A little history on the birth of Congo Initaitive

Congo Initiative is a start-up organization seeking to bring healing and authentic hope to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation devastated by war and by a legacy of exploitation and corruption.
In 2002, at the height the conflict, recently termed “Africa’s First World War”, Congolese theologian Dr. David Kasali (then President of the prestigious Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology), returned to his homeland and gathered together twelve key leaders, men and women representing churches, businesses and civil society, to pray, reflect, and ask two grounding questions: “What has gone wrong?” and “What must we do in response?”
Out of this gathering emerged what can only be described as radical hope—their powerful and compelling vision for Congo Initiative. CI is the outcome of prayer, careful analysis, and consensus of dedicated Christian leaders that will bring hope and healing to that devastated and fragmented country. CI’s vision is in partnership to train and develop strong, indigenous Christian leaders to transform their communities and their nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Congo Initiative has since begun to take shape. The founding project is the Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC- The Bilingual Christian University of Congo). UCBC will be a University that seamlessly integrates academic and service learning, instilling in students an ethic of servant-leadership. It will give students a holistic education that engages their whole person, feeding their minds and transforming their hearts. Most importantly, it will to provide an education that will compel students to continue engaging the challenges in their communities, and to actively seek healing for their nation in whatever professional capacity they engage.
UCBC will offer a variety of degree programs but the University will also serve the wider community through its five Centers: the Center for Holistic Family Development, the Center for Community Arts, the Center for Professional Development, the Center for Church Development and Partnership and the Center for Community Development. These centers will offer, among others: arts programs, seeking the rediscovery of identity and values; health programs that focus on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention; Church programs that equip religious and lay leaders to serve their communities; and business ethics programs that will seek to instill a sense of responsibility, beyond personal profit, for the land and the wider society.

President Bush to Meet with Congolese President Kabila

White House News

President Bush will welcome President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the White House on October 26, 2007. The President and President Kabila will discuss the successes of the newly elected Kabila Government after last year's landmark elections, and the remaining challenges to a secure and prosperous Congo. The two leaders also will discuss ways to further increase bilateral cooperation on security sector reform and economic reconstruction in eastern Congo.

The seasons are changing....

As of last Thursday, I am officially on staff with the Congo Initiative (CI)!
I am still with United World Mission and for lack of better terms...on loan to CI for a temporary assignment of up to twelve months. My title with CI is Resource Development/ Congo Initiative. I will be building on partnerships that exist,create new partnerships and look for funding through grants and foundations.






My role in Senegal will change to being more of a resource development person than being a partnership coordinator.
We are very excited to be part of the CI staff and continue our efforts in Senegal working with the indigenous ministry there and working on this water project that has grown legs over the last six to eight weeks.
Living Water and International Children's Fund look to join hands in coming up with a sustainable water program in Senegal and we hope in other parts of Africa in years to come.
My friend, Dave Colwin, and I have been praying and envisioning what this could look like...and now seeing some of it come to light is an answer to prayer.
As for the Congo initiative, the video below is a great piece that I stumbled on...and it talks about the rebuilding of Congo. This is exactly what CI is all about.
In the weeks to come , I will break down what CI's vision, mission, and values are. When you read and hear these...remember this video...as it will be a faith based response to the atrocities that have been going on in DR Congo for years.

Recovering from War-A short film on the DR Congo

DR Congo Key facts

BBC
HISTORY
The Democratic Republic of Congo has endured political and social turmoil since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960.

International observers hope the July elections will bring the first fully democratic vote in more than 40 years.

Post-independence turmoil saw the rise of Colonel Mobutu Sese Seko who seized, and held onto, power for 32 years until he was deposed by Laurent Kabila's rebellion in 1997.

The 1998 insurrection by rebels linked to Rwanda and Uganda triggered a war involving six other nations.

The UN accused warring sides of prolonging the conflict as they looted natural resources.

GEOGRAPHY



DR Congo is at the heart of the equatorial region of Sub-Saharan Africa and includes 47% of the continent's forest.

