Gandr on fire.

Pointing fingers won´t work when we´re talking about the massive and terrifying disaster that is being perpetrated upon the people of the RDC. (The women, specifically, who are being raped. There are over 450 000 of them.)

It´s lighting a fire inside, a slow, burning, enduring fire, that will be stoked by our tears. By our fears. For these children, and their mothers, and the men who weep for them.

It´s not because they´re African. It´s because it´s Africa.
It´s not because the continent is backwards and cut-off from civilization. It´s because Africa serves some precise purposes in the capitalistic system, and those purposes it serves just as planned, just as designed.
It´s not because barbaria is unpredictable, uncontrollable. It´s because death and destruction and horror were set into motion by several decisions by those who control us.
It´s not because it´s the RDC. It once was Rwanda.

It´s not about AIDS, either. It´s about Dr Mukwege. It´s about Stephen Lewis. It´s about Alfonsine, mostly, and the smell of pee that now permeates her world.

It´s about coltan. It´s about leaving the endless loop where we just wait for the following cycle.

How can this hurt so much? How can they stand so strong?
The heart of darkness, I suspect, was always meant to be the heart of civilization.

Maybe pointing fingers won´t help, but not mincing words will.

"There is no map", and the right question is "who isn´t raping them?". But there are hands, and shouts, and stomping feet, and we can love back into living.