Congo’s Youth Find Peace in a Violent Land

I chose this article because it reminds me of learning about the non-violent, peaceful protesters of Bil’in in my Israeli-Palestinian Conflict class. These young people in the Congo are doing the same thing–they are promoting “civic engagement and youth mobilization and form strategies on how to peacefully challenge the state’s failure to provide basic services…Social media is an essential tool for spreading ideas and expanding their reach.” The Congo is the site of the “world’s largest and most expensive U.N peacekeeping mission.”

The Belgium photographer who began photographing this youth group, called Struggle for Change, or LUCHA, started in 2016 and it took him almost a week before he even took one picture. He said he had lots of clandestine meetings and interviews, and only after he gained the trust from people in LUCHA did he start his photography journey. Instead of focusing on violent or dramatic images that are typical from the region, he strived to capture the groups everyday lives, the quiet moments along with family, friends, and meetings. His black and white pictures are very striking, and aid the story well.

https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/congos-youth-find-peace-in-a-violent-land/