The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is closer to home than we may realize. It is in our ears, our hands and beneath our fingers every day. The Congo provides the world with coltan, a mineral used in many modern technologies, such as cell phones and computers, but at great cost to itself.

Bishop Nicolas Djoma spoke to a crowded room Tuesday evening about the events occurring in the Congo, what the main problems are there, what the Roman Catholic Church is doing to help and also what students can do to help the Congolese people.

Djoma is the Bishop of the Tshumbe diocese in central Congo. Dr. John O’Keefe, director of the Center for Catholic Thought, described him as an “exceptionally charismatic man with outstanding peace-building capabilities.” The event was co-sponsored by the Center for Catholic Thought and the Kripke Center for the Study of Religion & Society.

The Congo, which is one-fourth the size of the U.S., is home to 65 million people and is the third largest country in Africa. It is just coming out of 15 years of war, which, according to Djoma, the United Nations considers the worst war since World War II. The war has claimed up to 6 million lives.

“These numbers are sometimes easy for people to just skim over and not take in,” O’Keefe said. “We have to make sure we do not become immune to these problems.”

Djoma gave a brief background of the conflict in the Congo. The countries that border Congo on the east (Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi) have been causing unrest, and the genocide in those countries has spilled over into the Congo through refugees and rebel groups from neighboring countries.

Djoma also explained that the exploitation of natural resources in the Congo has been the root of many issues in the Congo. He said that coltan, along with other minerals such as gold and copper, are being mined to help fund rebel groups such as the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Dr. Roger Bergman, director of justice and peace studies, said Djoma’s speech reminded of him of the everyday items that are contributing to the conflict in the Congo.

“Our cell phones really contribute to the conflict. The coltan mined in East Congo is really the source of the problem,” Bergman said. “The conflict is closer than it seems.”

According to Djoma, the LRA and other rebel groups are committing atrocities all over the Congo, especially along the eastern border. Djoma said that kidnapping, rape and other horrible acts are possible because of the funds that the rebel groups get from mining.

Djoma also explained that agriculture should be the first resource of the Congo, but to support exportation, transporting food is key. However, Djoma said they do not have many roads to travel safely in the Congo, and that without stability and lasting peace it’s not possible to get roads.

“It takes me three days to get food to people in my diocese,” Djoma said. “One day by car, one day down the river and one where I am on a motorcycle. And I am 66 years old! Imagine that.”

Arts & Sciences senior Elizabeth Schroer said the lack of roads was an interesting point she had not really thought of before.

“You need roads to have an infrastructure, but to have roads you need a strong infrastructure,” she said. “The two are very connected, but it’s hard to find a solution.”

Djoma did not just list all of the problems in the Congo, however. He also elaborated on ways to fix them, and bringing democracy to the Congo is a key part. The government in place now had elections in 2006, and currently it is preparing to hold elections again in the next year, but the structure is still extremely fragile.

Djoma said the Catholic Church is fully involved in the process of bringing stability to the Congo.

“The Catholic Church works actively, starting in small communities and providing education,” Djoma said.

He said the Catholic Church faces problems of helping the victims and educating people because of lack of resources, but it is still committed to helping.

“To preserve a better future we must educate younger people and work towards peace,” Djoma said.

The Catholic Church faces unique challenges, especially with forgiveness. Djoma said the Church is working to bring justice to the victims.

“You might ask how can people forgive those who did such atrocities to family,” Djoma said. “But we have to believe that love and faith can help overcome these issues and help us forgive. Only love can heal when hate and war destroy.”

Although the Catholic Church is playing a big part in the Congo (it is the most Catholic country in Central Africa), Djoma said a lot can and should be done internationally. Djoma said the U.S. Congress passed a law this summer to help regulate the so-called “blood minerals” coming out of Africa and to help increase transparency about where the minerals are coming from. In turn, this will help the Congo.

As members of the Creighton community, Djoma said there are ways students can help. Raising awareness is key, according to Djoma. He said many people are not aware of the conflict in the Congo, and just by letting people know and getting people thinking about the issues is helpful. Djoma also recommended that writing letters to representatives in Congress and senators is key.

Additionally, he asked students to take the time to educate people in every aspect of their lives.

Arts & Sciences junior Asialee Drews said she plans on doing just that.

“The bishop’s speech really informed me about a lot of issues I didn’t really know about before,” Drews said. “I am now extremely motivated to be proactive and tell people about something they may not have been knowledgeable about before.”

Bergman said that Djoma’s speech really made him proud to be a Catholic.

“I am really grateful that Bishop Djoma had the chance to come,” Bergman said. “I have heard many times about the conflict in the Congo but did not know much about it. I think most of us learned something and at least got us thinking about it. It also gave me some hope because of everything the Church is trying to do.”

Djoma said everything that is going on in the Congo is hard to cover in such a short talk, but he said he hopes what he had to say will raise questions and that people will be motivated to help.

“I also ask that you remember the people of Congo in your prayers,” he concluded.