Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Letter From Muamba

Hello and holiday greetings to my Leja Bulela Community,

As you are aware at the July 2008 Annual Leja Bulela Conference in Dallas, Texas the next generation of LBers chose to organize and create an action group. As a group we have had some success in 2008. I wanted to share and also give a preview of 2009.

2008 Highlights

1) July 6, 2008. Go LB YAO it's your birthday. We were born from an idea that we have a moral obligation to help our family and our community in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We come in the spirit of Leja Bulela and Yes We Can.

2) July 27, 2008. We are LIVE! Our first national conference call. We are connecting via telephone in the USA to our friends, family and LB YAO members, discussing our agenda, sports, culture, politics and all things DRC. We are live Sundays 5:00 pm pst and 8:00 est

Sunday Conference Call Information
Conference Dial-in Number: (712) 432-1601
Host Access Code: 307891*
Participant Access Code: 307891#

3) American Express Members Project. This showed who we are and our potential. This group put out an aggressive agenda in a very minimal amount of time. It also showed our ambition. We set up a campaign to solicit potentially $1.5 million from American Express for the KHMC clinic. From initiation of the idea August 3 on our conference call by Theirry to project deadline date of August 19 members of LB YAO came together like Barack and Hillary supporters during the primaries. We managed to submit this piece of history of our cause:
Can You Hear Us Now (Congo's Children)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvGgpyFt-sY

Our project did not get nominated for the grand prize but this showed us how we need to organize, initiate and most importantly ACT!

4) $500 from Allstate. The lesson learned from this donation is the simple fact that big change starts small. To get this award it started from hearing Abbe Muyombo. This man spoke at the Dallas conference and changed the way I view the world. I learned what my purpose is. Help those in need. Every little effort counts. We are just getting started....

5) Reconstruction

After a great start to our action group we became complacent and stagnant. Many factors contributed. The 2008 election, Financial Crisis, and just the realities of life for us LB YAOers. December 6, 2008 we re organized, in the spirit of the swift and calculated cabinet nominations of Mr President Elect Obama, We too have a "team of rivals."

Coming in January 2009: The 2009 LB YAO previews, coming to your computer screen, it's gonna be a BIG SUMMER! Dallas is gonna be HOT!

Respectfully submitted,

Muamba
LB YAO

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The Best African Music Of 2008



National Public Radio has released its list of top 10 African Albums, and at the top of the list was the first release from the Kasai Allstars. If you haven't checked out the Congotronics series by Crammed Discs then you should definitely should. Here is the article from the NPR website:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98158941

Taken from : http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98158941

1. Kasai Allstars

Album: In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by

Song: Mpombo Yetu

This collective draws from members of five traditional ensembles in Congo's central Kasai region. The music has roots in the ancient rituals and celebrations of the bush, but it's also urban because these musicians came together in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, and incorporate electric guitar and bass alongside metallic hand pianos, wooden xylophones, slit drums and other percussion instruments. The band's producers call the sound Congotronics. I call it mesmerizing musical sorcery.

December 21, 2008 Conference Call

Conference Call held on December 21, 2008 at 8pm EST

Participants:

Muamba Kabongo
Nadine Kasongo
Tania Kasongo


Topics Discussed:


Muamba discussed having an incentive program for the various promotional products that we have. Attached is a picture of the key chains that we have recently ordered for LB YAO. These keychains are to be used for fundraising purposes. Muamba suggested that members of LB and outside of LB that give a donation get a thank you gift:

If you raise $5 (for example) - You get a key chain
If you raise $10 - You get a t-shirt

...and so on.


Nadine, who has recently been named East coast regional chair, informed the group that she has sent an ad out in various Columbus publications. This ad was aimed at anyone interested in DRC and then once she gets a group of interested people, she will have a meeting to discuss various ideas and possibly distribute the LB YAO keychains. She has already received positive feedback from people who have found the ad!


The meeting was adjourned after that since there were not too many participants on the call.


