Artist and Activist Laurie Green Brings Awareness of Rape in the Congo
Jacksonville, FL, May 27, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo A decade of war. Five million people dead. And the most horrific statistic of all; 200,000 women and girls gang-raped as an instrument of war.
Why would hundreds turn out on a brilliantly sunny Saturday afternoon to watch a film filled with such brutality?
The appearance of artist and activist Laurie Green likely helped. Green was on hand with John Prendergast of the Enough Project, an organization committed to ending genocide and crimes against humanity in Africa. Enough has tackled war, violence and genocide in the Sudan, Chad, Zimbabwe and now the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the focus of this film. After an introduction by Mark Fishkin, Executive Director of the Mill Valley Film Festival, Prendergast spoke-
"It's so immense this subject, the enormity of scale and scope of the human suffering in Congo."
He went on to say that the conflict in the Congo has been the most deadly since the holocaust with 5 million lives lost in a decade.
At the heart of violence in Congo is the multi-million dollar business of precious metals. We're not talking gold or silver but of tin, tantalum and tungsten. These "three T's" are some of the necessary components in our arsenal of everyday electronic gadgets including cell phones, laptops, digital cameras and digital music players. The mining of these metals bring big bucks and a huge black market both within Congo and in the surrounding countries.
That black market trade has created a decade-long war between the competing groups, which has ensnared the women of Congo in a seemingly endless cycle of rape and sexual violence that threatens to destroy generations of families.
"Rape and sexual assault is being perfected in the Congo, as a tool of war," according to Prendergast.
When asked why she got involved, Green said-
"There are so many causes we can be passionate about... but this one we are all inadvertently responsible for funding this war (by buying electronics). I was inspired by hope." Green is graduate of the Florida Coastal School of Law, and a Policy and Research Associate for the Congolese Observatory for Human Rights.
Director Lisa Jackson (Getty Images) Rape In The Congo was created by film maker Lisa Jackson who produced, wrote, shot and edited the film which was partly inspired by her own gang rape while she lived in Washington DC.
Jackson traveled into the Congo and filmed and interviewed the female rape victims and even some of the rapists themselves.
The film is harrowing.
A lake in the Congo The Congo, it turns out, is a visually beautiful place; lots of trees, water, mountains. But the beautiful countryside belies an internal war zone where gangs of soldier-rapists act with impunity. Jackson treks deep into the countryside under the protective guard of a United Nations peacekeeper unit, and when she interviews the victims, you know why.
Congo rape victim
The victims are old, young, beautiful and not. Nearly all of them have several children, many as a result of the rapes. Thirty percent of them have become infected with HIV. Most of the victims suffer horrific injuries as a result of forced penetration of guns, sticks and other objects. Many cannot urinate normally and their wombs are often permanently damaged.
Soldier-rebels in the Congo
The soldiers descend upon the villages and often kill the men and kidnap the women. Often, the husbands then reject the women after they have been raped. In the Congo, it is considered a dishonor to be raped. Jackson also interviews one local physician who is burdened with the task of treating the thousands of women who stream into his hospital.
The rebel-rapists who agreed to be interviewed by Jackson, are chilling. They detail reasons why they rape; they are alone, they need to have sex. One group believes they will perform better in battle if they take women by force. These are the Congolese rapists. The ones from outside the borders are even worse.
Congo women
In an effort to eradicate and scare off villagers from the area surrounding the valuable mines, rebels from Rwanda will rape and then mutilate their victims so that they can't bear children. As Prendergrast said, they have perfected rape and sexual assault as a tool of war.
After the film, Green and Prendergast answered questions and spoke generally about efforts to involve the community in this huge, but still relatively unknown cause. In an emotional Jackie, a woman from the Congo and Laurie Green moment, Jackie, a woman from Congo joined them onstage. She tried to address the crowd but could not finish, and broke down.
When someone in the crowd asked how they could help the cause, Prendergast offered a list of suggestions ranged from contacting politicians to asking electronic makers where they buy their component materials to hosting film parties to watch the documentary and bring awareness.
