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.

Channel 4 News: Congo Killings

Conference Call #17

Muamba
Nadine
Tania

Sunday, November 23, 2008, 5:00 PM -5:15 PM PST

- No new topics
- $36 from first group purchase for key chains...who will put us over
the top?
-Tania to put out communication of possible new position. LB YAO
Secretary. Propose 1 person to track meeting notes, put out conference
call agenda prior to weekly call, etc. More from Tania
-Tania also had ideas for generating more donors for solar initiative.
Again she will put out to group via email or on another call

Anonymous Commentary:
Unfortunately we are acting real Congolese as a group. Just because
there were more people on the call last week, seems folks think it's
time for a break. The whole EC is watching us. We will have an executive
summit in SD....Comm Chair, Chief of Staff and Chairman over Heineken
and turkey to get ready for end of the year agenda items. If we hope or
wait for a result we can expect to fail. If we plan and execute we will
win. We need to get this through to each person who claims LBYAO....some
rep,some are straight frontin....

Analysis:
Are we going to make history or be history? We must challenge ourselves everyday!

LB Conference Call 11-23-08


Agenda:
 Other electricity options
 See if any more people have shown interest for the group trip in 2010
 LB items
 Direction of the executive committee

I. Electricity options
A. Does anyone know where I can obtain an itemized format of the $10,000 budget for providing electricity for the clinic?

B. There were some other organizations that I found on-line
 EEF (Switzerland)
 Infra-Consult (Germany)
 Medis (Belgium)
 World Bank
 European Investment Bank
 Solar Energy for Africa http://solarenergyforafrica.com/index.html
 Have done a lot in Uganda already
 Based out of Silver Springs, MD

 Solar Light for Africa http://www.solarlightforafrica.org/
 Based out of Norcross, GA
 A non-profit Christian organization whose mission is to transform lives and empower the people of Africa by providing light and energy using the natural power of the sun
 Established in 1997
 Intention to install approximately 1,000 solar units annually
 Helped provide clean water and electrification to Kakuuto hospital, where the AIDS virus was discovered
 Their site states that $1500 provides 1 complete system for a clinic, school, or public facility
 A 501(c) (3) organization

 Jewish Heart for Africa http://www.jhasol.org/
 A 501 (c) (3) organization
 Provided electricity to a clinic in Uganda for $4300
 Most of their clinic projects cost between $4000-$5000
 Their mission is to bring Israeli solar technology to Africa
 They had a great pic of Africa at night; there is barely any light in DRC (truly the DARK Continent)
 Ambassadors attend their events


C. Some interesting facts about electricity in Africa
 The sun can provide up to 12 hours of light each day
 There is an increase in deforestation because of the other energy sources that are used (i.e. sticks for firewood; coal; paper; etc.)

II. Is there anyone else interested in the Back to Africa trip 2010?
A. So far the people who are on board are:
 Tshilumba Kabongo
 Thierry Tubajika
 Muamba Kabongo
 Nadine Kasongo
 Kalonji Kadima
 Marco Nkashama
 Tania Kasongo

B. I would really like to make this a well-organized trip so the earlier I have a ballpark idea of how many people would like to come along; that would be great

C. I have spoken with one of the leaders that planned the service trip I took to NOLA b/c they also take international service trips; this year they went to Ghana. So she can provide me with further information


D. Also, I will dedicate more time to this later but right now I am on Tubman time at work!

E. So far what I know about dates is this:
 If LB is during the first weekend of July then it will be from Friday: July 2nd to Sunday July 4th.
 Maybe since we will all be in the same city we can depart from there?
 The FIFA dates:
 July 4th & 5th  Rest days
 July 6th & 7th  Semi-finals
 July 8th & 9th  Rest days
 July 10th  Quarter final
 July 11th Final match
 I was thinking that we could depart on the 4th or 5th; it would be cheaper on the 5th since it is not a holiday




III. LB items
A. Key chains
 We are $36 away from making the keychain purchase
 If I do not have the full contribution by the end of this month; I will go ahead and purchase the key chains

B. T-shirts
 I am waiting for Ndaya to send me the re-sized format of the Leopard logo
 Ndelo has asked me about it and he is very excited to get started on them!


IV. Direction of LB executive committee
A. New position proposal
 I think that we should have a secretary
 This person will be responsible for sending out the agenda BEFORE the conference call
 This person must also be dedicated to making each conference call so that they may take attendance and send out meeting minutes to everyone the same day or following day

B. How we can be successful in providing electricity to KMHC
 Utilize each other’s skills
 We have a lot of beautiful minds in this group; with diverse skills. We should take advantage of that and use each person in the field where they are strong
 We need to be in close contact with someone who knows a lot about electrical engineering so that we know exactly what we will need to set up a functioning electric system in the clinic
 We also need to have someone who has experience in proposal writing
 This will be beneficial in possibly getting an electric system with little to no cost for us!

Message From the Executive Committee

Happy Thanksgiving



As we all approach the Thanksgiving, let’s think of those who are not fortunate as we are. Muadi Mukenge had recently made a call for action in her heart rending report. Let’s not forget her challenge. As we share the meals and friendship, there are people of Cibomba Cimuanyi, the internally displaced people that we have adopted to help. Instead of an extra helping of Turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes or pumpkin pie, put a small donation aside to help us complete we started. Send your donation using your credit card on Leja Bulela website.



