Have you got five minutes?

Do you want to do simple things to help in the Congo?

I have two suggestions.

The first, is to copy this letter to President Joseph Kabila of the Congo.

The letter is taken from the VDAY, Eve Ensler's organization that is focusing its fundraising and consciousness-raising efforts toward the war against women in the Congo.

H.E. President Joseph Kabila
Bureau du Président
P.O. Box 3862
New York, NY 10163

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to express my concern for the use of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a weapon of war and a means to humiliate and terrorize women, men, boys, and girls and entire communities.  The agreements to end the war have not ended sexual violence, and the future security of women and girls remains in jeopardy.

I applaud your efforts to prevent and to end the use of sexual violence against women and girls, and urge you to take efforts in the following areas:

• Ensure that there is no impunity for sexual violence.
I urge you to strengthen the judicial system and to remove impediments women may face in gaining access to justice.  Survivors of this crime face numerous obstacles in securing justice through the courts and receive little to no support for the psychosocial and physical consequences of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

• Ensure that the State armed forces and police do not perpetrate sexual violence against women and girls.
I urge you to ensure that the armed forces and the police do not commit sexual violence--and that commanders have oversight of and are held responsible for the actions of their soldiers and police force.

• Implement national laws that protect and empower women and girls.
I urge you to show leadership in the fulfillment of the guarantees of equality between men and women under the new Constitution and the implementation of the national law that addresses rape and other forms of sexual violence, passed by Parliament in June 2006.  Also, review and reform all laws that are discriminatory towards women and girls.

I support your prioritizing the end to sexual violence in the DRC, as there can be no peace without security for women and girls.

Sincerely,

The second, as promised, is to buy a tee-shirt designed by my students. We are planning our teach-in for February 26. On that day, five of my students will have their tee-shirt designs offered to those attending. We are also selling these tee-shirts on the Internet. All profits will be sent to Panzi Hospital, , run by Dr. Mukwege, who has dedicated his life to reconstructing the destroyed bodies of the women who bring themselves to his hospital.

These tee-shirts are available in S, M, L, XL (they run large), are 100 percent cotton, and are printed locally, in Cortland, NY.

Each tee-shirt is available for $15. For one tee-shirt the USPS rate for Priority Mail is 4.95. If you would like to order multiple tee-shirts, we'll figure out the postage and bill it back to you.

Here are the five designs. If you would like to purchase a tee-shirt, please send a check for $19.95 (15 + postage) to
Lorraine Berry
NeoVox
PO Box 2000
Cortland NY 13045
I will send you the tee-shirt and a receipt.
Tee-shirts will be available on Feb. 26.

Design #1: Linked Hands 

Design #2: Congolese Woman with Heart

Design #3: The Heart of Africa

Design #4: Bleeding Heart

 Design #5: The face of the Congo

Each tee-shirt containst the word "Mapelo," which means "sister-to-sister," the title of our teach-in. 

If you have further questions, please send me a PM.