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Children's Parliament in DR Congo
Eastern Congo is one of the most violent places on earth. Children there face a daily reality plagued by human rights violations; including abandonment, rape, physical violence and child soldiering. Congo's future hinges on its children, but that future is compromised by the country's current state of lawlessness and a culture of impunity. Years of continued war has left the political system in tatters. Foreign companies' thirst for mineral resources (tin, coltan and cassiterite) for use in electronic devices such as cellular phones and computers, fuels this corruption on all levels.
International agencies try to help, but in many cases that help is misdirected, arguably exacerbating the situation. The future rests with the Congolese themselves in the form of organizations such as the Children's Parliament.
Children's Parliament is a local organization run by children for children. Their mission since its conception in 1999 is to fight for the rights of children. As teenage students, the parliamentarians dedicate their free time to this noble task and receive no payment, despite enormous obstacles and risk to themselves. Members of Children's Parliament are elected by their peers and delegates are chosen from different neighborhoods, schools and districts. What unites them is their will to make a difference for Congo's children.
We wanted to make a film that would personify the myriad of problems faced by youths in Eastern Congo and hold out a candle of hope for their future, in the form of two leaders of the Children's Parliament.