MIKE BENEDI

Open letter to African Billionaire:

By Mike Benedi Sudi Am mba

International consultant and Fundraiser of the Great Lakes Restoration'' Building the Peace'' Eastern Africa.



To: Mr. Mo Ibrahim



Copy to Friends of Africa:

Mr. Bill Gates,

First Lady Michelle Obama,

Sir Richard Branson

Mr. Rupert Murdoch

PM Gordon Brown

Sir Bob Geldof

Former UN SG Kofi Annan

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton

Chancellor Angel Merkel

Dr. Denis Mukwege,

President Barack Obama

U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki Moon

Former President Bill Clinton











18/01/2010



Brain and Behavioural Revolution in Africa with Climate change.



Dear Mr. Mo Ibrahim:

I come to you today with great humility, love and compassion for our continent.

I come to you as a son of Africa who cares so much and trusts your wisdom, your knowledge and power to help and take into consideration this reflexion for a change, for progress and success in our motherland.

My contribution is not to accuse nor criticise anyone, nor teach you what to do, however, because we all care and love this continent, let us reason together and focus on the positive, rather then the negative.

Between the 1950s and 1970s most of the African colonies gained independence from European rule. In 1994 the apartheid system ended.

From that period until now, almost 50 years, humanitarian aid to Africa spent $400 billion.

-Today of the 25 poorest countries in the world, 22 are in Africa.

-54 % of Africa lives below UN official poverty live.

-Africa debt is $313 billion

-The total income of Africa is $25 billion.

The UN Development Program, Human Development Report of 2003, lists 175 nations and the levels of their development. Of the 31 at the bottom, 30 are from sub-Sahara Africa.

A United Nations study indicates that the progress of economic development in sub-Sahara Africa is so slow that goals set in 2000 to have the number of extreme poor living on less than $2 a day by 2015 will take more than an additional 130 years to achieve.

Sub-Saharan Africa, as of the year 2000, owed $230 billion. The World Bank pointed out 33 of the region's 44 countries are designated Heavily Indebted Poor Countries.

A report claims that Africa in general has close to a 40 year history with the World Bank, IMF, about 63 out of 69 clients of these organisations it has been reported that they've become worse off economically rather than better. 150 million people faced starvation in 24 African countries in March 1984 published by an UN article called ''crisis in Africa''

FAO still warning food supply outlook for Africa remain serious.

25.000 people die from hunger or hunger related causes.

5.500 people die of HIV/AIDS everyday, one million die of Malaria each year, one million children with pneumococcal, 2.7 million annual rate of HIV infection (less than 5% in rich countries).

The refugee population of concern to the UNHCR at year end 2007 was 11.4 million and 31.7 million people were under UNHCR responsibility. Diseases such as diarrhoeal (including rotavirus), pneumonia, malaria, AIDS/HIV, TB kill millions every year.

Satellite photos of Africa showed in 1983 that the line of vegetation as compared to the previous years had descended by 150-200 kilometres southward over the Africa Sahara region (Ibid).

The African production per capita food production had fallen throughout the 1970s. In1984, the population of Africa was 537 million, in 1960 it was 257 million and it was projected that by year 2000 it will become 877 million. The life expectancy was put around 47 years for males and 50 years for females. This means the production is falling while the population estimated now at around 785 million and increasing. The same report pointed that an average person in Africa has less access to food than they had ten years ago; the average dietary standards were below nutritional requirements.

These wars, continuous conflicts, genocide all around the continent from East to West, North and South, millions of people perish, mostly innocent children and women.

Foreign aid such as FAO,IFAD,WFP,WFC,UNDP,WHO,UNICEF,ILO(International Labour Organisation),UNET(United Nations Environmental Program),ICARA(International Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa, UNHCR,RED CROSS, Amnesty International, IMF, World Bank, USAID, European loans and more try to solve these problems.



-Uganda from 1972 to 1979 over 300.000 lost their lives during the fight between the Government and National Resistance Army Idi Amin' s regime (Dictionary of 20th century).

-In Angola, the genocide war led by Jonas Savimbi from 1975 claimed 550.000 lives and over 300.000 died between 1992 and recent times' .800.000 (Agence France Presse, 03/2002).

-In Liberia, Chicago Tribune, April 17, 1996 and Washington Post December 15, 1998.

-Somalia 400.000 dead from war, famine and disease Vancouver Sun, December 14, 1998 report.

-Rwanda almost 1 million during the genocide in 1994 in 3 months

-Burundi civil wars killed 300.000 people.

-In the Democratic Republic of Congo 10 Million dead currently during Congolese massacre, 500.000 women raped, $10 billion stolen every year from illegal exploitation of natural resources, over 6 million out of the country.

More conflicts in Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia,...

-On 22 October 2005, a 25 year old Belleview Airlines Boeing 737 took off from Lagos with six crew people and 111 passengers on board. After passing through 13.000 feet, the plane stalled, tipped and nosedived into the ground. It took the rescue teams 9 hours to locate the wreckage.

-On 10 December, a Sausalito Airlines DC10 from Abuja crashed on landing at Port Harcourt, killing 109 people.

-On 18 September 2006, a Dornier 228 military plane crashed killing 14 officers, including 10 generals...

-Clean drinking water, electricity is a problem

-Climate change will have the biggest effect in Africa

-During slavery period over 100 million were taken into Arab world (1100 and 1500) and 14 million in 15th century into New World for mass enslavement.

-2/3 of the world's poorest countries

-Every year millions of Africans leave the continent for a better life. The International Labour Organisation estimated 20 million Africans as migrant workers and by 2015, 1/10 Africans will be living outside the country of their original birth.

-7/10 Africans today are very angry against IMF, World Bank, West policies, UN,EU...and more their leaders for failure to keep their promise.

-Over 50% of divorces are caused by immigration, finance issues

-Distorted family values etc.



Why do Africans kill Africans? Why is Africa economically challenged? Why is Africa the biggest borrower in the World? Why is Africa is not progressing? Why is Africa poor?

What is wrong with African brain? What to do for success in Africa? How to create, build, and maintain success? How to change the History? Why success? Why brain revolution? Why unity, solidarity, morality necessary? What is change? Why the creation of new wealthy Africa?

Is Africa poor? Are Africans poor or divided? Are African leaders selfish? Is leadership a problem?

Is it the IMF, World Bank, G20, UN, Foreign Aids, the West the cause of the continent poverty? What is our future? What's to do?



These questions have an answer, only one that I call brain and behavioural revolution. If we are ready for change or if we need hope, success in the next 100 years it's important to follow three (3) steps:



1 Step: Focus on Success:

If we really care why we face these challenges, if we are willing to change, if we have the desire to succeed, if we prioritise success, if we are ready to take responsibility of our failure then we can move to the next step.



2 Step: Responsibility:

If we are ready to swallow our pride, if we are ready to accept our poor decision making, our poor choices, our poor actions, our poor and destructive contribution, if we are ready to stop blaming each other, if we are ready to learn, if we are ready to listen then we can move to the 3rd step.



3 Step: Wisdom



Wisdom is the ability to distinguish right and wrong, good decisions and bad decisions, good choices and wrong choices. It's knowing what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

Wisdom is making a difference between success and failure; hope and fear; peace and war; unity or division; justice or injustice.

I am sure these three (3) steps will lead us to change, to success, to brain revolution but there are four (4)problems:

Education, Environment, mindset and physical determinism.

Education: the BBC news Agency reports that 1/3 skilled African is lost to migration and replaced at a higher cost to his nation by expatriates. Between 1985 and 1960; 60.000 middle to high level managers were lost by Africa due to migration.

Every year 23.000 qualified professionals leave the continent.

The World Bank estimates that 100.000 expatriates from industrial countries are employed in Africa at a cost of $4 billion per year. That is 35% of official development assistance directed to the continent.

It is true that education should prepare a man to be able to serve his community, humanity and contribute on social, intellectual, economic, ecological and more challenges facing the World. But my analysis of African governments is composed by doctors in Law, PhDs in economics, religion, agriculture, information, development, finance, politics, human rights, medicine, technology and more. Most of them attended Leadership training and some of them worked for the most powerful and seniors positions in UN, IMF, World Bank, EU...and have lots of experience, lot of knowledge to help their countries but still fail to build, create and maintain success. Is education part of the problem? Yes, education is part of the problem and part of the solution. Why?

Most of our education system is based on knowledge, logic and these will never change emotions and behaviours. Edward De Bono Thinking Systems state that trying to persuade people logically to change emotions is useless in practice. Perception controls emotion, emotion controls behaviour. To change in perception will change emotions and then behaviour. If perception changes your emotions and behaviour change too. 90% of errors, wars, conflicts...are errors of perception not errors of logic. He added that there are 23 reasons why our thinking is so poor as a result of education based on a faulty education system. Our education system in religion, church, family, universities, schools, intellectual knowledge, democracy, law, media, information, intellectual arrogance, premature judgement, argument, philosophy, psychology, constitution...placed lots of limits on imagination, creativity, innovation, invention.

Our brain had been programmed to only think in one way and not differently from logic, knowledge, and raison. Our brain had been set to focus more on the negative than the positive.

In order to change we need to transform our philosophy, logic, institutions to focus on what is realistic, possible and more see that impossible is nothing. If we program our brain to wealth we will get wealth. If we focus on solutions instead of problems we will make progress.

Environment: most of us are product of poor environment or bad environment and this has so much impact on our emotions, behaviours and perceptions.

Mindset: the image of Africa all around the world is poverty, diseases, wars, crimes, conflicts, discrimination, and immorality. We had been programmed to love poverty, to live poor and depend on Foreign Aids. The African image all over the continent actively supports poverty. We are seen as a liability to the World instead of a contributor.

Physical: these are limitations based on disability, gender, and look; size, to achieve big dreams, big success. These 4 (education, environment, mindset, physical perception) place lots of limitations or limits to success, wealth, innovation.

In order to succeed, we need to change completely from old perception of limits thoughts, limits on thinking, and limits on brain power to a new perception without limit. In other word nothing is impossible.