The next conference call will be on January 4, 2009. The conference call agenda will be sent out the week of December 29th, please send any agenda topics to me (tkaso92@msn.com) by Friday, January 2nd.


Thank you,

WE RUN DRC

Tania Kasongo
tkaso92@msn.com

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Massive Job Losses in DR Congo

Massive job losses in Congo mines
More than 200,000 jobs have been lost in the Democratic Republic of Congo amid a collapse in mineral prices as a result of the global economic downturn.

There are fears the job losses could reach 300,000 by the end of this month.

Officials said the cost of producing minerals like cobalt and copper was greater than the price the commodities are fetching on world markets.

More than 40 firms processing minerals had shut by last month, mainly in the southern Katanga province.

The BBC's Thomas Fessy in DR Congo says with about half of the world's cobalt and 4% of the copper, Katanga is the richest province in DR Congo.

Provincial Minister of Mines Barthelemy Mumba Gama said the province generates nearly half of the country's revenue.

He said that the situation could be saved if the central government agreed to relieve the tax burden in the mining sector.

DR Congo has long been popular with mining companies, with its rich supplies of cobalt, copper, tin, radium, uranium, diamonds and coltan, a vital ingredient for mobile phones.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7773304.stm

Published: 2008/12/09 12:36:54 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

Print Sponsor

Message from the Executive Commitee

After the 2008 Meeting of Dallas, the youth of Leja Bulela appears well inspired. Keeping up with the momentum, it is the wish of the Boards and Executive to have LB youth introduced to the leadership positions -- as agreed at the Annual Meeting of Atlanta in 2004. The two leadership positions on the Executive Committee are Deputy Treasurer and Deputy Secretary and have been vacant for some time now.

I am happy to report that the position of Deputy Treasurer that has now been filled. Felicia Kadima accepted this position and will work closely with our Treasurer to develop among other activities, keeping up the books of the organization, compiling and publishing reports of donors and financial reports, and fund raising. Please join me to congratulate and support Felicia for her dedication to the cause of LB.

Now we need someone else to step up and claim the position of Deputy Secretary. Cheers for the Holidays,

mk

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Mutombo Raises Awareness




Mutombo mulls NBA future, advocates support for Congo
By John Hareas, NBA.com
Posted Dec 15 2008 2:35PM

Dikembe Mutombo is not retired. The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and 17-year NBA veteran will be making a decision on his basketball future within the next two weeks.

He's hoping people reading this article will make a decision today. A decision to save lives.

"By text-messaging 'Congo' to 90999 on your cell phone, you can raise awareness for $5," Mutombo said. "We are trying to receive international support for the people of the Congo who are suffering daily from deadly diseases such as HIV, AIDS and Malaria. More than five million people have died and that number is growing. Last year, more than 1.4 million children have died from Malaria alone."

According to Mutombo, 50 to 60 percent of the patients at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in the Congo, named after his late mother, are dying from Malaria.


"With this mobile campaign, we are trying to reach 400,000 people nationwide who will hopefully text Congo," Mutombo said. "The goal is to raise $2 million this year. This money will go directly to those who are battling to stay alive."

The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation partnered with Mobile Accord, Denver-based company on this global mobile initiative, which officially launched today.

The man who has finger wagged his way to 3,287 blocks in his NBA career has been tireless in his efforts on behalf of his foundation in seeking funds and awareness, criss-crossing the country, meeting with potential donors and medical companies with one mission in mind.

"It's about saving lives," Mutombo said.

Another mission for Mutombo is to determine his next NBA home. The eight-time NBA All-Star has been working out, a three-plus hour daily regiment, featuring weight lifting, spin and yoga classes.

"Basketball is a mindset," Mutombo said. "And my mind is set to play the rest of this season before I retire this summer. "I will make a decision after I celebrate Christmas with my wife and kids."

Seven teams are interested and among those Mutombo is looking at include Boston, Miami and San Antonio. Asked about the chances of returning to Houston, Mutombo replied: "I don't know. I would certainly be open to it. I have a house there and a lot of friends in the city but it's still up in the air to see who will offer me a contract."

