Using this interactive timeline w/ photos from the National Geographic website, please take a few moments to read it over and then examine this complicated issue in the Congo / Rwanda / Uganda region from a Westerner's (outsider's) point of view. (If your timeline link doesn't work above, here's the timeline link so that you can copy and paste - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/07/virunga/timeline-interactive )
It appears that there are so many ways to look at this beautiful rain forest and mountain gorilla preserve and the human devastation around it and NOT want to do something about it; in fact, recognizing that a genocide has occurred in 1994 compels (by law) the international community to act. The UN and other nations did act, but not before 800,000 people were massacred in a little over 4 months time in 1994. Afterwards, the massive # of refugees (2.5 million) flooded the Virunga National Park and complicated the wildlife preserve's delicate balance. This remains an issue for five years. Not only are mountain gorillas threatened by poaching during the most recent Congolese war, but the hippo population is down 95% as well as the elephant herds.
Even after a treaty was signed, in an effort to end poverty, the Rwandans seize park land to clear the forests and plants crops. Park rangers are still targets - whether shot by poachers or people looking to cash in on the illegal charcoal trade (chopping and burning trees to make this has been banned to preserve the forests), over 110 rangers have died guarding the park. In 2007, gorilla murders have been used to send messages to conservationists and politicians not to mess with the charcoal trade. When the head warden of the Virunga National Park, Honore Mashagiro, fell under suspicion, he denied it, but questions still remain.
So, after watching the video and examining the timeline, which do you think is the most important priority in this region: to conserve the wildlife of the Virunga; to bring stability and peace by ending the corruption and war; or solve the poverty problem by helping the poor of this region make a living instead of burning forests down to make charcoal?
Answer this question with your reasons why in 150 words.
United Nations - Great Apes Survival Project - http://www.unep.org/grasp/
Raise Hope For the Congo - Protect Women of the Congo - http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/
20 comments:
I be leave that the only way to fix the poverty is to help finance the country. This will allow them to create more jobs for the Africans. This will give the people of the Congo jobs and a way to get people out of the poverty they are in. this can help schools to. That would allow them to get a good education and get a good job. so in all this will fix a lot of problems. It would lower the crime rate because it would allow people to be able to buy the things they need and not have to steal it. This will also help with the war because they will have more money to allow them to stop the war. This could help stabilize the government then they can be a more stable government. So in all this will stabilize Congo and make Congo a safer and enjoyable place.
I feel that the most important thing to do for this region is to bring peace, and to end the war. I feel by doing this, it could create many new opportunities such as; the stop to deforestation, and a new beginning for re- paving the environment. Another opportunity which could begin is; helping the gorilla’s stay of the endangered spices list because the war will be over and everyone won’t be fighting any more. I think by doing this, it wouldn’t only open up new opportunities, but it would stop the big massacres which are happening every day in the poor region. Overall, I feel that if stopping the war, it could bring lots of new possibilities to help Congo and Africa.
Matthew Brodley
2nd hour
Maria Schweiss 2nd hour-
I think that if as an outsider we were to start helping this situation that our first priority would be to solve the poverty problem in the area. I think that this should be done first because after this issue is solved it may help bring about change for the better toward the other issues. Because the people in this area are poor they are turning to the illegal trade of charcoal to help them. If we help the impoverished it would help in getting rid of the charcoal trade which would also help in saving the gorillas, because the people involved in the charcoal trade are the ones killing the gorillas. I think that all three of these issues need to be dealt with. But by starting with helping with the impoverished us outsiders would be getting more accomplished in all three tasks. No matter what order these issues need to be dealt with soon.
When tryin got fix a county and its problems the first ting you will need to do is restore order. The best way to restorre order is set up a good and stable government. The government must be fair to all its people, and must not be one that will make its decisions based on their own gain, but instead the well being of their people. This government must resort order to the national rangers protecting the Verunga Nation Park, and hlp them keep order in the area. They will also need to keep order in the rebels forces that were camped in Congo in order. Without a good stable governmet, there is no good way to hold a stable economy with an income. Although this is what I beilve, I also beilve that us as Americans can do very little to help the Congo, because ourselves hare having both problems in our government and economy and until we can stabilize them both we can not help others with their problems.
