Secretary Clinton is Wheels Down in the DRC

[StacyinBoston]

Secretary Clinton left Angola this morning (very little info. coming through on that portion of the trip thus far) for one of the most unsafe places for women on the planet- the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While a few articles are starting to trickle in saying she's landed, there isn't much info. yet.

She will be focusing on the wide-spread problem of gender-based violence and rape as a weapon of war while there. Apparently, her staff was concerned about her going to the village of Goma to speak to survivors of rape, but she insisted upon doing so.


Good for her! It sends a very important message for her to personally show up at one of the most notorious areas/camps of the DRC.

[foxyladi]

Secretary Clinton left Angola this morning (very little info. coming through on that portion of the trip thus far) for one of the most unsafe places for women on the planet- the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While a few articles are starting to trickle in saying she's landed, there isn't much info. yet.

She will be focusing on the wide-spread problem of gender-based violence and rape as a weapon of war while there. Apparently, her staff was concerned about her going to the village of Goma to speak to survivors of rape, but she insisted upon doing so.


Good for her! It sends a very important message for her to personally show up at one of the most notorious areas/camps of the DRC.


be safe Madam Secretary.I am lighting candles and praying for her.**==

[Laura Cereta]

Thank you, again, Stacey, for your diligent updates about our wonderful SoS in action! :D:):cool:

[StacyinBoston]

From the NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/world/africa/11diplo.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimes):

...“Women are being turned into weapons of war,” Mrs. Clinton said on the plane from Angola to Congo, the fourth stop on her seven-nation African tour. When she meets with President Joseph Kabila and other Congolese officials here on Tuesday, she said, “We are going to press them on working on ways to end this conflict.”

Even as Congo works to put down the rebellions in the region, it must gain more control over its own forces, she said, which aid workers say are among the worst offenders when it comes to violence against civilians.

“Their military needs professionalizing,” Mrs. Clinton said.

In Kinshasa, the capital, Mrs. Clinton visited a hospital and spoke with students at a town hall meeting with students. On Tuesday, she plans to fly to the eastern town of Goma, in the epicenter of the conflict zone, to meet with victims of sexual violence and those working to help them.

Along with the dangers posed by the conflict, there have been several plane crashes on the approach to Goma’s mountain-ringed airport. But Mrs. Clinton said the importance of the visit outweighed the risk. “Lots of concerns were raised and objections, but I said this is something I want to do and we’re going,” she said...

Simply amazing!**==

[StacyinBoston]

News clip






Secretary Clinton in the DRC

[foxyladi]

thanks Stacy for the great news about our S.O.S.Clinton:thumbsup:

[CGP]

DRC Pix: www.daylife.com

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0cDS1kS63sgfB/610x.jpg

[foxyladi]

beautiful pictures..:e2:

[Brooke]

Nice work, Hillary.

[foxyladi]

i.m lighting a candle for her .would it be ok for someone to link.
gratefulness candles S.O.S. has her own group.
thanks

[StacyinBoston]

I put a bunch of photos and some articles up (http://secretaryclinton.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/secretary-clinton-in-goma/)on my site about her trip to the IDP camp in Goma, DRC.

Very moving, but upsetting stuff- I'm glad she went there as dangerous as it was- my guess is that it's something you really have to see to wrap your mind around it. Secretary Clinton met with women and children who were raped going to get firewood and she experienced first hand the squalor of the camps and she had some blunt, understandably harsh words for the DRC and UN troops regarding the rape INSIDE the IDP camps as well as outside of them.

Right now she's wheels down in Nigeria. I think on Friday she returns to Washington. It seems like she had an exhausting trip but she seems to have achieved a great deal.

[foxyladi]

I put a bunch of photos and some articles up (http://secretaryclinton.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/secretary-clinton-in-goma/)on my site about her trip to the IDP camp in Goma, DRC.

Very moving, but upsetting stuff- I'm glad she went there as dangerous as it was- my guess is that it's something you really have to see to wrap your mind around it. Secretary Clinton met with women and children who were raped going to get firewood and she experienced first hand the squalor of the camps and she had some blunt, understandably harsh words for the DRC and UN troops regarding the rape INSIDE the IDP camps as well as outside of them.

Right now she's wheels down in Nigeria. I think on Friday she returns to Washington. It seems like she had an exhausting trip but she seems to have achieved a great deal.

awesome...:thumbsup:

[StacyinBoston]

News clip about Hillary in the DRC

[foxyladi]

News clip about Hillary in the DRC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2qxY3qnCPU)

bump

[PCFS1]

Thanks for the pictures. She working so hard. Great job Madam Secretary, we all love you.**==**==**==**==**==

[foxyladi]

fantastic.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: