V-Day Congo Director on Meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

		Update from V-Day Congo Director Christine Schuler Deschryver on Meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton V-Day Congo Director and acclaimed women's rights activist Christine Schuler Deschryver met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday, August 11 in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Among those also in the meeting were Dr. Denis Mukwege, Founder of the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu and the V-Men's movement, and Chouchou Namegabe of AFEM Women's Media Association. Mrs. Clinton's trip to Congo was reported as extraordinary for a Secretary of State as she brought a sharp focus to the ongoing sexual atrocities against women in the DRC, as well as worldwide attention. We applaud Mrs. Clinton and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer for their commitment to the women and girls of the DRC, and thank them for hearing our call. Following is Christine's update from the meeting: Hope among atrocities On Monday, Dr. Mukwege (Founder of the Panzi hospital), Chouchou Namegabe (AFEM - Women's Media Association) and I took the boat for a 3 hour ride across the lake from Bukavu to Goma to take part in a panel on sexual gender violence in the DRC with U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton....it's now the dry season here but it doesn't change anything on the beauty of our Kivu. When we arrived in Goma, we didn't have time to check in at the hotel and went straight to Heal Africa hospital to prepare for the visit of Mrs. Clinton and try to put together with all our colleagues from north Kivu the best methodology to convey our messages in a short period of time, lots of discussions but at the end we distributed the role to everyone...after leaving the meeting we were all very down and started to wonder what we were doing there, wondered if she will listen to us, wonder if it will just be another visit like we already had thousands of, with only "beautiful speeches" and promises. After a good family meal at Ester Ntoto's house (one of our amazing V-DAY activists based in Goma), we felt a little better and decided to go and rest. On Wednesday, we met again (Dr. Mukwege, Chouchou, Ester and I) to prepare our discussion and to finalize the memo with our recommendations. Mrs. Clinton arrived a little later than expected and greeted all of us very warmly before going on a talk with two survivors. She said in an interview how overwhelmed she was about what she saw and heard and couldn't find words to describe the level of suffering and atrocities. In the panel, there were 7 of us, mostly V-DAY activists, and all over the walls were our big campaign posters - STOP RAPING OUR GREATEST RESOURCE: POWER TO THE WOMEN AND GIRLS OF DRC. Before we started with the discussion, Secretary of State Clinton announced publicly that the U.S. Government will provide a $17 million plan to fight sexual violence in DRC. This money will be used to train doctors, supply rape survivors with mobile phones and cameras to document violence, to train a special police force essentially with female police officers to fight the violence against women, etc.... We were of course very happy. She then listened attentively to each one of us and many times I saw tears in her eyes, I didn't really feel I had the Secretary of State next to me but we all had the feeling we were just between women, she was so humble, so human, so sensitive, she paid so much attention that I sometimes felt she was swallowing our words, for the first time since a decade hope was permitted among all the atrocities... In our recommendations, we have asked for the following: To help DRC to control and regulate trade of natural resources (the main cause of the war) To help end the impunity of criminals and prosecute offenders in the Congolese Military To call upon neighboring countries to find a political solution with their citizens (militias and other who still live in DRC) To help DRC to have a good police force (essentially of women) and army Mrs. Clinton said that she doesn't have a magic wand but in spite of this we absolutely have to work together to ensure the meeting results in real change and that she delivers. Like she said, "I hope that we will see the changes from within and outside that will lead to the end of these problems so that our children will not even know what we were talking about." READ The New York Times coverage of Clinton's visit to Goma - "Clinton Presents Plan to Fight Sexual Violence in Congo" LISTEN to Christine's Interview with Democracy Now on the meeting with Clinton READ the transcript of the meeting > For more information on V-Day's global campaign STOP RAPING OUR GREATEST RESOURCE: Power To The Women and Girls of the Democratic Republic of Congo, please visit vday.org/drc. DONATE to Stop Raping Our Greatest Resource: Power to Women and Girls in Democratic Republic of Congo > Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. Tell-a-friend! If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for V-Day.
Posted by, Jerin Alam National NOW Young Feminist Task Force NOW-NYS Young Feminist Task Force Chair National Organization for Women (NOW)

