The Congo Initiative

Hello again ‘Best Blog’ readers! After a brief stint as the Assistant Director of a call center that does telephone fundraising for non-profit groups, I am once again in pursuit of a fulfilling, professional, challenging, and exciting job with a non-profit organization (none of which were the case with the position I held at Telefund). I could go into detail about that experience, however, I think it best to look forward and move on to put my efforts toward the greatest good.

My junior year in college I did an internship with an organization called the Jewish World Watch. The organization was founded by a retired lawyer after an inspiring High Holiday speech at her local Synagogue. From the foundation, their goal has been to mobilize the community in order to do three things: Educate the community about genocidal situations, Advocate for better legislation through public policy, and provide Refugee Relief for those who have suffered from genocidal situations.

Their initial focus was on the situation in Sudan, more specifically the southern Darfur region. The situation goes as such- the villages of the people living in the Darfur regions were being raided by government supported Janjaweed militia for the purpose of displacing the people of the region- all because they had resources those in the north did not have access to.

Flash to October 2004- as the JWW joins other organizations like ‘SaveDarfur.org’- uniting communities for public activism for Darfur, ‘24HoursForDarfur.org’- an online video/ story based organization, ‘EyesOnDarfur.org’- Amnesty International’s response to the situation, and ‘DarfurIsDying.com’- an interactive online experience where you are a Darfuian refugee who has to forage for water, food, shelter, and remain healthy to raise awareness. What is unique about the Jewish World Watch is the Jewish part. A common theme taught in Judaism is the concept of Tikkun Olam, or fixing the world- the JWW harnesses these ideals within the Jewish community to do its part to help the situation.

In the last six years, the Jewish World Watch has mobilized more than 60 Synagogues and more than 2,500 individuals in unity to end the genocide in Darfur. Unfortunately, the situation continues…

More recently, the JWW has taken on the situation in the Dominic Republic of Congo, as a necessary situation that needed more spotlight within the Los Angeles and Jewish community. But why? Don’t we have other problems to deal with?? The US’s economy is still in shambles, the congress still can’t pass any legislation (easily), there are gallon and gallons of oil spilling out all over the gulf coast, earthquakes, volcano’s, tornados, OY VEY! Why- why the Congo, why Africa, why should we pay attention??

Now- take your iPhone, open it up and dismantle it’s parts, ok maybe you won’t go that far- get out your electronic x-ray machine and take a closer look at the newest electronic. Whether it is apparent to you or not, every new iPhone contains minerals such as gold, tin, lithium, and tungsten- all of which are mined out of the Congo. Thanks to the liberal magazine Mother Jones, people can be more aware of the true price of an iPhone- http://motherjones.com/environment/2010/03/scary-truth-about-your-iphone. This is the source of why we, as Americans, and me as a Jew should care about the situation in the Congo- we are all a part of what fuels the ever burning fire.

The Congo is different- the German’s targeted Jews, the Turk’s targeted Armenians, the Janjaweed targeted Darfurians- in the Congo everyone is at risk. With the high demand for the mineral rich land of the Congo, anyone who gets in the way- or doesn’t- is at risk of being slaughtered, displaced, or worse. The women of the region suffer the most- repeated rapes, watching their children be murdered or turned into the very soldiers who assaulted her in the first place.

So this isn’t my normal blog- my normal opinion about the new immigration law in Arizona being unconstitutional or Goldman Sacs giving three million excuses because they know they’ve been caught and are about to be punished for being thieves or how for some reason I don’t believe that a man who beats other men to a bloody pulp didn’t hurt his ex-porn star pill addicted baby’s momma. But it is the most important thing that I’ve written about yet. Next time you use your electronics- 33.75 MILLION iPhones sold to date- think about the lives of women, men, and children- think about murder and greed- think about unsatisfyable wealth and unstable government- think about gang rape and being burned all over your body- think about doing something!

As for me- I’m still in search of my purpose- ‘the little flame that lights a fire under our a**’ (Avenue Q). Whether it be as a youth worker or social justice advocate- I know what my purpose isn’t- to simply make money. No matter what I end up doing with my life, I know that I will never stop caring about other human lives and doing whatever I can to ensure that everyone has the same rights and privileges I have had living in America. With a new puppy, Shlomo, my one year old cat Kit-Kat, and my loving boyfriend Colin- I know I am on the right track!!