Hey Folks,

I hopped on the freeway this morning on my way to work, I drove without hesitation. Sitting in traffic with a thousand other single-passenger vehicles I wondered what the world would look like 20 years from now. Will there be wider freeways, two story - double decker highways? How will we accommodate the growing population?

5 guys have spent their summer riding across the country. Though they chose to do it on bikes. Just two wheels, the road and a story that they needed to share. Now they have arrived in Venice, the end of their journey, two months after setting out and life feels different. A bicycle might not end a war, but your connection to the road, to the earth, to the strangers you meet along the way bring hopeful ideals within reach, and that’s a start.

“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.”  ~H.G. Wells

Read on my friends!

Brittany

DR Congo to Repatriate More Than 27 Rwandan Rebels

The Action Program for Peace and Reconstruction (PAREC) has been working to return former FDLR soldiers to their homes in Rwanda for some time now, but it’s difficult to do when there isn’t always a home to return to. “There’s no problem of co-existence with the natives. The issue is that the concerned men have refused to go back to the camp where they were staying,” PAREC coordinator said when he tried to justify the decision by the national authority. READ MORE (People’s Daily).

With Education Comes Hope, But Where is the Money?

Dusaba Mbomoya, like many teachers in North Kivu and throughout Congo, waits for the day when his students will have a roof without holes, adequate desks and actual walls. A condition far too common these days.  “The dire conditions at Mashango are mirrored at schools around the DRC. They are the result of war but also chronic underfunding of a system where just 8 percent of the country’s annual budget is allocated to education, according to the World Bank. Mashango has no water or electricity and few books. Most classrooms are dark and crumbling with limited teaching materials.” READ MORE (All Africa).

Today’s the big day…

the bikers have arrived and I feel almost as if I’m back at my first day of school, getting thrown into the mix with a new teacher, a new person to learn from and grow with.  I guess that’s what it really is, when you think about it - new teachers riding from the inland, racing to feel the touch of the ocean with fresh minds ready to learn.

Remembering the day the bikers started and looking back on the excitement that we felt and the envy for the journey they were about to embark on seems so surreal. Day after day we watched as the little hand-drawn bicycle on crinkled paper moved across a makeshift map, trying to comprehend the distance covered, the relationships formed, the inspiration left behind.

and now they’ve reached their destination.

2 months, 60 cities and 2,300 miles later.

I haven’t felt the office so alive with excitement since the day my intern class arrived. I can feel that same exhilaration flowing from each of us as we sit here imagining the five of them pedaling through the streets of Los Angeles, the ocean breeze beginning to fill their lungs.

I cannot begin to fathom the amount of lives that these guys have changed.  After all of the conversations had, stories told, and love shared… I know that their mark has been permanently left in 55 communities across America. They are the ones shifting the trajectory of history, filling us all with hope for a brighter future and the strength to make it happen.

Will, David, Andrew, Connor, Justin… these are the true whistlebowers, the brave ones, the reasons that we believe peace in Congo is within our reach.

Join us in our celebration of their journey tonight at Dockweiler State Beach.  These amazing, self-sacrificing, idealistic college kids have changed the lives of thousands across America.  It’s their love, their hope, their passion that will keep this movement going forward.

From our hearts to yours, thank you.

Nick, Brittany, and the Falling Whistles Team

this week’s recipients of the Bold & Ballsy award!

“At its birth, violence acts openly and even takes pride in itself.
But as soon as it is reinforced and its position is strengthened,
it begins to sense the rarefied atmosphere around it,
and it can go further only when fogged about with lies,
cloaked in honeyed hypocritical words.

It does not always nor invariably choke its victims;
more often it demands of them only the oath of the lie,
only participation in the lie.

Simple is the ordinary courageous human being’s act
of not participating in the lie,
of not supporting false actions!
What his stand says is: So be it that this takes place in the world —
that it even reigns in the world —
but let it not be with my complicity.”

from Beauty Will Save the World: The Nobel Lecture on Literature
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, 1972

I’ve wanted to be a grown up for as long as I can remember.

I remember vividly the conversation my friends and I had during middle school.  We could hardly wait to be on our own and make grown up decisions; to finally be independent from the rules of our parents and teachers.  Never did we imagine that some kids would actually dream of just being kids.  But that’s what happens when the trauma of war brings early adulthood. 

Every day, young people in Congo are forced into adulthood at a very young age.  Many are forced to assume the position of their deceased or disabled parents, while managing to attend school—if they’re lucky enough—and caring for younger siblings simultaneously.  Despite these difficulties, many Congolese youth still view the glass as half full, still dreaming big dreams ... living with an optimistic view of the future. 

I’m consistently amazed by the ingenuity of Congolese kids!  If a Congolese boy cannot afford a soccer ball, he collects a number of plastic bags and rubber bands and figures out how to make a simulation of a soccer ball.  When a Congolese girl cannot afford a doll, she makes one.  I did!  For whatever reason, my mother could not afford to buy me the latest plastic doll, so we decided to sew one together.  With pieces of fabric from her old dress, cotton balls, a marker, and string for the hair, we created my favorite doll.  We would sew different outfits for the doll.  As far as I was concerned, it was better than any plastic doll she could have bought from the store. 

Franck Mweze, the coordinator of 3TAMIS in Bukavu (in South Kivu), shares my appreciation for the creative kids of Congo.  I had the honor of video chatting with him a few days ago.  (This is one of the perks of my internship with Falling Whistles ... reaching out to Congolese visionaries and chatting with them about their amazing work!)  From the moment he heard my family name, Franck knew exactly who I was and was eager to tell me about my uncle, who happens to be his neighbor and friend, reminding me of the giant on whose shoulders I stand.  After several minutes of poking fun at my “Swahili-American accent,” as he called it, Franck was eager to tell me about his work with 3TAMIS.

“Congolese kids have been through so much,” he said, “It’s time to give them a positive example.  They need role models.”

Franck explained that the youth of Bukavu place little hope in their government, but they are recognizing the power of their own voices.  With the help of 3TAMIS, they are learning about the power of journalism and media to bring change to their communities.  Franck hopes that, through his programs, Congolese youth will gain confidence and develop their own unique voices as they push for peace. 

Through 3TAMIS, Franck and a group of Kivu teens are working on an animated series about a Congolese child hero who overcomes various obstacles through persistence and courage.  Franck is nurturing the creativity of the young people he works with, giving them full creative license and allowing them to choose everything, from the topics covered in the series to the name of their animated hero.  The series will be produced in both French and Swahili, making the show accessible to a wide range of Congolese children.  And 3TAMIS will take this series on the road with them, showing it in mobile cinemas that attract thousands of viewers throughout eastern Congo’s rural areas. 

“The youth of Congo don’t have heroes who look like them,” Franck observed.  Instead, they learn in school about Western characters, historical figures, governments, and social movements.  “They can learn from each other’s experiences, as well.” 

Franck and his team of energetic young animators are dedicated to making this project a reality, but they lack critical resources.  They need the support of skilled editors, producers, and updated equipment.  “I can teach them how to take the footage,” he added, “but I don’t have the proper software to show them how to edit and cut.”

As we concluded our two-hour conversation, Franck and I agreed that the future of Congo lies in the hands of Congo’s youth.  He assured me that the young people in Kivu are vibrant, creative, and capable of exceeding expectations when given the right resources and opportunities. 

Stella
Falling Whistles Advocacy Intern
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

David, Sean,

It’s the eve of our Falling Whistles party and we are all really
excited for this Saturday. I just wanted to let you both know how much
of an inspiration you were when you came to Sewanee, and because I
think its important that you realize the effect you’re having on young
people as you continue your tour. The underlying message of Falling
Whistles is simple: We don’t have all the money and we don’t have all
the answers, but we can still make a cultural change - if we put our
heads together. This day in age it is easy to feel helpless (myself
and my peers included) when it comes tackling worldly problems - such
as the one you are up against. You are not only fighting a distant
war, but also some very serious psychological and societal problems
that run deep in our nation, especially our nation’s youth. Your
message is vital to a generation which in some ways is becoming
increasingly passive and individualistic. As you travel, spread the
word, and speak to crowds, you never quite know who you might be
affecting. So thanks, keep the passion alive and keep up the great
fucking work! I hope our paths cross again in the near future.

Sincerely,
John Clark Cochran

John will be a senior this fall at Sewanee, home of one of our first campus Whistler Societies. A friend to the bike tour crew and current LA intern Chris, John played an integral role in planning on-campus events and fundraisers for Falling Whistles. Because of his efforts, Sewanee raised nearly $2,000 with Kick It For Congo—an outdoor music festival that married a cause with good old fashioned commotion.

For information about starting a Whistler Society on your campus or planning fundraisers, e-mail brittany @ fallingwhistles.com

“Wow—
I just checked it.
We’re so much farther than I thought.
Or we planned.
But currently we have biked 3,288.45 miles,
and will get somewhere around 3,560 miles by the time we get to LA. “

—Will Watson
Falling Whistles ReTour 2010

Hey Folks,

Summer is racing by and our interns are stepping up in ways we could never imagine. Our biggest and most diverse class yet, they’ve helped us move offices, make a movie, and push further and faster than ever before. It’s incredible what we can accomplish when our only limit is our imagination. And although this intern class is near and dear to our hearts, the next semester is fast approaching. Yes, you heard me, that means it’s about time to kick off your college shoes, take off that coat-n-tie and come join our team out here in Los Angeles!

Don’t break out the confetti just yet, but do stay tuned for our fall intern applications! Hot off the press…soon enough.

Take some time to read and enjoy this week’s roundup!

Brittany

Increasing Danger in Easter Congo According to New Survey

After an increase in military attacks between the FDLR (Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda) and the Congolese army, many communities are left questioning the benefits of having a government presence. “The military operations are having a devastating effect on Congolese communities, who are being attacked from all sides. The army is supposed to protect people, but until real root and branch military reform takes place the risks this offensive poses to communities are just too high.” READ MORE (Oxfam).

US Passes New Mineral Bill on Congo

“The United States has passed a legislation that will crack down on companies listed on a U.S. stock exchange, dealing in minerals that fuel violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the legislation into law next week.” READ MORE (Afrik News).

intern Jess Chen sketched a beautiful rendering of last night’s Summer Thursday. If you’re in the area, won’t you stop by?

Discover Your Inner Entrepreneur
from the Harvard Business Review

“For every aphorism there is an equal and opposite aphorism. How do we reconcile “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” with “Nothing ventured nothing gained?” How do we make peace between “Better safe than sorry” and “He who hesitates is lost?”

The owner’s manual for human life is at best conflicted and confusing, and no one feels this tension more than entrepreneurs. They are often up at night, with visions of bankruptcy and failing in a spectacularly public way dancing in their heads. The faith investors have put in them is a heavy weight most people will never experience. Entrepreneurs venture forth into the unknown, butterflies in the stomach, and wonder — for the sake of their reputation, their security, their children, and even their reputation in their children’s eyes — if they might not have been smarter to have stuck with the bird they had in their hand.

Note to entrepreneurs: If you’re regularly visited by apparitions of doom and are often overcome with the desire to quit and make your way to a safer, more peaceful haven, know that this just confirms that you’re an entrepreneur. Situation normal. You’re feeling exactly the way every entrepreneur who went before you has felt.

But maybe the entrepreneur is not the one who’s actually in danger in the long run. Helen Keller made one of the most profound statements I have ever read: “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

Historically we’ve associated the daring of entrepreneurship with the for-profit sector, the market, and capitalism. Even our notions about “social entrepreneurship” can fall into that trap. But the fact that someone works in the for-profit sector doesn’t mean he or she is at all entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurship is a thing unto itself. “Entrepreneur” is a mind-set.

This is a crucial thing for the entrepreneur to know, lest you walk into Wells Fargo Bank, or even into Nike, with a partnership idea and expect to meet people of the same mind as you. Generally, you won’t and they’re not. You are pursuing a dream and you measure things through the prism of possibility. The people across the table are in all likelihood pursuing job security and measuring you through the prism of liability.

Which brings us back to Helen Keller. Her statement applies to companies as well as individuals. It’s why, thank God, life is still full of “surprises.” It’s why a little motorcycle-company like Honda could place a bet on tiny cars and topple General Motors, which was unknowingly placing a massively risky bet on stasis. It’s why Virgin could shake up the airline industry and the retail music business, and why Apple could then relegate Virgin’s music stores to the dustbin of history. Somewhere along the way, the entrepreneurial spirit that created these businesses got snuffed out by people who thought their job was all about securing the enterprise, and themselves, instead of constantly re-creating the enterprise, and themselves.

The notion that the risk-takers will win out in the end shouldn’t take us by surprise at all. It’s the law of the universe. But it still does, mainly because gigantic market caps create the illusion of stability, when in fact, if companies aren’t innovating, they’re wildly vulnerable to the ever-manifesting future.

The same dynamic plays out in the nonprofit world, minus the giant market cap. The entrepreneurial teacher who has the right idea and the courage to pursue it will end up revolutionizing education for millions of kids. The entrepreneurial nonprofit development director who is willing to confront cultural norms and fight the power structure within her own organization will re-invent fundraising for the whole sector, and point the way to a new definition of “scale.”

We have to re-shuffle our notions about security. The danger isn’t where we think it is. The danger is in not being entrepreneurial. If you’re not creating the future, then someone else is, and that someone else will change the face of the world as you know it. But that’s not the greatest danger. The greatest danger is arriving at the end of our lives and feeling like we haven’t really lived. Risk is the currency of life. Without risk, there is no life. We have to be willing to risk failure in return for a sense that we are living. And it’s when we’re really living that we really have a shot at changing the world.”

Kimberly Grace shows off her Original Whistle on the streets of New York.

image from Lookbook.nu

HOW DO YOU WEAR YOUR WHISTLE? send photos to sloan @ fallingwhistles.com

One of our interns, Jesse, really knows how to express himself. Each day at Falling Whistles HQ we have an all-office dance party that begins promptly at 4:30. If you’re in the area, drop by! If not, check our Twitter account for clips from the day.

Sahr Ngaugah of Broadway’s FELA!
This weekend, in front of 25,000 fans, Sahr preached the importance of peace at the Okayafrica event in NYC this weekend.

Denver, Colorado.

As we hit a rest in our journey, I feel an urge to reflect on what’s happening inside me; the overarching forces that brought me here and the forces playing on me through this trip.  How did I get here?  What convinced me to get a bike and ride it all summer across the country to support a cause that works for people I’ve never met in a country I’ve never seen?  Why did I choose to take on this challenge, of all the things I could have done– a sense of adventure?  Determination to do something different?  Pride?  Guilt?  Faith?
And now that I’m here, riding under new skies everyday and shaking hands with people I will never see again, what’s happening to me?  What is this experience doing to my body and my mind, and what can I do with that change?

I came into the world with a malleable mind, susceptible to any influence near, and I grew up as an outsider, unable to ever find myself inside anything that felt like a community.  Children are passionately concerned with being accepted by their peers, and as a homeschooled kid in Texas I was no different.  But I was different in that while other kids my age seemed to have no trouble clicking into place with each other, I was unable to do that.  Not due to lack of desire or effort on my part, but due to a frustrating, confusing lack of basic knowledge, I just couldn’t make it work.  I say this not as an appeal for sympathy, not at all, but in an effort to understand and explain– a young isolation gave me open eyes and an outsider’s perspective, and along with other factors, it kept me from ever being fully content with life as I found it.

I was comfortable, but never satisfied.  I knew the money my dad made didn’t make us happy, and I knew there must be something more.  Balances started to shift in my mind– I decided that people must be important, they must be the only important thing, and I decided that the American dream was not for me.  I became enchanted by (and still am) the idea of living under income level, as a sly punch to the irony of our luxury, misery, and debt.  I read about global poverty and how 50% of our world lives on less than $2 a day, and I walked around my house feeling shamefully rich with a twenty dollar bill in my pocket.  I hitchhiked across Michigan.  I felt the stirrings of a compassion for the homeless, war-affected, displaced, orphans, and the victims of a crabbed and crooked global economic system, and I felt a fear that this compassion for a nameless faceless shapeless mass was far too fragile, that it could easily die if I did nothing to take action.

And I did nothing to take action.  I never met the people I had read about, and those first stirrings of compassion started decomposing into a desensitized apathy.  I watched it happening, and I was frustrated as I watched; frustrated and falling asleep.  The fences between me and that half of the world were too tall, so I laid down at the bottom of the fence and the fear of being part of something bigger than myself, that fear knocked me into a paralyzed sleep.

That fear of being part of something bigger than me– whether born of pride, or a faulty concept of independence, or a realistic mistrust, or just good ol’ fashioned cynicism– that fear made me cautious of every organized effort to bring a positive change to the world, whether it was a mission trip, a political movement, or some organization like Invisible Children or Falling Whistles.  Reflecting on it now, I think that fear is made up of both good and rotten parts, both realism and despair.  But when the opportunity to commit myself to this crazy trip for Falling Whistles came up a few months ago, my old frustration at my lack of action was strong enough to crush the whole thing when it would say, “it’s not worth it, it won’t change anything”.

Now what’s happening to me?  With a month left in this ride of a lifetime, I can already see the changes in me.  Little ones, like the tan lines my fingerless gloves leave and the developing muscles in my legs, and bigger ones.
I can ride my bike for 11 hours a day with no other activity.  I’m surprised that I can find that kind of sustained focus for something that is so unchanging.
I’m learning new ways to approach what I always saw as a dichotomy between community and privacy.  Living 24/7 with the same four guys lays demands on me that I’ve never had before, and the life we’re living demands that we work together more than I was prepared for.  I’m learning to live healthily without my habitual solitude and time to read and to rest alone.

All of that, but I think the biggest change I’m feeling was epitomized last night at the Unreasonable Mansion.  I am beginning to believe in the possibility, maybe even the inevitability, of positive change.  The Unreasonables (along with so many other people we’ve met along the way) know how to live well, and they know how to work to bring freedom and make peace.  Being a witness to these beautiful ways of life convinces me that anyone can create their own, even me.  We set out on this trip to educate and inspire people, but more and more I find that I am the one being educated and inspired.  I am being granted the incredible privilege of witnessing a growing coalition of people who will ask the hard questions and take on the hard jobs, the people who are engaged not in talking about the world but in changing it.  May I live in such a way as to honor what I’ve seen.

If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.

– Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)

Thanks for listening.

-Andrew

to hear more from the boys, check out their personal blog.

DRC recently celebrated its 50th year of independence and we love this write-up from our friends over at Okayafrica. Read their entry below:

“The Democratic Republic of Congo is celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence from Belgian rule this year. Check out this interactive photo essay from the BBC. Want to gain + drop some knowledge this summer? Read this book and learn more about the history of the Congo, and by extension, the state of the entire African continent today.”

Marcel W. from Carson rocks a gunmetal whistle on Lookbook.nu

Show us how you wear your whistle. Send photos of your looks to sloan @ fallingwhistles.com

Hey Folks,

I’m not sure if we tell you this enough, but THANK YOU. We are realizing more and more these days how quickly momentum can take flight and it’s nice to have you along for the ride. With the success of last Friday’s house party, the streaming press of Beyonce wearing our whistle and our Fall Tour on the horizon, time is racing by and voices are stirring.

Email us at grassroots [@] fallingwhistles.com to hear more about our summer plans and how you can be involved with our Fall Tour!

Brittany

Congolese Government at Odds with Canadian Mineral Company

First Quantum Minerals Ltd., a Canadian mining company that have an estimated $1 billion in investments with Congo, have been accused by the Congolese government of conducting a “smear campaign”. “The Vancouver-based miner is fighting efforts by the Congolese state and courts to close one of its copper and cobalt projects in the country and take away the rights to two others.” And while the fate of their contract is still under negotiations, many say the actions by the Canadian miner could be damaging of future relationships. READ MORE (Bloomberg).

Women Band Together, Laying Groundwork for Change

Surviving a decade long war and the damaging effects of rape, abuse and death are enough to silence most. But with the help of leading feminist activist Leymah Gbowee, Congolese women are now breaking their silence and banding together for a brighter future. “We cannot fight the devil if we’re alone,” said Kinja Mwendanga, a provincial deputy. “It is the same as fighting a lion. If you’re not united, the lion will come and eat you.” READ MORE (The Daily Beast).

Fellow whistleblowers, meet our newest intern, Stella.  Born in Bukavu, she’s fresh off her freshman year at Dartmouth, and one week into her internship in our brand new DC office.  Get accustomed to her voice, because we’re going to hear a lot more from her over the coming months.  We’re excited to have her on board as we grow our fledgling coalition of whistleblowers seeking peace in Congo.

————————————————-

My name is Stella Safari and I am a 19-year-old girl from the Congo living in America. To say that I am fortunate is an understatement.

I was born in Bukavu—a town in the south Kivu province, where sexual violence against women has reached epidemic levels. My father was a businessman and my mother was a schoolteacher, so education has always been a cherished value in my family. My father was a victim of the Congo’s struggling healthcare system—unfortunately, he passed away when I was 5 years old. After his passing, my oldest brother, the new head of the family, decided the best option for my sisters and me was to finish our education in the United States.

I remember the beginning of the war, which started shortly before we left Congo. I attended a private school in the mountains and it was known to be one of the safest areas, since it was so secluded. My brother usually carried me for the two hour walk from our home to school each day. One morning, as we listened to the daily lecture from the principal, gunshots went off in the nearby woods and at that point I realized that this is something more serious than I imagined. All I can remember is the chaos and panic that resulted from that incident, like countless others.

I will never forget how I felt each time I heard a gunshot or witnessed people I knew in the most helpless states. That feeling is what keeps me connected to my people. That feeling helps me identify myself as a Congolese girl because what is happening to my peers in Congo could be happening to me.

At 9 years old, I left the Congo with my family, not realizing that I was escaping the deadliest war of the 21st century.  My sisters and I arrived in the U.S. in March of 2000 and immediately began school. (I was in the 3rd grade.) There was so much that was new and different in the United States. The way American students interacted with their teachers seemed remarkably blunt and casual. The cold milk served in the cafeteria tasted strange to me. And I used to stifle a giggle every time I heard the word “quickly.” 

From early on, I understood that a good education would be the first step in accomplishing my goals. I am now a rising sophomore at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where I am pursuing a degree in civil engineering and women’s studies. I chose to follow this path because I see tremendous potential in the Congo that will be manifested once women begin to rise up and utilize their collective voice for peace and accountability.

Right now, women in the Congo seem to be powerless victims, always getting the short end of the stick, but this can change. So many women are talented and capable of contributing tremendous amounts socially and economically. In other African countries that have experienced conflict, women have been the key agents of peace.

Ultimately, my goal is to start sustainable development projects that equally employ women and promote self-sufficiency. Projects that allow individuals to capitalize on their skills and transfer knowledge on to the next generation.  I understand that there is no quick fix to Congo’s problems. But I know that as a Congolese woman, I have a powerful voice, and I plan on using it until someone listens.

I am absolutely thrilled about my time with Falling Whistles! Through my work here, I hope to bring together Congolese youth—beginning in the DC area—to engage in conversation with each other about issues of our country, to reach agreement on possible solutions, and to demand that our government start fixing the mess that they created.

“An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.”
~Darcel Turner

You have an incredible voice Beyonce.  We hope you’ll use it to speak towards peace in Congo!

Hey Folks,

It’s official - nestled in the wee hours between Congo and Canada Independence days we were moving boxes into a warehouse in downtown Los Angeles.  It is our new office space, more adequately set to stage what we know is necessary to push for peace in Congo.  There are still boxes everywhere and miscellaneous free Craigslist items that didnt fit looking for a home. 

We are having a little celebration of our own tonight in Venice, to remember our freedoms and share them with the community.  Email brittany [@] fallingwhistles.com if you want more info. 

Brittany

Congo’s New Mobutu?

“Now 50 years into Congo’s woeful history as an independent country, the stakes are as high as ever to get things right—and the consequences as dire if yet another leader chooses self-perpetuation over progress.” READ MORE (Foreign Policy).

Congo Wins Support for $12.3 Billion in Debt Relief

“The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have set the stage to relieve Congo of a massive $12.3 billion in debt, most of it dating back more than 20 years to loans made to the corrupt regime of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.” This new support comes after years of persistence by the Congolese government who have been denied relief in the past due to some trading plans with China. READ MORE (Yahoo News).

Friend and Falling Whistles supporter Luis Mendoza of Ragged Magazine is spending his summer on the Vans Warped Tour. Check out his 43 Days of Summer Looks Challenge on Lookbook.nu

Do you incorporate your whistle into your daily look? Send us photos or your lookbook link to sloan @ fallingwhistles.com

Hey Folks,

We’re embarking on a new adventure, putting faith in our work here and taking significant strides for the future of Falling Whistles. Our lovely Venice garage-office will now be a hub for future whistle blower societies, no longer the war room. That’s right, you know what that means, we are moving! The Los Angeles community has proven in the past to be daring, compassionate, energetic, artistic, and dear friends to all of us here. We can’t think of a better place to begin this new journey. It’s going to be a beautiful summer.

It’s time to get smart. Read up and enjoy this week’s Roundup!

Brittany

UN Peacekeeper Begin their Withdrawal

“U.N. peacekeepers began leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday as part of a small but symbolic troop reduction before the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence on June 30.” While the Congolese government had originally asked that all 21,000 troops evacuate Congo, MONUC (now MONUSCO) decided to instead begin withdrawals more gradually. They plan to have the first 2,000 troops out by the end of June. READ MORE (Reuters Africa)

The Effects of Mineral Wealth

“At the outset, the war in eastern Congo was not about minerals, but was the result of an explosive combination of fallout from the genocide in neighboring Rwanda, the collapse of the regime of Mobutu in Congo (then known as Zaire) and simmering tensions over land and citizenship in eastern Congo. But the profits from the mineral trade enriched whatever rebel group controlled the mining area and gave incentive for the systematic looting of the country by interlopers on all sides of the war from 1998 through 2002, and then by an alphabet soup of rebel groups, militias and military units operating in the restive eastern provinces up until the present. The money gained from the mining changed the logic of the war.” READ MORE (Global Post)

Charges Sought in Death of Congo Leader Lumumba

Formal requests were made Monday against Belgian government officials and military officers who are suspected in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first democratically elected prime minister. “The facts of what happened in 1960 and 1961 have been established and they make it clear that (these) actions fall within the definition of war crimes,” Marchand said in an interview. “This makes it possible to bring charges against those Belgians still alive who were active in Congo at the time.” READ MORE (The Seattle Times)

Thanks to our friends in Kansas City!

“Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills- against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence… few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation…

It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

-Robert Kennedy

  we are the wanderers, and we are wandering for a purpose–ripples of transformation and change.

  and can you feel the ripples beginning?

Dear Falling Whistles,

I am blessed to have this opportunity to support Falling Whistles. The first time I heard
about FW was at the Fred Segal event last year. The next day I read the Sean’s blog.
A wave of sadness and shock struck me. At that time I looked at my Wellness Bags
differently. It’s a great product… they are hand made, eco-friendly, and therapeutic.
But an element was missing. I have a product for profit. That wasn’t enough. The quote
from Sean’s blog really spoke to me. “I am done with profit simply for the sake of profit.
I want profit for purpose.”

I will be giving 100% of my sales from the event to FW. Falling Whistles will have
the opportunity to sell their whistles and keep 100% of the profits. Two boutiques are
hosting the event. Monkie and Agabhumi are welcoming and honored to be involved.
They will be donating 20% of their profits from all sales that evening. We also have
Reverb, a PR company that will be involved with marketing and will provide help at the
event.

This event will bring awareness to a new audience. Promoting the event alone will
also grab the attention of new supporters. To insure that we have a more than stellar
turn out, we will promote via internet, blogs, newspapers, post and hand out flyers.
It’s great to have so many parties involved. We can combine our resources together to
make this a successful and beautiful night.

I choose Falling Whistles because of the Congolese children. My heart is heavy for
them. I’m inspired by the progress your organization has made thus far. I’m anxious to
see the campaign grow and will offer continued support.

Warm regards,

Melissa Graves
Owner
The Wellness Company

Hey Folks,

Last night we celebrated the start of a beautiful summer. Under the Venice sky, we sipped wine, painted a mural, soaked in the warmth of the fire, made friends with our neighbors and heard some melodic tunes from our friend Amy. It’s the start of our Summer Thursday’s and if you’re here in Los Angeles, I’m telling you, this is something you won’t want to miss. Email jjones [at ] fallingwhistles.com for more details!

We are so thankful of our growing family, for all of you. Some day in the near future we’ll reminisce about the time we fought for peace, that “impossible” dream, our rebellious years (according to our parents). Thank you for joining us in this fight.

It’s here. Check out this week’s Roundup!

Brittany

Congo Activist’s Death Reflects Power Struggle

Circumstances surrounding the death of human rights activist Floribert Chebeya Bahizire continue to raise questions from the international community. Congo has caught fire in the past for intimidating activists and journalists who spoke out against the government and many suspect similar motives could be to blame for this recent casualty. “Observers say Bahizire’s death and the mixed signals the government has sent since are a reflection of the regime’s scramble to assert control ahead of elections next year and could signal a coming crackdown.” READ MORE (Boston Globe).

EU Foresees Shortages of 14 Critical Minerals

“The European Commission has identified 14 mineral raw materials, including several metals and metal groups, which have high supply risks and could face shortages resulting from limited production sources and high demand.” With growing economies and innovative technologies increasing this demand, countries like the Congo may have more bargaining chips than some once thought. READ MORE (Resource Investor).

we can’t tell you WHAT she’s been working on…but we can tell you how long. one of our newest interns, jess, has been working 15 hour days for the last two weeks getting us ready one of the boldest and ballsiest moves that Falling Whistles has made yet. on top of being an incredibly talented artist (on loan to us from RISD, and whose work is shown above with the hand illustrated…hand), she is relentless in her pursuit to make peace in Congo a reality.

Each day at FW HQ I am continually inspired by the dedication and drive that these guys bring to the table, and we’re lucky to know them.
Click here to check out past recipients for the Falling Whistles Bold & Ballsy Award!

xx-sloan

We had an an amazing night in Venice with Amy Wallace on the guitar, new friends and old friends, a live art wall, and a Lakers win!
Join us every Thursday in our front yard for our 2nd Annual Summer Thursdays with live music, wine, and art!

“A person susceptible to wanderlust is not so much addicted to movement as committed to transformation.”

Yes.

I am susceptible to wanderlust, but it’s not just about movement, it’s about transformation. And it’s about a lot of commitment.

Summertime. Five guys. Five bikes. 3,200 miles. 60 cities. And a story.

That. Is about transformation, and it takes a lot of commitment… to one another, to the dream that began this (Re)Tour, and to the story of boys too small to hold a gun in Congo, sent to the front lines of war armed with only a whistle. To the stories of the women I met two years ago in Congo, who sat in that small church and told me about what it was like to be raped by men who used rape as a weapon of war. There is a commitment to those whistleblowers, to those women, and the commitment is about transformation, because it is time that we, as a generation–as a world–say that some things are wrong.

But that commitment is tough, and the hope of the transformation that our whistleblowing will bring is hard to remember–slipping out of sight amidst the sun and the humidity and dirt and the road and the endless hills. I write tonight, after hours of trying to catch up on email, with friends, and with all the little things that keep a tour like this continuing day after day, and after I write the last word, I will sleep until 6am, to get up and throw clothes in my bag, toss it in the truck, stuff carbs and protein down my groggy face, pull my bike off the rack, climb on, wince at the soreness, and pedal the thousands of times over the 90 miles that tomorrow will bring in 90% humidity and 92 degrees Fahrenheit. Eat. Eat. Always trying to eat more. Get there, shower, go to the coffeeshop, tell the story of the whistleblowers, talk to those with more questions, find more food, try to keep in touch with the people we met last night and the night before and the night before that, figure out where we’re going tomorrow and what we’re eating, eat some more, then fall asleep before the pillow settles, either on the ground, or on the floor, or on the bed graciously given for the night. Again. and again.

It’s not the easy way, that’s for sure. Cycling is the slower way. But it’s the better way. It’s the way out in the sun and the rain and heat and the humidity where you feel the earth breathing around you and you hear the birds in the trees and talk to those next to you on the streets. Though our trip isn’t completely sustainable, we’re moving that direction, and future tours will be. I think back to a commencement speech by Paul Hawken at Portland, when he said something along the lines of how “we’re moving away from the profane to a deeper sense of connectedness with the living world.” We are committed to transformation, and that transformation will come as we tell the story of Congo’s whistleblowers, and make people aware that the world’s largest war is happening partly because of minerals mined in Congo that end up in our cell phones and computers… minerals in my iphone that sit in my pocket every day.

And THAT. is the WHY for me. I am inextricably tied to the war in Congo–caught up in what MLK Jr called “an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects on directly, affects all indirectly.” I am not my own, I am yours, and yours, and yours. I am… thus called to be an ambassador of peace to those who have none, to offer love to the loveless and hope to the hopeless. What I do affects you, and affects another, and another. Ubuntu. My liberation is tied up with yours, and we must walk together if we ever hope to find peace, or freedom.

Upcoming tour dates:

Contact Justine [at] fallingwhistles.com to find out how you can be a part of their journey!

To read more from the boys and their journey, check out their personal blog at fallingwhistlesretour2010.wordpress.com

By Catherine Sherer (FW DC Intern, student @ University of the South)

“I’m not ready for this,” I thought.

Standing on the station platform in my mother’s suit and heels, I was terrified.  “What am I doing here?  And who am I kidding?” In less than an hour I had to be on the other side of the city for Day 1 of my internship with Falling Whistles in DC.  You know, just advocating peace in Congo. No big deal.

I felt like a fraud. My mom’s shoes that are a half-size too big had already started wearing blisters on my heels. It didn’t help that I’m a little bowlegged and prone to tripping over my feet, like when a dozen or so people had just seen me fall down a few escalator stairs when walking to the station platform. Awesome. I was certain that I had “Naïve Youth From Birmingham, Alabama” written across my forehead.

Sean’s words to the Falling Whistles D.C. team at a BBQ over the weekend resonated in my head. “This office is on the front lines of the fight for peace.” No pressure. I stepped off the Metro, stumbling past identical buildings. After a few wrong turns I trotted into the US Institute of Peace completely out of breath with screaming blisters. While struggling into my suit coat, Monique, Sean, David, and Matt stepped into the elevator with me. I felt saved, but only for a moment. “Wait, what exactly are we doing here?” I had no idea what to expect.

Minutes later, I found myself rushed into a stuffy room with low ceilings and some very important-looking people. Jocelyn Kelly, a young woman from the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative was to present some of her research on sexual violence in the Congo. A representative from UNIFEM was present, as well as a moderator from the USIP and man who had spent 39 years in the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, who had thought he had seen everything until he became head of the UN peacekeeping mission to the DRC. The panel sat in a neat row behind plaques stating their names and organizations. A screen to their right presented statistics. I felt an insincere sense of order was addressing a terribly chaotic situation.

After an hour or so of presentations, three conclusions were made:

1. Government uniforms haven’t made demobilized rebel soldiers any less violent. 

2. Rape is still the most prevalent weapon of war in DR Congo.

3. If we’re serious about protecting women, we need to end the war. 

“Wait, that’s it?” I realize that this is a very complicated issue without clear solutions, but … Sean & David figured this out two years ago without the benefit of PhD’s.  Sean and David, the guys with the gall to attend White House meetings in skinny jeans and a ponytail have not only reached these conclusions, but they’re taking action. They know this war needs to end.  They know that soldiers and survivors, children, women, and men alike have been dehumanized. They’ve dedicated their lives to not only raising awareness, educating the west and investing in local leaders in Congo, but to ending the war itself.

I found myself empathizing with Jocelyn Kelly, the brilliant researcher who is obviously very passionate about the grave situation in Congo. I watched her stifle raw emotion to get the statistics out. The Q&A time provided a bit of perspective. A Congolese woman spoke bluntly of her anger. She raised her voice in frustration, dissatisfied with not only the war, but with those of us sitting in the room. “All of you will go home tonight and sleep in the comfort of your beds. Business as usual. Women in the Congo are still being raped.” The room went silent.

Finally.  Someone honest enough to speak emotions instead of statistics.

A few other remarks were made. Softball questions were pitched and volleyed. I could not get the voice of the Congolese woman out of my head. The tone of her voice was more inspiring to me than any fact I had scribbled down in my notebook.

It ended and we collected some business cards and made some important handshakes. This is why we’re in D.C. We are new to this, but we are here to learn, to listen, to shake hands, to push for peace in Congo. We’re still finding our voice in this big city.

I was already exhausted, but the day had just begun. We had less than 10 minutes to travel to our next location, and all five of us crammed into a cab on our way to the headquarters of the Enough! Project.  We were sardines, sitting on top of each other, laughing joyfully about the progress Falling Whistles has already made in D.C. These friends are so hungry for information. They are starving for change. Aching for revolution.

The staff of the Enough! Project escorted us into a large room. I felt more at ease when interns that looked about my age sat down across the conference table. We talked about shared goals, legislative strategies, “inside baseball” in Congress.  The folks at Enough! have been working at this only a little longer than Falling Whistles, and they’ve made great progress.  I know we’ll find friends there.

Back in a cab.  Rush rush rush.  The Falling Whistles team had built up quite an appetite by the time we found ourselves around a coffeehouse table with Ashley Kroetsch from STAND, the campus chapter arm of the Genocide Intervention Network. I started taking notes at the beginning of the meeting, but I soon forgot that I was there on business. The exchange of words shortly became a friendly conversation, dappled with laughter and refreshing questions. “This girl gets it,” I thought. “She’s been in our shoes.” After the chat was over, she hugged all of us and invited us to hang out with her anytime.

Riding home on the Metro that evening, I accidentally laughed out loud. Blisters.exhaustion.fear.anxiety… pretty much the entire day was terrifying until the very end. None of that mattered. I had survived the first of many whirlwind days and I still had hope. In fact, I had more hope and even a stronger dose of healthy outrage concerning the situation in Congo. I was on fire, and as I’m writing this several days later I still feel it. My mind has been taken over by thoughts of my sisters and brothers halfway across the globe, and that’s how I want to be.

We have to do something. We can’t get comfortable. Elie Wiesel, a genocide survivor, says we must “Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

We must keep being whistleblowers.

Take a look at this rad video from the Active Launch Party!

Thursday night was AMAZING! If you weren’t there, you can still check out The Workshop at Active Rideshop in Santa Monica. Stop in, check out the installation, but a whistle, and tell them FW sent you!

Our event with Nevena at Curve NYC was a HUGE success! Check out www.shopcurve.com for more information on our friends at this incredible space.

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

Hey Folks,

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to see our new installation in ACTIVE. We had the opportunity to meet, greet and bust-a-move in celebration of our collaboration with TOMS, Krochet Kids and Obey. And I must say, retail has never looked so good! It’s possible that this move by ACTIVE, to create a platform for story telling, could revolutionize the way we do business. So much is possible with the innovative leadership that have among their future goals, “humanizing” their company. Thank you ACTIVE for including us in this dream of yours.

