Ms. Magazine chose to feature an article written by JWW President and Co-Founder Janice Kamenir-Reznik during her current travels in Congo. Find an excerpt below:
“It is undeniable: Things are still terrible in Congo. But while outwardly life appears to be unchanged, there are many signs which indicate that there is some hope for a systemic change which could alter the course of violence and destruction which has defined Congo for the last many, many years. There is a burgeoning of innovative projects which address core issues, such as the huge power gap between men and women in Congolese society. Other new ideas work on the development of strategies to peacefully resolve conflicts. The most innovative projects are working with young children to build a society in which people aspire towards innovation, collaboration and gender equity. Empowerment of women is key to building the new Congo, and there are many projects which seek to advance the educational opportunities of girls, who so often are either burdened with extraordinary chores or married off, like chattel, in exchange for goats. […]
“The bottom line is that we all bear responsibility to help resolve Congo’s problems. Some people (hopefully, a growing number!) feel a sense of inherent responsibility for women who are brutally abused, for children who are stolen in their youth and forced to kill for militias, for babies orphaned by war. After all, isn’t that sense of morality what was meant when, after the Holocaust, we coined the phrase, ‘Never Again?’“
You may read the whole article here.