At the end, Green said simply-
"I think it's our duty to do something."
###
The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo won a Special Jury Prize for Documentary at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Why would hundreds turn out on a brilliantly sunny Saturday afternoon to watch a film filled with such brutality?
The appearance of artist and activist Laurie Green likely helped. Green was on hand with John Prendergast of the Enough Project, an organization committed to ending genocide and crimes against humanity in Africa. Enough has tackled war, violence and genocide in the Sudan, Chad, Zimbabwe and now the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the focus of this film. After an introduction by Mark Fishkin, Executive Director of the Mill Valley Film Festival, Prendergast spoke-
"It's so immense this subject, the enormity of scale and scope of the human suffering in Congo."
He went on to say that the conflict in the Congo has been the most deadly since the holocaust with 5 million lives lost in a decade.
At the heart of violence in Congo is the multi-million dollar business of precious metals. We're not talking gold or silver but of tin, tantalum and tungsten. These "three T's" are some of the necessary components in our arsenal of everyday electronic gadgets including cell phones, laptops, digital cameras and digital music players. The mining of these metals bring big bucks and a huge black market both within Congo and in the surrounding countries.
That black market trade has created a decade-long war between the competing groups, which has ensnared the women of Congo in a seemingly endless cycle of rape and sexual violence that threatens to destroy generations of families.
"Rape and sexual assault is being perfected in the Congo, as a tool of war," according to Prendergast.
When asked why she got involved, Green said-
"There are so many causes we can be passionate about... but this one we are all inadvertently responsible for funding this war (by buying electronics). I was inspired by hope." Green is graduate of the Florida Coastal School of Law, and a Policy and Research Associate for the Congolese Observatory for Human Rights.
Director Lisa Jackson (Getty Images) Rape In The Congo was created by film maker Lisa Jackson who produced, wrote, shot and edited the film which was partly inspired by her own gang rape while she lived in Washington DC.
Jackson traveled into the Congo and filmed and interviewed the female rape victims and even some of the rapists themselves.
The film is harrowing.
A lake in the Congo The Congo, it turns out, is a visually beautiful place; lots of trees, water, mountains. But the beautiful countryside belies an internal war zone where gangs of soldier-rapists act with impunity. Jackson treks deep into the countryside under the protective guard of a United Nations peacekeeper unit, and when she interviews the victims, you know why.
Congo rape victim
The victims are old, young, beautiful and not. Nearly all of them have several children, many as a result of the rapes. Thirty percent of them have become infected with HIV. Most of the victims suffer horrific injuries as a result of forced penetration of guns, sticks and other objects. Many cannot urinate normally and their wombs are often permanently damaged.
Soldier-rebels in the Congo
The soldiers descend upon the villages and often kill the men and kidnap the women. Often, the husbands then reject the women after they have been raped. In the Congo, it is considered a dishonor to be raped. Jackson also interviews one local physician who is burdened with the task of treating the thousands of women who stream into his hospital.
The rebel-rapists who agreed to be interviewed by Jackson, are chilling. They detail reasons why they rape; they are alone, they need to have sex. One group believes they will perform better in battle if they take women by force. These are the Congolese rapists. The ones from outside the borders are even worse.
Congo women
In an effort to eradicate and scare off villagers from the area surrounding the valuable mines, rebels from Rwanda will rape and then mutilate their victims so that they can't bear children. As Prendergrast said, they have perfected rape and sexual assault as a tool of war.
After the film, Green and Prendergast answered questions and spoke generally about efforts to involve the community in this huge, but still relatively unknown cause. In an emotional Jackie, a woman from the Congo and Laurie Green moment, Jackie, a woman from Congo joined them onstage. She tried to address the crowd but could not finish, and broke down.
When someone in the crowd asked how they could help the cause, Prendergast offered a list of suggestions ranged from contacting politicians to asking electronic makers where they buy their component materials to hosting film parties to watch the documentary and bring awareness.
At the end, Green said simply-
"I think it's our duty to do something."
###
The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo won a Special Jury Prize for Documentary at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
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