Over one hundred foreign aid organizations have been present for more than a decade, while millions of dollars are spent on development-intended programs, and yet, the Democratic Republic of the Congo still sits in the last spot of the United Nation’s Human Development Index ranking. The message? More foreigners and more money are not equivalent to more effective programs. Why? And most importantly, is there a way to change this? Let me begin with a short analogy.
It’s a Sunday afternoon. You’re happily sitting on your couch in your PJ’s, absorbed in your favorite magazine or movie. Suddenly, I, a stranger, walk in to your home. I don’t knock or ask for your permission—but there I stand, in your living room. I may take a second to greet you, but really, I have just come to tell you three things: 1) What you do and what you know is wrong. 2) What I do and what I know is right. 3) I am here because you need me. Therefore, we need to improve your life by having you act according to my norms. “Agreed?” Oh silly me, why did I even ask? I’m not going to wait for your permission. Your first reaction may be to call the police. You are in America. People do not get to simply walk in uninvited into your private property, insult you, and give you orders. Imagine though, you are not in America. You are instead in a place where your defense institutions are too small compared to my forces. I am high and mighty and in my eyes, you are dumb and in need. Therefore, I get to tell you what is best for you. You are unlikely to have experienced this series of events; but for so many others, this is a commonplace occurrence. Travel beyond the bubble of fully independent and stable nations and you will find yourself next to people who for years have been told by outsiders that they are not good enough and that they must change the way they think and act. Focus on Africa. Africa—that continent that so many outsiders have depicted as a land marked by conflict and ignorance that only the brave foreigners can cure. Zoom in further and reach the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a mineral-rich land whose success is suffocated by a multiplayer war and by injustice. Centuries ago, it was Belgians who stormed into Congolese doors, completely uninformed, but completely determined to Europeanize the “poor natives.” Today, it is the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and a multitude of non-Congolese organizations that invite themselves and their agendas into the country. It cannot be denied that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is plagued by severe problems, and that an abundance of problems calls for a plethora of changes that the international community can facilitate. However, the conception that the disasters manifested in Congo are a product of a population who is innately incapable and flawed can, and must, be rejected. Congo’s natural wealth has fueled the greed of many groups and nations seeking an immense profit opportunity. From players inside Congo, to Rwandan and Ugandan soldiers backed by the U.S and the British governments, to multinationals—“everyone wants a piece of Congo” (Crisis in Congo). It is this fighting that tremendously destabilizes the country, and it is the country’s history of subjugation that makes it infinitely harder for its people to gain control of what belongs to them and put an end to the brutal war. I recently had the great opportunity of attending UNC Chapel Hill’s first “Celebrating Congo Cultural Festival & Interdisciplinary Conference:” an event in which Congolese scholars and advocates for change spoke of the main roots of the nations’ conflicts, the misconceptions surrounding Congo, and the ways in which positive change can be brought about. Hearing from local voices made it clear that one key to effective change in Congo is Congolese empowerment. Money and guidance, the current commonly provided means of aid from the international community, create a system in which Congo fails to effectively develop because its people continue to be dependent upon others. When the aid leaves, the programs crumble. Furthermore, fomenting dependency reinforces the long-existing stigma of the recipient’s inferiority. Such mentality often produces individuals who are unmotivated to act against oppression because they inherently underestimate their capacity to transform national institutions. Because of this history of belittlement, what Congolese need, as Dr. Chérie Rivers Ndaliko has said, is to undergo mental decolonization and regain a sense of self-esteem. Mental empowerment can enable Congolese to fight for their rights in a way more powerful than monetary handouts could ever provide. As stated by a Samuel Yagasi (an internationally acclaimed community organizer in Congo) “our [the Congolese’s] poverty is not material. Our poverty is mental.” Because Congolese fail to acknowledge their worth, they do not recognize that they are sufficiently capable and intelligent to fight against those in power. If, however, Congolese can realize their own value, they can start to question social, economic and political constructs and find ways to alter the status quo. The success of Congolese empowerment can be evidenced by the fruits of Congolese organizations such as the GOVA initiative and Yolé!Africa. GOVA, a local community organization from the village of Tolaw, has brought autonomous development to this remote community by means of capitalizing on the area’s resources. The village has focused on the production of palm oil, and uses the revenue both for its own development and to provide scholarships for its youth to study in the cities. By profiting from its existing resources, Tolaw is able to create a self-sustaining and lasting system. Yolé!Africa, a center of artistic creation and cultural exchange based in Goma, promotes empowerment by enabling critical thought and encouraging the expression of resulting questions through art. By producing critical, challenging works and sharing them, not only with the immediate community, but also with the outside world, the participating Congolese can stir a fight for justice by expressing their voices. For instance, in the song named “Justice” by the group Uhaki, a rapper states: “Judges and rebels, give me a straight answer, why do you condemn the innocent?…I want equality that honors the law, punishes the unjust, and protects the weak.” Congo’s Human Development Index is not very low because Congo is poor. Congolese are poor because they have never truly owned their country. Congo’s wealth has always lied in the hands of outsiders and in the hands of small, corrupt elites—from King Leopold, to Belgium, to Mobutu Sese Seko, to the M23, to current world powers. Neither of these parties has ever had the true intention of allowing the population to benefit from the resources of its home. Therefore, aid agencies that simply provide money and implement programs that do not address any of these issues cannot possibly bring the Congolese out of their poverty. Because of their often ignorant, arrogant ways, aid organizations not only fail to produce effective change, but also generate popular resentment along the way—“I need justice, not humanitarian assistance” (Uhaki). It is not wrong to want to offer a helping hand, but the manner in which that hand is offered is of extreme significance. A hand that mindlessly grabs, gives, and overprotects holds its recipient back; but a hand that takes another’s, seeking to truly listen and understand, can become the hand that empowers an individual to produce true change. If on that Sunday, I had knocked on your door first, maybe you would have welcomed me in and we would not have had a problem. If I had listened to you and then offered you assistance, instead of giving you orders, maybe you would have gladly accepted my help and we could have achieved something fantastic. Likewise, if foreign aid agencies wait to be welcomed in, and want to meet and work alongside the Congolese, then they can help build the needed type of change for Congo. Moreover, if these organizations are able to relinquish the idea that they know how to maneuver and change Congo better than the locals themselves, then this assistance may actually yield positive results. Organizations who fail to do so are continuing to abide by the age-old notions of the White Man’s Burden, which as history has shown, produces much more harm than good. Conversely, by seeking to empower the people to take control of their country and resources, aid agencies can help Congo stay on a more stable track towards development. Do not invite yourself into others’ homes—remember common courtesy and knock first. ––Nicole Sonderegger Comments are closed.
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July 2015
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