Finding Peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Justice Matters

On today’s episode of Justice Matters, co-host Mathias Risse speaks with Amani Matabaro Tom, educator and community organizer from Eastern Congo who is currently a Scholar at Risk at the Carr Center. Amani is a co-founder of Action for the Welfare of Women and Children in Congo (ABFEC), which possesses several core initiatives: entrepreneurship training, community farming, HIV/AIDs education, and the Congo Peace School. Every teacher and student at the Peace School are trained in nonviolence in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and learn the philosophies, strategies, and practices of nonviolence. In today’s conversation, Amani discusses: the current state of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the history of colonialism and the exploitation of natural resources in the region, how he encountered the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his opinion on the role of the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the DRC, the role of foreign companies and their impact on the region, and the work ABFEC is doing on the ground to build peace.