While this is the first time Mutombo has not played organized basketball in more than 20 years, the time off has served him and his foundation well.

"Every day, I always have something to do," said Mutombo. "With the time off, I've been able to accomplish a lot not only with the foundation but the hospital as well. I've been meeting with various medical companies around the world seeking partnerships to assist with the hospital."

Someone who has been instrumental in his foundation about the plight in Africa is Bono, lead singer of the uber rock group, U2.

"Bono is a personal friend of mine and he has done a lot in creating the awareness of the pain and suffering of the people of Africa," said Mutombo.

"He and I continue to work today to see how can we bring a change to Africa. All the people of Africa need hope, need to know that there is somebody out there who are thinking of them, worrying about them and who are willing to come and help them just a little bit."

Asked whether he has ever invited Bono to an NBA game, Mutombo laughed. "He always invites me to a concert when he's in America. I've gone to several shows. I never got a chance to invite him to a game. Maybe I should think about it next time."

It looks like he will have an opportunity in a matter of weeks.

Op-Ed from NY Times

Op-Ed Contributor
Can Africa Trade Its Way to Peace?

By HERMAN J. COHEN
Published: December 15, 2008

THE conflict in eastern Congo over the past 12 years has been as much
a surrogate war between Congo and neighboring Rwanda as an internal
ethnic insurgency, as a United Nations report underscored last week.
The only way to end a war that has caused five million deaths and
forced millions to flee their homes in Congo's two eastern provinces
is to address the conflict's international dimensions. The role of
Rwanda - which borders the provinces and which denied the accusations
in the United Nations report over the weekend - is of prime
importance.

The international community has worked hard to resolve the conflicts
among the various parties: the sovereign states of Rwanda and Congo as
well as the assorted militias and private armies that are sponsored by
these two governments and by opportunistic local warlords. But despite
the deployment of 17,000 United Nations peacekeepers, and many efforts
at mediation with constructive American support, the situation appears
intractable.

The failure of international diplomacy is related to the economic
roots of the problem, which began with the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Until the economic conundrum is addressed, there is little prospect
for a solution.

The genocidal war between the majority Hutu and the minority Tutsi in
Rwanda spilled into Congo, and the eastern part of that vast country
has been unstable ever since. When Tutsi rebel forces took power in
Rwanda in June 1994, more than a million Hutu fled to Congo, where
they settled into refugee camps on the Rwandan border.

After two years of cross-border raids from the refugee camps by exiled
Hutu soldiers who had participated in the genocide, the Rwandan Army
attacked and destroyed the camps, with the quiet but unambiguous
approval of the United States in the absence of another solution to
the violence. Most of the Hutu refugees returned to Rwanda, but about
100,000 of them, along with the exiled Hutu soldiers, moved westward
as a disciplined group into Congo's interior.

The Rwandan Army pursued the escaping Hutu and caught up with them
near the city of Kisangani at the headwaters of the Congo River. The
refugees were massacred, but the former Hutu soldiers escaped to
neighboring countries.

The move against the refugee camps was the first step in a
well-planned action by Rwanda in 1996 and 1997 to overwhelm the weak
Congolese Army and, with the help of the Congolese opposition,
overthrow the 30-year dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko. With
logistical support from Uganda and Angola, the military action
succeeded in less than three months. A new government in Congo was
installed under President Laurent Kabila, an exile handpicked by the
Rwandans.

And from 1996 to today, the Tutsi-led Rwandan government has been in
effective control of Congo's eastern provinces of North and South
Kivu. This control has been maintained through intermittent military
occupation and the presence of Congolese militias financed and trained
by the Rwandan Army.

During these 12 years of Rwandan control, the mineral-rich provinces
have been economically integrated into Rwanda. During this time,
Congo's governments have been preoccupied with internal and external
wars elsewhere, and have been unable to combat foreign control of the
eastern provinces, a thousand miles from the capital, Kinshasa.

