The End of the Red Rubber System in the Congo Free State
Dig In Babylon Philémon Bukongo S. Dig In Babylon Philémon Bukongo S.

The End of the Red Rubber System in the Congo Free State

Despite Morel’s effort to end the red rubber system, the treaty of cession of the Congo to Belgium drafted in 1907 let the “Crown Domain '' - a vast territory in Congo rich in natural resources, including rubber - into the hands of Leopold II. Thus, the end of the end of the red rubber system was not guaranteed. Thus, Morel organized a meeting of the CRA in London on January 21, 1908, where a petition was signed, urging the British government to put in place a plan of action pressuring the Belgian government to elaborate a treaty of cession that would guarantee the respect of the indigenous rights and the cessation of any violation of human rights committed on them…

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Pourquoi n’y a-t-il pas encore eu de révolution en RD Congo ?
Dig In Babylon Philémon Bukongo S. Dig In Babylon Philémon Bukongo S.

Pourquoi n’y a-t-il pas encore eu de révolution en RD Congo ?

Cet article s’adresse principalement au peuple congolais, mais il peut aussi s’adresser à tout autre Afro ou autre peuple opprimé et exploité par le système capitaliste, impérialiste et raciste occidental et ses marionnettes. La révolution, je pense, finira par inclure (à un stade différent et ultérieur) d’autres peuples opprimés et exploités, car nous devons maximiser nos ressources et attaquer sur tous les fronts pour être sûrs de renverser ce système qui a mis des décennies et des siècles à être mis en place…

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Somewhere on the road to Hope
Artistic History Philémon Bukongo S. Artistic History Philémon Bukongo S.

Somewhere on the road to Hope

Nobody should be blamed for their decision to survive. Is it a sin to hope for the best even when your womb is being emptied in front of the whole world? Is it an outrage to pray for the rain of peace in the middle of the arid desert of chaos and bullets? All these people have done was to exist, but what could the world be without them? In a few more years, we will find out. Can we say that their reality will forever be in the hands of others to manipulate? Does the word “hope” really mean anything to them? Will it ever translate into “resistance”?

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Why there has not been a revolution in the DR Congo in the 21st Century?
Dig In Babylon Philémon Bukongo S. Dig In Babylon Philémon Bukongo S.

Why there has not been a revolution in the DR Congo in the 21st Century?

What one can do is, first, to keep educating themselves. As you have read so far, it is difficult to realize what I have just mentioned without researching it because it is taught nowhere. We cannot expect to learn that from school, we have to put an effort into unlearning all the propaganda we have been fed with. Books are a good start because the truth is that we are not alone, a lot of our brothers and sisters and ancestors have realized too the flaws in the system and they have written about it. One needs just to look for them. There is a lot to learn out there from books, even suggestions for way-outs. And again, we should not expect to truly understand revolutionary texts from going school, we need to put an effort into analysing them.  After that, we need to educate each other. Even if it may not be the most comfortable thing to do if a brother or sister is still brainwashed, it is our duty as a community to bring them home (Carmichael, 1971, p. 433)…

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The Journey to Hope from Destruction
Artistic History Philémon Bukongo S. Artistic History Philémon Bukongo S.

The Journey to Hope from Destruction

Two decades passed, wars succeeded one another, rebellions begot insurrections and injustice engulfed wretchedness. But the land got rebuilt, a new system, for the people, got installed and agreements got made. Although there is still impunity in the air and some parts are still blurry, victims, their children and their grandchildren are asked to move on, to forget a past that has benefitted some at their expense…

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