We need total transformation from negative thinking to positive thinking taking reality and idealism in balance .It is important to know that until we have economic power, we have no power. We need to focus on wealth.

Investments in our brain are the key. Brain revolution

Is it possible for Africa to be rich, wealthy and live in peace? Yes it is possible.

Is our thinking all bad? No, during recent years we have created the Organisation of African Unity(OAU);SADC;NEPAD;IHSI;COMESA;CEPGL;ECOWAS and plans for a United States of Africa with new pan-African institutions, such as a parliament, a court of law, a single currency...These plans are excellent but not enough for change, success, wealth, peace in the continent.

We need to reprogram me our brain to wealth, success, justice, peace.

We have learned from Western achievement and human success stories:

-We can land men on the moon

-We can fly faster than the speed of sound (Concorde)

-We can pick up a mobile phone in Canada and get to talk to a particular person in Japan.

-We can have computers, from the simplest to the most complex.

-Internet connect up millions of people around the world

-We have nuclear energy, global television

-We can transplant a human heart

-Pneumonia today has virtually been eliminated in developed countries

-We can alter the very gens the molecules of plants, animals and humans

-We can clone animals (soon people)

-Tuberculosis has been eliminated in developed countries

-We can store a huge amount of data on a tiny microchip and more.

These are a result of brain revolution or positive thinking in the West, China, India, Japan, and Korea...

Can we still doubt to eradicate poverty, war, diseases in Africa?

If 1/1000 in USA is a Millionaire, 1/600 in UK, 250.000 Millionaires in China, What's about Africa?

If we only use 5% of our brain power, what's about the other 95%? If only 3% of the 6 billion world population are the decision makers what's about the other 97%.

If 100% of the world population use the brain or think to solve the problem of climate change, I am convinced we can have a solution.

We need economic power, we need brain revolution, and we need more millionaires, more billionaires in Africa. We need innovation, creativity, different way of thinking.

It is true that we are facing poverty, diseases, wars and all kind of problems at the moment but I believe we are getting better. There is some progress in Africa compared to the last 50 years:

More people are educated, at least some level of freedom of information, better consideration of women(see president of Liberia),life expectancy has increased, people can vote, express their views, opinions...,human rights violence reduction and improvements are made everyday by advance in science, technology, medicine.

We have more investors, more business opportunities, and an excellent revolutionary idea of United States of Africa.

I see Africa differently, I am an optimist but I am an impatient optimist.

The continent is getting better, but it's not getting better fast enough, and it's not getting better for everyone. We are 130 years behind. The World is getting faster that education, perception need an update every time.

I am impressed with Mo Ibrahim Foundation to award $5 million as a prize for achievement in African Leadership.

In 2008, Botswana's ex-president won the leadership prize, recently ex South African president Thabo Mbeki and ex Ghana president John Kafue were favourite and former Mozambique president Jacqui Chicano,...Some views find the idea as a manipulation and maybe it can be necessary to research further more if African leaders need that recognition or the money or how to improve the award choice by asking leaders themselves. Why not an innovation, invention, creativity award?



What to do for a lasting success and climate change:

The question is to know how to eradicate poverty, diseases, war. I join President Barack Obama on African responsibility, Mr. Bill Gates on corporate philanthropy or creative capitalism, Sir Richard Branson on social entrepreneurship and added that the media, business, NGOS, governments should change the continent brand image to a wealthy one, create a new wealthy Africa without diseases, poverty, war,

Create movies, songs, adverts, posters, videos, positive publicity and campaign on how Africa would like to be in the next 100 years, a desired picture in the future. A continent full of industries (pharmaceuticals, vaccines, drugs...), stock market, a continent against crime.

I continue saying that we need to understand our culture diversity and stop blaming each other for failure to help the poor, stop seeing our difference but focus on what's we have in common as human beings.

Work in partnership respecting our values and comprise. The other guidelines were to encourage positive thinking create, build and maintain an honest society, an honest character within citizens, families, banks, governments. Brief focus on wealth, on the climate change issue, I suggest to involve peace, health, family values and the full African population of 785 million on research and development.

Now that we know the how? Let's discus what to do? If you ask an African President, what's your vision? How to create wealth, and prosperity?

The answer is always very clear, simple and complete. The vision is to create an open, democratic society, to create peace, stability ,to develop, to fight corruption, attract investors by favourable institutions and tax regimes, new constitution, use the natural resources, human resources, taxes to invest in health care system, education, science, technology, agriculture, tourism, energy, infrastructure, mining, insurance...and the requirements are a government of transparency, commitment, justice, cooperation, good governance, leadership to create GDP growth, reduce inflation...

We have the information, we have the knowledge, we have the vision but if we look at the result we understand something is wrong.

Maybe we have the wrong or incomplete information or too much information, maybe wrong or incomplete knowledge or maybe we are heading to a wrong direction or we have a wrong map. If we compare our history of colonisation with India, Korea, China, Asia...we have some similarity of poverty, diseases, wars...but looking at their economical progress and power we have to think before it's too late. Just recently China bailed out the entire world recession with billions in dollar recently.

Is there anything we are doing wrong?

Research proves that the difference between rich and poor is not the money. It's the way they think.

Prophet Muhammad said:' 'One hour thinking is worth more than seventy years of prayer.'' He added:'' One learned man gives more trouble to the devil than one thousand worshippers.''130 verses in Holy Koran talk about thinking.

In the Holy Bible, the all book is about thinking, wisdom, success.

In proverb, it's written'' so a man thinks so is he.''

Perception is powerful tool to success or failure.

What is success? What does it look like?

The main obstacle for many people is the misunderstanding of the term.

Success is not some genius, some magic; something or other which we do not poses (Maltbie D.Babcock). If we look the wealth of Bill Gates, the intelligence of Albert Einstein, the athletic ability of Michael Jordan, the imagination of Walt Disney or business mind of Donald Trump and others we will have a vague picture of success even through it's closer to the truth. Dr Maxwell defined it as knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential and help others.

Sir Richard Branson:'' Success for me is whether you have created something that you can be really proud of.'' He added:'' nobody should be remembered for how much money they have made in life. Whether you die with a billion dollars in your bank account or $20 under your pillow is actually not that interesting.''

Success is doing something positive, something special, help others.

Danny Thomas:'' all of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why success is what you do for others.''

Albert Schweitzer:'' the purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others.''

Success is not an accident, success is up to a person, and success is who you are. It's a choice, a decision, the character of a person.

For us to succeed we will have to pass through this process that I call Transformation process:

-Sacrifice: it's true the colonial heritage, slavery, apartheid, had done a lot of harm to the continent but again if we need success we must forget the past or forgive the pass.

Our memory is full of rejection, shame, atrocities, anger, unforgiveness, and horrible stories that we cannot fully describe the feelings.

These feelings are understandable but in order to move on, in order to succeed, we must forget the past. I don't mean ignore our History but learn from our mistakes and focus on the future.

-Learning: for our motherland to succeed, we need to cooperate ,partner and learn from Western success, China, India, Asia...We can borrow their knowledge, we can learn from their failure, we can learn from their success, we can use their credibility. However the problem is most of us hate, envy and accuse the West, G8, IMF, World Bank, donors for failure to help us, for their involvement in our tragic history. We blame the IMF but again a wise man once said:'' You cannot learn from someone you hate or envy or don't respect.''

Benjamin Franklin once said:'' you can either buy or borrow wisdom.'' We need to change our attitude; we need to recognise our weakness. We are 130 years behind and the World is moving so fast.

For us to grow, to succeed, we need to give up or swallow our pride and learn from the West, Asia success.

There is nothing wrong with learning. Let's us work in partnership, let's us take our own responsibility. We need them to mentor us. We need to trust them and accept our identity as we are proud to be Africans.

Our issues can be solved in few years instead of 130 years as predicted if we are willing to transform, to change our mindset, our perception against ourselves and the West.



-Leadership character:

Success principles work the same way for individuals, organisations, governments, Leadership require a clear vision, clear goals and passion. Success depends on the quality of leadership. Success is achieving your goals.

In this session I will answers these five (5) questions:

1. What are the problems of leadership in Africa?

2. Is the participation of women for good governance, reconciliation and in leadership a solution?

3. Is poverty in Africa linked to leadership?

4. How democracy can help African leaders?

5. What are the solutions of leadership in Africa?

The problems:

After the independence (1960/1970s/1994), we have observed a difference between French and English colonies. Some experienced wars, conflicts, poverty but not for long time and others till now.

The consequences can be seen today on infrastructure, social, animal destruction, ecology...while in the same continent others are more stable with a serious leadership and willingness to build the future of their nation.

The analysis had shown that after the independence most of our leaders were not prepared in administration, army, politics, economy, finance, investments. Most of them had a low grade qualification below a GCSC, diploma, Year 8 or 2nd form (secondary school) and the majority Year 6.

In the army, the highest grade of our officers was adjutants, sergeant to lead an entire Army.

We didn't have civil servants like teachers, nurses, carpenters because our great parents did not value education that much .Even the ones who studied they were begged to go into education.

This had serious consequences after the independence because we didn't have doctors, lawyers, economists, bankers, general's officers who put the continent in total chaos and destruction.

Our leaders were not prepared to lead, we've seen some of them very selfish, immature, indecisive, confused, naïve, disorganised, not focused, divided, immoral, troublemakers...Most of them wanted more popularity instead of focusing on their duties.

They believed that success will come without any discipline, any vision, any partnership, trust, commitment and more knowing what were the population needs.

They didn't identify the population problems and see how to solve them.

Today in some cases or many we've seen politicians tackling false issues and invest more time in speeches. The fact that many were not qualified, they don't respect any ethics.

There is no orientation of skills and ethics .Our population is filled with hard workers, entrepreneurs but no one is there to orient them to focus on the main needs of our society.

Our leaders are more oriented on promises without actions; and because the population live in fear, they have no choice than make them popular or populist.

We have found the immediate priority is peace and security in Africa.