The Congo River and its tributaries form an economic lifeline due to the lack of decent roads.

The vast country has huge deposits of diamonds, copper and coltan - important in the production of high-tech goods - and its forests are home to rare species.

Five national parks are listed by Unesco as World Heritage in Danger because of threats from conflict and mining.

The parks' wildlife includes mountain gorillas, savannah giraffe and rare white rhino.

PEOPLE

The population of 56 million is split into many ethnic groups.

It is also divided by at least 210 languages - but mainly French, Lingala, Kiswahili, Kikongo and Tshiluba.



The human toll of the fighting - often called Africa's 'First World War' - has been catastrophic, with more than four million dead since 1998.
Around 1,200 people die each day as a direct or indirect result of the conflict - more than half of them children.

Many have suffered horrific abuse, including rape and sexual slavery by armed groups, which has contributed to the advance of HIV/Aids.


ECONOMICS


DR Congo's economy has been stifled by years of conflict and corruption. But mineral reserves mean it has potential to be a wealthy country.

The $870m diamond industry provides work for around one million people, but many diggers earn less than $1 a day in dangerous conditions.

Between 1999 and 2001, DR Congo enjoyed a brief coltan boom, becoming the second largest producer of tantalum - used in mobile phones.

War has disrupted farming as well as trade and the country lacks infrastructure to provide adequate food, clean water, healthcare and education.

It is hoped the elections will create an environment for greater foreign investment and a more organized exploitation of resources.

Update in Congo

The first phase for the Congo Initiative (CI) is to provide a bilingual learning center. Here's a report and some photo's to give it a better perspective.

SCHOOL BUILDING ROOF

The carpenters are going on with the roofing work. Within two to three weeks
they might be done with it. Maybe, it might be slightly delayed by the work
of iron sheets. But all in all, the teams plan to finish before the end of
September. This afternoon we are getting the iron sheets for the roof from
Butembo. We are grateful for the way the Lord has led in the purchase of
this material which was one of the priorities for early September. P
FILLING THE FOUNDATION

In fact, every Tuesday and Saturday the Mabakanga youth come to work on the
site filling the foundation with dirt. They are about to finish the dirt
that was removed from the big septic pit that was dug a couple of weeks
back.
DIGGING THE DIRT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING

A team of young people have started digging the soil on the North side of
the building. This work was to be done by the ENRA machine which is not
available. Contacts were also made at 'Office de Route' to get their machine
which is at Kamango. However, in the meantime it has been decided that some
young people will start digging the soil to buy time.
KAMBALE MBAYOS
Kambale MBAYOS, is the Chief Carpenter. Mbayos says he did Carpentery at High
School for Four Years. Few months back he worked for SinoHydro, a Chinese
company that is fixing roads in the Beni/Oicha area.
Mbayos believes that UCBC will be the best university of the area, not only
because it will have very nice classrooms and buildings but also because it
will train people who will be model Christians. "I cannot send my children
to study to America. It's too far and beyond my capacity", says Mbayos, but
I think my children will study at this school and they will envy nothing
from those who will study in America or elsewhere. And to tell the truth,
they will be proud that their father contributed to the building of this
school".
Mbayos is a hard worker and a good team leader. "Next Saturday", he says,
"come and you will find that we have finished the front part on the North
side".

Update on Medical Shipment

It arrived!
And just in time. I spoke with the hospital a week or so ago and they stated this container could not have come at a better time. It's malaria season and their medical supplies were getting low.
Thanks again to Dr. David Brueening and every one at International Children's Fund for the shipment of this medicine! It had a US value of over five million dollars!
God's timing again was perfect...eh?

Clean Water?

The last month or so has been so interesting. With my joining of Congo Initiative and the beginning of something special with clean water.
A friend of mine, Dave Colwin, who has traveled to Senegal about four times, Don Wick, and Dr. David Brueening, founder of International Children's Fund, and I have collaborated and reaching Senegal with a clean water program.
As we have many specifics to work out. I can hardly contain myself to shout hallelujah!
The main thing is, we believe that God is in this. God has opened doors so fast in the past few months that we have hardly time to get thru em!
While I won't get into to many specifics right now, here's a few things that I can share.
One is that Living Water Int. has agreed to act as a consultant for no fee and help guide us in the process. Their knowledge in this arena in second to none and what we are discovering is that they are a strong faith based organization. Dave C. has also been consulting with a gentleman from the Baptist General Conference who spent fourteen years in Cameroon doing clean water projects. His philosophy , I believe lines up with our thinking very well. Sustainable, community involvement and a very simple approach to clean water.
Would you join us in prayer involving this?
1- Pray that we seek God first
2- Pray for the team to take shape and work well with each other. This could be a multiple partnership including Living Water, International children's Fund, United world Mission and the local NGO in Senegal
3- Pray for the vision to take shape and become reality

I'll keep you posted on this development. It could mean clean water for thousands of rural Senegalese.

An Afternoon in the Village

While the noon day sun starts to really heat up...people in the village start to slow down. Woman are busy cooking the biggest meal of the day and the men are most likely sitting under a shade tree talking about 'important matters'.
Reality says that women in the village work never ends...and the men during the dry season at least have a light workload.

My afternoons in the village are very low key. After a morning doing things in the cooler air, it's time to sit under the shade tree as well. The meal is normally served around two pm. This is the largest meal of the day. A typical meal in the village is either rice or millet based. With rice, this can be a few scattered vegetables or a piece of beef or a bony fish. I enjoy watching the woman cooking food in the village. It still amazes me that they can cook rice over a open fire and it turns out perfect every time. The men will sit around a common bowl first.The woman and children will eat in different area normally.

The meal is eaten with your right hand. Each person has a section of food in the bowl that is rightfully theirs. In the middle of the bowl, it called the common ground. If you do not care for a vegetable in your section , you can flip it in the middle. If you would like to eat some of the meat in the middle, you break off a part and flip into your section. This meal is a very important part of village life. It brings the family and any guest together for conversation and stories.
I am offered a spoon , as any white visitor is. I always except. I am not sure I can eat with my hands yet. A couple of reasons, I guess. One, is that I have had travelers diarrhea...and well let me say this...in the village it is not the time to be sick....secondly,it's rather gross :)
After lunch, it really slows down...it's time to keep cool in the hottest part of the day and time to fire up the teapot.

This is a time of relationship building and enjoying each other's company. And the tea time can last as long as two hours! It's an art to make tea. It is very interesting watching this process. This could be a post in itself.


After tea, it's time to wait till it cools down to transition into the evening...or even take a nap. Oh the pace of the village is slow and for me...refreshing.

Senegal: President Wade Wants 'More Fair' Trade

Katy Gabel
Washington, D.C.

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has proposed a "level field" for free trade with Africa that would eliminate "unfair" agricultural subsidies and encourage investment across the continent.

Wade was speaking Friday at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington, D.C. United States agricultural subsidies are one of the major challenges facing African international trade, he said.

"We produce a marginal amount of cotton. The U.S. should subsidize African cotton – they would not even feel [the effects] of it, but we would all meet on a level field.

"We are for free trade… but more fair trade," he added.


Last year, Wade created what he calls the "Green Opec" – a group of energy ministers who form the Pan-African Non-Petroleum Producers Association (PANPP). Through the PANPP, Wade proposed a formula – known as the Wade Formula – which offers non-oil producing countries reduced prices, subsidized by wealthier and oil-producing nations in exchange for more biofuel and alternative energy production.

"We believe in the market economy," Wade said. "Unfortunately, Africa does not take much part in world economic trade… we would like to organize ourselves."

Wade also addressed increasing competition between the West and China in providing trade and aid opportunities for Africa. He expressed appreciation for assistance from Western nations, but noted that "with China, if [the answer is] yes, [a response] is immediate," and "Africa does not have time to wait indefinitely."
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