On 30 June 2021, the office of Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation Franciscans Africa joined many other climate activists standing in solidarity with Fossil Free Virunga.
As DRC was celebrating 61st Independence, in Nairobi, our office partnered with DRC students in The Catholic University of Eastern Africa. We were also joined by Burundian and Rwandese communities who anticipated their independence one day before in order to stand in solidarity with Virunga.
The short documentary on Fossil free Virunga was projected to the participants and left all of them touched, inspired, and informed.
The debate after the documentary projection was interesting. The DRC community chairperson picked the aspect of human rights, sovereignty, and natural resources from the speech of Patrice Lumumba the Hero of their independence, and connected with the documentary.
Other participants made some important comments saying that even though DRC is independent there still gaps of having poor leadership, leaders who don’t give priority to local communities when it comes to public resources.
The DRC students plus students from other countries at The Catholic University of Eastern Africa were amazed by the advocacy done by the young climate activists in DRC…Judith Zawadi and Antoine Ngola Saintex.
People from Burundi and Rwanda acknowledged that the fight for Fossil Free in Virunga is a regional fight because the three countries are all neighbors and connected politically and socio-economically, therefore any climate impact in one country affects others.
They all committed to stand in solidarity with Virunga, to support in any proposed way in order to amplify the voice of Fossil Free Virunga.
After the discussion around the documentary, people did an amazing photo session with messages on a banner and placards: Fossil Free Virunga, a Fossil Free Africa is the only choice, We stand in solidarity with Virunga, etc. Find more pictures through this link Fossil Free Virunga
The office of Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation is very grateful for the support by 350.org and the partnership with the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
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