The character of our leaders revealed by the human rights groups is described as very rich individuals,handsomes,crucs,thieves,prostitutes,immorals,lazy,liars,violents,cruels,corrupted...full of sweat speeches, full of complaints and accusations against the West or the White man.

These speeches encourage ethnic's hatred, discrimination, tribalism, against foreigners, neighbours,

This is more than 50 years now after the independence in most cases in Africa; we have destroyed even what the white man has built and still complaining and need help.

Our population is increasing and the needs too. The increase is 4 to 5 times than in 1960, 1970s, 1994.

The issues of leadership in our continent are more related to the poor character of our leaders, discipline, poor decision making and problem solving.

It's important to learn the 5Ps of leadership:

Problems, Principles, Patience, Perseverance, Provision.

This means identify problems, think of principles to be implemented in order to solve the problems with patience, perseverance and finally provision where a leader achieves his goals.

We can have the best trained leaders with all the resources but if we don't apply the 5Ps, it's not possible to achieve our goals.

What is the solution? First of all encourage freedom of the press, identify main population needs, take responsibility then take actions with all seriousness by fighting corruption and promote equal opportunity .We need a clear vision with clear objectives or goals to follow and monitor continuously.

Dr Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs put food, clothes as elementary needs.

Our goals should focus on development base like education, food, salary, life...then move to more complex needs by guarantying security, peace first then population needs or issues.

We need to learn from our mistakes, manage problems and priorities.

We need more freedom and independence to fight poverty then move to complex ones like ethnic hatred and conflicts.



Women and leadership:

Women are more victims of the wars, conflicts, diseases, poverty, and lack in Africa today. It seems like these curses came against them.

Our population is in majority composed of women, victims, vulnerable, raped, widows with orphans and more.

The problems in our continent today are more understood by women than men because they are the ones who pay the entire price. They are the ones raped, infected by HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and more diseases living in poor conditions, vulnerable ,killed in millions...I think because they are victims, they know the solutions and recommendations. They are the one with family responsibility and affected physically, morally, emotionally and on security ground.

A woman in Africa is considered as a thing without value.

She is not free, not independent. There are plenty of examples:

For example at work place, governments, business...most of them are recruited not because they are intelligent or qualified but because of their beauty and serve as sex slave of their recruiter or boss. They are used as protocol in majority.

In some cases even the intelligent is obliged to the prostitution system.

How a woman participation in good government, reconciliation and leadership important?

A woman's nature is sweat; she is a good manager and represents hope because she is not motivated by extra.

Woman by character and nature doesn't steal and the best candidate on finances, revenue services. She is weak physically but very intelligent and knows how to calm violence.

She is the best diplomat good negotiation and best banker.

It's important to promote women involvement in politics, business, education...We need more women in leadership, more educated women and stop pressing them to forced marriages at very early age. Hey need to go further into education. They need more opportunities in leadership, parliament, education, investments.

How to eradicate poverty in Africa?

We need to look at Dr Maslow hierarchy of needs. For example our priority needs now are security, peace, food, shelter, population freedom and identify our problems and take actions as serous leaders and responsible .We need to stop blaming each others or the West for failure to help our continent.

Democracy and leadership:

The concept of democracy is different in Europe, USA, West, and Asia and for sure has different meaning in Africa.

The analysis had shown that democracy does not exist in the World. In our case, we can define democracy as an administration which knows its population needs and problems and manage them.

Democracy is satisfying the minimum need. For example, security, peace, food, health care, education, shelter, roads, infrastructure, salary...

If we satisfy the minimum need, the population will leave the government alone.

Democracy concerns people in power not the population.

To summarize, there is no industry which produce leaders but leaders train leaders. We need to take Africa in hand and be conscious of our issues. Things will change.

As one of great successful leader in Africa, I have come to admire your success and learnt what make you successful.

A research by management gurus on why extraordinary leaders succeed concluded a combination of a contradiction, two personalities in balance.

They are extremely wise, powerful and extremely simple. They are extremely ambitious and extremely submissive hey have strategic minds to create great things.

A good example at the moment is the President Barack Obama who won 2009 Nobel Peace Price.

I believe if a leader is successful, its people will succeed.

Now that we know about success and its process. I would like to give some recommendations. I don't intend to accuse anybody or institution/government. My purpose is to completely change our perception that education, leadership or governance is the solution to our problem. These can be one of the solutions. The main issue is the brain .If we revolutionalized our brains to take risks, not to fear we will achieve great result and more solutions on global warming.



In his own word:'' I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather...and a white grandmother...I have gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the World's poorest nations. I am married to a black America who carries with her the blood of slaves and slave-owners...I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

Is it possible in Africa?

I join the idea if Dr Edward de Bono, we are negligent in encouraging Thinking, creativity, innovation. Teach; learn thinking skills and representations bodies are not very good at thinking because they represent traditional thinking of their own country system based on logic, philosophy.

Here are few recommendations to Individuals, youth, media, universities, schools, governments, world bodies like UN, IMF, religious leaders, the church, society...

The challenges we are facing are our problems and we can solve them.

The way or the key is to have an open mind on the solution , think differently, see differently, and act differently .Be Positive.

If we want change, we must prepare to accept it and think without limit. Nothing is impossible.

If Franklin Delano Roosevelt was disable, with polio in terrible pain but with his condition elected president of USA. We can succeed.

If a blind, deaf at 19 months old, Helen Keller was successful author, lecturer, and champion. We can succeed.

If a slave, Booker T. Washington was able to found the Tuskegee Institute and the National Black Business League. We can succeed.

If despite humble parentage, Napoleon became emperor. We can succeed.

If E.U, USA, Canada, China, India, South Korea, Singapore, Japan...can succeed, why not us?

Africa is full of gold, diamond, oil, cobalt, gas, copper, uranium and more natural resources.

Africa has some of the genius of the planet Earth, a fantastic weather, greener than anywhere else in the World.

Africa has lard land, spaces, family values, friendly culture, and best professors in the World, best entertainers, best brains, best food and more.

There is no reason to say we are poor. No reason to love poverty, no reason to stay poor and be a liability in the world.

This is the time to think differently. This is the time to use both our Heart and Brain together for success .A time of responsibility and progress.

We are not poor, we are not enemies, and we are all Africans ready to claim our Promise Land of Wealth.

We are citizens of the World ready to contribute on climate change not just receive the $70 billion dollar.

We need economical power, we need success, hope for the children coming in the 100 years to come.

Here are some recommendations that I think will be necessary for our Success:

Individual:'' Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.'' John F. Kennedy

We have been trained to be interested in the negative than the positive. We need to see how to be constructive on our continent progress.

Church: Focus on producing an honest society and more Godly.

Media and Democracy: Because of culture diversity, I don't think Africa perception of democracy is the same with the West however we can see how to use it in more positive way. We need Positive Democracy where the media focus more on the positive not only the negative. The Media should Focus on how to make Africa rich or Wealthy.

Universities and schools: Focus on how to make Africa rich and wealthy by using creativity and innovation.



World Bodies: The UN.IMF, World Bank should change the idea that Africa is poor and see how the 780 million populations can help the World.

Focus on how to make Africa one of the richest nations on earth.

Governments: The idea is to create a wealthy Africa or one of the richest, wealthiest continents on earth in the next 100 years.

My dream is for every government in Africa to create a vision that I call Vision 2110 in the next 100 years with 100 goals to achieve one (1) every year using a strategy that I call Strategy Seven (7) with a slogan: Think small, grow big.

The main focus should be on giving the population 100 years loans and mortgages in order to make our economy strong. The Vision 2110 will have 5 stages and the 1st one is called Vision 2030 where Africa will satisfy its population elementary needs of food, shelter, health care, education, security, peace. Then the others will focus more on investments.

The 100 goals list that each government should have should be publicly announced to the media and the population that we want Africa to be the richest nation in the next 100 years.

We will give foreign investors 49% of shares and the 51% to African Investors with a year budget of $7 trillion.

The 100 goals list should have things like:

1. Build 7 stadiums

2. Create 7 Millionaires

3. Create 7 Banks

4. Create 7 Modern villages

5. Build 7 Prisons

6. Create 7 conflict resolution centres

7. Create 7 investments centres

8. Create 7 research centres on climate change

9. Create 7 industries

10. Create 7 stock exchanges (stock market)

11. Create 7 innovation or creativity/thinking centres

12. Create 7 leadership centres

13. Create 7 TV stations or Radio Stations

14. Create 7 Hospitals, Fitness clubs, security companies

15. Create 7 libraries, universities, police stations, intelligence centres

16. Create 7 post offices

17. Create 7 army academies

18. Create 7 driving schools

19. Create 7 law centres

20. Create 7 pharmaceutical industries

The list goes on to 100, these are just a draft.

If we can achieve these 100 goals, that's success.

If Europe, America, Asia can succeed, we can achieve these goals.

If Obama means a ''warrior with a spear'' why not Ushindi in Africa which means Victory, Glory, Wealth, Success.

Sir, I would like to thank you for your time, consideration and hope to create a better world and use this occasion to send our prayers to Haiti nation with over 50.000 estimated 100.000 people dead in the Earthquake.



Yours Sincerely



Mike Benedi Sudi Am mba

International consultant and Fundraiser .Great Lakes Restoration.” Building the Peace'' Eastern Africa.

PS: “If you want to help the Congolese people you can send your Donations to GLR”
GLR web: www.glrbtp.org

Success we believe in.

Please send this message to 3 goverments,3 unniversities,3 African creditors,3 journalists.

Open letter to Nelson Mandela.
By Mike Benedi Sudi Am mba,
International consultant and Fundraiser of the Great Lakes Restoration
''Building The Peace'' Eastern Africa


August 26th,2009

Dear Honourable Nelson Mandela,

AFRICA FINANCIAL FREEDOM.


It's such an honour and privilege to write this letter and hope with great expectations my recommendations will bring Success in our continent.

