| 14th
September 2011 - Congolese
Women Speak
Out:
Campaign/Liberation Congolese
Women Group addressed Parliamentarians on the launch of
Free Fair DRC
My Lords, Honourable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen,
|
| Jose Musau Kalanda
of the civil society organisation
It Must Stop! addresses the audience at the Free Fair
DRC launch event in Westminster. |
I have been campaigning to raise awareness
of the plight of the women of the Congo for over xxx years
now. Many of you in the room have been campaigning to improve
the Congo for at least as long as me. It can often feel
like the task is too big, too daunting and impossible to
achieve.
But, there are occasions where the people
have the opportunity to not rely on us to help them but
if they are allowed, they will help themselves to a better
life. I believe the coming elections in the DRC in November
are an opportunity for the people of the Congo to help themselves,
if we all work together to make the elections Free and Fair.
As Winston Churchill said, “democracy
is not perfect” but I believe the DRC is in need for
democracy in that having a strong democracy promotes human
rights, increases transparency within the government. Democracy
holds institutions and our politicians to account.
A strong and stable democracy emerging in today’s
global world is not an easy or smooth process. We all must
work tirelessly to build a better nation. Democracy can
provide the voice for the voiceless. Democracy in DRC will
return power to the Congolese people in general and to women
in particular. But it will be a long journey.
As with all journeys, it starts with
the first step. We know these elections will not be perfect.
But with your help they will be better than they would have
been. We are a young democracy with much to learn but everyone
in this room and I know that everyone across the country
is alive with excitement about the coming elections.
Unto my fellow Congolese in the
room, this is our unique chance to work together to get
free, opened, fair election. This is our chance to unite.
This is our chance to get involved in starting free fair
democracy in our country.
|
| Nicola
Blackwood MP presents a gift to
Jose Musau Kalanda, |
|
We
know that we all have our favourite candidate that we would
want to see take power, but everybody should be given an
opportunity to vote. That is why there is a need for free,
transparent election so that the best candidate wins.
As a woman, I know that the other women of the Congo will
be approaching these elections with mixed feelings. With
your help, it will be an opportunity to help choose the
future direction of our country. A great privilege. With
your help the result will be as fair as it can be and the
women of the Congo, particularly in the East will have had
their say.
Without your help I fear that violence on the roads will
keep many women away from the polling stations. Without
your help my greatest fear of all is that the election result
will not be accepted by any of the candidates. Disputed
results in this new democracy could lead to further outbreaks
of violence. Further violence will affect the women and
the children of the Congo terribly
Despite this fear, I am hopefully the elections
will be a great moment in the history of the Congo and a
great turning point for the fortunes of the women in the
Congo. As with the suffragette movement in the UK where
women won the right to have a voice, democracy is not always
a smooth path. We need your help to guide us along our own
bumpy path.
I would like to finish by saying this, we believe in the
democratic process. Our country is alive with excitement
and passion. There is hope for our country. Our country
is the heart of Africa. A stable Congo with an improving
democracy is good for all of Africa. All over Africa people
are looking for the voice to be heard. If you go to DRC
you will see the hunger for democracy.
|
| Ackys Kituba, Henry
Bellingham, and Jose Musau Kalanda gather
after speaking at the launch event. |
We are young in this process of democracy,
we are learning.
We are here standing right on the very foundation of democracy.
The UK is knownas the mother of all democracy but it is
not yours to keep. We have tasted democracy by living in
the UK. We see people all across the world establishing
democracy and we want it for our country too. We all have
voice –men or woman.
All of you in the room tonight must do all you can to help
us make this a free and fair election.
Thank you.
Jose Musau Kalanda
IT MUST STOP Campaign
Liberation
Congolese Women
|