It’s that time again. Grab a drink, kick off your shoes, sit back and enjoy this week’s Roundup.

Brittany

Congo Agrees to Begin Tracking Minerals

As the largest producer of Tin, Congo has decided to take some necessary steps that could lead to a more transparent mineral supply chain. The country’s Ministry of Mines has selected Bisie in the province of North Kivu and Nyabibwe in South Kivu, with more sites in Katanga to be the first to implement these projects. “We intend to start tagging of mineral batches within a matter of weeks”. READ MORE (Bloomberg).

US Diplomat Appointed to Head UN Mission in Congo

Roger A. Meece, a United States national with over three decades of international experience, will take over as the head to the UN mission in the Congo starting at the end of June. Meece was an ambassador to the country in 2004 and 2007 where he was said to have focused on conflict resolution efforts and support of elections. Many have expressed their confidence in Meece, including secretary general Ban Ki Moon, but time will tell whether the new “stabilization” mission will have the impact they envision. READ MORE (All Africa).

Nevena of Curve and Sean of Falling Whistles invite you to Be A Whistleblower for Peace

We are so excited to partner with Curve for our NY Installation! The installation is hand made of refurbished wood and found military objects - taking tools of war and turning them into tools of peace.

Come enjoy a beautiful evening with a live performance by the Zimbabwe legend Akim Funk Buddah along with drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Let’s use that which is most fundamental to our freedom - our speech - to speak up for others.

See you Wednesday evening at 83 Mercer Street [between Mercer + Broome] !

Peace,
The FW Family

Join us this Thursday, June 10th from 7-10pm for the launch of our collaborative educational installation in Santa Monica.

Active Ride Shop has a mission to enhance the retail experience by igniting positive change within The Workshop, a multidimensional in-store environment that invites shoppers to play a dynamic role in positively shaping the lives of individuals in local communities and developing communities around the world.

Constructed from reclaimed palette wood and other found materials in Los Angeles, The Workshop, like other workshops in garages and shops around the country, was crafted to be a space where conversations, ingenuity, and innovation come together to create solutions for the challenges that reside in our everyday world.

At the center of The Workshop will be the heartbeat of each of their partners’ stories. By sharing the fullness of each partner’s story and by inviting shoppers to participate in shaping these stories, it is Active’s dream that a rich community will be built and new stories that are about coming together in collaboration to generate positive change will be born.

Active’s first Workshop will be produced in the heart of Santa Monica at the Active store on 4th street and Broadway and will feature installations by:

TOMS // OBEY Awareness // Krochet Kids // and Falling Whistles

Please visit www.ActiveRideShopWNP.com to RSVP!

Come join us TONIGHT at FunXion in DC to celebrate the launch of our Advocacy Office!

Please RSVP and bring friends—we can’t wait to meet you!

Hey Folks,

When is increasing ever a bad thing? When I was traveling through Kenya a few months back, the women I met would intentionally see to it that I increased. With each bite of Ugali, they would laugh to themselves knowing my growing stomach was their doing.

Here we are finding that increasing is a sign of progress and an opportunity for our community to expand. So just when we thought our office couldn’t get any bigger, this Saturday we are welcoming two more interns to the family. Jess and Josh will be joining us in Venice for an unprecedented summer. Stay tuned for what’s to come!

For now check out this week’s Roundup.

Brittany

A Modern Day Pandora in the Congo

“What is taking place in the Congo as we speak is a scar on the conscience of humanity. Congo’s problem is a worldwide problem; hence, it demands a global response. The global movement in support of the Congo is as important today as the free South Africa movement was yesterday. We all must get involved by demanding that our leaders make Congo a priority, hold our corporations accountable and support Congolese institutions fighting for peace, justice and human dignity.” READ MORE (San Fransisco Bay View).

The bike tour is underway and it’s time for you to meet the bikers.

Will, David, Justin, Connor and Andrew have decided to spend this summer unlike any other. Seizing the chance for adventure, the call of the open road and an opportunity to advocate for peace in Congo.
5 friends, 60 cities, 2 months, 3,200 miles…one story.
It’s true that some hearts just need to wander, to feel free. These guys are embracing that simple desire. Educating those they meet along the way and hoping to create more of one thing: HUMAN FREEDOM.

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

-Nelson Mandela

Enjoy their diary from the road, the first of many to come.

Today we rode from Fayetteville, NC to Morrow Mountain State Park. 100 miles. Hands down the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I can not explain how enormous the hills in North Carolina are. The group would go downhill, round a curve, and a giant hill would be laid out before us. This happened over. And over. And over again. That’s not even mentioning the rain we encountered. I didn’t know riding a bike for 8 hours could be so exhausting, enjoyable, and fulfilling. When we finally got to our campsite, David and I literally fell off our bikes and just laid on the ground laughing for a good 10 minutes. I never thought I could do anything like that. Two months ago if you said I was going to bike 100 miles, I would have said you are out of your mind. I’m not going to say I feel invincible, but after that, I don’t under estimate will power.

Connor

Two weekends ago we had the privilege to spend our afternoon with a group of whistleblowers, who even at their young age were perhaps more passionate, articulate, outspoken and driven than today’s leaders of the “free world”. Led by their peer Devyn, their motivation was simple. Kids are dying, they need our help.

We don’t have all of the answers, we have said it a dozen times, but to them it didn’t matter. For them it was about speaking out and standing up for what they knew to be right, for the lives of people half way across the globe. Even if they would never meet.

Thank you to everyone who came out that day. All-Star Weekend and Tiffany Thornton, thank you for entertaining the crowd and using your talent to raise awareness. To Devyn and her team of mighty dreamers, we couldn’t have done this without you. To Cindy and Brian, thank you for inviting us into your home and making us feel like family. We are truly lucky.

It’s days like these that keep the hope in our hearts alive, and keep us working toward that distant goal. As Devyn said, “All in all, it’s going very well. I see a peaceful world around the corner, and right now that corner seems pretty far away. But at the pace we’re going, it’s getting much closer.”

Hey Folks,

We gathered together this week to dream up the impossible.  Each department is carving out their map for the summer and preparing for an unprecedented fall.  We see the tremendous potential of collaboration and decided that this semester is about discovering how.

The first of these stories began with 5 friends in North Carolina. Building the model for future tours, they set out across the country for Venice, California…on bikes!! They are using their talents to elevate common conversations about Congo, as whistleblowers for peace. Email us at jporter[@]fallingwhistles.com to find out how you can be a part of their adventure!

Take care and for now, check out this week’s Roundup.

Brittany

President Obama Signs LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act

For more than 20 years the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) and their leader Joseph Kony have preyed on the civilians of Northern Uganda. Raping and pillaging to sustain their rank and kidnapping child soldiers in their wake. With organizations like Invisible Children and Resolve Uganda elevating conversations around the world, the future of this rebel group is now uncertain. President Obama signed the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act into law Monday, giving the U.S. 180 days to develop a strategy. “I signed this bill today recognizing that we must all renew our commitments and strengthen our capabilities to protect and assist civilians caught in the LRA’s wake, to receive those that surrender, and to support efforts to bring the LRA leadership to justice.” READ MORE (Resolve Uganda).

Half a Million Children Die Each Year in Congo

In a world ravaged by war, many families are finding the lives of their children continuously at stake. Estimates say that half a million children are dying each year in the Congo, either due to the conflict directly or as a result of malnutrition. Because many consider children to be the “wealth of their family”, it becomes more than just unfortunate when deaths do occur. “Those who are left without children are very alone and isolated ... They often report feeling useless and end up ‘waiting for death,’ as they often say.” READ MORE (Sun Sentinel).

“Strive to be what only you can be. Strive to want what everyone else may have as well.”
-Lanza del Vasta

Will Watson, Justin Zhao, Andrew Childress, Connor Myers, David Watson.

This summer, the five of us are going to write a really big story.

It’s funny how this story starts- in my journal, the entry for November 24, 2009 simply reads, “Read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller.”

Nothing in there at all about a cross-country bike trip. Not a word about looking out the window of an airplane hurtling through the air several miles above the ground and realizing I was about to be living my life completely differently. Yet that was the day when something really big started moving, something that has moved me to reimagine everything I thought I knew about myself.

I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, and about a year and a half ago, I realized I was going to work in places where there aren’t doctors, places most people really don’t want to get any closer to than the occasional uncomfortable news bulletin splashing across the screen just long enough to fill the time between the mashed potatoes and pork chops, sandwiched somewhere between sports and weather. Call me naïve, but for a seventeen year old, I had a pretty good idea of what that decision was going to mean and what kind of life I was looking forward to, and that conviction turned out to be pretty powerful. I rode the strength of that passion into Duke University, a kid with a big dream who had been living on a farm in North Texas a few months before.

For pre-med freshmen studying global health, at this point in Duke University life, most people go and do global health projects during the summer- Africa, South America, Southeastern Asia. And I always thought that’s what I would be doing too- never even gave a thought to doing anything else.

But as my first semester of college wore on, I found myself less and less sure a global health project was what I should be doing this summer. I’m just a college student- I don’t have any medical skills. I don’t speak any languages besides English. And it might cost more than I can afford- Duke has plenty of funding available, but there was no guarantee I would get any, and Duke’s tuition is more than enough strain on any family without adding expensive plane tickets to the total.

Increasingly dissatisfied, I began to think, what can I do with the skills I have now? How can I, a teenager who really has nothing to offer, best serve other people? How can I serve the people the world has forgotten, ignored, turned away from? And to be honest, I had no idea. No clue whatsoever.

And then I read a book. (If you’re also trying to find out where to begin your story, I recommend you try this out; it’s a pretty good place to start). At the beginning of Thanksgiving break, on my flight back home, I finally picked up Donald Miller’s newest book. Things had been pretty rough for me for a few months and I had lost sight of where I was going, and he hit me right in the chest. Part of the book was about a cross-country bike trip the author had been a part of for Blood:Water Mission that raised $200,000 in a single summer. And I remember thinking as I looked out the window, eyes wandering across a particularly stunning sunset of gold and red, hmm. I could do that.

But for a few months, it was really just an idea. You have to understand, I don’t ride bikes- don’t even own one. But I started talking about it, and people responded. Students, bike shop workers, and people I barely knew told me they had always wanted to do a trip like this someday- especially my roommate Justin. That’s what really made me sure I wanted to do this- I knew my brother Will would be totally on board, but having someone else who was absolutely sure they were willing to commit was a huge mental step. And that’s also what started the idea of creating a group that would help college students plan and carry out advocacy/fundraising trips like this. So this will be Boundless at Duke’s first summer adventure, a project I hope will grow into something much bigger in the future.

I think I also knew right from the beginning, from the moment I read that book on the airplane, that I wanted this trip to be about Falling Whistles. I’m probably going to spend a good bit of my life in that part of the world, and through Will, I knew the whistleblowers’ story. I knew this was the sort of project Falling Whistles would support, and that as a relatively young organization, the results of our trip would mean more to FW than it would to another, larger NGO. There are a thousand organizations who do great work and who I would have loved to support, but I believe in Falling Whistles’ story and cause. When Sean’s life collided with those five kids in Titu, something big happened. The war in Congo destroys everything, everyone that it touches. I really don’t have words for this part of the story. Maybe Sean said it best: “But when these boys told me of the whistleblowers, the horror grew feet and walked within me.” I have read, heard, seen, so, so many stories- and not with the eyes of someone who has seen excruciating poverty and devastating violence, but all too often with detachment, cynicism. But I knew this one was real, that this cause meant something. The war in Congo is incredibly, intensely complex and complicated- not something a few hundred activists can hope to end. But for me, that’s what Falling Whistles is about- not just the war in Congo, but learning to face huge, seemingly unsolvable problems together, as a community. And Falling Whistles’ message is about exactly what we’re doing this summer-

       
What can we do with who we are?

The world probably won’t change colors and stop spinning when we get to the west coast this summer, but we will have told a story to thousands of people all across the country, and many of them will be different than they were before. After all, that’s how we heard the story- someone told Will, and Will told me and Connor and Andrew, and I told Justin. Maybe we’ll raise some money too.

Excited doesn’t really capture how I feel about this trip- I know it’s going to be awful at times and I’m going to want to quit on day two when I wake up and can’t move, and I’m going to want to buy a plane ticket when we hit the Rockies. I’m going to want to quit when my old wrist injury gets worse again and is so sore I can’t move it anymore. I’ve already wanted to give up plenty of times. But I know this is going to be something that will define some part of who we are. Biking 3,000 miles makes an impression on more than just your ass. I’m going to get to spend a month and a half with four people who are some of my best friends in the world, and I’m going to get to watch all of them change and grow as the trip goes on. We’re going to tell great stories after this summer.

So I suppose I’ll end with something I want everyone else to share as well. Me and Justin have talked a bit about a memory we want to have of the trip. Think about one thing, one moment that you’re going to look back on, we told each other.