Mark Gastineu
2nd hour
12/1/08
In this unstable region, I believe that bringing stability and peace by ending war and corruption is the first priority. First of all, you cannot manage or control a country with corrupt and unjust leaders. If there is any type of uprising, it should be against the government. Furthermore, the warden of the Virunga National Park, Honoré Mashagiro, supports the illegal trade of charcoal. A leader should possess greater qualities than those of fear and selfishness. By electing new leaders the people chose who and how they would like their country run, or a democracy. This means that the majority of the population will be satisfied and there will be less war and fighting. I also believe that with new elected leaders, a country can begin from a fresh start and overcome obstacles more easily, including poverty. For those reasons I believe that ending war and corruption should be the first priority.
I think it’s about helping the poverty stop, because if we did take care of that first we would be able to stop all of the problems. People wouldn’t come in and cut down the trees if they were another way to support their family that wasn’t going in to the forest and taking the wood and burning it. Once you do so, one of the key problems would be gone. Without people trespassing in to the park, you could take care of the gorilla problem more easily and calm the war. Because without a government together you cannot fight together and win, Once you finally get rid of the fighting in your country you can start to finish the rest of the off sea problems. If there is corruption in the army and it is guessed to be the reason the gorillas are getting killed, you should reprimand the mutiny quickly.
I think the first issue to fix is the Poverty problem in the Congo. The reason I would fix the Poverty problem in the Congo first is because the people how are in poverty will do anything to even crimes such as the illegal cutting down of trees and burning them to make charcoal which then they sell and the worst thing is that it is their livelihood. If they are not burning trees then they are poaching animals such as the mountain gorillas, the Hippos, and the Elephants so all of these animals are threatened. In fact the Hippo and the elephant population has dropped down 95% because of this. So if they where to fix poverty problem then I would think that the crime rate would drop dramatically. So that is why I think that the poverty problem should be fixed first.
Damien Dorre,
2nd Hr / World history,
12-2-08
Taking care of the poverty problem of the poor, conserving the wildlife of the Virunga, and bringing in peace to this region are all important things that must be done in this region. However, I feel the first thing they should take care of is the poverty problem. In addition to that I feel it would be costly to start with the conservation and political order. The reason I feel this way is because the refugees are so desperate for money that they are participating in illegal acts such as burning forests down to make charcoal. I know if they had some money or financial aid they wouldn’t do so. Also the animals would no longer be as endangered and because of the illegal charcoal trade the hippopotamus habitat has fallen 95%. The reason the refugees were stealing the charcoal was that the government was in no way helping them to make money and they had no other options but to use their natural resources. All and all I hope the government will take care of the poverty problem first.
Annie L.
1st hour
Emma Salter- 2nd Hour
think that all of these are important, but we only have one choice. So after thinking thoroughly about the matter, I think that the best way to solve the all-around problem would be to help to help the poor in the area get better jobs, and to discourage the deforestation done to harvest charcoal. I propose that the United Nations set up a stable environment for the people in the surrounding areas. We should all come together to help save this area in Africa. We could brainstorm ideas to bring more jobs to the area. We would urge the government to form more jobs, and all together take care of their people! If we brought jobs, this land could flourish, more tourists would travel to Virunga National Park, and in turn schools could be built, and the youth could help be the key to helping solve this crisis. We would accomplish this with small steps toward the common goal.
The accomplishment of this would then lead to the conservation of the forest and animals, because the people of the area would have other jobs to earn money for their families. The gorillas would then be safe. After all of this, the people would have more stability in their every day lives, and this crisis would be saved!
I think that first this region needs to stop war and create peace. More and more kids and family members are being killed and also kids are killing others too. Also they are spending tons of money and weapons and equipment for war and they dont have alot of money to even spend. Hutu miltians went house to house killing tutsi and modern Hutu and killing millions, i think that is wrong and doesnt need to happend it's just killing innocent people. If they could stop war they could have more money for school and to make an better economy.