In a book Best Life Now by Joel Osteen, there is a story of a famous boxer James' Lights Out' Toney who was known for his aggressiveness in the ring. He fought like a man possessed. He wielded a powerful punch and for many years, he was the Middle Weight champion of the World.
One day a reporter asked him:'' what makes you good? why do you fight with such tremendous aggressive and passion in the ring? His answer was a surprise:'' It' s because my dad abandoned me when I was a child. I was fatherless to be raised by my mother all by herself, me and my brothers and sisters. And now when I step into the ring, I picture my dad's face on my opponents. I have so much hatred, anger towards him. I just explode.

From colonization, slavery to today, between 1100 and 1500 Arabs took over 100 Millions Black Africans to the Arab World,15th century Portuguese were the first to export slaves from West Africa, a trade that continued into 19th century by other European countries and over 14 Million Black African were taken to this new world. Between the 1950s and 1970s most of the African colonies gained their independence from European rule.
In 1994, South Africa become a democracy and ended Apartheid in which Black people had been separated from White people.
During all this period Black Africans lost their freedom, resources, land, power, identity,... they were killed, raped, forced to labour without the right to vote, strike or express themselves politically.
The Blacks were treated at the bottom after White, Indians, Coloured but more to that without any human rights as stated by the Geneva Convention.
Mr Hywel Williams in his book, Sun Kings, says that during Leopold 2,King of the Belgians, a genocide or massacre of over 12/22 million Congolese from 1884-5 to 1908 the state's population of 20-30 millions may have been reduced to as few as 8 Million in 1908.

The book what is wrong with being black? With Dr Matthew Ashimolowo stated that during Apartheid the share of National Income for Blacks was 20% for 19 million people when 4.5 million whites kept 75%.
The ratio of average earnings was 1 for Blacks,14 for Whites.
1 doctor for every 44.000 for Blacks but one doctor for every 400 whites.
The Annual expendixe on education per pupil for Blacks was $45,while for whites,it was $696.

Blacks were killed and murdered physically,morally,destroyed mentally and psychologically he added.
The book Is the DRC poor? and How to build a lasting peace in DRC? Noted over 6 Million Congolese killed in continuous conflicts and wars since 1996 up to now; 100.000 died in 1960 due to natural resources control on the Katanga and Kasai regions very rich in diamond,cobalt...

If we try to count how many Africans die in Somalia,Uganda,Rwanda,Burundi,Sudan,Tchad,Ivory Coast,Nigeria,Zimbabwe,Angola,Liberia,Kenya,...as a result of political,religious,ethnics,tribes,economical,land,money conflicts,wars.
We are talking about Millions and millions of people.
If we try to count how many children,women died every day as a result of poverty,diseases,human rights violations in Africa,we can see indeed we have a work to do.

Different politicians,tried and continue to focus on how to eradicate poverty in Africa? Powerful,influencial individuals and I hope in the same attitude my suggestions just try to complete them.

The US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's African tour
this month was saluted by many leaders.She focused her Trip on US-Africa partnership opportunities,fight against corruption,impunity,injustice,fraud,good leadership,good business,brief to bring change in Africa.
Previously,the president Barack Obama in Ghana this year said:''solutions to African problems are in African hands.'' One of the most powerful genious and 2nd rich on the planet,Bill Gates,in a book by Michael Kinsley on creative capitalism summarised his thoughts on technology could solve the key global issues included Africa.
He encouraged social business,direct role for goverments,help businesses in the poor world reach markets in rich world and dedicate sometime to finding ways for businesses,goverments,NGOS,the Media to create measures of what companies are doing to use their power,intelligence to serve a wider circle of people.

Dr Chika Onyeani,in his research called Capitalism Nigger on appendix 1,he said that Africans sell for nothing,the World Trade Organisation policies,the cost of drugs,unfair trade in Agriculture,International Monatary Fund policies distabilise African economies.He suggested that we should have a produced mentally time on the Media people say:''Humanitarian Aid will not solve problems in Africa,politicians should.''

Every year Millions of Africans leave the continent for a better life.
It is estimated by the International Labour Organisation that 20 million African men and women are migrant workers and that by the year 2015, 1 in 10 Africans will be living outside the country of their original birth.

Much of Africa's migration is because of economic reasons, unemployment is very high and many places there is underemployment and low wages. Some is because of civil war like Burundi,Rwanda,Liberia.
Other like Nigeria,Ghana it's political and religious persecution.
Dr Matthew Ashimolowo added.
He continued by saying the level of abuse against migrant Blacks in Western nations is very high,poor labor conditions for migrants workers,poor social protection,family dislocation,integration problems,social dislocation,ghettoization,growing Xenophobia.
Most of the time Immigration in the West is refered to Black Africans.
In UK Blacks account for just 2 million of the 60 million people but yet politicians make statements such as:''we are in danger of being swamped.''The same in France with Mr Le Pen.
I have learnt that over 6 million Congolease are outside the DRC to foreign countries all around the globe and the government fixed 5th August of every year as a day of national unity between the DRC and its diaspora.

It's over 50 years now $400 billion have been spent in Aid in Africa,$230 billion (foreign loans) owed as of the year 2000 in Sub-Sahara Africa,Africa debt is $313 billion,a continent where the total income is $25 billion not even the net worth of the 2nd richest man on the planet Bill Gates with over $56 billion after Carlos Slim Helu.
Microsoft donated over $3 billion in cash and software to try to bring technology to people who don't have access in poor countries mostly Africans.

Just in Congo DRC alone,August 2007 report,the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs Canada has contributed with $60 million in aid since April 2006,Canadian forces are deployed in Congo as UN operation in DRC to end violence.
The World Bank supports controversial $80bn or £48bn projectplans to link Europe to the World's biggest hydroelectric dam project in the volatile DRC.
The Grand Inga dam at 40.000 mw,twice than the giant Tree Gorges dam in China,equivalent to the entire generation capacity of South Africa,will bring electricity to 500 million Africans,Southern Europe since only 30% of Africans have access to electricity and can fall to 10% in many countries.
This extend the scheme to Europe is part of a recent trend that includes the ambitious £345bn desetec plan to take Solar power from Sahara to Southern Europe,Nigeria,Niger,Algeria backing by the EU and signed $12bn agreement to transport Nigerian gas through a pipeline to Europe Earth Stream reported the Fury at plan to power EU homes from Congo dam.

The politics web,the UK and France Foreign sec on EU politics in Congo said:''humanitarian situation there continue to deteriorate.Secretary David Miliband and Bernard Kouchner added.
There is a need for local and international peace keepers to promote peace,developing humanitarian help and contribution to the political process.

Since 2001 the EU increasingly involved in DRC:
Humanitarian relief,development cooperation,donor in electoral process,support transition,support UN MONUC involvement in DRC,financial and political partner with the signature of NIP Agreement in the framework of the 8th European Development Fund EDF,an amount of 120 million Euro,them 9th EDF 205 million Euro on 21/01/2002 and on 2/9/2003 a new NIP with aims to fight poverty,Institution building,capacity building,macro-economic support.In 2004 additional 270 million euro.The EU contributed 20 million to World Bank MDRP to targets former congolease and Foreign combatants,recipient communities after disarmament.
The ECHO emergency aid in DRC gave 45 million euro in 2004 and 38 million euro in 2005.
All these projects for natural resources management,justice,administrative reform,financial management,election process support.
In July 2005,149 million euro them in 2006 an addition of 16 million EDF managed by UNDP/APEC to support CEI with MONUC assistance for election observation,protection and promotion of human rights,to support democracy,EU assisted peace process in DRC with UN and African Union A.U.

The UK DFID investment from£5.6 million in 2001,£62 million in 2006/2007 mainly spent to CEI.
Belgian,UK,Nertherlands lead International efforts for SSR of the FARDC.France and Belgium to maintain EU agenda,South Africa efforts at SSR according to Centre d'analyse strategique on EU support to DRC and EU policies in DRC.
Most of human rights groups are pretty critical.They talk about the arrest of political rivals,human rights violations in Africa,women violences,child abuses and more a reporter against African leaders and I believe they are doing a good job,incomplete in terms of this letter if we won't better result.
After reading a statement by ACAC's executive director saying that Canada owes Congo because it's the largest economic partners in mining industry with the use of Coltan in our cellphones,computers as a result of that business over 6 million Congolese died.
He added that the Canadian government should be willing to take a greater role in Congo peace process.
One Canadian commented and said:''saying we owe them for their minerals,is like saying we owe Saudi Arabia for their oil,or Wal-Mart for their toys,get real.''He added.

Another Congolese added Canada should partner more in Fish Industry,agricultural projects and fish ferry,yachts,boats,fish tanks...investments of that kind.
One of the DRC,country representative criticised the UK strong support to DRC as unqualified on the 5616th UN Security Council AM Meeting.

Just few years ago,the Congo crisis split Europe over the issue to send more peace keepers troops to show a firm commitment and help the grave humanitarian situation.
Most politicians argue that if you don't help who else will? Toby Vogel said on Europeanvoice.
If we analyse these issues, some UN analysts think issues in Africa can take over 130 years to achieve a $2 a day income by 2015 in countries living in extreme poverty.
Today,of the 25 poorest countries in the World,22 are in Africa,54% of Africa lives are below UN official poverty line.

I had an opportunity to speak to several fellow Africans on why Africa is poor? Most of the responses pointed the West.Some said it's the USA,UK,CANADA,FRANCE,EU,UN...but most of them were so concerned about FRANCE envy of African Oil.
They also accused multinational companies of benefiting from crimes against African by exploiting illegally its natural resources.
The majority of Africans,blacks are full of pain,hatred,passed wounds from colonial heritage against whites.
Most of them think that the West should pay back all its took from Africa estimated at $trillions and $trillions.Most of them don't appreciate all the humanitarian aids and efforts by the UN,EU,WORLD BANK,IMF,WTO...to bring prosperity and eradicate poverty in Africa.
They think,politicians are the problems for all happening in the continent locally and internationally.
As a good fan and one of my hero Sir,I was amazed with your reaction after over 27 years in jail during Apartheid.You said:''It's time to think with the head not the heart.''