For me, that’s the moment when we’re riding down towards the coast, the last few minutes of our trip. We’re yelling and screaming, probably racing to see who can get there first. The sun’s setting as we ride out onto the beach. Falling Whistles HQ and maybe some of our parents and friends are there, ready to celebrate with us. When we hit the beach, we either ditch our bikes and run into the ocean or just ride straight into the water; I haven’t decided yet. We’re all going nuts as the totality of the trip, the immensity of what we’ve just done hits us. We’ll be screaming and laughing as we tackle each other into the ocean and hug our friends and family.  Depending on how sore my butt is, I might pick up my bike and sling it as far into the water as I can; I don’t care if it rusts. Maybe I’ll just start swimming towards the sun. And the whole time, the Falling Whistles crew and whoever’s there on the beach will be taking pictures and laughing and celebrating with us.

Then maybe we’ll start crying when we think about how hard it was to climb the Rockies, how deeply we had to search for the strength to get back on our bikes every day those first two weeks, how much it hurt when we fell off our bikes and didn’t want to get back up. How pissed we were when someone didn’t cook dinner or help set up the tent. How beautiful the stars were in the desert, how peaceful it was in the middle of nowhere. What it was like to be away from the constant grind of technology and modern haste that so wears on me here at Duke. How awesome it was to sit around the fire and play guitar and sing and tell stories. We’ll think about all the people we talked to; all the whistles we sold, all the people we met and who helped us. We’ll remember what it felt like, a month and a half ago, to fall asleep listening to the Atlantic Ocean knowing we’d wake up the next morning and ride all day, and the day after that, and the day after that. We’ll remember how beautiful the trees in North Carolina and Tennessee were. We’ll see again the endless fields in Kansas, the beauty of the mountains in Colorado. And we’ll look at each other and think about how close we’ve grown over the past month and a half, how proud we are of each other for finishing the trip. They’re already like family to me, but I don’t think you can put into words what it’ll be like after sharing something like this.

And when I look at all the pictures of us on the beach, that’s what I want to see; I want to remember everything all at once.

That’s what I want to remember. It’s a long, long ways between there and here. But I think that’s what being a whistleblower is about- seeing the endless stretch of hills and plains and mountains and deserts between where the world is and where it could be, and having the strength to imagine a world changed, where Congo is free from the brutality and horror of endless war, where children no longer carry guns, where rape as a weapon of war is a distant memory. And with that imagination comes the resolve to put both feet on the pedals, even when it seems like the mountains aren’t coming any closer, when the wind is blowing harder than ever, when the temperature in the desert hits 115 degrees. Because in a few weeks we will reach the mountains that once seemed so far off, and a few weeks after that, we will find ourselves staring at the ocean, utterly blown away by the realization of what once seemed impossible.

Live your protest.

-David Watson

Hey Folks,

We have met them, challenged them, shared what we know…what we don’t know and it’s clear that this new group of interns are ready to SHOWUSWHATTHEYGOT. With a newly equipped office space and more bodies than every before, we are excited to see exactly what that looks like. To see what they, us, WE are capable of.

Join us this weekend, as we celebrate this new chapter, and fundraise for PEACE IN CONGO out in Studio City. Check out the blog below for more details on the event and right now dive in to this week’s Roundup.

Brittany

US Moving Companies Toward Conflict-Free Minerals

U.S. officials and representatives from the leading automotive and electronic companies met last Friday to discuss future measures to keep their products “conflict-free”. The Obama administration is leading the effort, recognizing the cycle of violence that persists in the DRC because of our consumerism, and hoping that this might lead to a more transparent supply chain. Future discussions will determine if and how this will play out. READ MORE (Star Tribune).

MONUC Plans to Renew Contract in May

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) has decided to renew their mandate in May, despite the presidents desire to have them out by 2011. This decision came after several discussion between MONUC, members of civil society and Congolese authorities. “MONUC will not stay in DR Congo forever. It will be withdrawn when the situation has become stable. At the moment, the security situation in DR Congo remains fragile and therefore there is need to keep MONUC on the Congolese territory”. READ MORE (English News).

We sat around yesterday afternoon with a group of whistleblowers, all working to create a global shift that will lead to a freer world, and we realized how critical collaboration has become in seeing the fruition of these goals. The greatest strides by our generation haven’t come through one individual, they have come through a courageous group of individuals willing to speak out. This weekend we have the opportunity to share with you the results of one of these collaborations.

Our friend Devyn, whose letter was posted a few months back, has organized a “back yard event” for Falling Whistles. By pulling together her community she has been able to unite them under this common cause and in the process shown us what it truly means to SPEAK OUT.

So please come out and share in the excitement. Join the growing community of whistleblowers in Studio City or just come out and enjoy the sunshine. Either way we would love to see you there.

Hey Folks,

We are days away from meeting the new intern class and inviting them into our home. This office is anything but ordinary and we can’t wait to see what this amazing group of dreamers will bring to the table. More hot sauce I hope! Stay tuned to meet the 2010 Summer Interns…

It’s almost the weekend, but before you do anything, check out this week’s Roundup.

Brittany

Government Efforts to stop Rebels Could Kill-Off Elephants

Congolese troops have been camping out in the Virunga National Park recently to intercept rebel movement. The dense forest provides shelter and camouflage for militia groups throughout the region and it has become the perfect hide-out. But we are now starting to see the detrimental effect this is having on the native animal population. At one time there was said to be thousands of elephants roaming through the dense canopy, today there are only 500. And, experts say, 2-3 are dying each week. Rebel groups, government troops and civilians, with food or weapons as the trade-off, Ivory has become an easy motivator. CLICK TO WATCH (Yahoo News).

Chinese Mining Company Makes Bid for Copper Developer

Zijin, China’s largest gold producer, is now planning to spend $284 million to share ownership of Platmin Congo. The purchase will give them 60% of the venture, allowing them to control the assets which include 68 percent stakes in the Deziwa and Ecaille C copper-cobalt projects. While this move comes with the support of the China-Africa Development Fund, the Congolese mining minister is still against its passing. “It is prohibited for a partner in a joint mining venture in Congo to change the partnership or transfer shares before the commercial production phase”. READ MORE (Bloomberg).

So here we are.  DC10 has arrived.  The weekend we have all been looking forward to.  With all the hype and anticipation, one has to wonder – will it live up to its legacy? Will the six hundred people descending on Washington D.C. leave feeling the same overwhelming sense of commonality felt in previous years?

Now, I’m still a newbie in many ways.  Last year was my first time. The legendary Summit Series Miami.  Ah, the memories.

At a conference that is more like a summer camp for entrepreneurs, I have to admit I was more than a little bit skeptical.  I mean, it’s not as though this is a novel idea. Yea, we’re gonna pull everyone together and meet together and learn from each other and in the end we’ll sing kumbaya and circlehug. Uh huh. Heard it.

For years I have avoided conferences at all costs.  A bunch of successful people congratulating each other on being successful and spending more time hustling one another than actually learning anything new.  The whole thing seemed like a lot of talk and very little action. No thanks.  I’d rather hunker down and actually do something.

You see, we run a campaign for peace in Congo.  We invest in local leaders to rehabilitate their children and are working to create a global coalition for peace in our world’s deadliest war.  So honestly, I don’t have time for pomp and circumstance, have little tolerance for self-congratulations. In the part of the world we’re looking at, human beings are dying and we need change.

So when I first received an invitation I called up an old friend, Blake Mycoskie, and asked his advice - “Look man, you’ve been to these things before, is it worth my time?”  Without hesitation he responded, “Going to this might be the most beneficial thing you do all year.”

Coming from a guy who has Bill Clinton on speed dial, I figured I should listen up.  An hour later my flight was booked, my bag was packed and here we go.  Into the abyss.

So you can imagine my surprise when I walked up and found a group of people more likely to give me a hug than a handshake, wear flip flops as opposed to wingtips, and who wanted to hear my story more than see my investment portfolio.  And well, I do non-profit so I’m glad they didn’t ask because I wouldn’t have anything to show.

Twelve hours later I found myself awake at 2am, my mind ablaze, and surrounded by some of the smartest minds of my generation. How can we help Congo? They asked.  What are the solutions?

Looking around I realized – I’ve found people like me.  Curious people.  People more interested in what could be than what is. Twenty-first century thinkers.

Now, I like entrepreneurs because they’re problem solvers.  They like to dig in the dirt a bit, dream up a crazy new approach to cleaning, and then give it a go.  Who knows if it will succeed?  Who knows if it will fail?  That’s hardly the point.  It’s about defaulting toward action. Refusing to let fear control your behavior and living in possibility.

And let’s be honest – we have some very real problems that need solving.

What kinds of problems?  All kinds.  I mean, Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, has spoken of “water-wars” becoming one of the preeminent threats to human life in the next hundred years.  This man is in charge of the world’s largest international body.  He knows what the problem is, understands the intricacies of the problem, and is speaking out about the problem. 

But it took a young promoter from Manhattan to convince any of us we could solve the problem.  His goal?  Raise $2 billion and provide clean drinking water to every person in every forgotten corner of the Earth.

Not too shabby for a city fella.

This is a nation founded on the will of the people, and grounded in a simple idea – all people are equal, all are born free.  Some base principles for us to agree on.  But an exclusionary culture in D.C. has historically kept the populace out of the conversation and allowed our country to do things in our name that don’t reflect our deepest values.

For many years politicians have preached of the people rising, and passionistas have reveled in the need for revolution.  But it took three crazy kids from San Diego to create a legitimately modern movement.  Just this week they helped pass historic legislation that, if Obama signs it, commits the United States to tracking down rebel leader Joseph Kony.  No small shift.

I met a man dedicated to curing cancer. A woman who turns childs play into education, another who invests venture capital in character rather than short term profit , a dude who is reinventing color (and on the side coordinates volunteers in disaster areas), and the guy who built the street art campaign for Obama.

These are women and men, black and white, rich and poor, brought together by a singular quality.  They are bold.

And in an era with as many unknowns as ours, safe players are a far larger liability than the risk takers. If you’re not willing to fail, you’ll certainly never change things.  So for me and mine, I’ll build my tent in the risky camp – at least they stand a chance.  As the world tosses and turns, optimism is the only operable option.  If we don’t behave as though there are solutions, there certainly won’t be any.

As Bobby Kennedy said (and I’m sure others before him), “If not now, then when? And if not us, then who?”

After three days of crazed collaboration, idea sharing, skydiving, planning and plotting, our dream camp was finally coming to a close.  A different Bobby, but still a visionary leader, Bobby Chang was asked to give the keynote and wrap up the weekend.  And if you don’t know Bobby, you’re missing out.  Find a way to meet him. Trust me, you’ll understand after.

So Bobby goes up on stage to deliver the keynote. And I have to admit, he presented a striking presence with a clean shave, fresh Miami tan, bright white shirt, and a silver whistle hanging around his neck, glowing under the spotlight.

And standing there in front of some of the best young entrepreneurs in the country, his message was simple.  “I am done with profit simply for the sake of profit.  I want profit for purpose.”

Ours is an idealistic generation. Connected across oceans, cultures, borders and wars, many of us have asked – how do we build a better world?  A world freer than our fathers?

Many generations have wished for such things. Most have failed.  The very real question facing us is – what will it take to actually make it happen?  Do we have the guts to create real change?  What can our connectivity create that has never been made before?

It will take leadership of course. Connections across every industry. A great deal of boldness. And collaboration at a level previously unimagined.  But if there were ever a place where that kind of a shift could be birthed it would be the Summit Series.

DC10 has arrived.  What I’m wondering is - what will it leave behind?

Here’s to the crazy ones.

Sean

Be a whistleblower for peace

http://www.FALLINGWHISTLES.com

image: shepard fairey
photo: sean d. carasso

A film by Claus Wischmann and Martin Baer Sounding Images 2010 http://www.kinshasa-symphony.com

Hey Folks,

Last night we saw an amazing blend of community from Los Angeles come together at the Herman Miller Showroom to support Falling Whistles. Designers, dancers, musicians, lawyers, fathers, daughters and dreamers all there to ignite conversations. Our sights are set high here, but dreaming is always easier in good company and we found that last night.

So thank you to everyone for coming out to support Falling Whistles, especially Herman Miller for hosting such a wonderful event. Enjoy the beautiful weather and take some time to check out this week’s Roundup!

Brittany

Government Officials Plan to Intensify Operations Against Rebel Group

Sources close to the President have said this week that there are plans to increase military operations against the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) by June. The LRA, which for some time have been fighting in Northern Uganda, have now made a presence in Northern Congo. This presence, being anything but peaceful, is giving civilians one more reason to be fearful. While U.N. officials are encouraging the Congolese military to seek a political solution, Kabila has decided to take the matter into his own hands. “For the president, the only solution is an intensification of military operations after June 30. With the Ugandans, we are going to reinforce our troops along the border to make sure it is clean.” READ MORE (The New Vision).

LRA Attacks Continue, Using Whistles for Communication

Thousands of people remain isolated after being driven from their homes last June by the LRA. With a temporary camp as their shelter, they have found that protection, food and work are consistently lacking. And it seems the LRA rebels that drove them to this fate in the first place have found whistles to be a useful tool of communication. “It was a Tuesday, last June. When we heard whistles, we knew to try to escape. That is how they communicate.” READ MORE (IRIN).