New V-Moment: Voices of Grassroots Congolese Women on the Crisis in the DRC

		NEW V-MOMENT: Voices of Grassroots Congolese Women on the Crisis in the DRC V-Day's latest V-Moment comes to us from eight Congolese women who are working every day to end violence against women and girls in the DRC. We are honored to have Jeanine Gabrielle Ngungu, Justine Masika Bihamb, Kongosi Onia Mussanzi, Chantal Moboni, Drocele Mugomoka, Nounou Booto Meeti, Lydia Masimango and Kenneth Enim Ampi share their words of strength and determination with us. Continue reading > For more information on V-Day's global campaign STOP RAPING OUR GREATEST RESOURCE: Power To The Women and Girls of the Democratic Republic of Congo, please visit www.vday.org/drc. DONATE to Stop Raping Our Greatest Resource: Power to Women and Girls in Democratic Republic of Congo > V-Victory in Nairobi! V-Day is pleased to be supporting Dolphin Anti-Rape and AIDS Control Outreach, a non-profit organization that delivers life-saving sexual violence prevention education in Nairobi, Kenya. This week, we received an exciting update from Co-Founders and Directors Winnie Anyango and Duncan Bomba Omwani Papa Omundu Umundu about a victory - one that would not have been possible without the dedication of the Dolphin team, and the support of V-Day activists worldwide. We are very glad to update you on the new developments of the campaign. We got a very encouraging report from one of the schools in Nairobi known as Mutuini Education Centre which we visited in the year 2007 from a 15 year old girl,she was kidnapped by 3 men then thrown into a waiting car and sandwiched between 2 men in the back seat and driven to an unknown place to rape her, but on the way they stopped at a shopping centre to buy something and at that time the girl immediately remembered the skills we had taught her and then used the eye pokes against the one who was opening the door to get out and she grabbed the Adams Apple of other one who had remained in car using two fingers only and jumped out of the car screaming and sensing danger the 3 men drove away quickly leaving her safe and free from that imminent danger. It is not easy to believe this but it actually happened and triumphed against the evil of rape.We are aware there could be very many young girls and women who have saved themselves using these skills. Thank you once more for the continued support and collaboration. Yours faithfully and with love always, Winnie and Duncan Dolphin Anti-Rape and AIDS Control Outreach http://ga4.org/ct/i1evMKM1SE_f/dolphin V-Day 2010 College and Community Campaign Launch -- Update Registration to organize a V-Day benefit event in 2010 will open in September. The official launch date of the 2010 online application will be announced via V-Mail and on vday.org in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned! Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. Tell-a-friend! If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for V-Day.
Posted by: Jerin Alam National NOW Young Feminist Task Force National Organization for Women (NOW)

Yet Another Proof that RAPE is about power, not sex

The New York Times reports:
August 5, 2009

Symbol of Unhealed Congo: Male Rape Victims
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

An excerpt:

For years, the thickly forested hills and clear, deep lakes of eastern Congo have been a reservoir of atrocities. Now, it seems, there is another growing problem: men raping men.

According to Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, United Nations officials and several Congolese aid organizations, the number of men who have been raped has risen sharply in recent months, a consequence of joint Congo-Rwanda military operations against rebels that have uncapped an appalling level of violence against civilians.

Aid workers struggle to explain the sudden spike in male rape cases. The best answer, they say, is that the sexual violence against men is yet another way for armed groups to humiliate and demoralize Congolese communities into submission.

The United Nations already considers eastern Congo the rape capital of the world, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to hear from survivors on her visit to the country next week. Hundreds of thousands of women have been sexually assaulted by the various warring militias haunting these hills, and right now this area is going through one of its bloodiest periods in years.

Posted by:
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
National Organization for Women (NOW)