Adam Pauley
1st hour
12/3/08
There are many things that need to take place to fix the overall problem, however some have more importance than others. Personally I think that the poverty needs to be ended and the refugees living in the park moved out. This will stop the cutting down of the rainforest and allow the park to better monitored, ending the mass production of Charcoal. Now as an outsider and a counrty who has not been very involved in Africa I think it would be a very large step and one that would take a lot of extremely careful planning. The other issue is funding. We are already in a war, almost a state of depression, and over 10 trillion dollars in debt. A lot of money and time would have to go into stopping poverty in this area. There is also the risk of war. If we go into these areas we might have to kill some of the people causing the death of gorillas and the charcoal trade. Which could make some people hate us and then a war could possibly break out. However I think it is something that must be done. These areas are extremely poverty stricken and need help now.
There are many challenges that are occurring in the Congo, Rwanda and the Uganda area. In my opinion, I believe that stabilizing the peace and ending the corruption of the war would do the most good for that area. By restoring the peace many things would happen within the country. Since Laurent Nkunka and the rebels are rebelling against the country/government restoring peace, would seize (for the most part) the rebellion. If peace were to spread throughout the countries, many people would be spared, as well as animals. Millions would be save by the constant violence between the Hutus and the Tutsis, and violent threats from the rebels. If the rebellion is stopped many animals such as the giant gorilla and the elephants in Virunga National Park would be saved, also a lot of illegal deforestation for charcoal, said to be done by Laurent, also would slow down. So the wildlife of Virunga National Park would be able to maintain a stable amount of gorillas and hopefully get them off the endangered species list. Though there is still the problem about the poverty level and how they are also contributing to the destruction of the Virunga National Park. Though with the end of war, and overall peace throughout the country, there might be more jobs available, especially protecting the National Park. This sounds like a very good idea, though it sounds easier then it is. Restoring peace by ending the corruption and war that has been going on for years is not easy. There have been many peace treaties between the countries and the United Nations and still there is murdering of animals and people. It will take a lot more then someone deciding they want to change something and making some kind of compromise, then actually getting “peace” accomplished.
The killing of gorillas other wildlife is a major issue going on in the Virunga. Part of this reason is a need for food and a signal of not to mess with the charcoal trade. All of this eventually leads to war and corruption. Yet, I believe that somehow these are all connected because the major root of these problems is the poverty going on in Africa. That is why I think solving for poverty and helping the poor is the first thing we must solve or because in order to resolve anything else we must have the capacity and stability to fix them. If we solve for poverty first it then it makes people less dependent on the charcoal trade which has and is currently controlling their lives because they strive for every single penny they can get. If the charcoal trade is stopped that means that the killing of wildlife is decreased because they can no longer send signals by killing wildlife. The wildlife can also be conserved because if poverty is solved for then they won’t have to kill for food either. Finally, solving for poverty means solving for the economy and solving for peace. Also, because I think everything can be fixed by solving for poverty first then that means not as much money has to be invested. Instead of money being used in so many different problems, it only has to be invested in one. That is why I think it is important to solve for the poverty issue first.
Harshita Pinnamaneni
Billy Weinger First hour
I believe as an outsider that we should create a stable government to solve the issue. Because this would allow the government to be able to actually enforce a law and punish the poachers/loggers. Also they would be able to change a law so that the rangers could protect themselves. It seems to me that since no government can punish all or most of the criminals that once a government is established that they could punish the poachers/loggers and show that they will punish future poaching/logging. In doing this they could repel the rebels stop the poaching/logging and they would be able to help the country. This way in later years the country wouldn’t depend on foreign help and they could solve the problem by themselves. To some this may not be the right way but I believe that creating a stable government would be the best way to solve this terrible crisis.
