International Women's Day In Harlem Dedicated To Congolese Women

International Women's Day will be celebrated in many ways, but none more sincerely than the commemoration in Harlem on Sunday, March 7. The day is dedicated to the women of the Congo and features a day-long lineup of important events and inspiring performances.

11:00 AM Morning Church Service
Riverside Church, Clermont Ave. (between 120th & 122nd Streets)

2:00 PM Procession & Rally at Ndunga Public Art Project
Plaza of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, 163 W 125th Street

3:00 PM Conflict Resolution Workshops for youth and adults
Black River Studio, 345 Lenox Ave. (between 127th & 128th Streets)

6:30 PM Screening of "Lumo" the documentary film
Maysles Cinema, 343 Lenox Ave. (between 127th & 128th Streets)

8:00 PM Panel Discussion and Dialogue
Recording of Personal Statements and Testimonials

There will also be performances by LaBurga, Global Kids, Jumping For Justice Double Dutch Social Initiative, Kim Weston Moran, Linda H. Humes, Gloria Lowery Tyrrell, Garifuna Day Woen's Coalition, Drummers, and others.

The events are hosted by a long list of prominent organizations including Friends of the Congo and Ndunga Public Art Project. Space is limited, so please rsvp NPAP (718) 855-8616.

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

Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu

"Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu" should be repeated every hour on the hour by every school child all over the world until it becomes the mantra of all societies. It is Bantu for "A human is human because of other humans."

The simple but profound adage is the theme of Chinua Achebe's collection of essays, The Education of a British-Protected Child: Essays.It may also be the theme of his life's work, judging by the simple message it conveys about the importance of the communal aspirations of the peoples of Africa. He uses it several times in various essays in the book, but really drives the point home in the concluding paragraph of the last one, titled "Africa Is People."

"Our humanity is contingent on the humanity of our fellows. No person or group can be human alone. We rise above the animal together, or not at all. If we learned that lesson even this late in the day, we would have taken a truly millennial step forward."

Achebe, winner of the Man Booker International Prize and best known as the author of Things Fall Apart,one of the seminal works of African fiction, has a subtle, dry voice that makes each of these seventeen essays something to savor and linger over. He makes his points about racial stereotypes, African development, history, and politics, and the African-American diaspora, sometimes with humor, sometimes with biting directness, but always graciously and without rancor. You sense Achebe knows that to rail against injustice is futile; change must come through education achieved one cogent argument at a time.

While Achebe is a scholar, he is also a master storyteller. More often than not, he makes his points not with dry logical argument but with an exegetical tale about someone he's met or something that's happened to him. Those little narratives are much more illustrative than pure cant. In "Spelling Our Proper Name," he tells the story of Dom Afonso of Bukongo, for example, who negotiated with King John III of Portugal in 1526 as an equal. He then writes:

"Such stories as Dom Alfonso's encounter with Europe are not found in the history books we read in schools. If we knew them....young James Baldwin would not have felt a necessity to compare himself so adversely with peasants in a Swiss village. He would have known that his African ancestors did not sit through the millennia idly gazing into the horizon, waiting for European slavers to come and get them."

I found his exploration of the complex politics and history of Africa in "Africa's Tarnished Name" to be particularly thought-provoking. He also talks frequently about Joseph Conrad's purported racism, which has become an important theme in the deconstruction of Heart of Darkness. Some of these essays have been presented elsewhere, although they have been revised and updated since they were first published. Nothing in them is dated, however, and Achebe's insightful discussions with Langston Hughes and James Baldwin ring as true as his observations about the potent symbolism of Barack Obama's election as President of the United States.

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

Exciting New School For Congo

Mark your calendar now for a special event March 1. That's when Studio MDA unveils the architectural model of the new school being built by the Georges Malaika Foundation in the village of Kalebuka in Katanga Province. The school is a big step forward for the foundation spearheaded by international model Noella Coursaris Musunka, who broke ground for it just last year.

The school is the first of many the foundation hopes to build to give Congolese girls a solid educational experience. Their dedication and "can-do" attitude has produced results, not just press releases, which is one big reason I support GMF.

Students of the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation conducted extensive research to develop a model for educational institutions when they visited the school site last year. Their plan holds great promise for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Education has suffered greatly in the nation as ongoing conflict in many regions drains the country's resources.

In addition to the unveiling of the school's model, attendees will hear Matthew Bishop, NY Bureau Chief for the Economist and Khaliah Ali, dedicated humanitarian and daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali.

The event will be Monday, March 1, from 6 to 8 pm at the James Cohan Gallery, 533 West 26th Street in Manhattan. For more information, contact GMF at rsvp@gmfafrica.org.

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