As a survivor of Congolese conflicts and wars,I have lost many friends,close relatives and more as most of Africans we are all full of pain, wounds, hurts from the past. We are all so concerned about the next generations to come in 100 years.
What will be their Future? In what's World will they be part of?

Research has found that over 7/10 Africans are very angry against politicians, their governments, their environments but mostly against whites, the West for what's happened in Africa.

My experience, travelling extensively around the world, I have found also that there are whites people who blame blacks for their poverty. Arabs blame Jewish or jews, coloroured blame whites, women blame men and so on.
But the question is: How will Africa find financial freedom?
As a Christian,pentecostist or charismatic,I don't think it's right to judge Muslim or Catholic or any religion. I don't think it's right to judge this generation of white people against atrocities that their ancestors had committed .I admit it was very wrong,very demoniac to treat another human being as a slave,an animal but we are in the 21st Century now,we should not forget the past but learn from the past and avoid these kind of atrocities to happen again.
Every year British,French,Canadians,Americans,Europeans,whites give their millions in us dollar donations to humanitarian aids and human rights group for Africa.

The question is what's the way out for Africa to eradicate poverty?
I think based on Africa wealth, it's wise to say Africa is broke but not poor.
It's important to know that if we are willing to will,5 years is enough to achieve this goal of financial freedom but it's crucial that we will need Europe,E.U,USA,Canada,G7,G8,G20,G24,G77,World Bank,IMF,WTO and other financial groups.We will need to understand how partnership work,how to build trust,relationships and commitment with investors and multinational companies.
We will need to understand that in business,we all want a win-win situation but more to respect signed contracts,business ethics,take full ownership and responsibility for work done in our countries.

Most of African leaders complain that donors have made a lot of mistakes.Many times they have assumed they are the ones to choose where to put this money,the one to run it,without any accountability in other cases. Sometimes associated with wrong people and gets money lost and ends up in people's pockets.
They want to work as a team not as untrusted friends or partners.
Not ignoring the book capitalism nigger,Dr Chika Onyeani explains how the World Trade Organisation rules,policies are for rich countries benefits,with the GATT,GATS,TRIPS principles of trade without discrimination.He found them unfair,unjust,not right.
He critized the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank where policies,quotas and voting powers are again not right,not just,not fair.

For example Canada with a population of over 30 million people has 2.93% total quota millions SDRS and 2.88% of total votes while Congo DRC has 0.25% and 0.25% with a population over 60 million.
Angola (12 million people) with o.13% and 0.14%;France (59 million) with 4.94% and 4.85%;Gabon (1.2 million) with 0.07% and 0.08%;Ghana (20.2 million) with 0.17% and 0.18%;Rwanda (7.7 million)with 0.04% and 0.05%;UK (60 million) with 4.94% and 4.85%;Kenya (30 million) with 0.003% and 0.01%;Uganda(21.7 million) with 0.08% and 0.09% and more on the appendix 2...attached with UNDP human development.(Population statistics from World of knowledge printed 2008).

I think if we want to eradicate poverty in Africa,human rights groups should focus on the World Bank,IMF,the G20,WTO,and other international financial institution that provides loans to poorer countries with a goal to eradicate poverty.

If we analyse the IMF borrowing arrangements,there are in favour to rich countries,the total NAB participants and credit amounts was 34000(SDR Million);the total quota in millions of SDRS was 217431.7 with a 100% total votes on IMF members quotas and voting power and IMF board of governors.

Because the IMF is the highest decision making body,I believe most of the time the borrower is slave to the lender that the reason why capitalism nigger qualified this system of financial slavery or another form of colonialism against Africa.

My request in this letter is not a fine or a compensation request form on colonialism or a refund from what happened in the past but a real solution to this continent temporary situation of being broke financially.

First of all, Africa will need a Bail out of $us 3000 billions to help its economy recover however this will have to be spent in instalments with 10% spent primarily on projects,campaigns on positive thinking,reconciliation then infrastructure.

My second recommendation will need help from NGOS,businessmen,governments,human rights groups,financial institutions to convince the WTO,World Bank,IMF to review its voting system,its policies,its lending policies,rules...
If the Geneva convention on human rights defend and recognise every individual as equal without discrimination of race,gender,class,religion,political opinion...I think over 784 million Africans should have at least the same right with 728.8 million Europeans or 281.4 million Americans.

Baring in mind,shareholders rights,I would like to suggest to these organisations to keep their votes,their quotas but introduce another additional votes,quotas to initial ones based on country population then calculate an average between the 2.
This means for example: Congo will keep its 0.25% and 0.25% added by a new vote based on its total population of 60 millions people for a fair vote with UK for example with almost the same estimated population number of people (60 million) with 4.94% and 4.85%.

Let's do the math:

World population est: 6 billion people this means 1/100 is in Congo
IMF Quota in millions of SDRS: 200.000

Congo quota will be: (1+0.25):2=0.625 %
UK quota will be: (1+4.94):2=2.97%
Kenya:(0.5+0.003):2=0.2515%
Canada:(0.5+2.93):2=1.715%

Instead of sending more humanitarian aid with few achievements,this exchange or review will be regarded as a real help and boost to Africa.I would like to call it Favour Shares as an A real Apology in exchange to what colonisation heritage is doing in our continent today.

In conclusion I know as an Africans,we still have emotional wounds to heal,to let go of the hurts and pains of the past but we need to understand that when we don't forgive,we are poisoning our lives.
The victime mentality that we have cultivated for so many years will not help,what's happened,happened and we can't change the past instead we can learn from it.We need to stop feeling sorry about ourselves,let's go of those hurts and pains.We need to forgive the people who did us wrong.Forgive ourselves for the mistakes we have made.We may even need to forgive God for some of us who are angry at God that He didn't answer our prayers on some situations and focus on today,tomorrow,the future of our children's children in the generation to come in the next 100 years.

We should understand that there are lots of things in life we will never understand .(Deut 29:29)

So my suggestions are a review on IMF,WB,WTO policies,quota,voting system,rules,politics in Africa.

Sir,I trust that your position as a hero will help us voice these ideas to influencial,powerful institutions around the globe.
Since the World Cup will be in South Africa in the next 10 months, I think this will be a good opportunity to make a speech on Africa Financial Freedom.

With the help of God, I am convinced we all believe in success.


By Mike Benedi Sudi Am mba.



Appendixe 1:

CAPITALIST NIGGER excels as an explosive and jarring indictment of the Black Race. Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success (Timbuktu Publishers, September 17, 2000) asserts that the Black Race, is a consumer race and not a productive race. Says the author, Chika Onyeani, "We are a conquered race and it is utterly foolish for us to believe that we are independent. The Black Race depends on other communities for its culture, its language, its feeding, and its clothing." "Despite enormous natural resources," according to the author, "Blacks are economic slaves because they lack the "killer-instinct" and "devil-may-care" attitude of the Caucausian, as well as the "spider web economic mentality" of the Asian." The author is not afriad to use the most hated word, the 'N' word as a title of his book. He says, "It is not what you call me, but what I answer to, that matters most." The further asserts that "Blacks are economic slaves. We are owned lock stock and barrel by people of European-origin ... I am tired of hearing Blacks always blaming others for their lack of progress in this world; I am tired of the whining and victim-mentality. I am tired of listening to the same complaint, day in day out - racism this, racism that. It's getting us nowhere." "Africans have a stance, 'live for today, let tomorrow take care of itself and be damned' attitude," the author says. "We've become a sheep-like consumer race that depends on other communities for our culture, language, feeding, and clothing. We've become economic slaves in Western society." CAPITALIST NIGGER reserves its harshest criticism for African leaders, who according to Onyeani, have allowed Europeans and others to pillage and plunder Africa's wealth, without anything to show for it, other than more starvation, disease, and dictatorships. "We have as little today than when most of the African countries received independence from their colonial masters," Onyeani says. CAPITALIST NIGGER is an anguished cry to the Black race to wake up, stand up and move on." "We must abandon the victim mentality baggage that we've carried for so long: the notion that somebody owes us something," the author says. "We've got to stop whining and stop begging. The Black race needs to wake up and stand on it's own feet." Says Onyeani, "We need to recognize and learn from others what it takes to succeed. We need to adopt the "devil-may-care" attitude and the "killer-instinct and whatever-it-takes attitude" of the white Caucasian, and the "spider web economic mentality" of the Asian."

Appendix 2: IMF Members' Quotas and Voting Power, and IMF Board of Governors

http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/members.htm
Global peace index: http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/home.php

Appendix 3: Global Human Development 2008 Report:

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/






Appendix 3: AFRIQUE NATURAL RESOURCES WEALTH

- 1/3 of the world's bauxite reserve is found in Africa
- Cobalt metal in DRCongo,Morocco
- Beryllium-Madagascar,Mozambique,DRCongo,Zimbabwe
- Chronium-South Africa,parts of West Africa
- Manganese-Most of West Africa,Kalahari desert
- Oil and vanadium-Gabon
- Oil,natural gas,titanium-Nigeria
- Lithium-DRCongo,Rwanda
- Platinum deposits-South Africa
- The world's chief source of radium in DRCongo
- Uranium-DRCongo,Niger
- Copper-Central Africa,Zambia,Malawi,DRCongo,Botswana,Mauritania,Uganda
- Zinc-Morocco,Algeria
- Phosphate-DRCongo,Nigeria,Morocco,Western Sahara,Algeria,Tunisia,Egypt,Togo,Senegal,Tanzania,Uganda,Malawi
- Granite-Morocco,Nigeria,Burkina Faso
- Quartzite-Uganda,DRCongo
- Dolerite-South Africa
- Marble-Nigeria,Mali,Togo,South Africa
- Limestone-Togo,Ghana,Kenya,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,South Africa
- Jepson-Somalia
- Bitumen-Nigeria
- Iron-Algeria,Western Mauritania
- Tin,nickel,chromium,zinc,lead,cobalt,silver,gold,platinum,molybdenum,wolfram,uranium-Algeria
Source: What is wrong with being black? Matthew Ashimolowo (2007)