As an outsider, I believe the first action should be to stop war and corruption in the nation. The corruption and war in the nation creates a basis for the other issues affecting the nation. Corruption has been a lasting issue since 1997, when Laurent Desire Kabila took power by overthrowing the (then) current president. If corruption had not taken place, poverty would not play such an active role as an issue in the nation today, and protecting wild life would not be so difficult to resolve. The killing of the apes began with a corrupt leader. In return, many animal and human lives have been lost due to pure corruption and misused authority, and to the efforts of protecting the wild life throughout Africa. The great apes play a major role in the environment and in the economy of Africa. The apes provide a great tourist attraction, which boosts the economy of Africa, and without the apes, the economic structure would begin to crumble. However stopping the murder of all the apes, along with the poaching of other animals, cannot be stopped before ending the reign of corrupt leaders. Overall, ending corruption will allow the poor to be given jobs, which will in return also stop the burning of forests for coal, and the poaching of animals for parts that can be turned to profit. The entire issue is a chain reaction, which begins with stopping corruption and bringing peace to the nation.
Brad Benghiat
2nd Hour
I think that poverty needs to be resolved first. Poverty has caused the “unthinkable”-kids in Africa have been forced onto the streets to help to earn money for their families. They try to do something that is legal—instead they end up stealing food, items from stores in order to sell them for money. Poverty leads anyone, including children to commit horrid crimes .This is all they know to earn money to feed their families. Other crimes are committed—killing elephants just to get the tusks to sell them for ivory. Forests are cut down to sell for charcoal. Gorillas are hunted and killed-then sold to poachers. The United States must help to control poverty-order must be restored in the African region. Stopping poverty, or decreasing it substantially, will help to end the war because the people will be happier with their lives.
Alex Victor
2nd Hour
December 3, 2008
All of the issues need to be fixed to help Africa as a country. The one that is said to be taken care of first is the poverty, but what about the animals? Their living in this chaotic world, having no idea what the poverty is all about in Africa and yet they suffer. The Gorilla population alone in the Virunga National Park is 700 hundred and the population will probably continue to go down if we don’t enforce more protection on them. The gorillas are being murdered like it’s nothing, they are in there habitat, their home, and people are just coming in shooting them.Also to point out that the gorillas are going endangered, killing them isn’t going to help at all. The elephants, are being killed for their tusks and left there to rot, the hippo population drops dramatically to 11,000, it was 29,000 in the 1970s. Poaching and civil wars in the region have seriously damaged Virunga National Parks wildlife population. I believe the conservation should come before the poverty issue because once you loose a species there truly is no way of getting the population you lost back.
Heather R
2nd hr
“The best one I choose is to solve the poverty problem by helping the poor of this region make a living instead of burning forests down to make charcoal”. The best way to help the poor people is to give them food and a shelter so they can live and stop burning charcoal and killing the harmless gorillas. If there aren’t enough rangers to block the gorillas or the trees then they need to have back up rangers. The government also should tell the people if they kill the animals then they go to jail to make them stop and let them learn that it’s not the right way to get charcoal and it’s not the right way to make a living.
Angelina 2nd
I believe that the only way to fix this issue is to create a stable government in the Congo so that the stability returns to the Congo. This is a necessity because with out the help of a stable government the park rangers will be never do their jobs properly. Having a single unified government who has a goal to save these gorillas because their country will be able to reap the rewards of the tourism it will receive. Having a place where tourists get to see exotic animals that are only in your part of the world. I think that this will help the poverty issue because then the poor will be able to make a living of the tourism, they could be guides to the rain forests, park rangers or sell souvenirs to the tourists. This would help prevent the illegal charcoal although likely not completely stop it. All of these things would prevent the harm that has been done to the fragile environment that holds the mountain gorillas, the hippos and the elephants.
It would be best to bring stability and peace by ending the corruption and war; that would help both parties. By just helping the people get what they need and leave the gorillas alone and let them live .There not hurting anyone they don’t deserve to be killed. By doing this there just polluting the air killing the environment by just leaving the animals to rote is not a good thing for the environment. This is really hurting the world by this problem .they should stop this and make it a law for a better place.
Donovan
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