But two years ago, Congo held multiparty elections that were judged to
be transparent and credible by international observers. For the first
time in a decade, there was hope for stability. President Joseph
Kabila (the son of Laurent Kabila, who was assassinated in 2001)
turned his attention to trying to gain control of the eastern
provinces.

Unfortunately, this has led to increased conflict and suffering. The
main source of the current violence is an insurgent force of ethnic
Congolese Tutsi commanded by Laurent Nkunda, a former general in the
Congolese Army. He claims to be fighting to defend the Tutsi community
from discrimination and from the former Rwandan Hutu fighters who have
returned from neighboring countries and now operate in the forested
hills of eastern Congo.

General Nkunda's military operations, however, are aimed mainly
against the Congolese Army's efforts to restore Congo's sovereignty
over its eastern provinces. His force is well armed and financed by
the Rwandan government. The armed Hutu presence in the provinces
provides the Rwandan government with a pretext to justify its
interference there.

Having controlled the Kivu provinces for 12 years, Rwanda will not
relinquish access to resources that constitute a significant
percentage of its gross national product. At the same time, Congo's
government is within its rights to take control of the resources there
for the benefit of the Congolese people. This economic conflict must
be taken into account.

This provides an opportunity for the incoming Obama administration.
Acts of war and military occupation aside, there is a natural economic
synergy between eastern Congo and the nations of East Africa,
including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. The normal flow of
trade from eastern Congo is to Indian Ocean ports rather than the
Atlantic Ocean, which is more than a thousand miles away.

After his inauguration, Barack Obama should appoint a special
negotiator who would propose a framework for an economic common market
encompassing Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. This
agreement would allow the free movement of people and trade. It would
give Rwandan businesses continued access to Congolese minerals and
forests. The products made from those raw materials would continue to
be exported through Rwanda. The big change would be the payment of
royalties and taxes to the Congolese government. For most Rwandan
businesses, those payments would be offset by increased revenues.

In addition, the free movement of people would empty the refugee camps
and would allow the densely populated countries of Rwanda and Burundi
to supply needed labor to Congo and Tanzania.

If such a common market could be negotiated, Rwanda and Congo would no
longer need to finance and arm militias to wage war over the natural
resources in Congo's eastern provinces. Without government backing,
the fighting groups would either dissolve on their own or be
integrated into legitimate armed forces.

If undertaken with enough will and persistence, an American-led
mediation to create a common market in East Africa could end the war
and transform the region.

Herman J. Cohen was the assistant secretary of state for Africa from
1989 to 1993.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Conference Call 12/14/2008

LB – YAO Conference Call Minutes 12-14-2008


Participants:
Tania Kasongo
Marco Nkashama
Tshilumba Kabongo
Muamba Kabongo


Agenda:

New LB YAO positions:
 Everyone except Thierry Tubajika accepted their new positions
 These are some primary contacts for any relevant issues
 Here is the breakdown of the new positions:

Chairman of LB YAO – Vacant
Muamba stated that he could take the post if no one else is interested
Lead Organizer of LB YAO – Muamba Kabongo
Africa Correspondent and Advisor – Muadi Mukenge
Press Secretary – Tania Kasongo
Communications Chair - Tshilumba Kabongo
Media Chair – Isabelle Kalubi

Regional Chairs:
East – Nadine Kasongo
West – Kalonji Kadima
Midwest – Felicia Kadima
Southwest – Marco Nkashama


News!
 Felicia Kadima has been recruited by Leja Bulela to assist Papa Pascal with treasurer duties. Congratulations Felicia! Keep up the great work; you are a wonderful asset to LB!!!

 Tshilumba’s school has given him an open forum to do a presentation on Leja Bulela. This could turn out to be a great fundraiser. They have given him open arms and an open pocketbook.
 If you have any suggestions as to what Tshilumba can do, please let him know ASAP.

