LETTER TO THE EDITOR: USC must stand against genocide
Dear USC Community,
You might have heard that the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the deadliest conflict in the world. The last time anyone counted (2007), an estimated 5.4 million people had died as a result of ongoing violence by rebel groups, invading armies and the Congolese military itself. Millions more have been displaced from their homes. Sexual violence against women and men has become so commonplace that the Congo is frequently referred to as the “rape capital of the world.” The violence is so pervasive that is has all but turned back the tide of development in a country that, resource-wise, is one of the world’s richest.
As a rule, such devastation repulses us. In the words of DRC documentarian Mike Ramsdell, “if you try, empathetically, to connect with those statistics, you will explode on impact.”
These are experiences that most of us have the privilege of not being able to fathom. For this reason, we hear what’s happening in the eastern Congo and our immediate reaction is to turn away.
But increased awareness about the DRC can do much more than horrify. The Congo conflict is a uniquely devastating crisis, but it is also unique in its ties to the international community — even as far away as our own campus in Los Angeles.
This is because the minerals essential for the operation of our cell phones, laptops and other portable electronic devices come almost exclusively from the eastern Congo, the epicenter of the conflict.
These so-called conflict minerals — gold, tin, tungsten and tantalum (more commonly known by its naturally occurring ore, coltan) — are not the sole source of violence in the Congo. But to some, the lucrative profits they offer make the country’s mines an asset worth killing for.
Furthermore, even when these minerals aren’t directly incentivizing violence, they are paying for it.
Fortunately, the electronics sector has made great strides in advancing conflict-free business practices. Governments, non-governmental organizations and private sector actors have partnered in the creation of a mine certification scheme, which allows buyers to accurately identify non-violent suppliers from which to purchase their minerals. Groups such as the Electronic Industry Citizen Coalition and Source Intelligence are offering compliance assistance for Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which requires businesses to publicly disclose conflict minerals used in their products.
USC can support these and other efforts by condemning the trade of conflict minerals and calling upon its business partners to become conflict-free.
USC is, by all counts, an international university. Not only do we have the largest international student population of any school in the country, but we also boast a diverse international faculty and offer a plethora of opportunities for student engagement abroad. In an increasingly globalized world, the work of leaders educated here will almost certainly transcend international borders.
USC is proud of this international legacy, but if we are going to consider ourselves part of a global community, we must come to its defense when it is threatened. We must stand for human rights and dignity when given the opportunity, because we Trojans can build a world that is better than that.
Yesterday, STAND Against Genocide gathered at Tommy Trojan to rally for a conflict-free future for the Congo. We recognize that this vision starts with a conflict-free future for ourselves. We are asking today that USC takes its own stand against mass violence and embraces the commitment to public leadership and public service highlighted in the university’s mission statement.
By publishing a statement condemning the trade of conflict minerals and calling on our business partners to pursue conflict-free practices, we can help to change history. In doing so, we will join other prestigious and influential institutions, such as Duke University, Pomona College, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania, as leaders in global citizenship and social responsibility, as well as tech giants Apple and Intel, both of which affirmed their commitment to conflict-free electronics earlier this year.
STAND makes this request with the support of the following USC faculty:
Douglas Becker
Advisor, USC STAND
Hannah Garry
Director, USC International Human Rights Clinic
Mellissa Withers
Assistant Professor of Clinical, Keck School of Medicine
Jessica Peet
Lecturer, International Relations
Marianna Chodorowska-Pilch
Associate Professor of Spanish
Mario Saltarelli
Professor of Portugese and Spanish
Regina Chopp
Lecturer, Psychology
Craig Stanford
Professor of Anthropology and Biological Sciences
Panivong Norindr
Associate Professor of French and Comparative Literature
To learn more and to get involved with our cause, visit www.facebook.com/USCAgainstGenocide. Fight on for peace in the Congo. USC STAND Against Genocide