Congo Live

Long time Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi Wa Mulumba passed away on Wednesday, February 1st at the age of 84. The congolive team produced a show to help our listener know who he was. Our guest, Dr. Nzongola Ntalaja, a professor of African, African-American, and diaspora studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a professor emeritus of African studies at Howard university, served as a diplomatic advisor to Tshisekedi when he was a prime minister in the 90s. He shared with us what impact Tshisekedi had on Congolese politics over the decades. Tshisekedi was born on December 14, 1932 in Kananga, formerly Kasai-Occidental. He obtained a doctorate in Law in 1961 from the Lovanium University in Kinshasa. He was the first Congolese to receive such a degree. When Mobutu took over in a coup in 1965, Etienne Tshisekedi joined his government as Minister of Interior. It was shortly after this period on June 2, 1966 where the four Pentecost martyrs were publicly hung by the state for

On this episode of Congo Live, US Special Envoy Tom Perriello joined us to discuss his work as an envoy for the past 18 months and some anecdotal stories on his experience in central Africa. We will also discuss U.S. policy in the region, respect for constitutions, and opening of political space in the Great Lakes region in Africa and beyond. With the new US administration, his term is coming to an end. Bio Tom Perriello is the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, appointed by Secretary of State John Kerry on July 6, 2015. Prior to this role, he served as Special Representative for the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review for the U.S. Department of State. Mr. Perriello previously served as a Congressman from Virginia, Special Advisor to the Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, a conflict analyst, and CEO of Center for American Progress Action. He has worked and conducted research in a dozen countries and taught courses on transitional justice at the University of Virginia

Our #CongoLive guest for this episode is Samuel Yagase, a community leader in Isangi, a town northeast of Congo. He shared with us how his community is organized for self-sufficiency right in the heart of Africa. This show aired on December 10, 2016. Bio Samuel Yagase is a key player in mobilizing rural communities for local development mainly in Tolaw, Isangi Territory, Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is the founder of the the organization GOVA (Group of Village Organizations for Self- development ) that works on promoting local initiatives and leadership. He is very committed to improving matters related to local governance in the DRC. He is interested in fighting against injustice (especially traditional customs that discriminate against women) and fighting for the promotion of human rights. He works on promoting dialogue and collaboration between the two medicines (Traditional and Modern ). He is the initiator of the Solidarity Fund for the fight against sleeping sickness i

This episode had as a guest Ms. Ndona Nkembi Nyomo, the President and Founder of Festival Congo, Inc. She shared with #CongoLive hosts and listeners her career in the financial sector, her passion for the arts, her perspective on the role of women in the transformation of Congo and also the work she is doing for the Congo Festival which takes place in Atlanta this Summer. This show aired on June 4, 2016 Bio Ndona is a surrealist artist, and writer with a background in finance, investment translation, and sales. A licensed stock broker, who holds both the FINRA Series 7, and Series 63 brokers licenses, Ndona has worked in the investment industry for 10 years in New York, NY, and Toronto, Ontario Canada, prior to relocating to Georgia in the summer of 2015. With clients in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, she had the opportunity to use her diverse background, and language skills as leverage when educating clients on foreign, and domestic capital, and commodities mar

REMEMBRANCE is a special program in which CongoLive pays tribute to departed pioneers of Congolese culture, arts and music. This Saturday the tribute is for those who have influenced Congo from the third generation of music to 2016. We'll be playing their legendary hits, From Shaba Kahamba, Bimi Ombale, Likinga Redo to Emeneya Kester. The significance of REMEMBRANCE is to pay tribute not only to pioneers of our great popular music heritage but also for the younger generation to learn about the valuable contributions our musicians who paved the way for the current form of music that we hear today throughout the world. This show aired live on May 21, 2016.

Congo Live interviews Michel Dzaringa, a member of the US military, a father and a Congolese American leader striving to inspire Congolese youth to take control of their country’s destiny. Mr. Michel Dzaringa is currently serving as a reservist in the Maryland National Guard 244th Engineering Company and pursuing his education in Public Safety Administration at the University of Maryland. He has over 4 years of experience as a chemical biological, radiological nuclear and explosive specialist. He is the founder and Executive Director of Africa United/Congo United, exploring better ways to promote African Leadership Development and build value. Mr. Dzaringa frequently speaks at and attends leadership events, sharing his passion for all things related to African Leadership development. His passion for leadership development stems from living in his war-torn native country the Democratic Republic of Congo and experiencing the negative consequences of what poor leadership can do to a nation.

