Heart of the Congo: Screening Guide
Follow this simple, 3-step process to raise awareness about the humanitarian situation in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
ACF-DRC , courtesy of Jason Pomerantz, 2006
ACTION AGAINST HUNGER • USA
247 West 37th Street, 10th floor, New York, NY 10018 • (212) 967-7800
[email protected] • www.actionagainsthunger.org
Heart of the Congo: Screening Guide
Dear ACF Supporter:
I am writing to thank you for your interest in educating others about Action Against Hunger (ACF)
through the film Heart of the Congo. We at ACF are excited about the potential impact of this film as a tool
to increase public awareness about the complexity and reality of global hunger and to spark people’s interest
in international relief and development. We welcome you to our team and look forward to working with
you.
Following is an instruction packet that outlines how you can hold a film screening and get students and/
or your community involved with Action Against Hunger. Please review the film and let us know how you
think you can use it to help expand public awareness about the importance of global issues at your school
and in your community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at
[email protected] or (212) 967-7800.
Thank you for your time and I am looking forward to working with you to make your screening a success.
Best,
Student Outreach Fellow
Table of Contents:
Step One: Background
Action Against Hunger................................................................................................................... 1
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).......................................................................................... 2-3
Heart of the Congo ......................................................................................................................... 3
Step Two: Spreading Awareness
Plan your Event ............................................................................................................................ 4-5
Step Three: Wrapping Up
What to do after your event......................................................................................................... 6
Further Action.............................................................................................................................. 6
Sign-In Sheet : Sample........................................................................................................................................ 7
Heart of the Congo Screening Flyer: Sample......................................................................................................... 8
1) Background: familiarize yourself with Action Against Hunger, the
history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and general
information about the film Heart of the Congo
About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger works to save the lives of acutely malnourished children while providing families with access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger. Our mission is to eliminate hunger through the prevention,
detection, and treatment of acute malnutrition, and our comprehensive solutions are context-specific, needs-based,
and customized through direct community participation. For nearly 30 years
ACF has pursued programs in nutrition, food security, and water & sanitation, to
address the underlying causes of malnutrition. By integrating our activities into
existing national health structures we ensure the capacity needed to sustain our
programs over the long-term.
As part of the ACF Network -- with headquarters in New York, Paris, Madrid,
London, and Montreal -- Action Against Hunger bridges emergency relief with
longer-term development, intervening in emergency situations of conflict, natural
disaster, and chronic food insecurity. Our 6,000+ field staff are seasoned professionals and technical experts in nutrition, water and sanitation, public health,
and food security who carry out life-saving programs in some 40 countries around the world. ACF’s humanitarian
interventions provide lasting solutions to nearly 5 million people a year, restoring dignity, self sufficiency, and independence to vulnerable populations throughout the world.
Action Against Hunger’s Programs
ACF has pursued its vision of a world without hunger for three decades, combating hunger with innovative, lifesaving programs in nutrition, food security, and water and sanitation:
Nutrition Programs: Action Against Hunger’s nutrition programs treat and prevent acute malnutrition. Launched
most often during times of crisis, our programs center on the evaluation of nutritional needs, the direct therapeutic treatment
and the prevention of acute malnutrition, technical training and support for local staff, and capacity building with national
ministries and government structures. The contexts for our programs can be as varied as the crises: from rural mountain villages, to ethnically divided cities, to the confines of overcrowded relocation camps for internally displaced peoples.
Food Security & Livelihood Programs: Action Against Hunger’s food security programs evolve from the work
we do in nutrition. While our therapeutic nutrition programs restore to health individuals suffering from acute malnutrition,
our food security programs prevent future outbreaks by supplying needed inputs (seeds, fertilizers, tools ,fishing nets, etc.),
introducing new techniques, and fortifying coping mechanisms and livelihoods through training in income-generating activities such as farming, gardening, animal breeding, and food conservation. Our food security programs put people on the road to
self sufficiency.
Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene Programs: Action Against Hunger’s integrated approach to hunger involves extending water
and sanitation services to communities faced with water scarcity, unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene: We truck water into affected communities during emergencies, decontaminate wells and install solar-, diesel- and handpowered pumps. Employing sophisticated geophysics, we locate water resources and tap aquifers. We protect natural springs
and pipe water into villages and health centers, and rehabilitate damaged infrastructure to ensure access to adequate sources of
clean water. We build latrines and bathhouses and introduce basic sanitation infrastructure to keep communities hygienic.
