolese civil society network GATT-RN, narrate how “the plundering of Congo has been engineered and maintained to benefit a few people for more than 500 years.” Accompanied by photographs by actor Ryan Gosling, the text provides a broad historical overview of the central African nation, particularly the economic exploitation that has benefited Europe, the U.S., and armed groups. Congo has been used as a source of slaves, ivory, rubber, copper, uranium, diamonds, cobalt, and most recently gold and “the 3Ts” (tin, tantalum, and tungsten) indispensable in the manufacturing of electronic devices. In the stated hope that the book will inspire readers to engage in advocacy in solidarity with the Congolese people, the authors highlight local initiatives and success stories from activists—whom they call “upstanders” (as opposed to “bystanders”)—striving to put an end to the present-day conflict; one example is a collaboration between D.R.C. and U.S. activists that pushed Congress to enact legislation requiring American companies to report on their supply chains with regard to conflict minerals, which “dramatically reduced... the number of Congolese armed groups and the money that sustains them.” Idealists and activists new to the D.R.C. will find this call to arms illuminating. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"In this well-organized, vigorously informative, polyphonic, unnerving, and conscience-rousing presentation, [Prendergast] and researcher and activist Bafilemba trace 'the connection between natural resources exploitation and the violent conflicts' destroying the lives of millions in the Democratic Republic of Congo ... A thoughtfully assembled resource and a clarion call for readers to seek out ethically sourced goods and support efforts to bring justice and peace to this cruelly pillaged land."—Booklist

"Eye-opening reportage from an African nation that has been robbed and despoiled for centuries-but that is now finding paths of resistance ... No thoughtful reader of this book will look at his or her computer or cellphone the same way again."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

2018-10-28

Eye-opening reportage from an African nation that has been robbed and despoiled for centuries—but that is now finding paths of resistance.

Human-rights activists Prendergast (co-author: The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes, 2010, etc.) and Bafilemba, the latter a Congolese field researcher, begin with the story of a woman who was abducted by a local militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo, held captive for 15 months, and repeatedly raped as "the wife of everyone." She managed to escape, only to be brutalized again by invading Rwandan soldiers, and finally became a teacher and mentor "to countless Congolese women who have experienced physical and emotional trauma." Hers is a story that has been repeated again and again for centuries as Congolese rulers, for a price, have allowed outside powers to loot its resources, by which the nation should rightfully be one of the richest in the world. Instead, in recent history, it has been ruled by kleptocrats—currently Joseph Kabila, who "has subverted democratic processes and violently repressed independent and opposition voices in order to retain power indefinitely"—even as those outside interests remove astonishing quantities of what the authors enumerate as four "conflict minerals." These include tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold, as well as cobalt and diamonds, all things that enrich the developed world and make many of its modern technologies possible. Change is possible: The authors hold that Congo offers a case study not just in inequality and postcolonial exploitation but also in what can be done about them, including being sure that jewelers source their supplies responsibly and use "conflict-free artisanal gold from Congo in their jewelry lines." Gosling provides excellent images of daily life in Congo, while, in a postscript, Dave Eggers urges readers to find ways to support small-scale "local projects conceived and run by local residents," funding the people who most need help.

No thoughtful reader of this book will look at his or her computer or cellphone the same way again.

Kirkus Reviews