Religious leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are banding together to help prevent conflict and violence ahead of elections planned for later this year. Monsignor Donatien Nshole and Reverend Eric Nsenga, who represent two of the largest church organizations in the country, discuss their efforts to support better governance in the DRC, what’s blocking political agreements from being implemented, and the importance of civic engagement at the local level to maintain peace.
Mongabay seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics,and finance on conservation and development.
To understand how this is possible, one place to start is recognising that extraction is not just a physical engineering process. It requires social engineering as well. To be able to function smoothly, extractive corporations and their governmental allies sculpt social conditions. They “manufacture” consent and “manage” dissent towards their ventures.
These industries depend on shaping the perceptions and behaviour of governments, shareholders, consumers, and people living in the areas where large-scale resource extraction occurs.
Usually, the media and academics pay attention when people resist such projects. A well known case is the struggle of the Ogoni people in southeast Nigeria to hold the oil company Shell to account for massive pollution. But it’s also important to notice the way corporations, governments and other elites try to pre-empt opposition.