Hey Folks,
This spring we had some amazing people approach us about coming to help with FW over the summer.  Unfortunately, the garagoffice only has room for so much excitement, so after an untouchable MC Hammer Day celebration we made the call and asked a small and committed group to join us for summer internships.  We are so excited for them to arrive in May.  More to come on that…
Check out Sean’s latest article on Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sean-carasso/the-university-of-the-sou_b_553742.html. And right now, sit tight and read the Congo Weekly Roundup.
Be free.
Brittany

Government Foresees Copper and Cobalt Output Doubling by 2012
A new agreement between Freeport executives and Congo could double mineral revenue over the next two years and bring it to nearly 79 billion by 2015. Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold, Inc., one of the world’s largest producers of Copper, is based in New Orleans and currently holds nearly 58% of the mining project. And while the new contract “acknowledges that the Congolese mining sector is riddled with fraud and smuggling”, it only “suggests” measures to improve traceability. READ MORE (Reuters).

With 80,000 Miners in Eastern Congo, Camps Like “Ma Rouge” Become Home
200 Kilometers East of Goma, miners risk their lives for Cassiterite, a mineral charged with fueling the decade-long conflict and grossing billions of dollars each year. While the work isn’t easy, many admit to spending over 24 hours at a time inside the mines, earning around $20 each day. And now, out of necessity, thousands of workers have settled into temporary homes. “At an entrance to the forest, “Ma Rouge” has grown up as the biggest camp in the mining region, where families with children live in shacks with roofs of white canvas.” READ MORE (Yahoo).

Last night Goma’s own Innocent won the Vodacom Superstar Award!  He will be coming to the United States to record with Akon.  We heard from friends that the streets of Goma were overflowing with parties and excitement.  We are so proud of Innocent and so excited that the world will see the young talent of Congo!

Grrr…the cold weather is back in Venice, but we have good news: our new t-shirts have arrived.  They are perfect for warmth and style.  If these t-shirts were a sound, when we opened their box we would be sliced by the “zing!”  And if we were to blend them down to their most basic elements, they would smell like glory.

But you don’t have to take my word for it: http://www.fallingwhistles.com/store
Sean and Justine will be in Philadelphia this weekend for talks at some local schools. If you’re in the area and want in, email jporter@fallingwhistles for more details.

We hope you enjoy this week’s roundup.
With Peace,

Brittany

Congolese Want Investors to Focus on Education in the Future
Ten years ago, leaders around the world came together in New York City to bring about global change. The millennium development goals outlined 8 strategic initiatives built on the platform of reducing extreme poverty. Now, just five years away from its target date, the Congo is wondering how they will succeed in goal number 2: Universal Education. While investors continue to provide aid to the war-torn country, amounting in millions of dollars each year, only a fraction of that is spent on education. “We cannot talk of peace, economic development and a future for the Democratic Republic of Congo if the government and donors do not commit in investing in education - the bedrock of human advancement”. READ MORE (All Africa).

UN Fears Withdrawal Could Hurt Fight Against Rape
UN officials visiting Congo this week are finding reasons to fear an early withdrawal by MONUC as reports of sexual violence are on the rise. Experts estimate that as many as 5,400 women were raped in South Kivu during the first nine months of 2009 alone. While “advanced legislation [is] in place to outlaw sexual violence”, rape persists as a favorite weapon of war by militia groups. While the Congolese Government is still pushing for compete withdrawal by 2011, many question what effect this will have on the fight against rape and the future of the Congo. READ MORE (Reuters).

photo credit: lindsay branham

“If history is to be creative, to anticipate a possible future without denying the past, it should, I believe, emphasize new possibilities by disclosing those hidden episodes of the past when, even if in brief flashes, people showed their ability to resist, to join together, occasionally to win. I am supposing, or perhaps only hoping, that our future may be found in the past’s fugitive movements of compassion rather than in its solid centuries of warfare.”
-Howard Zinn

We want to thank STAG for hosting such an incredible event in Austin Texas!  STAG paid for Homeslice Pizza, Canolis, and in good Texas fashion—Makers Mark whiskey.

Over a hundred people came out and we were so excited to the see the entire Carasso family there. Even Sean’s Grandma showed up!

The night was photographed by the exceptional Daniel Davis (photos seen above).  Sean gave a very brief speech about FW and we sold a total of 43 whistles, including 3 Brass ones!

The installation got rave reviews and the STAG team has been hard at work showing it off and telling Austin about how they can help push for peace in Congo.

We love you Austin!

Peace.

FW Fam

Hey Folks,
Our speaking tour is well underway and the east coast is buzzing with new whistleblowers. Back at HQ, summer intern applications are piling up faster than we could imagine.  Email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you are interested in applying

Spring has sprung and excitement is blooming.  We have you to thank.  Check out this week’s roundup and keep speaking up.
Falling Whistles

Red Cross Workers Kidnapped in Eastern Congo

8 Red Cross workers were kidnapped Friday in the South Kivu province by local Mai Mai Yakutumba rebels. Though the Mai Mai militia groups throughout the Congo were formed initially to protect their communities from other rebel groups, many have now become the aggressors. However, this move to kidnap Red Cross staff was said to be made to prevent the Congolese army from attacking the Mai Mai hideouts. Stressing impartiality, Red Cross negotiators are working to free their colleagues, though no word yet on when this will take place. READ MORE (Yahoo News).

New Regulations Ban Export of Mineral Concentrates

Officials have banned the export of mineral concentrates in the Katanga Province this week in an attempt to improve Congo’s economy. The ban, that was initially set for 2007, was postponed to give companies time to improve their facilities. Now, companies like Gecamines (Congo’s state mining company), will have to treat their minerals before they are exported and as a result create more jobs along the way. READ MORE (FOX Business).
Rebel Groups Consolidate Forces Against the Government
A rebel leader from the Mai Mai Kifuafua has said that a total of 17 militia groups will band together this Friday in Eastern Congo, creating a new party known as the Alliance for Maintaining the Peace Agreement of Goma. Rebel groups have expressed their disappointment in the recent government reshuffle and failure to implement peace accords. “And we said we cannot allow that peace accord to fail while we are here, and that is why …we want to create something that will bring peace and maybe change our government”. READ MORE (Voice of America).

Hey Folks,
We hope things are going well for you out there this week. The sun is shining here in Venice and we are once again feeling around for ways to deliver our Congo news updates. Check out this weeks Weekly Roundup and be sure to post comments, questions, or general feedback!
Love,
The FW Family

Continued Fighting Could Drive Gorillas Toward Extinction

High up in the forests of the Virunga Volcano Mountains the continued fighting by militia groups threatens the existence of our mountain gorillas. While only 720 remain living in the wild today, 380 of those are found in the Virungas. Militia groups operating in the Eastern Congo are not only profiting from the abundance of timber, coal and minerals within Congo’s forests, but now it seems they have acquired an appetite for Gorilla meat. “Gorilla bushmeat moves through the same smuggling channels as illegally extracted timber, diamonds, gold and coltan (a mineral used in cell phones).”
READ MORE (Environmental News Network).

One Woman Fights for Women’s Rights in the Congo

After watching an Oprah special on the world’s deadliest war, Lisa Shannon left the comforts of the her Portland home in search of some answers. Since then Lisa has heard first hand what a decade-long war and it’s militia groups have done to thousands of women, children and families of the Congo. Now she spends her time working to empower women, change the stereotypes attached to rape in Africa and more importantly searching for ways to end this deadly war.
READ MORE (Time).

Hey Folks,
Another week has passed faster than we could imagine. And as people move onto their next adventure, in search of the unknown, we once again remember why we are here and the critical nature of our work. Maybe it’s the daily thread of news we receive regarding casualties in the Congo. It’s true this is our job, to sit and read news on the world’s deadliest war. But it’s times like these that we are constantly reminded…URGENCY: kids are dying.

Reports surfaced last week that the Lords Resistance Army had committed a deadly attack back in December, claiming the lives of over 300 civilians in the Congo. The Congolese Government however is now saying that these numbers are inaccurate and that it was likely only 25 civilians were killed. Regardless of the numbers, people are dying, villages are being destroyed and the war wages on.

And while resources mined in the Congo continue to fuel this conflict, tin producing companies look for ways to profit. It was recently released that the Malaysian company, Malaysia Smelting Corp., and Rwandan company, Minerals Supply Africa, are the top two importers of cassiterite coming from the Congo. Both companies have said they are taking measures to trace the path of these minerals to ensure greater transparency. However in times of war we can never truly be sure whose hands they have touched.

It’s time to sit and think things through as more stories unfold. With the U.N. still considering their evacuation of the Congo, we have to ask ourselves what should we do? How can we help? What should be our next move?

And so, as always…read on my friends and send us your feedback.

Falling Whistles Family

Congo Rejects Reports of LRA Massacre

Malaysia Smelting, Rwanda Company are Main Buyers of Congo Tin

Dear friends,

Due to some recent wide-circulation press, we are currently getting ready to ship our largest order in Falling Whistles history!

We present to you…loads and loads of envelopes, ready to bear whistles and be delivered right to your very hands.  We really appreciate your enthusiasm and patience while we’re preparing for the shipment.

Stay tuned for updates, we are very excited about upcoming initiatives and events in the near future and will certainly be keeping you posted.  In the meantime, wish these envelopes well!

Love,
The Falling Whistles family

and the staff at Vin de Syrah in San Diego came together to create one of our best fundraisers yet!

The bartenders, waiters and DJ’s all donned The Original Whistle and donated their time as well as their tips!  This was a community effort from people who care deeply about what is happening in Congo.  We had an amazing night together dancing and celebrating and the collective impact was huge.

Everyone was stoked to learn that with each whistle purchase, they would receive a free pair of Reef sandals. The partnership was a huge success, and many thanks to our friends at Reef!

Music blasted through the night from the keen stylings of three incredible DJs—Mikey Beats, DJ Who, & TurboTeen—only stopping so that the Falling Whistles story could be shared from a bar-top soapbox. Just the way we like it.

Our intern Brittany collected an amazing variety of raffle packages.  From spa packages to yoga lessons, and one-of-a-kind paintings to guided tours of San Diego, the options were endless. With bellies full from delicious appetizers and legs tired from dancing, everyone left with a smile on their face; for some, a new whistle around their neck.  It was an unforgettable night, and a precedent-setting occasion for events to come.

Check out the Vin de Syrah website to see more photos from the event and for more info on upcoming events.

All of us at FW want to say thank you to everyone who came out.  We were inspired and can’t wait to do it again soon.

photos by the style shark

Hey folks, how is life out there? things are buzzing away here at FW HQ.  We wanted to take this week’s Roundup as an opportunity to introduce some controversial topics and get your thoughts on the matter ~ we are always looking for a good conversation.

It seems that MONUC, the worlds largest peacekeeping force, will be withdrawing 2,000 troops from Congo by June.  This comes after Congolese president Joseph Kabila requested to have all 20,000 troops out of Congo by the elections in 2011.

It will probably take a long time for the UN peacekeepers to move completely out of Congo, but with the recent rise in attacks from the Lords Resistance Army(a Ugandan rebel group), and death tolls continuing to rise, is it too soon to call it quits?

Also in the news, the IMF is now deciding if it will give Congo up to $8 billion in debt relief.  This would potentially decrease the national debt to $2.3 billion by June - a HUGE drop.  The Congolese government has been working to qualify as a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC), a status granted by the IMF, for some time now.  With big debt, and the conflict making it difficult to rebuild capital, some see this as a solution. Debt cancellation is a complicated process, so others are asking “who else will benefit by Congo gaining HIPC status?”

All of this is a lot to digest and discuss, so dig into these articles and then speak up, share your thoughts.

Have an amazing weekend.

UN pland withdrawal of 2,000 troops from Congo

DR Congo could win debt relief deal by June: IMF

Photo: Dan Johnson

Wipe away the tears from your heart and let your life be brushed by the fingertips of your immortal soul, breathe deep, with purpose and a deep held conviction. There is an inner strength and an inner peace within us all, which the world cannot penetrate and the hypocrisy and ignorance of the human mind cannot poison. Embrace that inner source of strength and you will become fearless and the obstacles within your life will seem insignificant.
-Naresh Jhali

Hey Folks,

Spring is finally here and we couldn’t be more excited. Even the most determined and hard working souls need a little time to soak in the sun. (Thank you California). If you haven’t seen it yet, we are featured in the April edition of Lucky magazine (pg. 44), alongside a few other worthy causes. Hopefully this is the first of many to come.

We also have a new installation up in Austin, TX! Stop by STAG on S. Congress to see the installation designed by our own Chelsea Rafferty. With every installation we grow more proud; we’re sure this is our best yet.

Not to get too anxious, but summer is just around the corner.  With it comes good music, good friends, and overall good times!  If you’re in Venice, let us know and join us next Thursday to ring in our first Summer Thursday celebration.  We would love to have you.

So much is in store for us these upcoming months and we love having you along for the ride.  Enjoy the sunshine, as always, read on and let us know what you think.