Dr. Tongele N.Tongele, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a reknown scientist. He holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering. And teaches mechanical engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwarsville and The Catholic University of America. In his recent book, “Rise and Shine: Resilient People and Immense Resources in the Shadow of Death”, Dr. Tongele lays out a vision that includes concrete ideas, proposals and steps the DRC can take immediately for a transformational renaissance that utilizes the enormous natural and human resources of the country to bring lasting peace and eradicate poverty in the DRC, and become producer and exporter of goods, services, clean energy and green technologies.

PAPA WEMBA! Congo Live pays tribute to a Congolese icon and the "King of Rumba", musical pioneer Papa Wemba. Learn about the impact of his music world wide, his innovative rhythms and sounds that set the stage for a new era in the time of Zaire to what we know now as The Democratic Republic of Congo. May your soul rest in peace.

Claude Gatebuke is a Rwandan genocide survivor, a Civil War survivor, and Human Rights advocate. He is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the African Great Lakes Action Network (AGLAN); an organization focused on justice, peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, based in Nashville, TN. He is also a member of the African Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition (AGLAC). The AGLAC unites over a dozen advocacy organizations with a common vision for a peaceful Great Lakes Region of Africa, found throughout the United States His advocacy work focuses on genocide and mass atrocities prevention and includes lobbying on Capitol Hill in D.C. and across the US. Mr. Gatebuke is a regular presenter at colleges, universities, churches, community organizations and conferences Nationwide and Globally. He has appeared on local, national and international radio and television programs. He has also been a guest at the White House for a briefing of leaders in the community. His media repertoire includes app

Our Congo Live guest, Nii Akuetteh who has spent decades monitoring, analyzing and teaching international relations, with special emphases on African affairs and how global issues and actors--especially the US--impact Africa. His ultimate goal: to produce significant positive change in these Africa-impacting policies and processes. To this end, Nii also works as a democracy activist & NGO executive. In particular he is an organizer helping to transform the African-born community into a potent force & voice. Currently he serves as the founding Executive Director of AIC, the African Immigrants Caucus. A DC-based analyst and public speaker who occasionally testifies in & briefs the US Congress, Nii is a respected analyst and essayist. His essays, TV and radio analyses and comments have been carried on global media, including: MSNBC; The PBS Newshour; Democracy Now; Al Jazeera; BBC; CCTV; Press-TV; CBC; RT; Vatican Radio; Pacifica; RFI; The New York Times; The Washington Post; and Pambazuka News, among others.

Our Congo Live guest, Nii Akuetteh who has spent decades monitoring, analyzing and teaching international relations, with special emphases on African affairs and how global issues and actors--especially the US--impact Africa. His ultimate goal: to produce significant positive change in these Africa-impacting policies and processes. To this end, Nii also works as a democracy activist & NGO executive. In particular he is an organizer helping to transform the African-born community into a potent force & voice. Currently he serves as the founding Executive Director of AIC, the African Immigrants Caucus. A DC-based analyst and public speaker who occasionally testifies in & briefs the US Congress, Nii is a respected analyst and essayist. His essays, TV and radio analyses and comments have been carried on global media, including: MSNBC; The PBS Newshour; Democracy Now; Al Jazeera; BBC; CCTV; Press-TV; CBC; RT; Vatican Radio; Pacifica; RFI; The New York Times; The Washington Post; and Pambazuka News, among others.

On this episode of Congo Live Congolese economist Noel K. Tshiani Muadiamvita discusses his proposed "Marshall Plan" for the Congo. - On January 22, 2016, an article written by Congolese economist Noel K. Tshiani Muadiamvita was published in The TIME titled “How to Reform the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” In it, Tshiani argues that Congo needs a Marshall Plan similar to the one post-world war II in Europe. He adds that this should be funded in a period of 15 years and will cost about $800 billion funded by Congo, international aid and direct foreign investment. On today's show, we will discuss if this plan is viable and how it could be implemented.

On this episode of Congolive, we were blessed to have with us in the studio a very special guest, Nzanga Mobutu, the son of the late Congolese president Mobutu Sese Seko. Being in the public life since birth, Nzanga took us on a journey to get a glimpse of his life as a political leader, an art collector and a father. Bio Nzanga Mobutu is the oldest surviving son of the former Congolese president Mobutu Sese Seko. Born on March 24, 1970 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nzanga was educated in Belgium during his elementary and high school years. He graduated from Collège Saint-Vincent de Soignies with concentration in Economy. He received a degree in Arts and Sciences with concentration in Communications from Université de Montréal. He also received a degree in International Relations from American University in Paris. His political career started in 1996 as the communications adviser of the Executive Office of the President in the last days of the Mobutu Regime. He founded the political party UD

On this episode of Congo Live, our guest Pitchou Malaba discusses how Africa can rise with much of its intellectual capital outside of the continent. He explains how the sons and daughters of Africa living outside the continent ca return to rebuild their home. As part of the Cheetah Generation, he believes the African youth can make a difference in Africa? Pitchou Malaba is a young congolese entrepreneur and political strategist with a solid understanding of the fortunes of Africa and the subsequent political quagmires as the result of the African continent mismanagement by both African leaders and the West. He has worked in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopie, Zambie and Botswana, mainly in the field of Neurophysiology. He has served as NuVasive Spine Foundation Ambassador since October 2011 and is responsible for leadership and management of the NSF direct mission trips. He holds a Technical Engineering Degree from the Advanced School of Applied Technologies (ISTA), a B.S. in Industrial Tec

This episode brought our expert guest Ntal Alimasi to discuss ways Congolese and its government could engage in creating mechanisms for accountability and strong governance. Ntal Alimasi is a Capacity Development and Governance Consultant, and has worked with academia, the private sector, government and international organizations, including AFRICARE, A.L. Nellum & Associates, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children, Christian Children Fund, the International Youth Foundation, USIP, USAID, the US Department of State, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Alimasi has worked with senior government officials as well as CSOs in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and USA. He lectures on Governance in Africa at the US Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute. He has worked in Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, DRCongo, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Haiti, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, and the US

This Congolive episode focused on exploring the intersection between the African American community in the US and the Congo. It discussed the historical ties that exist with black missionaries who came to the Congo in the late 1800s, 30 years after the Emancipation proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. It also delved into the current state of black Americans with the Black Lives Matter movement and their contribution to peace and stability in the Congo. Our guest was the Rev. Dr. Joan R. Harrell, a Public Theologian and Strategic External Communications Consultant at the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University. Her scholarship explores the intersecting of media, public health, religion, xenophobia, racism, sexism, classism and the history of the African American Church. She is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Healthcare, Science and the Humanities, founder of www.RacismContradictsChristianity.co

This CongoLive episode focused on a retrospective look in the life of young Congolese entrepreneur Eric Ndelo. This young man and his team have been building a fashion empire they call DRC Apeparel focusing on creating products that raise consciousness about Africa and connect in breaking cultural barriers. Fashion is often seen as a reflection of social, economic, political and cultural changes. It is the most powerful art there is. It helps create cultural understanding and influences our way of thinking on what beauty is. In the central region of Africa, both in Brazzaville and Kinshasa, a fashion movement was created in the early 1900s called “La Sape” based on the elegance in style. Professor Gondola said “Today, with both countries in turmoil, la sape, with its exuberant flamboyance may well serve as a lighting rod for the Congolese disenfranchised youth to map out their itinerary from Third World status to a modern cosmopolitanism and to cope with their social dereliction.” We believe this is true n

This #CongoLive episode featured Marie Claire Faray, one of the most active and inspiring Congolese women working for change in Congo. It focused on looking at the history of Congolese women’s resistance from Kimpa Vita to the women network of Common Cause UK. Marie Claire Faray, a Congolese mother of two beautiful daughters, is a Postgraduate Medical Information Adviser and Research Scientist in infectious diseases at Barts Hospital and the Queen Mary University of London. She is also an active campaigner for peace, human rights and women’s participation and representation in decision making arena. She is a member of the UK section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She is an active member of the executive committee for COMMON CAUSE UK, a platform of Congolese women in the UK and a member of the Million Women Rise, a national coalition of women in the UK.

Dr. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja is professor of African and Afro-American studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of "The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History" and last year of two new books - "Lumumba" and "Faillite de la Gouvernance et crise de la construction nationale au Congo-Kinshasa." Who was Patrice Lumumba? How did he become a prominent leader in the Congo during the independence movement? Why was he assassinated? What is his legacy not just in the Congo but around the world?

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