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Historical Context: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Source: CIA World Factbook
In the past century, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has experienced an endless stream of devastating humanitarian crises, from the brutal
forced labor of King Leopold’s colonial regime to the harsh and kleptocratic
rule of Mobutu Sese Seko, the Congo’s post-colonial dictator. The Congolese
population’s lack of representation has subjected them to poverty, hunger and
relentless violence due to the instability of political regimes and rebel factions. Instead of benefiting from the glories of a country so rich in resources,
the Congolese have experienced the devastating consequences of corrupt and
greedy rulers.
During the frenzy to colonize Africa in the late 19th century, European powers dispersed troops to unofficially conquer these already-inhabited
lands. In 1885, in order to formalize colonialism, German Chancellor Otto
von Bismarck hosted the Berlin Conference. During this meeting, European
Source: CIA World Factbook
powers claimed official ownership of the regions they already informally controlled. The current DRC was established in 1885 as
the Congo Free State, under the rule of Belgium’s King Leopold II.
Facts:
Throughout King Leopold’s reign, DRC’s land was exploited for its
Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola
resources and people were exploited for their labor potential. King
Capital: Kinshasa
Leopold treated the Congo Free State as an extension of Belgium,
President: Joseph Kabila
using profits from the land’s natural resources to benefit himself and
Population: 68.6 million
his elite cronies. Furthermore, Belgians considered the indigenous
Life Expectancy: 54 years
population to be inferior to “civilized” Europeans. As a result, BelLanguages: French (official), Lingala,
gian colonists eagerly enslaved the native Congolese people, abusKingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba
ing millions through brutal treatment and murdering those who
% of Population Undernourished: 74%
dissented.
By the beginning of the 20th century, news of the brutality
Source: CIA World Factbook;
under Leopold’s regime was spreading to other nations. To ease suspicions, the Belgian government World Food Programme
officially took over the colony; however, little changed in the next half a century, since many of the
same Belgian officials remained in control of the Congo.
In 1960, the Congo Free State gained independence from Belgium, and the future of the newly independent
country looked promising. Democratic elections took place and Patrice Lumumba became prime minister. A few
years later, Lumumba was assassinated and a coup took place, making Joseph Mobutu president. In 1971, Mobutu
changed his name to Mobutu Sese Seko and renamed the country Zaire. Mobutu was a virtual monarch and in
many ways fashioned his reign after that of King Leopold II; exploiting the country for his personal gain.
Western powers, working through the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, supported Mobutu’s regime, identifying it as a bulwark against communist influence in Africa. For twenty years, World Bank loans
paid for the dictator’s lavish palaces, Boeing jets, fleets of private Mercedes, and payoffs to political cronies.
By 1994, Mobutu’s authoritarian rule was losing legitimacy from the violence perpetrated by the regime and
the social unrest that arose from years of oppression. With an influx of refugees from both Rwanda and Burundi in
the spring of 1994, Mobutu was overthrown by Laurent Kabila who was backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Laurent
Kabila took over the presidential seat and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to signify
the transfer of power after over 30 years.
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo continued...
Shortly after Laurent Kabila took office, his regime was challenged by his former supporters from Rwanda
and Uganda. Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe stepped in to support Laurent Kabila and the attempted coup failed. A cease fire was signed by the major factions involved, but fighting continued and Laurent
Kabila was assassinated in 2001.
Joseph Kabila, Laurent’s son, was named head of state. In 2002, the Pretoria
Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to call for an end of violence and to
reinstate the legitimacy of the DRC government. By 2003, a transitional government was
created with Joseph Kabila as president and four vice presidents, each representing different factions involved in the former conflict.
After a successful constitutional referendum in 2005, Joseph Kabila was officially
elected president. Fighting re-emerged in 2006 in the North Kivu province and thouKivu, DRC: 2006
sands of civilians were displaced.
A peace pact was signed by the government and rebel factions in 2008, but fighting broke out between government troops and Rwandan Hutu militias; Thousands more were displaced, and political and social unrest continues.
The DRC is rich with resources, including: uranium, copper, gold, cotton, diamonds, and a host of precious metals in quantities only dreamed of in other countries. By rights, it should be one of the richest nations in
the world. Yet it is one of the poorest because, with the extraction of its precious resources, no attention has been
given to nurturing the development of infrastructure, education, rule of law, or social justice. In 2006, the UN
Development Index ranked the DRC 177th on the human development index, out of 179 countries involved in
the survey. Exposing the enormous impact a century of exploitation has had on the well-being of the Congolese
population.
Source: UNDP; CIA Factbook
Film Background
Heart of the Congo: Patients wait their turn at
Kisula Health Clinic
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Heart of the Congo, a documentary by Tom Weidlinger, chronicles the
efforts of Action Against Hunger aid workers in a community in the
DRC. The aid workers are there to help Congolese refugees who have
lost everything at the end of a war by offering community member access to education and a community health clinic. Amid violence from
roving militias, systemic corruption, and a legacy of colonial dependence, international and Congolese aid workers struggle to help villagers build a self-sufficient future. Heart of the Congo is a story of courage,
hope, perseverance, and how humanitarian aid can save lives and make
a lasting difference.
