Week 2: Politics, Projects, Penguins, and Paragliding
Politics: the DRC
Last week, I wrote my first appeal for a woman who escaped political violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”) in 2008. In that year, a rebel coup led by General Nkunda invaded her village, raping and killing women and children. She ran away, hopped on a big truck, and did not even know she was headed to South Africa until after she arrived. She has lived in Cape Town for nearly a decade and was recently denied renewal of her refugee status. The reason cited for her rejection was that there was no longer a dangerous political situation in the DRC.
In writing the appeal, I had to both confirm her story of escape and provide supporting evidence of violence remaining in her region of the DRC. The DRC is, according to the top human rights organizations in the world, in crisis. According to the Amnesty International Report of 2017-18, “Congolese army soldiers used excessive force, killing scores of suspected members and sympathizers of the armed insurgent group Kamuena Nsapu, which, in turn, recruited children and carried out attacks on civilians and government forces. The government proxy militia group Bana Mura was responsible for dozens of ethnic-based attacks including killings, rapes and destruction of civilian property.” Additionally, the 2018 Human Rights Watch World Report stated, “More than 100 armed groups remained active in eastern Congo’s North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and many continued to attack civilians." These forces and their commanders have been tied to war crimes, including "ethnic massacres, rape, forced recruitment of children, and pillage." Essentially, this woman would be expected to trust a government that has been a consistent contributor to the DRC’s unstable circumstances to protect her. Unsurprisingly, she is less than willing to subject herself to the DRC’s care.
In addition to political violence, the DRC is also facing significant issues that could affect this client (and many of our other DRC refugee clients’) safety. The 2018 Human Rights Watch World Report details that the country faced Africa's largest displacement crisis in 2017, a famine, a national cholera epidemic, and the lowest amount of international humanitarian funding received in the past ten years. The danger caused by a deteriorating government, continual fighting, displacement and famine crises, the DRC’s current difficulties with Human Rights violations, and low access to lifesaving resources add yet another layer to the persecution she would face if forced to return to the DRC.
Project: Infographics
Another project I am working on is creating infographics to display the information collected by PASSOP’s research on the intersectionality of homophobia and xenophobia among LGBTI+ refugees. The example below is an infographic to assist asylum seekers and refugees navigate the process of obtaining a permit as well as gaining awareness of their rights in South Africa.
Project: Conservation
This week has been particularly chilly and rainy, but that is good news because Cape Town has been experiencing a severe drought. Everywhere there are signs telling you to conserve water. The recommended amount is about 50 liters per day, which is about three flushes, a three minute shower, and the water you use for cooking and brushing your teeth. Speaking with locals, I have learned about the South African version of "fake news" being spread around Cape Town. There is a rumor that the ruling party, the African National Congress (“ANC”), manufactured the water crisis so they could profit from the desalinization plants. The ANC is actually losing money from the plants, but this is a good example of the dangers of misinformation, particularly during a critical time.
Penguins and Paragliding
I finally saw the penguins at Boulders Beach! The African penguin, or jackass penguin, is an endangered species that is, based on my observation, very small, smelly, and protective of their young. On the way back from Boulders Beach, I stopped in Kalk Bay to explore. Kalk Bay is a beautiful place that is much less touristy than the other beach towns I have been to thus far. I highly recommend visiting Kalk Bay and going to Cape to Cuba to experience a beautifully decorated restaurant right by the ocean and Ohana for an almond pastry. Lastly, I went paragliding off of Signal Hill because the weather and price point were perfect.