Appendixe 4: Congo importance in the world

Different sources and research projects focusing on Congo specially the mining industry confirm that this country is:
- Africa's largest nation, has abundant mineral resources including, cobalt, copper, gold, diamonds, copper, zinc, oil, uranium and many other more..
- The DRC is the world's largest producer of cobalt,
- DRC is the world's third-largest producer of diamonds by volume,
- The DRC has the third largest population in Africa
- the second largest land area in Sub-Saharan Africa and can feed 800 millions people this means 16 times the population of Congo
- the second largest rain forest in the world with 50 % of forest reserves in Africa and 17% in the World.
-64% of World Cobalt reserves located in North-Kivu, South-Kivu and Province Orientale that why these 3 regions are considered to be the development engine of Congo economy. These products are very important in the defense industry and in high technology industry sector. One of the examples is the gem made from cobalt.
-The World Bank shows that there are 3 important petrol sites in Congo:
1. The first one is near the Atlantic Cote and is exploited by multinationals companies such as Chevron, Petrofina...Shell asked as well a license to exploit this site but not confirmed yet if it had been granted.
In this site there is a reserve of bitumen (a product from which asphalt is extracted and the 4th important site in the World but never been exploited yet.
2. The second site is within Kinshasa-Businga-Kisangani-Kindu. It covers a vast part of Sankuru, Kasai Occidental and the whole Bandundu.
3. The 3rd site is near lake Tanganyika. It is reported that contracts had been signed between Amoco-Zaire and Petro-Zaire.
-The country has an important Fleuve with debit estimated at 23000 and 75000m/second (un rapport of 1 to 3) compared to Mississippi (1 to 20 or Nil (1 to 48).This means the Fleuve is navigable and in total Fleuve Congo has 15000km of fluvial links.
-The hydroelectrique capacity is estimated at 103 millions kilowalts, 13% of the World capacity. Inga barrage can produce electricity 2 times greater than France total electricity production. It capacity can be sufficient to produce electricity in all Central Africa, All East Africa and all South African countries.

-Congo has an exceptional strategic position in Africa: the country is in central sharing borders with 9 countries and in 1965 William Mennen explained that Congo is the Heart of Africa because anything that happen in this country affect seriously all other countries in the neighbours.

Source: Is the DRC poor? and How to Build a lasting peace in the DRC,
Mike Benedi Sudi Am mba (2008)


Appendixe 5: Great Lakes Restoration's Projects

Six Million Pennies
Making "CENTS" Make a Difference
Have a penny? Then you can help Great Lakes Restoration (GLR) make a positive difference and save lives in an area ravaged by the deadliest conflict since the Second World War. Our goal is to obtain ONE PENNY to commemorate EACH of the SIX MILLION CONGOLESE who have died from war-related causes.

While millions of civilians have been killed by direct combat, the majority of deaths are due to disease, starvation and abuse. More than half of those dying are children under the age of five. Many of these deaths could have been prevented by basic medical care and nutrition. That is why we are asking for your help: to stop preventable deaths.
Your contribution will help. This is an area of the world where the average person survives on less than 25¢ a day. A penny to us is almost worthless; insignificant. But this project renders the smallest contribution, the donation of the loose change in everyone's pocket, significant because it helps GLR save lives; priceless lives. When you reach into your pocket remember the significant people in your life and try to imagine your life in that person's absence. The life you save may turn out to be the next Nelson Mandela, Dikembe Mutombo or the developer of the HIV/AIDS vaccine. More likely it will be a person of no notoriety, but still a person of significance; another human saved by your small but significant generosity.
GLR is looking for partners in this project. We welcome the assistance of church and student groups, charitable and professional organizations and, most importantly, concerned individuals. Contact GLR to share our expertise and let us help you help us in Building The Peace in the Great Lakes region.


Pigs for Peace (PFP)
Gift of a Pig – US $50.00
Share of a Pig – US $10.00
Please go to http://www.firstgiving.com/greatlakesrestoration to make your contribution.
________________________________________

This is the story of how a pig will change lives
PFP is a project in microeconomics designed to complement other projects of GLR in building a sustainable peace in the rural areas of South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); one pig at a time.
The basic economic and social infrastructure of these rural areas has been gravely damaged by the continuing warfare which began over a decade ago. Rural families suffer from the malnutrition and disease simply because they exist by subsistence agriculture in most cases centered on the cultivation of the cassava plant. They have no means of improving their situation particularly as to health care or education of their children because they lack the income to pay for these services. Other victims of warfare, including women who have been raped and their children, orphans and other vulnerable children, and thousands of refugees throughout South Kivu await reintegration into society without any means to do so.
The instrument to begin to address many of these issues is simply a pig. PFP is designed to bridge the gap between mere subsistence and hope for the future based on increasing prosperity for the participating families; between a marginal existence and a functioning reintegration into productive society for the various victims of warfare. Pigs do not need a large amount of space to live and forage – they eat everything and have been commonly raised in Congolese villages – so it is not a new approach. Importantly, in the eastern DRC, women cannot make the decision to sell or kill a cow or goat for food or money, but they can make those decisions about the family pig. Women also make decisions about issues of survival - for the health and well-being of the family – so it is imperative that women will have access to and be empowered by PFP.
In cooperation with a local Congolese microfinance NGO, each participant in the project is provided with a female piglet as a “loan.” The loan is to be repaid with one piglet from each of the first two litters of the participant's pig. Each participant is also provided with a short course of instruction in husbandry as to their pig. The instruction addresses the care of a pig, issues as to its health and diet, and where help can be found if needed. During the training participants are introduced to a veterinarian. The opportunity to consult with the veterinarian on a regular basis is also provided. Our Congolese partners also provide the initial male “parent” pig at the village level.
Testing by our Congolese partners indicates that the income of participants may be expected to be four times the national average. That income can be leveraged to provide a better quality of life for the participants and their families; not only by making funds available for necessities like health care and education for their children, but also in the hope for the future of sustainable peace fostered by rising agricultural productivity and the neighborly cooperative husbandry practices inherent in the project.
PFP is the essence of basic, endogenous, from the ground up, development. The model is simple. The project is labor, as opposed to capital intensive. The cost for a pig including the supporting services described above? $50.00. This project is administered entirely by and through existing GLR partners in the DRC.
Project Goals:
• Provide an opportunity for project participants by their own efforts to improve the quality of life and to contribute to building a sustainable peace in rural South Kivu province;
• Enhance stability in rural areas by providing a means to increasing agricultural productivity and income and, therefore, a disincentive to rural flight to urban areas;
• Provide an opportunity for victims of warfare to be reintegrated as productive members of society;
• Provide the participants with an income source for the payment of the educational costs of their children;
• Encourage the formation participants agricultural cooperatives to promote husbandry and cultivation practices consistent with the success of the project;
• Enhance the diet and nutrition of the participants by providing a source of additional protein; and
• Enhance the cooperation between GLR and existing Congolese NGOs.
Please go to http://www.firstgiving.com/greatlakesrestoration to make your contribution.
To help the greatest number of participants, GLR does not use its limited resources to track individual animals from donation to distribution to specific participants. Instead, your gift supports the entire PFP project in the context of GLR's overall mission of building a sustainable peace throughout the Great Lakes region of eastern Africa.

Nursing Center for Healthcare (NCH) at Catholic University of Bukavu (UCB)
A multidisciplinary approach characterizes this project's response to the multiple interrelated problems resulting from the warfare spawned by genocide in Rwanda coupled with the collapse of the Mobutu regime in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Occurring in the already poverty stricken Great Lakes region of eastern Africa, this warfare has increased the impact of diseases endemic in the region, such as malaria, as well as the health problems associated with malnutrition, poor sanitation and HIV/AIDS. Nowhere is the HIV/AIDS pandemic more widespread than in the Great Lakes region. In addition, the last decade has seen the use of extremely violent rape as a “weapon” of war in the region. Beyond the severe physical and psychological trauma inflicted on the victims, this almost unique feature of this continuing warfare contributes to the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other sexually transmitted diseases and has created a community of cursed outcasts in a culture that ostracizes both the victims or rape and their children.
To meet the diverse challenged posed by this situation and to promote the fragile peace in the region is the ultimate goal of this project. To do so we will undertake an interdisciplinary health team approach led by skilled forensically trained nurses that focus on the victims of conflict, more particularly on the victims of violence and, most particularly on healing the physical and psychological wounds of the victims of sexual violence. The hub of the project will be a NURSING CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE to be developed at UCB. The overriding concern here is to achieve a sustainable solution for the victims of conflict, as opposed to the often incomplete, emergency intervention characteristic of past efforts, which will also result in an improvement in the availability of health and trauma service as well as living conditions in Bukavu and South-Kivu Province in general. Our hub is defined functionally in the project goals below.
Project Goals
A. SHELTER
• A safe place where the victims of conflict can live with adequate food and water while receiving treatment for injury and/or disease and during the process of physical and psychological rehabilitation and reintegration into society; and,
• A residence for students (nursing, medical and social work) and other trainees in the programs of NCH.
B. HEALTHCARE
• For those requiring surgical intervention to correct or repair injuries, maintenance treatment and medicine during the pre- and post-operative periods;
• Preventive care, treatment, aftercare and medication for diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis;
• Preventive care, treatment, aftercare and medication for sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS;
• Pre-natal, natal and post-natal care and medication for mothers and the new born;
• Intervention, therapy and/or counseling as necessary for treatment of the psychological traumas (for example, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) resulting from violence and especially sexual violence; and
• Provide the necessary staffing, equipment (including prosthetic devices), supplies and medicines to achieve the healthcare objectives of NCH.
C. EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR REINTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY
• Develop a Forensic Nursing, Social Work and Community Health Worker curriculum and program within the NCH to train professionals able to provide the assessment, physical and/or psychological treatment, and documentation required by victims of violence and their families, especially sexual violence in both the inpatient and outpatient setting (in the surrounding communities and rural areas);
• Provide the patients residents at NCH with instruction in preventative care (for example, as to sexually transmitted disease and nutrition), as to self-management in the treatment of chronic conditions or disease (for example, the maintenance treatment and medication required to monitor and control in cases of TB and HIV/AIDS), and as to basic principals of public health and sanitation;
• Collaborate with public officials, NGOs and community and religious leaders to raise awareness in rural and urban communities of human rights and justice for victims of violence.
• In conjunction with the other faculties at UCB provide a forum for research into the cultural bias' which have produced violence and sexual violence of the recent past and develop models and programs to alter those biases;
• Recognizing that an individual's emotional security and self-esteem is often based on the perceived ability to provide for the self and loved ones, provide vocational training and education appropriate to the talents and abilities of each resident, so that each will either have an employable skill or be able to continue their education upon reintegration; and,
• Integrate microfinance opportunities into the programs at the NCH.