2) Spreading awareness: Plan your event
I. Contact Action Against Hunger to register your screening:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (212) 967-7800 ext. 139
Mail: 247 West 37th Street, 10th floor
New York, NY 10018
II. Decide on the format of the event
1. Fundraiser (i.e. Ticket sales or suggested donation box)
2. Awareness Raising (i.e. donation box)
3. Additional Details: Will your event feature any of the following?
a. Speaker:
i. Contact Action Against Hunger about the possibility of hosting an ACF representative at your event.
ii. Invite college professors, teachers or other humanitarians to participate in a panel or give a
presentation.
b. Co-sponsors: this can help alleviate the cost of the event. Ask potential sponsors from your area if they would be willing to provide coordination support, publicity, or matching gift donations to ACF.
c. Refreshments & Food
i. Potluck
ii. Reach out to local restaurants or grocery stores for food and drink donations.
III. Plan the Event
1. Find Location
a. School auditorium/gym/classroom
b. House
c. Community Center
d. Coffee Shop/Restaurant
2. Publicize the Event
a. Post flyers around community/in schools/around campus (see sample flyer)
b. Use social networking sites to advertise (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter)
c. Send out invitations to friends and family
d. If funds allow, place an ad in local paper(s)
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3. Setup
a. Table, Chairs, Video Equipment etc...
b. Refreshments
c. Sign-in sheet (see sample sign-in sheet)
IV. At the Event
1. Introduction
a. Thank attendees for coming
b. Introduce yourself
c. Introduce the issue of global hunger, Action Against Hunger and our life-saving programs
d. Provide history of DRC
e. Introduce Heart of the Congo
f. Introduce speaker if applicable
2. Screen film
3. After Film
a. Open floor for Q & A session
i. Discussion questions
• What did you learn about humanitarian aid work?
• Do you think that we have an obligation to help the people of Africa, like the chief says in the film?
• What can we do, here in America, that can better the lives of those living in poverty?
b. Present ways that the attendees can get involved in the fight against hunger and with Action Against Hunger
i. Sign-up for Action Against Hunger newsletter
ii. Hold other fundraising/awareness raising events
iii. Raise awareness about global hunger and Action Against Hunger
iv. Donate
c. Suggest additional resources for further learning
Fiction Novels:
• King Leopold’s Ghost - Adam Hochschild
• Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
• Poison-Wood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
• A Bend in the River - V.S. Naipaul
• Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
Non-Fiction Novels:
• We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families:
Stories from Rwanda - Philip Gourevitch
Websites & News:
• CIA World Factbook
• BBC
• The Guardian
• IRIN
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3) Wrapping up: What to do after the screening
I. Send Thank You Letters/Emails to Attendees, Organizers and Sponsors (if applicable)
1. Include information about upcoming events
2. Include Action Against Hunger’s website
II. Report Back to Action Against Hunger
1. Send us a copy of your sign-up sheet
2. Write a short story about the event for our website, include photos if possible
3. Give us feedback on your event (i.e. What was useful? Did you run into any difficulties?)
Further Action
There are many opportunities for further action in the fight against hunger. Be sure to join our mailing list to continuously explore the issue of hunger and our global efforts to end it. Encourage interested attendees to organize
other benefits such as a Fast for Awareness, a Run/Walk Against Hunger, or an event on World Food Day or World
Water Day.
With a creative and energetic leadership team, fundraising and awareness options are endless Of course, feel free to
contact us at any point at to brainstorm [email protected] or call (212) 967-7800.
ACTION AGAINST HUNGER • USA
247 West 37th Street, 10th floor, New York, NY 10018 • (212) 967-7800
[email protected] • www.actionagainsthunger.org
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Heart of the Congo Screening : Sign-In Sheet
PLEASE PRINT
Name
7
Email
ACTION AGAINST HUNGER • USA
247 West 37th Street, 10th floor, New York, NY 10018 • (212) 967-7800
[email protected] • www.actionagainsthunger.org
Screening & Discussion
Heart of the Congo:
Rebuilding Life in the Face of War
Featuring Special Guest:
____________________________
Hosted By: __________________________________
Date:_________________________________
Time: ________________________________
Location: _____________________________
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Proceeds benefit Action Against Hunger.
Action Against Hunger is an international network committed to saving the lives of
malnourished children and families, while ensuring access to safe water and sustainable
solutions to hunger.