From Reuters:
An industry program to revive legal mining in eastern Congo after a crackdown on conflict minerals will produce its first refined tin by the end of March…
The initiative certifies that the tin ore is conflict-free to ensure it does not fall foul of the law, which requires U.S. companies to ensure their supply does not come from areas controlled by armed groups or corrupt soldiers.
Leave a Comment » | 
Africa | 
Permalink
Posted by Patricia Kisare
Melissa Engle/MCC
In advance of President Obama’s release of budget requests for the 2014 financial year,we ask you to sign a petition calling him to preserve funding for HIV/AIDS programs. We have 30 days to collect 100,000 signatures to garner response from the White House, so please take a moment to SIGN THE PETITION!
Leave a Comment » | Africa, Global Economic Justice, Health Care, HIV/AIDS | Permalink
Posted by Patricia Kisare
Patricia Kisare writes about the ongoing search for stability in Sudan and South Sudan in the latest Mennonite World Review.
Sudan and South Sudan have a long history of mistrust from decades of war, making peace education critical. As we read in Scripture, God wants us to live peacefully with one another. In Romans 12, we are taught to forgive, reconcile and “live peaceably with all.”
In recognition of the need for peace education, Mennonite Central Committee Sudan staff work with local partners to train community members in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Through the Sudan Council of Churches, MCC supports community peace committees in Opari and nine other communities in Sudan and South Sudan.
Read the entire article here.
Leave a Comment » | Africa | Tagged: mennonite world review, MWR, South Sudan, Sudan | Permalink
Posted by Jesse Epp-Fransen
Patricia Kisare reflects on U.S. military presence in Africa for PeaceSigns:
U.S. military presence in Africa is harmful. For one, it sends the wrong message to the young African countries that military valor is the only way to achieve peace. This is especially damaging to the communities with high levels of armed violence, places in much need of peaceful conflict resolution.
Leave a Comment » | Africa, Articles, Militarism | Permalink
Posted by Patricia Kisare
courtesy of World Atlas
The U.S. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to approve regulations requiring U.S. companies to disclose whether their products were made using conflict minerals sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The law was part of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in 2010.
Unfortunately, the final ruling gives companies two years to implement the adopted regulations, delaying once again, the intent of the law, which is to abate violence caused by armed groups who support their vicious activities by selling minerals from eastern Congo mines.
Leave a Comment » | Africa, Legislative Updates | Permalink
Posted by Patricia Kisare
Middle Eastern kings and princes are about to force up to 48,000 people in Tanzania from their land to make way for corporate-sponsored big game hunting. But Tanzanian President Kikwete has shown before that he will stop deals like this when they generate negative press coverage. Click to deliver a media blitz that will push President Kikwete to stop the landgrab and save these Maasai.
For More Information:
The Guardian: “Tourism is a curse to us”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/06/masai-tribesman-tanzania-tourism
News Internationalist Magazine: “Hunted down”
http://www.newint.org/columns/currents/2009/12/01/tanzania/
Society for Threatened People: Briefing on the eviction of the Loliondo Maasai
http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/session12/TZ/STP-SocietyThreatenedPeople-eng.pdf
Voices of Loliondo: Short film from Loliondo on impact of eviction on Maasai
FEMACT: Report by 16 human rights investigators & media on violence in Loliondo
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/58956/print
Leave a Comment » | Africa, Global Economic Justice, News Stories, Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Patricia Kisare
A recent U.N. report confirms observations reported by many Congolese for years–that Rwanda has and continue to support groups stirring conflict in eastern Congo.
According to the report, dated this month, rebel soldiers who have defected told United Nations officials that they were Rwandans who had been sent across the border to fight in a mutiny in eastern Congo that has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. By New York Times.
Leave a Comment » | Africa, News Stories | Permalink
Posted by Patricia Kisare
You are currently browsing the archives for the Africa category.
