Navigating KIVU – September 24th!
Democratic Republic of Congo:
Social Fabric on the Brink of Collapse?
Featuring
Amisi Musada Emérite, tech entrepreneur, journalist and human rights defender – https://www.sossecours.com/
joined live online by
Grâce Ngbilima, lead of the Goma-based women’s led organisation, Resilience House – https://resilienceh.org/
Bahati Rubango, country coordinator of the Women’s International Peace Centre (WIPC) in the DRC – https://wipc.org/
Guest moderated by Valerie Viban, Policy Advisor -Decoloniality and Antiracism (Referent für Dekolonialisierungsarbeit) at Brot für die Welt.
Named after Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Kivu region borders Rwanda and Burundi. Rich in minerals and natural resources, the region has endured decades of armed conflict involving rebel movements, self-defense groups, and government forces from neighboring countries. Since January 2024, the M23 rebel movement has occupied parts of Kivu.
The conflict has contributed to a profound socio-economic and humanitarian crisis affecting more than 15 million people, with widespread displacement, weakened social structures, and severe violations of human rights. Journalists, witnesses, and others documenting the violence may face threats, while recurring Ebola outbreaks have further compounded the region’s suffering. Investigations have also highlighted the role of global demand for minerals such as coltan, essential to modern telecommunications.
Against this backdrop, crucial questions remain: What hope exists for Kivu’s future? Can social cohesion and resilience be rebuilt? What is daily life like for people enduring this crisis, and why has their suffering received so little international attention?
Amisi Musada will be joined live by Grâce Ngbilima, coordinator of the organization Resilience House, based in Goma, Eastern DRC, who will provide insight on the struggle for basic human rights following 19 months of rebel occupation. Human rights defender Bahati Rubango, Country Coordinator of the Women’s International Peace Centre (WIPC) will join from Kinshasa, DRC, to illustrate the dialogue and involvement of women and young people in the DRC’s complex process in search of peace.
Amisi Musada Emérite is a scholar of the Elisabeth-Siebert-Initiative (ESI) for human rights defenders through means of the IfA – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen
The event will be held primarily in French, with translated English and German moderation
L’événement se déroule principalement en français, avec une animation traduite en anglais et en allemand.
Die Veranstaltung findet überwiegend auf Französisch statt, wobei die Moderation ins Englische und Deutsche übersetzt wird.