case study #2 democratic republic of the congo (drc)
TRANSCRIPT
Case Study #2Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Outline Geography History Dictators Civil War Conflict Minerals
Geography
Brainstorm:
What do you think the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) looks like?
Geography
Geography
Second largest
country in Africa
¼ the size of the USA
Geography
Located on the equatorMidpoint between the polesAverage temperature: 25 ° C
Geography
Congo River• Deepest river in the
world• 3rd largest river in
the world• 9th longest river in
the world
Geography
Mt. Nyiragongo• Active volcano in the
DRC• One of the most
active in the world• One of the least
studied because of the constant warfare in the region
History
Before we go into the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo… we
need to go back and review the history of globalization…
Phases of Globalization (Dominant Western Perspective)
Phase One (2,000 BC - 1400): The Spread of Trade• Goods and ideas were spread by caravans, horses, & walking• Rise of Asian power• Land and sea routes are important (i.e. Silk Road)
Phase Two (1400 - 1950): Discovery and Expansion• Helped by advances in shipping• Started with Christopher Columbus sailing to the Caribbean• Rise of European expansion & imperialism• Widespread industrialization with the Industrial Revolution
Phase Three (1950 - present): Widespread Interconnectedness• Includes economic, social, political• Rapid growth of world markets• Instant communications• Rise of China and India as economic powers
History
Phases of Globalization (Dominant Western Perspective)
Phase One (2,000 BC - 1400): The Spread of Trade• Goods and ideas were spread by caravans, horses, & walking• Rise of Asian power• Land and sea routes are important (i.e. Silk Road)
Phase Two (1400 - 1950): Discovery and Expansion• Helped by advances in shipping• Started with Christopher Columbus sailing to the Caribbean• Rise of European expansion & imperialism• Widespread industrialization with the Industrial Revolution
Phase Three (1950 - present): Widespread Interconnectedness• Includes economic, social, political• Rapid growth of world markets• Instant communications• Rise of China and India as economic powers
History
During this
second phase,
the “Age of
Discovery,”
Europeans started exploring Africa…
History
ACTIVITY
Draw three scenes – one for each of the phases of globalization.
Draw the symbols, people, landscapes, and anything else you think you might
see/have seen during each of the phases of globalization
The Scramble for Africa
During the Age of Discovery, we saw Europeans establish settlements and trade posts along the coast of the African continent but there was little interest in the interior of Africa for many years….
What Changed? Why did people go to the interior?
History
The Scramble for AfricaTrade
• Increased European demand for raw materials unavailable in Europe, especially copper, cotton, rubber, cocoa, diamonds, and tea
• As trade increased, Africa offered cheap materials, limited competition, and abundant raw materials
Industrial Revolution• Industrialisation brought about rapid advancements in
transportation and communication, especially in the forms of steam navigation, railways, and telegraphs
Medical Advances • An effective treatment for malaria enabled vast expanses of
the tropics to be accessed by EuropeansStrategic Areas
• Gathering strategic military bases and trade route access (often good bargaining items)
History
The Suez Canal
The first interior place to
be thoroughly explored
The second place to be thoroughly
explored…
THE CONGO
History
Exploring the Congo
King Leopold II of Belgium
• King Léopold II of Belgium sparked the scramble for Africa • Why? He wanted more resources
• Went to Africa and claimed the Congo region
• Why? Rich in ivory and rubber – needed rubber for increasing amounts of tires…
• Brutal ruler – villages had quotas for production and if they didn’t meet them, they would get their hands cut off
• Used Propaganda - did not let knowledge of his atrocities get out and bribed publishers to write positive stories
History
Is this Propaganda?
PropagandaThings that are
used to persuade people
to accept a cause or a position by
presenting only one side of an
argument
Congo labourers who failed to meet rubber
collection quotas were often punished by having their hands
cut off
Leopold is rumored to have killed up to 16 million Congolese Indigenous people
A father in the Congo looks at the severed hand and foot of his five year old daughter
What do you think this cartoon is symbolizing?
What do you think this cartoon is trying to say?
Do you think Belgium was the ONLY Empire that wanted resources from
Africa…?
The Scramble for Africa
Was a period of invasion,
occupation, colonization and
annexation of African territory
by European powers between 1881 and World
War I in 1914
History
The Scramble for Africa
Berlin Conference (1884-1885): A conference among
the world’s imperial powers to split up Africa… no African
representatives were given a voice… or territory….
