Congo Week Thematic Schedule:
Sunday: Prayer/Vigil
Theme: Interfaith Prayer for peace in the Congo
Action: Host an event to call for peace in the Congo in all faiths
Click here to download the Congo Week Christian Liturgy (PDF)
Monday: Leopold II
Theme: Congo’s History
Action: Visit our history timeline to learn more about Congo’s history
Proposed Film: Congo: White King, Red Rubber Black Death
Recommended Readings:
Congo: From Leopold to Kabila, A People's History by Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild
King Leopold's Soliloquy by Mark Twain
Red Rubber by E. D. Morel
The Rise and Decline of the Zairian State by Crawford Young and Thomas Turner
Congo: The Epic History of a People by David Van Reybrouck
Click here for expanded reading list!
Tuesday: Lumumba
Theme: The Ideas and Teachings of Patrice Lumumba
Action: Participate in Lumumba Day (January 17th annually) and secure a Lumumba Day resolution in your community.
Proposed Film: Lumumba by Raoul Peck
Recommended Readings:
Lumumba: Freedom Fighter, A graphic novel by Bibiane Aningina Tshefu. Click here to pre-order the book.
Patrice Lumumba by Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja
Lumumba Speaks: The Speeches and Writings of Patrice Lumumba, 1958-1961
Edited by Jean Van Lierde
White Malice by Susan Williams
Rise and Fall of Patrice Lumumba by Thomas Kanza
The Assassination of Lumumba by Ludo DeWitte
American Foreign Policy in the Congo, 1960-1964 By Stephen R. Weissman
"Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), 1964-1968, Volume XXII, Congo, 1960-1968." U.S. State Department
Click here to find out more about Lumumba!
Wednesday: Natural Resource Exploitation in the Congo
Theme: Congo’s Connection to Modern technology
Action: Use cell phones as a tool for activism. Click here to participate in the Cell Out!
Proposed Film: Blood Coltan and Congo's Tin Miners
Recommended Readings: Coltan by Michael Nest and the Looting Machine by Tom Burgis
Congo’s Minerals: Click here for mineral information!
Thursday: Women in Congolese Society
Theme: The Role of Women in Congolese Society
Action:Make a financial contribution to Congolese organizations working with women in the Congo
Proposed Films: Lumo, Jazz Mama and Women Beyond War: A World March In Africa
Recommended Readings: Tell This To My Mother by Joseph Mwantuali and Essays by Congolese Women Leaders
Friday: A Free and Liberated Congo
Theme: The World’s Best Kept Secret: Realizing Congo’s enormous human and natural potential
Action:Support the youth movements in the Congo
Proposed Film:Back to Kinshasa: The fight for democracy in the DRC
Recommended Readings: Lumumba Speaks: The Speeches and Writings of Patrice Lumumba, 1958-1961, Edited by Jean Van Lierde
Saturday: "Break The Silence!" (benefit concerts and fundraisers)
Theme: Worldwide Support Day of Congo
Action: Organize a fundraiser for frontline communities in the Congo