With peace and love,
Falling Whistles

RESOURCES: Total Explores Prospects at Congo Side of Lake Albert
POWER: Ukraine to Supply Tanks, other Weapons to DR Congo
JUSTICE: Congo Rejects UN Call for Publication of Election Schedule

Dear Brittany,

Like I said in the last email, I’ve been handing out flyers at my school and giving little speeches to a few classrooms. It’s been going great! We have a jar in our classroom now and there’s about $50 in it already. Our goal is $100 by spring break so we can buy our classroom a golden whistle. Also, my friends are getting really involved. My friend James is going to share the story and collect some money at his church this weekend, my friend Sadie’s sister is going to make bracelets that say “Peace in Congo” and sell them at her high school, my friend Rachel is telling all the teachers who are asking for me to talk to their class, and I’ve heard that the website link is all over Facebook. I really believe we’re going to make a lot of money. I’m really excited! My teacher is helping a bunch, too. All in all, it’s going very well. I see a peaceful world around the corner, and right now that corner seems pretty far away. But at the pace we’re going, it’s getting much closer.

God bless,

Devyn
Peace in Congo

POWER: Armed Group Leader Unhappy Over Exclusion from DRC Cabinet Reshuffle

JUSTICE: ‘The Terminator’ lives in luxury while peacekeepers look on

RESOURCES: Trading children for goats

Hey all-

As some of you may have heard, our interns and some of our staff are jumping in a van and roadtripping to Oklahoma City tonight.  They’re on the move to support the activists staked out in front of Senator Coburn’s office.

Senator Coburn has put a block on the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act.  The bill authorizes $40 million to post-conflict recovery efforts in Northern Uganda and directs President Obama to come up with a peace and recovery plan for war-ravaged Northern Uganda.

The number count varies, but people from all over the country are gathered in OKC, sleeping outside in the freezing cold to request a meeting with the Senator to state their case.  There are a wide variety of opinions on the bill and here’s a small taste of both sides.  We’d love your thoughts.

Regardless of your opinion on the bill, the people standing outside Coburn’s office are our brothers and sisters.  They are true heroes for putting themselves on the frontlines for other human beings half a world away. 

To The Holdouts: We salute you and many of us will soon be joining you.

Love
FW

For: http://www.undispatch.com/coburn
Against: http://tinyurl.com/yjj8pto

Taken in North Kivu by Dan Johnson

“I dont believe in charity.
I believe in solidarity.
Charity is vertical, so it’s humiliating.
It goes from the top to the bottom.
Solidarity is horizontal.
It respects the other and learns from the other.
I have a lot to learn from other people.”
-Eduardo Galeano.

http://tinyurl.com/radz7y

In the United Nations Special Report from Congo, released in June of 2009, The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, issued the following statement on the preliminary findings of her official visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
“Following decades of dictatorship, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is engaged in a political, economic and social transition. However, a conducive environment in which human rights defenders can operate has yet to emerge.”

Among the many recommendations that the Special Rapporteur made in an effort to increase the support and ability of defenders of human rights in the region, she advocates for the following:

    ·    Continue empowering the civil society, including human rights defenders…by increasing their
        capacity, notably their means of communications (funding Internet connections, mobile
        phones, etc.).

    ·    Carry out countrywide civic education, particularly through the introduction of human rights in the
        school curriculum, to enhance the appreciation of the activities of human rights defenders.

Falling Whistles is addressing both of these needs through our rehabilitation programs and partnerships with Congolese envisioned and led organizations.

    ·    We are currently supporting the improvement of communications infrastructures for our partner
        organization, including an internet connection, computer, cellular phones, and air time. These
        invaluable tools are critical in the efficient implementation of programs and in facilitating frequent
        communication between our partners and Falling Whistles.

    ·    We are in the preliminary stages of introducing human rights education into the curriculum of our
        rehabilitation programs. This training will teach the children their inherent value and the power of
        their individual voice, as well as their basic rights as a human being.

The protection of human rights defenders is an issue that Falling Whistles is deeply committed to, and it is our hope to continue to work collaboratively with these whistleblowers towards peace in Congo.

PROFILE STORY: Watch Dogs for Mineral Trace
JUSTICE: Human Rights Defenders put Behind Bars
RESOURCES: HP Retracing Mineral Production
POWER: Violence Prevents Aid for Internally Displaced

How is life out there?  These new interns are starting to crank out some pretty slick arts and crafts.  This weekly roundup is definitely the best yet. Our interns would love feedback, so please dig in and then send some this way

Things have been buzzing here in the garage-office.  Our accountants were in from New York last week, and our lawyer was here from D.C. a couple weeks ago. We have a new installation coming up at ACTIVE in Santa Monica and hopefully one at STAG in Austin, just in time for SXSW. Just on the backburner we have some amazing new education just waiting to be designed. 

Our development consultant began his first official review of our programming in Congo.  As we grow so will our ability to do better, more transparent work on the ground.  We are all looking forward to the day when you can see the results of your support. 

As February closes as quickly as it came,we want to thank you for your continual support.  Please continue to pick apart these round-ups.  They are here for you so that you always know what’s going on in Congo.

“Violence is rarely irrational — it almost always has root causes that can be addressed. We’re often just too busy or lazy to learn enough about a situation to figure out how.”
-Michael Kavangh

DRC Relations and the Reining FDLR Threat
Women Suppressed as the War Persists
A Complicated Return for the Lawless
Multinational company maps the soil of Congo

Well friends-
Things are moving rapidly these days in our garage-office, even in the sub-arctic temperatures, but we can’t complain. There is a lot to be celebrating. The FW staff and interns have been hard at work refining the Congo Weekly Roundup which will soon be updated every Friday. We encourage you to share it with friends and send us your feedback as we continuously search for ways to improve.
And if you are passing through Portland this month, check out our beautiful new installation there at Lizard Lounge.  It was built by Nathanael Balon to tell the Falling Whistles story, and then stocked with 30 books from the public library that have informed our understanding about Congo - perfect reading material for a rainy day in the lounge.
Read on my friends!
With peace and love.
Falling Whistles

Taken in Bukavu

“There is nothing to be gained from passive observance, the simple documenting of conditions, because, at its core, it sets a bad example.  Every time something is observed and not fixed, or when one has a chance to give in some way and does not, there is a lie being told, the same lie we all know by heart, but which needn’t be reiterated.”
-Dave Eggers, “You Shall Know Our Velocity”

Forests and Timber Exploited by Conflict
Congo Halts Exports by Mining Companies for Not Growing Corn
Global Movement in U.S. Shines Light on The DRC

Photo Credit: Dan Johnson
North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

“Our earth is wounded. Her oceans and lakes are sick; her rivers are like running sores; the air is filled with subtle poisons. And the oily smoke of countless hellish fires blackens the sun. Men and women, scattered from homeland, family, friends, wander desolate and uncertain scorched by a toxic sun…
In this desert of frightened, blind uncertainty, some take refuge in the persuit of power. Some become manipulators of illusion and deceit.
If wisdom and harmony still dwell in this world, as other than a dream lost in an unopened book, they are hidden in our heartbeat. And it is from our hearts that we cry out. We cry out and our voices are the single voice of this wounded earth. Our cries are the great wind across the earth.”
- From the Warrior Song of King Gesar

We Need The Same Response For Other Crises
Top UN Officials Pay Visit to Congo
Rebel Leaders Stand Trial at Hague
New Budget Unveiled for 2010

Photo Credit—Lindsay Branham

DR Congo

“If you came here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you came because you believe your liberation bound to mine, then come, and we can walk together.”

A film about the deadliest plague that humanity has ever known that is still, today, killing nearly one million people each year.

Saturday, February 6th 2010. 5:00pm
McMenamins Bagdad Theater
Portland, OR

UN Gives 16 Million USD to Humanitarian Activities in DRC
DR Congo Offers Aid to Haiti
DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi to Hold Meeting of Chiefs of General Staff

Victim Tells Court His Village Wants Reparations

Top Mobile Phone Company On Trial

Congo Must Help Itself

UN: Act to End Atrocities in Eastern Congo
Security Council Should Urgently Deploy a Civilian Protection Expert Group
December 13, 2009

  Continued killing and rape by all sides in eastern Congo shows that the UN Security Council needs a new approach to protect civilians. The Security Council should send a group of experts to Congo to kick-start a serious civilian protection plan.  Anneke Van Woudenberg, senior researcher, Africa division

(New York) - The United Nations Security Council should urgently act to protect civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo from further atrocities by government and rebel forces and ensure peacekeepers are not implicated in abuses, Human Rights Watch said in a report published today.

The 183-page report, “‘You Will Be Punished’: Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo,” documents in detail the deliberate killing of more than 1,400 civilians between January and September 2009 during two successive Congolese army operations against a Rwandan Hutu militia, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

The report is based on 23 Human Rights Watch fact-finding missions this year and interviews with over 600 victims, witnesses, and family members.

“Continued killing and rape by all sides in eastern Congo shows that the UN Security Council needs a new approach to protect civilians,” said Anneke Van Woudenberg, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Security Council should send a group of experts to Congo to kick-start a serious civilian protection plan.”

Congolese army soldiers and FDLR rebel combatants have attacked civilians, accused them of being collaborators, and “punished” them by chopping many to death with machetes. Both sides also shot civilians as they tried to flee or burned them in their homes. Some victims were tied together before their throats were, according to one witness, “slit like chickens.” The majority of the victims were women, children, and the elderly.

Human Rights Watch recommended the immediate creation and deployment of a civilian protection expert group that would put forward specific measures to improve strategies to protect civilians in eastern Congo. Alan Doss, special representative of the secretary-general in Congo, will address the Security Council on December 16. The Security Council is scheduled to vote on a renewal of the mandate of MONUC, the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, on December 21.

Human Rights Watch urged the peacekeeping force to immediately cease all support to the current military operation until clear procedures and the means to implement and evaluate them are put in place to prevent violations of international humanitarian law. Human Rights Watch also called for all commanders with known records of human rights abuse to be removed from operational responsibilities. The procedures and conditions should be made public.

Over the first nine months of 2009, the UN recorded over 7,500 cases of sexual violence against women and girls across North and South Kivu in eastern Congo, nearly surpassing the figures recorded during all of last year, and probably representing only a fraction of the total. Most of the women and girls were gang raped, some so violently that they later died. Many women and girls were held as sex slaves by both the Congolese army and the FDLR for weeks or months at a time; they were raped repeatedly and some were mutilated and then killed by machete or shot in the vagina.

One of the youngest cases of rape documented by Human Rights Watch was of a nine-year-old girl raped by FDLR combatants on January 27 in Ngwilo village, Masisi territory, when she and her mother fled the fighting. The FDLR first raped the mother and inserted a large stick in her vagina causing serious injury which led to her death. When the young girl cried out in distress, the FDLR raped her as well.

“Many UN Security Council ambassadors have visited Congo and expressed outrage at the massive sexual violence,” said Van Woudenberg. “Yet rape is increasing -  not decreasing -  in eastern Congo. That outrage needs to be translated into bold and effective action to help protect these women and girls.”

In January the Congolese and Rwandan governments began joint military operations against the FDLR in a five-week operation known as Umoja Wetu. It was followed in March by a second military operation, Kimia II, conducted with the support of the UN peacekeepers, which continues.

The Congolese government said the military operations were intended to bring peace and security to this volatile region, but they have not. Human Rights Watch documented horrific crimes against civilians by the FDLR, the Congolese army, and, in some instances, the Rwandan army, during the military operations. Human Rights Watch investigations link senior FDLR commanders and several Congolese army officers to some of the worst atrocities. Many of the abuses amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.

UN peacekeepers made important efforts to protect civilians in this complex and difficult terrain, Human Rights Watch said. But the peacekeeping force’s role as a joint player in the military operations, providing substantial support to the Congolese army, has implicated peacekeepers in the abuses and undermined the mission’s primary objective, which is to protect civilians.

The civilian protection expert group should be created to investigate and make specific recommendations regarding civilian protection needs and challenges in eastern Congo, Human Rights Watch said. This expert group should evaluate the circumstances under which attacks against civilians are taking place, the measures taken by peacekeepers to carry out the mandate to protect civilians, and the best ways to bolster these activities.

On November 11, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1894, which restates the council’s pledge “to respond to situations of armed conflict where civilians are being targeted…, including through the consideration of appropriate measures at the Security Council’s disposal.” Human Rights Watch said that the situation in eastern Congo serves as a test of that commitment.

“The Security Council needs to provide UN peacekeepers in Congo with clear and concrete direction,” Van Woudenberg said. “Sending a group of experts and making clear to the Congolese army the conditions under which the peacekeepers will work with its troops can play a crucial role in ending abuses and ensuring that UN peacekeepers are not implicated in future atrocities.”

Accounts from the report:
A woman who was abducted by the FDLR during an attack on Busheke village in late January 2009:

  They [FDLR]...killed my husband with a machete and two of them raped me. They also killed my father and raped my mother and sister before killing them as well, all with machete. Ten other Hutu women and girls from my village were raped and killed with machete the same night. They abducted me and brought me to their camp where I was made the “wife” of Captain Jean Claude. He raped me every day until I managed to escape six months later… The FDLR said they were brothers of the Congolese Hutu and didn’t understand why we had welcomed the FARDC. That’s why they were punishing us.

Woman attacked by the FDLR in Nyakabasa village after the rebels killed her 25-year-old son in February 2009:

  I ran outside, and an FDLR [combatant] grabbed me and cut me everywhere with his machete. I was almost dead. He cut me on my head and on my arms. He wanted to cut my neck, but I put up my hands to block it… There were many combatants. Some were burning houses and others were killing people…They continued to beat me and left when they thought I was dead.