Hospital Rehabilitation at the Provincial Hospital of General Reference
and University Catholic of Bukavu Medical School

This project is the Rehabilitation of the Provincial Hospital of General Reference (PHGR), and the Medical School at the Universite Catholic of Bukavu (UCB), South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is a joint effort with the Center for Clinical Global Health Education (CCGHE) at Johns Hopkins University. The goal in this area is to assist the Congolese people of South Kivu and the surrounding localities to access to state of the art medical and health services. This requires that the medical personnel (professors and students) receive the best equipment and the best training. After more than fifteen (15) years of bloody conflicts both human capital and facilities are seriously deficient in many areas.

GLR is working to assist the PHGP and the School of Medicine at UCB to build a friendly base of public, private, and non-governmental entities who will work with the leaders of UCB to rehabilitate both the School of Medicine and the PHGR.

Project Goals:
1. Upgrade this institution to enable them to provide quality medical care for the Great Lakes region.
2. Develop the Medical School at UCB as a center for programs on Health Education and HIV/AIDS care and prevention.
3. Build and support an IT network and connections for all twelve (12) area hospitals managed by through PHGR and the
UCB School of Medicine.
4. Establish a multi-media education facility including a tropical medicine laboratory facility.
5. Build a multi-media surgery/operating and observation room for projection of procedures from UCB.
6. Develop operating theaters from remote locations.
Hospital Rehabilitation Funding:
Through the combined efforts of GLR, and CCGHE, develop funding relationships using Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Save The Orphans of War

This project is for the care of the orphans of war in the DRC, South-Kivu Province.
South-Kivu Province and Bukavu its capital, in the aftermath of nearly a decade of civil war, are hopefully beginning to emerge from a period of complete chaos. The most abject victims of the war and poverty are the orphans—of parents who died in the wars; of ethnic or political cleansing associated with the wars; due to forcible recruitment into some armed group; or who died of disease, particularly HIV/AIDS. Finally, there are some who were simply abandoned by their parents. It is these children, the orphans that are the focus of this project.

Our investigations on the lifestyle, activities, experience and background of orphans in the province of South-Kivu, identified approximately 10,000 orphans of war (58% male/42% female) in Bukavu and the surrounding areas (Bagira, Mbobero, Kabare, Nyangezi, Walungu, Katana, Kalehe, Birava). Most (80%) of these children are between five (5) and fourteen (14) years old. Most of them are not in school, and, therefore, illiterate. The living conditions of these children are, at best very poor and generally worsen as one gets farther from the city of Bukavu; characterized by the lack of proper shelter, no parental or adult supervision, and constant lack of food and clean water. They are continuously surrounded by and subject to physical dangers such as assault, torture and sexual violence. To survive, many of these children have been recruited, some involuntarily, to become soldiers, sexual slaves, or thieves and subjected to the ravages of starvation and disease (esp. HIV/AIDS infection); and endless psychological trauma. They have absolutely no opportunities whatsoever to improve their situation. There are neither provincial nor national initiatives to assisting them.

Project Goals
• Provide orphaned children with health services suitable to their circumstances.
• Provide educational setting suitable to their age and/or vocational training appropriate to their individual abilities and talents before emancipation.
• Conduct activities appropriate to orphaned children with socio-professional and psychological support.
• Provide a safe environment, including adequate shelter with nutritious food, clean water and sanitary conditions, and legal, social and economic protection.
• Sensitize communities on the need to rehabilitate orphaned children into society.
• Protect orphaned children against any form of violence (sexual, physical, moral or psychological).

Workshop Schools in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
The salvation of the lives of young refugees in North-Kivu Province of the DRC is the goal of this project. North-Kivu, particularly the areas to the north and northeast of the provincial capital of Goma, remains the area of the DRC most afflicted by ongoing conflict of all kinds. Because the conflict is ongoing, the refugee population in the province, already estimated to be in excess of 800,000, continues to grow.
One thousand (1,000) of these youngsters who inhabit the refugee camps in and around Goma will be the initial targeted beneficiaries of this pilot project. These children, who include many orphans, have no homes in the ordinary sense of the word. They do not go to school because their parents, if they are still alive, cannot afford to send them and there is no public education available. They are often ill, suffering from the effects of malnutrition and panoply of disease including HIV/AIDS, and health care is inadequate to non-existent. Instead of going to school, these children struggle to survive. They are utilized as small beasts of burden; carrying water and/or scavenging for firewood and food. Many simply must beg. Dickens would find the conditions familiar nearly two hundred years after he gave us Oliver Twist.
Workshop Schools seeks to solve these problems with a unique combination of training the trainer and curriculum within the school setting.
Project Goals:
• Build the Peace by including a curriculum component addressing such topics as human rights, especially those of children and women; conflict resolution and the prevention of violence, especially sexual violence; community development especially culturally appropriate models for gender equity; and, principles of democracy as they relate to these topics, for both the children and the development of a cadre of teachers social workers and other trainers to sustain efforts of the project beyond the schools and over time;
• Operate the schools utilizing a participatory approach emphasizing to the children the need for them to take what they learn beyond the schools to the larger community;
• Provide access to basic education for each child and the opportunity for each to develop to the best of their talents and abilities;
• To provide all necessary health care, especially to the victims of sexual violence and to combat HIV/AIDS; and
• To capitalize this pilot project to provide a model for the all of the eastern DRC and beyond.

Education and Empowerment of Young Women in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
There is an African proverb which holds that to educate a woman is to educate the nation. Nonetheless, the young women of the eastern DRC historically have been culturally excluded from meaningful participation in their society because of lack of adequate education or job related skills. In addition thousands have become victims of the constant warfare over the last fifteen (15) years which has been characterized by unrelenting sexual violence against women. These victims suffer from the additional cultural hardships imposed by a society which isolates and ignores the victims of sexual assault. They are, in effect, abandoned by the society in which they live.
The primary goal of this project is to prepare these young women for leadership roles in building the peace in the region in the new millennium. A key component of our program is specifically to address the needs of those teenage girls defined as vulnerable: orphans, refugees, victims of poverty, sexual violence and/or disease such as HIV/AIDS. Ultimately, it is important to recognize that not only must the needs of the vulnerable be addressed, but that all women be empowered. Empowerment is not only the path to reintegration into society of thousands of vulnerable teenage girls but, also the prevention of the sexual violence and victimization of women which has been so commonplace in the DRC of the recent past. As such it is means to nurture and sustain the fragile, nascent peace now emerging in the Great Lakes region.
As a first step, three hundred (300) young women from ages ten (10) to eighteen (18) years old have been identified as the initial focus of this project. They suffer from various vulnerabilities; in many cases from multiple vulnerabilities. Some are orphans. Some are victims of disease; the most prominent being HIV/AIDS and malaria. Many are refugees or the victims of sexual violence. Almost all live in poverty and suffer from malnourishment. It is anticipated that this number will increase quickly as the identification process continues, given the prevalence of orphaned or abandoned young women in the post-conflict eastern DRC. This project begins a collaborative effort with existing NGOs in the area, and the national and provincial governments of the DRC to remedy the effects of and prevent gender based violence, illiteracy, and poverty.
Goals of the Project:
• Assist these vulnerable girls, to obtain an education suitable to their talents and abilities,
by matching them with overseas sponsors who would academically “adopt” them on an
individual basis;
• Equip these young women for leadership roles in building the peace in the region through appropriate curriculums that emphasize conflict resolution and culturally appropriate gender equity models, especially for the victims of sexual violence;
• Provide for the basic needs of life (food and water, secure shelter, clothing and health care)
for the young women enrolled in the project; and
• Promote the economic empowerment of these young women through vocational training programs; support for small business activity; micro finance/credit activity; and, scholarships funding for higher education, to name a few examples.
Buildings for Peace

This project is the biggest single endeavor undertaken by GLR. It is also one of the most important because it will change the living conditions in eastern Congo dramatically, thereby changing the lives of the people and enhancing the opportunities for peace.

Buildings for Peace is a means to help the people of the DRC, specifically in the Great Lakes region, solve the problems of housing and employment and contribute to the growth of stability, prosperity and recovery from the recent civil wars in these areas by providing other opportunities for the people living there. The project will be constructed and managed utilizing local labor and resources, and funded by FDI. Then, the project will develop into two or more Sustainable Local Enterprises (SLE) in the construction and similar industries providing employment and development of housing and related infrastructure. The initial focus in the eastern DRC, based on current GLR partners, could be expanded to serve as a model for use throughout the entire DRC, increasing stability and redirecting the focus of the Congolese people toward peaceful and productive pursuits.

Project Goals:
1. Build 2,000 houses in each province (South Kivu and Katanga) – a total of 4,000.
2. Involve American businesses to facilitate economic and social growth by developing SLE models based on local customs and conditions; providing training necessary to the success of those SLE models; and, initially mange project implementation.
3. Teach each employee a productive skill that will permit him or her to contribute to the economic security of their family, community, and country.
4. Pay each employee a “living” salary consistent with local conditions, even while in training.
Buildings For Peace Funding:
It is estimated that 90% of the funding of this project would come from FDI with the initial startup cost of 10% being generated by the local and/or national Governments in the DRC. A major portion of this initial and ongoing expenditure will be directly invested back in the DRC for salaries, training costs, and other services.