KHMC Update.
By now, you might have heard the KMHC building structure is completed (recent photos will be posted on our website). There are, however, several finishing touches that remain to be completed; i.e. painting, glass windows, landscaping, and furnishing. Recently our treasurer made another payment toward the balance owed for the work already completed. The following are the breakdown of the expenses on the construction. Initial contracted construction costs were estimatedat $44, 283.56 K. With adjustment of price of materials, the final cost: $54665.32. We have so far raised and paid $33, 243.85. Congratulations!



We owe a balance approximately of $14,881.76 for the completed work. This reflects the high cost of construction materials in Mbuji-Mayi. The executive has requested the contractor, Ingenieur Samy Tshibangu, to stop further work until we are able to pay off what we owe him.



Ingenieur Tshibangu has accepted to be our guest speaker at the next meeting in Dallas in July 2009. We would like to hear from the members any suggestions on how to raise the rest of these funds. Any active member (who has paid his dues) who wishes to get detailed account of LB finances should call directly our treasurer.



Politics of Rapprochement.
The executive committee is planning to adopt as one of its agenda a policy of rapprochement; i.e. it extend olive branch to any past members, foes or friends, to join LB in efforts to complete our mission; i.e. participate in projects that will benefits our people. We need a grass root movement targetingto recruit anyone that believes in “helping LB become aware a great advocacy organization for the plight of people of the Congo; especially those in Cibombio Cimuanyi, in Mbuji-Mayi. I challenge the youth to use technology at hands to start this movement.



Most older people who voted for Obama were influenced by their own kids. LBYAO, here is your chance!



Happy Thanksgiving
The executive committee wishes you happy Thanksgiving celebrations, and we remain committed to support and carry the mission of LB. It needs your support by your timely paying your dues, by recruiting other members to our organization and by your generous contribution to the projects that will serve our people



For the executive committee,



Martin L. Kabongo

Chairman

Muadi Mukenge: What the World Must Know About the Congo

As I watched President-elect Barack Obama deliver his victory speech and lay out his philosophy of leadership, I immediately thought of what is possible around the world. It is my hope that the "Yes We Can"motto that inspired millions of Americans will spread to the Congo and its neighboring countries to stop the atrocities fueled by inhumane leadership and sales of arms by Western nations.

Fresh from a two-week visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, I watch on television the escalation of war, one that has already claimed five million lives since 1998. There is deep despair,especially among women and girls, who have already suffered unspeakable violence.

I am Congolese and have lived in the United States for most of my life. As the head of the Africa program at the Global Fund for Women,I help support women's groups in Africa working on development and advancing human rights. But Congo's human rights have been violated for too long and the weak international response makes us wonder whether our lives matter.

Congo's violence will end when the countries rushing to send humanitarian aid after millions of innocent lives have been massacred stop sending and selling weapons to rebel movements in the Congo.Congo's violence will end when African leaders, elected or imposed,stop using these weapons on innocent civilians. Congo's violence will end when the international community refuses to roll out the red carpet to a rebel movement that claims to protect a Tutsi minority in Congo. This rebel army, rather than engaging directly with the Interhamwe that escaped into Congo after committing the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, takes the easier route of terrorizing Congolese civilians that have nothing to do with the Interhamwe. The international community, guilty for just standing by during the Rwandan genocide,continues to be hoodwinked by Rwanda as it arms this rebel movement in neighboring Congo and fuels another genocide.

It is not coincidental that rebel forces armed with sophisticated weapons are in regions where minerals are most abundant. The country has been plundered for more than 100 years by explorers, colonial governments, multinational corporations from every continent, African opportunists, and a small circle of Congolese. Sadly, profits from armed conflict and the exploitation of natural resources in the Congo are more alluring than any human rights agenda. Meanwhile the majority of 66 million Congolese don't have access to food, sanitation,education, transportation, sustainable livelihoods, or justice.Another major problem Congolese face is the U.N.'s slow response to protect them from armed groups. Thousands of Congolese have organized many demonstrations throughout the Congo against the UN Mission for their apparent inaction. When will we see bold action to protect Congolese people, especially women?

I have visited diamond mines and witnessed the slave-like working conditions and the context under which sexual abuse takes place. On the drive, we passed lines of people making the long trek to try their luck to dig for diamonds by hand. We passed rows of densely-packed,dilapidated wooden structures that double as diamond selling counters,homes, and fast-food eateries. We finally arrived at the deep excavations where hundreds of people dig by hand through the silt water working to find a speckle of hope. Women do most of the digging then the sifting is left to the men to find the nuggets to sell. The girls selling food there make about 20 cents a day, and sexual exploitation and trafficking of minors is rampant. There are terms to refer to girls aged 6-8 or 9-15. You can make an order just as easily as you can at McDonald's.

When I think of the women and girls who told us their horrifying experiences of sexual torture, I keep thinking of the modern weapons that make this torture possible, and the origins of these weapons.They are not made in Congo.

