The Empower the Congo project will bring awareness to the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is an online project that provides information, lesson plans, and a social network for those interested in advocating/fund raising on behalf of the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Working with the United Nations association of the Congo, we hope to both build awareness and provide direct support on the ground in order to help improve the condition of and empower the people of the Congo, with special emphasis being placed on supporting women and children.

Lesson #1 - Overview

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce Empower the Congo, define our main goals and give an overview of how you and your students can help us reach these goals.  (click here to view)

Lesson  #2 - History of the Congo

In this lesson, we will go over the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and explore the historical causes of the current humanitarian crisis.  (click here to view)

Lesson #3 - The Crisis

In this lesson, we will discuss the crisis in detail, focusing on how the rights of woman and child are being violated, the lack of access to education, and the horrors of becoming a child solider.  (click here to view)

Lesson #4 - How You Can Help

The purpose of this lesson is to explore ways that students can help advocate for the people suffering in the Congo and bring awareness of the crisis to the people in their communities. (click here to view)

Lesson #5 - Taking Action

In this lesson, students will begin to actively work to help empower the people of the Congo by sending letters, raising money, designing posters, or planning their own awareness building events.  (click here to view)

Lesson #6 - Reflection

The purpose of this lesson is to reflect on the experience, discuss what was learned, and explore the many ways students can continue to help the people of the Congo.  (click here to view)

lesson plan- kids watch the video. after watching the video they discuss if they think that we are funding the war by purchasing gold. students then create a poll/survey posing the question"Should gold be banned in the united states, or is the u.s. partly responsible for the war in drc? students would then create graphs of their data.

This video appeared on CBS 60 minutes on August 2008.  The war in the Congo is the deadliest conflict since World War II.  Some of this video is very disturbing.

Organizations:

WFUNA

The United Nations: Millennium Goals

The Congo Cause

Refugees International in DRC

UNICEF in DRC

Statistics:

UNICEF Statistics on DRC

Background:

BBC Country Profile

 Where We Work - Refugees International: DRC

UNICEF - Country Profile: DRC

UN Missions in DRC

Relief Web

Global Issues.org - DRC

http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/amed/congodr/congodr.html

CIA Factbook - DRC

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/35/073.html

Travel Docs - Congo History

Health

World Health Organization Country Profile

WHO - Fact Sheet

Buy a Net.com - Malaria Facts

Sexual Violence Against Women

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4356720n&tag=related;photovideo (Movie)

http://www.womenforwomen.org/global-initiatives-helping-women/help-women-congo-60-minutes.php

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/drcongo_44598.html

http://www.pbs.org/pov/lumo/lesson_plan.php

http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/11/07/congos-women-mutilated-children-sent-into-battle/2526/

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/drcongo_35223.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/world/africa/07congo.html?_r=2

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/4424

Military

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/10/12/dr-congo-civilian-cost-military-operation-unacceptable

Developments

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40108.pdf

Genocide

http://human-rights-violations.suite101.com/article.cfm/hutu_tutsi_genocide

Additonal Lesson Plans and Resources

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/socialstudies/middlegrades/africa/

http://www.pbs.org/pov/lumo/lesson_plan.php

Empowerment

http://www.ifad.org/gender/learning/role/decision/zr_empower.htm

Updated News

http://www.clickafrique.com/news/DemocraticRepublicofCongoNews/00007.aspx

http://www.irinnews.org/Africa-Country.aspx?Country=CD

Congo’s Culture

http://www.traveldocs.com/cg/culture.htm

http://www.womenforwomen.org/about-women-for-women/women-job-skills-training.php

Videos

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4356720n&tag=related;photovideo

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4473700036349997790#docid=-1150654565557041698

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtAtNY2hRaA