History
Berlin Conference
Fake Reason: “Humanitarianism“• Condemnation of the slave trade• Prohibition of the sale of alcoholic
beverages and firearms in certain regions
• Expressed concern for missionary activities
Real Reason: Establish Rules of Competition• No nation was to stake claims in
Africa without notifying other powers of its intentions.
• No territory could be formally claimed prior to being effectively occupied.
Real Life• The competitors ignored the rules
when convenient
History
Why are we learning this?
History: Activity Mission: Re-organize the classroom – what do
you think we should do?
Rules: Get into groups of five Read your handout & follow the directions Submit your proposal for the new classroom
design
History: ActivityDebrief:
How did you feel during this activity? Why did you compete with the other groups to claim
the furniture? Do you think this was a fair way to claim the furniture?
What might have been a better way? If unclaimed furniture remains, who should get it? Did anyone ask me how I thought the classroom
should be designed? How does this activity compare to the Scramble for
Africa?
History: Activity
Reflection
The scramble for African territories among European powers was like…
Create an analogy, finish the response, and create a drawing of the analogy
MY ANALOGY!?! Does it work? The scramble for African territories
among European powers was like… A game of Hungry Hungry Hippos!
History: Worksheet In groups of two, analyze the worksheet “The
Quest for Empire: Analyzing European Motives”
For each source, determine the motivation for empire building (Gold, Glory, God) and provide an explanation for your choice
Dictators
After WWII, many imperial powers pulled out of Africa…
This created a power-vacuum
In many African countries, imperialist powers were replaced by home-grown dictators
WHY?
Dictators
Power Vacuum? After WWII, the United
Nations was created Maintain peace &
promote cooperation
Created a charter that did not fit with imperialism and owning nations…
Dictators
UN Charter:
“…To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal
rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to
strengthen universal peace…”
DictatorsIndependence (June 30, 1960)
A President & PM were put in place but there was unrest…
Mobutu Sese Seko led a coup financed by the USA and Belgium (he opposed communism and they wanted to stop the spread of communism)
DictatorsMobutu
Mobutu declared himself head of state
Elections were held where he was the only candidate
Embezzled government funds and took international loans and placed them in his personal bank account
DictatorsBrainstorm!
What do you think the word “dictator” means?
What about “dictatorship?”
DictatorsDictator: A ruler who has complete control over
a nation
Dictatorship: A type of government where a single person rules with absolute power.
Civil War
Rwandan Civil War: Tutsis v. Hutus Tutsis were in control of the Rwandan government 1.2 million Hutus fled to the Congo – killed Tutsis in
the Congo Rwanda and Ugandan armies invaded the Congo…
overthrew Mobutu and Laurent-Kabila was the new leader
Civil war continued… Kabila was assassinated and his son, Joseph Kabila took over
Joseph called for multilateral help from the UN
Civil WarMultilateral Assistance – United Nations
Created a “United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)”
Negotiated a cease-fire agreement Oversaw the country’s first free and fair elections – Joseph
Kabila won Fighting still continues as different forces (rebel forces, Rwanda,
etc.) try to gain control of the Congo’s rich resources March 2013: The UN has given the peace-keeping organization
orders to “neutralize” and “disarm” rebel groups in the resource-rich east of the country…
To date, over 5 million people have died…
Conflict Minerals
What’s so valuable about Congo’s resources?
Conflict Resources
Brainstorm!
What is everything you can think of that is related to cell phones?
Conflict Resources
Brainstorm!
What is everything you can think of that is related to guns?
Conflict Resources
How do you think these might be related?
Conflict Minerals
Conflict Minerals
Documentary: Blood in the Mobile
Conflict MineralsCalculating the TRUE cost of a cell phone
Questions to Research & Answer:1. How are our cell phones linked to minerals in the Congo?2. Why are the Congo’s minerals called “conflict minerals?”3. How have conflict minerals have damaged Congo’s environment?4. Answer the following questions about life in the Congo:
a) Describe the life a mine worker in the Congo. b) Where does the Congo rank on the Human Development Index?
Explain what this index is and why you think the Congo might have its ranking.
c) How many people are killed each month in the Congo because of conflict minerals?
d) How has rape been used as a weapon in the Congo?5. Is there any legislation in place to protect the Congo and its people?
(Hint: Look into the Dodd-Frank law on conflict minerals)6. Look up the term “sustainable prosperity.” Do you think the Congo’s
conflict minerals are an example of sustainable prosperity? Why or why not?
Quiz ReviewTerms to know:
Phases of Globalization (Age of Discovery) Scramble for Africa Berlin Conference Annexation King Leopold Rubber War Propaganda Humanitarianism Dictator/Dictatorship United Nations Conflict minerals