I am often asked what can be done to help the Congo. I let them know about the efforts undertaken by women's rights NGOs that are trying to rebuild their country. But these efforts will remain an uphill task as long as Western governments send arms deliveries to the rebel movements and the governments that support them. These efforts will remain in vain as long as the media courts armed rebel leaders that terrorize the people. No change will be made when there is no political will to respect past peace talks and accords. The Congolese people are waiting for a time when we will see action instead of empty proclamations. We know that 5 million deaths constitute a genocide; we are waiting for the rest of the world to agree and act with us.

Conference Call #16

Sunday, November 16, 2008, 5pm PST
56 minutes

Callers:
Southwest Chair- Marco Nkashama
East Coast Chair- Tania Kasongo
West Coast Chair- Kono Kadima
Chief of Staff- Muamba Kabongo
Communications Chair- Tshilumba Kabongo
LB YAO Chair- Thierry Tubajika

Summary:
Participation
Marco's Internet initiative
2010 Trip to the Continent
New Year's Newsletter Roll out

GOMA, Congo (Reuters) – Congolese rebel chief Laurent Nkunda said on Monday he would fight African peacekeeping troops if they attacked him, as concerns grew that east Congo's conflict could suck in neighboring armies.

Leaders from Africa's southern and Great Lakes regions have offered to send troops to try to help pacify east Democratic Republic of Congo, where fighting between Nkunda's Tutsi rebels and the army has uprooted hundreds of thousands of people.

Aid agencies in Congo's North Kivu province are struggling to provide shelter, food and medical care for more than 200,000 refugees around the provincial capital Goma, but say tens of thousands more are cut off in the bush. They warn of the risk of cholera and measles epidemics in the camps.
DRC troops at a checkpoint (picture to the right)

African and Western governments are worried the recent upsurge in fighting in North Kivu, which borders Rwanda and Uganda, risks drawing in Congo's neighbors as occurred during a previous 1998-2003 war. That war involved six African armies and the conflict and its aftermath killed several million people.

Countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said after a regional summit in South Africa on Sunday the group would send military advisers to help the government of Congolese President Joseph Kabila.

SADC would send a peacekeeping force to east Congo "if and when necessary," its executive secretary Tomaz Salamao said.

Nkunda, whose Tutsi fighters are battling Congo government soldiers (FARDC) and their Rwandan Hutu rebel (FDLR) and Mai-Mai militia allies, said he would welcome African peacekeepers if they came as an impartial force to stabilize North Kivu.

But, speaking to Reuters by telephone from eastern Congo, he added: "If they come in and fight alongside the FARDC and the FDLR ... they will share the same shame as the DRC government.."

"If SADC engages like this, they will have made a mistake ... I am ready to fight them," Nkunda said.

Some military experts expressed doubts about how quickly a SADC security force could be dispatched to east Congo and how effective it would be against Nkunda's battle-hardened guerrilla army of 4,000, and against other marauding armed factions.

"This is good rhetoric, but I'm not sure it will happen," said Henri Boshoff, a military analyst for the Institute for Security Studies in Johannesburg, told Reuters.

Nkunda's Rebels (picture below)

The United Nations, which already has its largest peacekeeping force in the world, 17,000 strong, in Congo, is seeking up to 3,000 extra troops to reinforce its operations there. It says its existing force is thinly stretched across a country the size of Western Europe where armed groups abound.

It was not immediately clear whether the proposed African peacekeepers would operate under the U.N. mandate or separately.

ROOTS IN RWANDAN GENOCIDE

The North Kivu conflict traces its origins back to Rwanda's 1994 genocide of Tutsis by Hutus which helped trigger the 1998-2003 Congo war. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing Nkunda, who says he is defending Congolese Tutsis from attacks by FDLR Rwandan Hutu rebels he says fight with the Congolese army.

Rwanda, which has twice invaded Congo before, officially to fight Hutu rebels there, denies this and in turn accuses the Congolese government of not acting to disarm the Hutu rebels.

Analysts say that to avert the risk of a wider regional war, world and regional powers need to exert firm pressure on both Congo and Rwanda to demobilize the rival rebel groups.

"The international community has already invested billions of dollars to build and maintain peace in the Congo. To not invest hugely in diplomatic terms right now would risk it all," Francois Grignon and Fabienne Hara, Africa program director and vice president of International Crisis Group, wrote recently.

African Great Lakes leaders, including Rwandan President Paul Kagame, called at a summit in Nairobi on Friday for a ceasefire and a political settlement in North Kivu, but said they could also send peacekeepers if required.

Commenting on SADC's offer of troops, Rwandan Foreign Minister Rosemary Museminali said: "There should be a ceasefire and a political solution."

European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday also called for a political settlement.

Congo's government has asked neighbor Angola, which backed it during the 1998-2003 war, for help. The appearance in North Kivu of Portuguese-speaking soldiers on the government side has fueled speculation Angola may have already sent troops. But Angola's Foreign Ministry denied this.

(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/)

(Additional reporting by David Lewis in Nairobi, Jack Kimball in Kigali, Henrique Almeida in Luanda, Ingrid Melander in Brussels; Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)