 There will be no conference call on December 28, 2008 in observance of the Christmas and New Years holiday


Next conference call:
 Will be on December 21, 2008 at 8pm EST
 EVERYONE is welcome to join
 Please send any agenda topics to Tania Kasongo at tkaso92@msn.com by Thursday, December 18, 2008.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Mass Killings in Eastern Congo

Mass Killings in Eastern Congo
The New York Times Video Library

Published: 12.12.2008

General Nkunda denies the video evidence
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/12/11/world/africa/1194835234624/mass-killings-in-eastern-congo.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Reconstruction 2008

After an initial surge in positive activity and movement, recent stagnation has caused us to reevaluate the status of our action group. Our movement begins anew with the following enactment of policy, which states our position.

LB YAO: Leja Bulela Young Adults Organization

Founded July 6, 2008 Dallas, TX

Mission: The same as LB, from a first generation Congolese-American perspective. We have a unique world view. It is with this unique lens that we believe we can eventually RUN DRC.

For more on our parent organization please see us @ www.lejabulela.org

1st order of business: The powering of the KHMC Clinic in DRC

LB YAO accepted at the 2008 Annual Conference in Dallas a pledge in the amount of $10K to go towards powering the KHMC clinic

New Structure and Nomination for positions and position descriptions

Chairman of LB YAO
Thierry Tubajika
-Lead LB YAO
-Grow LB YAO
-Work with LB Chairman and EC to make sure LB YAO operates according to the by laws of the parent organization

Lead Organizer of LB YAO
Muamba Kabongo
-Coordinator of LB YAO
-Reports directly to LB EC, Chairman and LB YAO Chairman
-Chief Executive Officer (accountable for LB YAO activities, initiatives and proposals)
- LB YAO Co-Founder


Africa Correspondent and Senior Advisor
Muadi Mukenge
- African Field Expert
- Non profit work experience
- Published writer

Press Secretary
Tania Kasongo
-Editor and Chief LB YAO News letter
-Monitor and Coordinate Weekly LB YAO Conference Calls
-LB YAO Treasurer/ Chief Financial Officer of LB YAO

Communications Chair
Tshilumba Kabongo
-Coordinator of LB YAO
-We Run Drc blog monitor
-Coordinator of emailing communication between leadership team, LB and LB Yao members
-Chief Operating Officer of LB YAO (This young man is taking online classes on how to operate and grow a non profit organization)
-LB YAO Founder (planted the seed in Milwaukee 2007 Annual Conference with the SPEECH, looking back it is similar to the SPEECH Barack made at the Democratic Convention in 2004. It was a call for the Youth of the Congolese Diaspora living in these United States to rise up, speak up and move towards to helping our struggling and war torn nation. The start of our movement....

Media Chair
Isabelle Kalubi
-Video
-Media, pictures
-Editing
-Language Expert

Regional Chairs
-Develop fundraising strategies to fit regional interest
- Promote LB in region
- Recruit new membership for LB and LB YAO

East
Nadine Kasongo

West
Kano Kadima

Midwest
Felicia Kadima

South West
Marco Nkashnma

We are nothing unless united towards a common goal. With this proposal, let us again rise to the daunting challenge of helping those who cannot help themselves and provide hope to those in need. We are also nothing without our people. We all have brothers and sisters who can help with our mission. Let Charity start at home and start spreading the word amongst our own families, then branch out to anyone who can and will help promote our cause. If anyone would like to nominate some to any position or create a new position please contact Tshilumba.

Our mission continues....

With respect to a cause greater than ourselves,
Comrade Muamba Isaac Kabongo

Monday, December 1, 2008

Conference Call #18

Sunday, November 30, 2008, 5 pm PST
42 mins

Marco
Tania
Nadine
Muamba
Tshilumba

Summary:
Restructuring the LB YAO
Writing the Agenda

We have entered into a period of rebuilding. The current state of our affairs is not as we would like it to be. Changes will be made immediately in how LB YAO is ran. Direct communications will be taking place this week to gauge the level of involvment of our group in order to build the most effective unit.