Maybe today?

Thanksgiving dinner, 2011

Please check out my colleague Chelsie's blog with an update on the elections. Chelsie Frank in the Congo:

I want to ask you to take time to pray for peace and justice to reign in the DRC. There is an African Swahili proverb that says, “When and where two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled. (Wapiganapo tembo, nyasi huumia.)” May God protect the civilians, thwart plans of wicked people seeking to benefit from instability, give wisdom to those in power, bring stabilizing pressure at a macro/international level, and strengthen Congolese democracy.

Also, Jason Stearns updated some vote figures... It's interesting, for sure. Go to his blog by clicking here.

Averting Disaster in the Congo - Huffington Post - blog by Ben Affleck, Cindy McCain and Anthony W. Gambino

Today is supposed to be the day when the election results are announced. It seems likely that whether just or not (as Adam Nossiter of the NY Times indicates in After Vote, Congo Braces for Expressions of Discord), Kabila will win the election.

Not so surprising to most. But still disappointing to many. So we continue to wait for the official results.

Please keep on praying for our friends and colleagues in the DR Congo.

Thank you.
Bethany


Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!!!! I love you both so much!!! 

Waiting for election results.

At 9am in Kampala, Uganda... We're waiting to hear the announcement of the results in the DRC.
The CENI website (http://www.cei-rdc.cd/) is not loading... Maybe it's down with too many visitors?

Some friends in Congo yesterday told us that text messaging services had been suspended within the country. People can send international text messages, but not inside of the country. I believe they can receive messages from international numbers as well.

Additionally, some cities had curfews yesterday and maybe even on Sunday night.

There are lots of soldiers in North Kivu... People are anxiously waiting for the results to be announced, supposedly that will happen today.

So for now, we are waiting.

A few more articles that I've found which you may want to read, especially this op-ed piece on the Guardian by Jason Stearns, which is quoted in part below. Click the link (or here) to read the full article.
"The verdict of Congo's voters must not be sacrificed for 'stability'"
Foreign powers who choose to look the other way as polls are rigged will hardly make the country more stable

Tens of millions of Congolese went to the polls last Monday. It was an emotional day: women with infants strapped to their back waited for hours in the sun, while elsewhere old men hobbled through knee-deep water to cast their ballots. And yet, as the country heads towards a post-election crisis, western diplomats seem ready to see the voters' verdict sacrificed for a misguided notion of stability. 

These elections, the second since the end of a bloody civil war, have been mired in controversy for the past year. In January, President Joseph Kabila's party orchestrated a change in the constitution, getting rid of a runoff round of polls for the presidency. This effectively pitted opposition candidates against each other, improving Kabila's chances. The election law was also changed, allowing the ruling coalition to appoint the head of the election commission. Nonetheless, the incumbent has faced stiff competition, especially from firebrand opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who has been able to attract crowds of over 100,000 people. There has been no reliable polling, but preliminary results from voting stations suggest that the race is tight, meaning even minor rigging could be a game-changer.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has suffered from violence for the past 15 years, often due to unaccountable leadership. Looking the other way as polls are rigged will hardly make the country more stable. 

And other recent articles to read: 

Congolese crisis - The Nation 

DRC: Ceni publishes the fourth partial results of the presidential election - Radio Okapi - In French (but you can translate the page using translate.google.com). This says that Kabila is winning in both North and South Kivus by a large margin... Seems unlikely. 

DR Congo's Kabila leads top rival day before final result - AFP 

Clashes erupt in Congo ahead of vote results - Reuters 

How wars and poverty have saved DR Congo's forests - BBC - But this is election time, not time to talk about the rain forest!  

Congo election: Joseph Kabila leads in early results - The Guardian  

DR Congo 'to use army in event of poll chaos' - Al Jazeera News, video on YouTube 

I'll post again when we know the results, if they will even be published or announced today. 
Continuing to pray,
Bethany 

DR Congo opposition leader issues warning over vote tally

More reasons to continue to pray for the DR Congo...

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2011/12/dr-congo-opposition-leader-issues-warning-over-vote-tally/
DR Congo opposition leader issues warning over vote tally
December 4, 2011


KINSHASA, Dec 4 - Veteran DR Congo opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi on Saturday issued a veiled threat of fresh violence after saying he rejected early election results showing President Joseph Kabila ahead.

Veteran DR Congo opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi /AFP

Monday’s vote, just the second since back-to-back wars that gripped the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1996 to 2003, was marred by deadly violence and rioting at polling centres and the long wait for results has been filled with tensions.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) released updated results Saturday showing Kabila ahead of Tshisekedi by 51 percent to 34 percent, with 33 percent of polling centres counted.

But the tally included more of the incumbent’s traditional strongholds in the restive central African country than those of his main rival.

Tshisekedi said his party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), had a warning for Kabila and CENI chief Daniel Ngoy Mulunda.

“I’m warning Mr Ngoy Mulunda that the UDPS not only rejects these results, but warns Mr Ngoy Mulunda and Mr Kabila to respect the will of the Congolese people in publishing the results that will follow,” he said.

“I’m going to say that, if they don’t, they risk committing suicidal acts. I call all our people to stay vigilant so that if needed they can execute the orders I will give them.”

The latest results included 55 percent of polling centres in Katanga province, where Kabila is traditionally popular, but just three percent of polling centres in Kinshasa, where Tshisekedi has strong support.

The other nine candidates were trailing far behind. Ex-national assembly speaker Vital Kamerhe was in third place with five percent.

Provisional results were originally not expected until Tuesday, but the CENI decided to release early returns from Friday, saying it wanted to staunch the flood of rumours and false reports about the count.

It said it would again provide a new update Sunday. The supreme court is due to declare a final official result from the race on December 17.

The long wait for the outcome has filled with speculation, conspiracy theories and dirty tricks.

The CENI said its website had been hacked Friday and fake results showing Tshisekedi in the lead were briefly posted there. 

On the streets of Kinshasa, a table of results purportedly from the non-existent International Democracy Observatory showed Kabila up by 22 points.

As a host of election-related rumours circulated by text message, SMS service crashed Friday evening in Kinshasa.

Rumours immediately emerged that the government had ordered cell phone operators to interrupt text messaging — speculation the government and leading mobile company Vodacom both denied.

But an interior ministry source told AFP Saturday that the government had in fact ordered cell phone operators to block texting services indefinitely “because of the diffusion of false results.”

Adding to the charged atmosphere, Human Rights Watch said Friday that election-related violence had killed at least 18 civilians.

The New York-based rights group said most of the victims were shot dead by Kabila’s presidential guard near the capital’s main airport during a crackdown on Tshisekedi supporters who had gathered for his final campaign rally Saturday.

Other civilians were killed and wounded during clashes between rival parties, attacks by armed groups and mob violence, HRW said.

The government said Saturday it had ordered a military inquiry into the report.

“(The government) wants to get to the bottom of this story, and insistently asks HRW to hand in all elements and information in its possession, which is an obligation under Congolese law, so that punishments can be imposed if necessary,” said government spokesman and communications minister Lambert Mende.

Earlier, Mende had told AFP: “There wasn’t a single person killed or wounded” near the airport.

He acknowledged some of the report’s findings, but accused HRW of making “gratuitous accusations” against the presidential guard, which he said fired shots in the air to disperse a hostile crowd.

The UN Security Council added its voice Friday to the multiplying calls for peace, saying “all candidates should maintain a calm and peaceful environment, exercise restraint, await the results… and resolve their differences peacefully."

Congo voted, and now...

Hello from Kampala!

It's a cool morning (nearly noon, actually) and it's good to catch up a bit on what's going on in the DR Congo.

It's hard to be here right now... Part of me wants to give up the hot shower, almost constant electricity and access to restaurants... But I can't. We're still waiting to hear the results of the election (on the 6th), and the response of the people after that.

So for now, I'm just going to have to enjoy our grocery store, and other things Chelsie and I don't often experience in Congo! :)

Our friends in Beni and other areas of the country told us that things went well. Except for some *significant* problems in large cities, things passed well on Monday... And Tuesday... And I read today that there was even voting continuing in Kinshasa yesterday.

Classes were canceled at UCBC on Monday, for the election. But they resumed again on Tuesday and things are back to normal there once again.

As one dear friend in Beni told me this morning - "Our prayer is that the Lord will choose the person that He sees prepared to lead the destiny of the nation." Amen. Let's hope so.

