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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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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