African Institute for Conflict Resolution (AICR)

This project, African Institute for Conflict Resolution (AICR), is a joint venture between GLR and UCB(1), and will develop the capacity of Africans in conflict resolution and contribute to building the fragile peace currently emerging throughout the sub-Saharan continent and preventing future outbreaks of violence. Realizing that promoting education and research into conflict analysis and identifying conditions for capacity building is one of the best roads toward sustainable peace, AICR will develop studies on the conditions of war and peace, and their relationship to the development of social justice and human rights, with a special emphasis on the recently war ravaged territories of the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa. As a research facility, AICR will specialize in the study of the ethnic, political, ideological dimensions of conflicts and will work with governmental, non-governmental, national and international entities for training professional peacemakers who will be prepared to work in a dynamic environment. As an educational institution, AICR will develop and implement an undergraduate curriculum, and Undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The emphasis of both research and educational programs shall be building the peace in the local, regional, national and international communities. The central lesson of the AICR will be to teach the idea that there can be competition without conflict, and that conflicts can be resolved by rules without violence.

Project Goals
1. Create an operational facility at UCB to act as a physical hub for AICR and for its faculty and students. This includes the necessary library and information technology and storage facilities to empower the AICR to achieve its mission throughout the Great Lakes region;
2. In partnership with the Schools of law at UCB and the Universities of Rwanda and Burundi, organize a formal curriculum (undergraduate and graduate) that would educate students in issues of conflict resolution, peace keeping, and peace building, by defining characteristics or conditions (political, cultural, social, economic, and/or anthropological) of war and peace;
3. Promote regional and sub-regional conferences, seminars and other exchanges of experience that will help to better understand the issues of conflicts and peace building through partnerships and work collaboration with educational institutions, governmental, non-governmental, national and international entities;
4. Implement strategies and mechanisms for the diffusion of results of research on conflict and peace building and for making peace and conflict information related available to the public as well all other interested parties; and
5. Ultimately, provide a keystone setting in an enlarged transnational process of dialogue and reconciliation throughout the Great Lakes region of East Africa in particular, and all sub-Saharan African countries in general.
(1) The Catholic Archbishop of Kivu, Monsignor Xavier Maroy, also is the Chancellor of UCB. As such he has authorized the location of AICR on the campus of UCB and its operation in conjunction with the existing Research Center in Human Rights, the UNESCO Chair of Human Rights and the School of Law at UCB.
HIV Infected Children and Orphans of War (OVC) (1)

This project is designed to fulfill the medical, educational and social needs of children orphaned, and in some cases infected, by HIV/AIDS due to death or disability of one or both parents or guardians. The project targets six hundred (600) OVCs of school age (6 to 18 years), of whom fifty percent (50%) are female, from the urban-rural zone of Kasha in the city of Bukavu, South-Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Special attention will be given to vulnerable females, including victims of economic and sexual exploitation, and rape.
The main thrust of the project is to provide the necessary health care, especially HIV treatment, for free, until such time as the children reach the age of emancipation, 18, within the five (5) year life of the project. As the children grow into adulthood, and the situation in the DRC continues to improve, the numbers of children needing assistance will decrease and public funding will become available as the infrastructure of the national and provincial governments become more robust.
Project Goals:
1. Bringing the children into the program and tracking their various circumstances (living and housing arrangements, health care and educational situation).
2. Providing free access to basic social services such as health care and universal education (2) to the targeted OVCs.
3. Creating a safe environment for the targeted OVCs against all forms of physical and psychological violence within the community, especially violence based on the victim OVC's infection by HIV/AIDS.
4. Granting support to the families of OVCs where applicable, for the purpose of accomplishing a sustainable social and economic reintegration of the OVC in society.
5. Ensuring that those who are identified as “at risk” are receiving all assistance to prevent uncontrolled spread of HIV/AIDS.
6. Possibly act as a pilot program for a larger province wide project (see “Orphans of War”).
The activities of this project will reinforce the abilities of these young people to actively participate, through the promotion of their rights to education, health care, social protection, and the prevention of violence, in the development of the DRC in a safe and sustainable environment of peace (3).
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(1) OVCs stands for Orphans and Vulnerable Children
(2) The concept of education is extended to include primary and secondary school, vocational training, literacy testing and school level passing tests (similar to GED testing in the USA).
(3) Cooperation with other entities for example, the University Catholic of Bukavu, SOS Grand Lacks, local NGOs and churches of every denomination; and influential individuals, such as the Archbishop of Bukavu, Monsignor Xavier Maroy, is necessary to give sustainability to the program.

Sports Stadium for Reconciliation and Peace Building
This project is to build a venue for sporting activities to bring individuals and communities together, and to bridge cultural or ethnic divides. This stadium will be a fulcrum to leverage building the peace throughout the Great Lakes Region of East Africa. With the understanding that building the peace is the first priority, this project emphasizes the place of sports, and specifically of a venue for sports, as a key factor in the process called peacebuilding.
In a country where the median age is sixteen (16), it is obvious in terms of human capital development that the young people are a crucial resource. The stadium will serve as a framework appropriate for the organization of sports activities between universities and between high schools. It will be a safe environment and a meeting place, for both competitors and spectators, of people of different ages and cultures. Sports activities between schools of different communities will also allow people to get together and provide another forum for dispute resolution through the social interaction inherent in sports, especially team sports. Even more important, by bringing together, in some cases on the same team, young people from different backgrounds (tribal, ethnic, national), including especially the refugee population, the process of reconciliation will be enhanced. Such activities will have the merit of signaling to local community as a whole that a new page has, in fact, been turned and that the current fragile consensus for peace is growing stronger. This project would provide a safe place; a pivot around which a number of beneficial activities and results could evolve.
Project Goals:
1. A location for the physical component of education which will be utilized by every educational institution at every level in the area.
2. A challenging alternative for the young to the limited, idle, often boring, dangerous, and criminal activities on the streets.
3. Promote a healing process on individual, community and regional levels through games, not war.
4. Provide a keystone location in an enlarged transnational process of dialogue and reconciliation throughout the Great Lakes Region of East Africa.
5. The central lesson, using sports as an example, to teach the idea that there can be competition without conflict; that competition can be resolved by rules without violence.
This last one is the essence of building the peace. The stadium will be a forum for fun for the young, where they will learn the value of friendship, teamwork, discipline, respect for others, and other necessary skills to ensure that they develop into caring individuals, prepared to meet the challenges they will face and to take leadership roles within their communities. Seen in this light an athletic facility can become a cornerstone with a vital role in the process of integrated development and peaceful conflict resolution.

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Please send this message to 5 Medias and 5 friends.

Open letter to the Congolese Nation.
Toronto, Canada September 15th, 2008
from Mike Benedi Sudi Am mba

Thank you dear ladies and gentlemen, mothers and fathers, elders, brothers and sisters for your words. For Your support together with the service you've rendered to our country with all humility, and I know what that means, also know what you have done and because of that, has given me a brighter future from my birth, my education, my culture, my dream, and my passions... and has made me more proud and gave me a sense of belonging that created a place which I occupy in your hearts.
It's because of your love for me and love of our country that I am standing as one of the proud 66 millions Congolease.We need to make a difference and I know that each of us can make a difference, which all of us ought to try. No frontier is beyond our reach if we are united and not divided.
On August 26th, 2008 and September 10th, 2008, I wrote 2 open letters respectively to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo His Excellency Joseph Kabila and the President of National Assembly Hon Vital Kamerhe.
In these 2 letters I suggested my plan on both spiritual and natural aspect for our country to have peace, to be prosperous and blessed.
What we need to know is that if we are not alerted of our past history, and current situation of curses, poverty, continuous conflicts...we will still be ignorant and victims.
It's not time to make the matters worse, it's not time to hate our country, but it's time to take actions for peace, for the reconstruction of our blessed country Congo.
My books How to build a lasting peace in the DRC, and Is the DRC poor? Was a result of deep researches to reach what seems to be impossible in Congo, but soon to become possible this century. I believe nothing is impossible.
A good quote from my father Sir Amissi Mbaluku Benedi says: “There is no crown without a cross”. From both my uncles Dr Raha Mugisho and Sir Carol Mugisho, my pastor Bujiriri Eugene, my brother Bishop Silver Benedi Matanda Am mba, my family Benedi Am mba, from Prophet Tyghana Boka Djembo, Dr Lucien Bampili Nzali, Rev Jack Maluma, Rev Elie Kabongo, Sir Evariste Shamamba and other friends' supports and prayers for my political ambition for the Congo not as a new president but as a patriot and a servant of Congolese nation, which will always encourage the dream we hold in our hearts.
This is a dream, that someday we will tell our children that this was the time when we healed our nation, the time we built our country. The time that Congo rises to live in security, full of hope, of life, united, and full of patriots...we all know how to reach this dream. By bringing together constructive actions, strengthening patriotism and constructive ideology and philosophy.
So I am your servant, one of the proud Congolese and patriot who is asking for your hands. I am asking for your help. I am asking for your hearts. And if you will stand with me in the days to come-if you will stand for our actions so that our children may have the same chance that somebody gave us, if you'll stand to keep the Congolese dream alive for those who still hungry for opportunity, thirst for justice, peace, blessings, rich and powerful DRC, if we will stop being victims of illegal exploitations of our natural resources, victims of mental slavery, victims of discriminations, victims of wars, victims of inferiority and mediocrity...then we will reach our dream.
As a believer and a Christian I know:
''All authority comes from God'' (Romans 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13)
So with all humility I know that our president His Excellency Joseph Kabila will agree with me and will support me.
I want to thank pastors, priests, religious and traditional leaders, businessmen, the army, the Senate, the parliament, politicians, the Media, youths, Women, elders, Educational institutions (primary, secondary, universities) leaders, the European Union, the United Nations, the West, Israel...and other individuals friends, NGOs, churches for their support to accomplish my duty as a citizen of the World bringing my part for the Freedom of man.

God bless Congo, God bless Israel, and God bless Benedi.