Maryland Stands Up (and Runs) For Congo

Word about the current situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading throughout Maryland, with film showings, panel discussions, and a Run For Congo Women drawing attention to the people victimized by the struggle for the DRC's resources.

At Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, students gathered recently to see a film about rape in the Congo and hear a panel of experts discuss the war there. Towson University, Loyola College, and Howard Community College also hosted events. Makeda Crane, a member of The Baltimore Sun's editorial staff who recently visited Congo, filed a report on the events.

April 11, you can help the cause by joining the Run for Congo Women in Frederick, MD, to be held at the William R. Talley Rec Center. Registration opens at 7:15 and the run begins at 8:30 AM. While I can't be there in person, I sent autographed copies of Heart of Diamonds to be auctioned off as part of the events fund raising efforts. I'll be doing the same for other Run for Congo Women events throughout the year. The runs support Women For Women International, which helps victims of violence put their lives back together in Congo and other conflict-torn regions of the world.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.