Witness to the massacre by the FDLR in Busurungi on May 10, 2009:

  When the FDLR came, they circled the entire village and started killing people. They stopped those who tried to flee with their own hands. They raped the women, even the young girls, and then they started to burn the houses. Some people who tried to leave their homes were stopped by the FDLR and thrown back into their burning houses, even the children…I came back the next morning and saw bodies decapitated, burned, and raped…I saw two women who were pregnant, and the FDLR had cut open their stomachs and removed the fetuses from their bodies.

Witness to the Ndorumo massacre by Congolese and Rwandan soldiers in February 2009:

  The soldiers arrived at the school and said they wanted to meet with the population…Some civilians had already gathered in the classrooms when they instead started killing us. They said we were being punished for being complicit with the FDLR, but there weren’t even FDLR in our village when they attacked.

Rwandan Hutu refugee woman who lost six members of her family when the Congolese army attacked Shalio hill on April 27, 2009:

  [They] were all beaten to death by wooden clubs in front of me. Then four of the soldiers took me and raped me. They told me that I’m the wife of an FDLR and they can do whatever they want to me.

Woman who lost her father and three of her children when the Congolese army attacked Ndorumo in August 2009:

  The Tutsi soldiers want to exterminate us. They come to attack us in places where there are no combatants or soldiers to provide for our security. When they come, they say they want to push us out of our land so they can occupy it. Some have already come with their cows and are taking over the land just above our village.

Press Release
16 December 2009

UN expert on extrajudicial executions calls on UN to end support to Congolese military operations commanded by known war criminals

GENEVA—“As the UN Security Council considers renewing the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), it should ensure that no further support is given to Congolese military operations commanded by individuals who have committed grave human rights abuses,” according to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Philip Alston. 

“It is a contradiction of basic UN principles for UN peacekeepers to cooperate with a military operation led by individuals who stand accused of war crimes and grave human rights abuses,” said Alston.  “The situation is all the more problematic as a result of the continuing reports of major abuses committed against the civilian population,” stated the UN independent expert.

Through 2009, MONUC has supported “Kimia II,” a Congolese military operation against the FDLR rebel group in eastern Congo.  The Special Rapporteur stated that while action against the FDLR is necessary, the manner in which this operation has been carried out to date has been “absolutely catastrophic” for civilians in the Congo.

“There has been insufficient planning for civilian protection, and civilians have been raped to death and massacred in revenge attacks by the rebels.  Shockingly, civilians have also been gang raped and hacked or shot to death by the Congolese army – the very force that is supposed to protect them.”

The Special Rapporteur traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in October this year, and gathered evidence of unlawful killings by all sides, including civilian massacres led by Congolese army commander Innocent Zimurinda in an area called Shalio.  “The UN has clearly taken important steps in response to my statements following the mission,” said Alston, “but it appears that Colonel Zimurinda remains in command, and that the UN has not implemented a strong conditionality policy that would prevent it from supporting units led by him or by Bosco Ntaganda, for whom the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes.”

The Security Council will vote on a renewed mandate for MONUC this Friday, 18 December 2009.  The Special Rapporteur urges the Security Council, as it negotiates a new MONUC mandate, to require MONUC only to participate in or support Congolese operations that respect human rights, humanitarian, and refugee law.  “Civilian protection must be at the centre of both the planning and carrying out of military operations in the Kivus,” said Alston.  “Strong conditionality, especially with respect to the removal of war criminal commanders from Congolese army leadership positions, must underpin MONUC support for military operations.”

The Special Rapporteur also called on MONUC to make public the terms of any conditionality policy it currently implements, and to ensure that it has adequate monitoring in place to guarantee that the conditions are being observed.

The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions carried out a human rights fact-finding mission to the DRC in October 2009.  He found widespread unlawful killings by all sides to the conflict in the Kivus, including by the FDLR rebel group, and by the Congolese army.  His press statement, delivered at the conclusion of his mission, is available here: English http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/executions/docs/PressStatement_SumEx_DRC.pdf
French http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/executions/docs/PressStatement_SumEx_DRC_fr.pdf
Learn more about the mandate and work of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/executions/index.htm
OHCHR Country Page - The Democratic Republic of the Congo:  http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AfricaRegion/Pages/ZRIndex.aspx

For additional information and media requests, please contact the Special Rapporteur Philip Alston (Tel.: + 1 212 992 8873 / e-mail: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address))

There are a wide variety of players pulling tangled strings…..

New York, 27 October 2009:

“Impunity for killings is a key cause of illegal killings around the world”, said Professor Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions.  He reported today to the UN General Assembly on his work over the last year, during which he investigated unlawful killings in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Kenya, and the United States. 

“In each of the countries I have investigated, there are disturbing reports of Government responsibility for illegal killings.  While the nature and scale of killings varies widely – murders by UN-supported Congolese troops, killings of civilians for reward by Colombian soldiers, police death squads in Kenya, or targeted killings by US forces operating drones in Pakistan – the common thread is that the killings are rarely properly acknowledged or investigated.  This failure by Governments to provide accountability is often the key ingredient in continued unlawful attacks on civilian populations.”   

The expert returned from an investigation to the Congo just a week and a half ago.  He reported that the Congolese army (FARDC), which is supported by UN forces (MONUC), has killed, raped, and looted from the civilian population.  Alston described evidence he had received that FARDC members massacred more than 50 civilians and raped and abducted approximately 40 women in Shalio (North Kivu) between 27-30 April 2009. 

“The Congolese army is a makeshift coalition of former militia groups, too many of whom are heavily prone to violence.  These forces are supported by the UN pursuant to Security Council resolutions, and there are serious concerns about the measures the UN has taken to ensure that it is not implicated in the rights abuses being committed by its partners,” said Alston.

The independent expert stressed that both the Congo and MONUC must do more to combat widespread impunity:  “In response to my description of the Shalio massacre, the Congolese Information Minister stated that the Government was not prepared to take action against the commander responsible because ‘arrest would have had worse consequences than the crimes of which he is accused.’  Further, MONUC officials have themselves indicated that they will not take steps to arrest General Bosco Ntaganda, an FARDC commander whose whereabouts are well known and for whom the ICC has issued an arrest warrant.  Both the Congolese Government and MONUC must abandon their untenable ‘peace first, justice later’ approach.”

Referring to the conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army in the north of the Congo, Alston warned that, “The LRA continues to be very active in the Congo as well as in the region generally.  The consequences in terms of killings, kidnappings, looting and large-scale displacement are horrendous.  To end a reign of terror that has killed over 1,200 civilians since September 2008 in the Congo alone, there must be a concerted international campaign against the LRA.” 

Alston also expressed deep disappointment that since his February 2009 visit to Kenya, “The appalling impunity for killings by state forces that I called attention to at the time continues months later.”  He said that there have been no serious Government investigations into police death squads that brutally killed hundreds of Kenyans.  Both the police and the military also remain in denial about torture and unlawful killings committed by their forces in Mt. Elgon.  “I had called for the dismissal of the Police Commissioner whose responsibility for police death squads is well-documented.  Although he has been relieved of command, it was only to be promoted to another high Government post,” said the expert. 

Alston further highlighted continuing impunity in Colombia, which he visited in June 2009.  “The most prominent issue concerned the so-called ‘false positives’ (falsos positivos) in which victims are lured under false pretenses by a ‘recruiter’ to a remote location, killed by the military, and reported as combat killings in order to gain rewards for their killers.”  Alston reported that many of the killers remain free. 

Alston underscored the “dramatic growth in importance” of legal questions he had previously raised concerning the United States’ use of unmanned drones to carry out targeted killings.  “Although the US Government informed the Human Rights Council in June that it would study my report, since that time I have heard nothing.  In the meantime, the number of killings by unmanned drones has escalated significantly, even as critical questions remain about who is being targeted, on what legal basis, and the measures the US is taking to ensure that its attacks are lawful.  Unless the US Government moves to answer these questions, it will increasingly be perceived as carrying out indiscriminate killings in violation of international law.”

Alston’s report to the General Assembly discussed in detail the phenomenon of vigilante and “mob justice” killings, which he described as “a widespread problem that is often ignored by the international community.”  Alston added, “Government officials often are either involved in vigilante killings or encourage them and States should take comprehensive efforts to ensure that their officials are not supporting or encouraging such killings in any way.”

Alston also reported that, since he began his mandate in 2004, more than two-thirds of the UN member states to which he has officially requested a visit have either denied the request or failed to respond.  These include 11 current members of the Human Rights Council: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. 

According to Alston, “There is something badly amiss with the system when a wide range of large and important States does not permit UN scrutiny of alleged killings.”

****

Professor Alston was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions in 2004 and reports to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the General Assembly. He has had extensive experience in the human rights field, including eight years as Chairperson of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, principal legal adviser to UNICEF in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Special Adviser to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He is Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law.

For more information, please see http://www.extrajudicialexecutions.org, or contact Ms Sarah Knuckey or Ms Hina Shamsi, Advisors to the Special Rapporteur: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address); (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

LOS ANGELES - Falling Whistles is a campaign for peace in Congo.  In February 2009, a team of Falling Whistles staff, documentary filmmakers, and Congolese allies traveled to Goma and Walikale in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the purpose of establishing relationships with local NGO’s, researching effective forms of rehabilitation, and documenting the illegal trade of conflict minerals. 

The Falling Whistles team secured necessary documents to ensure safe travel, including visas, press accreditation, and letters of permission to travel in and around the volatile region.  Additionally, the team received and implemented advice on further security precautions from the United Nations, MONUC peacekeepers, journalists, aid workers, and local activists. 

In spite of the precautions taken, several members of the Falling Whistles team were arrested in Mubi by non-uniformed men claiming to be Congolese intelligence officials of the ANR (DR Congo’s National Intelligence Agency).  Following an unsuccessful intervention by UN peacekeeping forces, the team members were detained for three days in ANR facilities in Mubi. 

According to a recent Amnesty International report, the ANR regularly acts outside its powers, “making arbitrary arrests of opposition supporters, civil society activists and journalists.”  The ANR also regularly arrests environmental activists and human rights defenders who draw attention to illegal mining activities.  The U.S. State Department confirmed that in 2008, government:

security forces continued to act with impunity throughout the year, committing many serious abuses including unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, and rape.  Security forces also engaged in arbitrary arrests and detention.  Harsh and life-threatening conditions in prison and detention facilities, prolonged pretrial detention, lack of an independent and effective judiciary, and arbitrary interference with privacy, family, and home also remained serious problems. Security forces retained child soldiers and compelled forced labor by civilians. Members of the security forces also continued to abuse and threaten journalists, contributing to a decline in freedom of the press. Government corruption remained pervasive. Security forces at times beat and threatened local human rights advocates and harassed UN human rights investigators.
“We were arrested, yes,” said one of those detained.  “We were arrested by a group that has committed widespread and documented human rights abuses and intended to divert attention from the systematic problem that our team sought to shed light on: the abuse of Congolese people through illegal mining activities and the recruitment of children as soldiers and human shields.  There are many forces attempting to silence the Congolese people and their advocates.  Our arrest points to how far they will go to do so.”

Following three days in ANR custody, the Falling Whistles team was transferred to the custody of DGM (Director-General of Migration) in Goma.  According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “the immigration service ... also function[s] as security forces” in DR Congo.  DGM officials regularly extort bribes from asylum seekers, journalists, and human rights defenders in their custody.

Following an additional three days in DGM custody, the Falling Whistles team was finally released.  One member of the team, a Congolese national who had served as a translator, was separated from the team and placed in a Goma prison, where he was beaten by government officials.  Falling Whistles staff successfully negotiated for his release prior to their return to the United States.  Following his release, he said simply, “Make sure the world knows about the injustice in my country.” 

The team’s detainment period was extended in part due to unexpected plans by President Joseph Kabila and the national soccer team to visit Goma that coincided with Falling Whistles’ journey to Walikale. The President’s visit resulted in the unfortunate absence of several of Falling Whistles’ official contacts in the region, who were away while attending Presidential events.  Additionally, Congo’s weak infrastructure, the prevalence of official corruption, and a total absence of due process of law exacerbated the situation.

“We consider the security of our on-the-ground Congolese partners our highest priority,” said Sean Carasso, Founder of Falling Whistles, “We deeply regret that our efforts to shed light on human rights abuses in Congo caused our volunteers and allies such difficulties.  We have sincerely apologized to our partners in Congo and others whose security was compromised by this incident, and have taken substantial steps to prevent an incident of this type in the future.” 

Additional information about Falling Whistles’ work on behalf of war-affected children in Eastern Congo is available online at: http://www.fallingwhistles.com

I_-_Sept_11,_09.pdf

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0903/S00077.htm
880 Children Linked To Armed Groups In DR Congo
Press Release: United Nations

UN Helps Demobilize 880 Children Linked To Armed Groups In DR Congo
New York, Mar 4 2009 4:10PM The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) has demobilized 880 children associated with armed groups in the volatile eastern province of North Kivu between 30 January and 2 March, it was announced today.

British Foreign Minister skirts corporate role in Congo