Here are a few articles, to check out for updates on the elections in the Congo, the vote, etc.
IOL - Chaos in DR Congo poll
AFP - Observers call for patience in DR Congo vote
NY Times - Notes from a Young American in Congo
Congo Planet - Observers Hail Successful DR Congo Elections
The Guardian - DR Congo opposition candidate calls for election to be annulled
The Atlantic - In Congo Elections, More Than Just Democracy at Stake

And websites / blogs with more information as well:
http://texasinafrica.blogspot.com/
http://congosiasa.blogspot.com/
CENI - Congo's Electoral Commission

Continue to remember the Congo and to pray for the people.

Election Day

Today. November 28th, 2011.

Congolese are going to the voting polls in their communities to vote for the leaders they hope to see in office. 

We don't know how this will happen. 

People are anxious. Nervous. 

What will happen?

And when results are announced, on December 6th, what will happen? 

This is Jason Stearns' blog again, with a gut-wrenching post from last night, quoted in part:

Accusations of election irregularities have proliferated over the past days - first, observers noticed that hundreds of polling stations either didn't exist or had been planned without informing the locales. Then, hundreds of thousands of voters in Ituri and Idjwi (South Kivu) discovered that their names were not on the list of voters. Finally, numberous accusations have emerged of ballot having been found with Kabila's name already checked. 

Argh. The part about the ballots with Kabila's name already checked make me feel so sick to my stomach... 

Our friends in Beni who told us that many people found their names to be missing from the lists at the centers where they registered to vote, have said there is a change... Noé just texted me that CENI (the Congolese electoral commission) is allowing the people to vote but they have to put their names on a list or something... We're not sure what that means / if their votes will be counted. But we'll see. 

Below are a few news articles for you to read... To be more aware of what is being said in the area as voters are going to the polls (if the polls are still there, which is one thing we're hearing from Beni - some of the polls aren't there anymore).

BBC News - DR Congo votes amid fears of violence
Al Jazeera - DR Congo votes
VOA - Electoral Commission Says DR Congo '99% Ready'
Congo Planet - Congolese start voting in landmark elections
BBC News - Profiles of Kabila, Tshisekedi and Kamerhe
Al Jazeera News: What elections mean to us

Please do keep praying for Congo today... And these coming weeks as we wait for the results to be published.

The voting stations or polls opened early this morning, and will supposedly stay open until the voters have finished. I don't know what that means exactly but today will be a long day for many! 

Please pray for our students, teachers, staff, friends and family in the DR Congo. And that this process will make the way to a new future for the country.

Congo, très beau

"100% Sure" - Kabila's posters in the capital, Kinshasa

Opposition candidate Etienne Tshisekedi was blocked from entering Kinshasa for several hours on Saturday and has been accused of inciting and encouraging his supporters to resort to violence before the elections

Kabila is 100% sure he’ll get re-elected.

And he swears that if he doesn’t, there will be war in Congo again.

Although mostly peaceful throughout the country, there have been some deaths related to the elections.

Registered voters in Beni, Oicha, Butembo (and probably many other places) are not on the lists of registered voters. It means that they will not be able to vote. People are crying foul and corruption.

Lots of campaign signs... Not unlike the States!

As a precaution, Chelsie and I were told to spend this election period outside of Congo. Given my background and former love of politics, it was hard to go during this time, even though I haven’t been involved or even very aware of politics lately. However, we followed our leaders’ guidance and are currently in Kampala. Although friends and advisors in Congo don’t foresee violence in Beni or even the region – they still found it best to leave just in case.

So Wednesday night we got to Kampala and have been here since. We’re praying for our Congolese friends and colleagues, our brothers and sisters there, while we’re away. Praying for peaceful elections. For a peaceful Congo. For safety, protection and the right leaders to be elected. Whoever they may be! 

Silence is "not" golden...

This is an interesting opinion piece on Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-otis-moss-iii/congo-breaking-the-silenc_b_1003431.html

I love when I find articles about Congo... Most aren't good or positive, but hearing and knowing people are talking (even if just a little) about this country, is so important!

Silence Is 'Not' Golden When It Comes To The Congo

Rev. Otis Moss III
Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago

The ancient proverbial statement says, "Silence is golden." But how can a person, especially a person of faith, be silent when a woman is raped every minute and 45,000 children, women and men are dying in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world. 64 percent of the world's reserve of Coltan, the mineral that allows you to read this on your iPad, laptop, desktop computer or cell phone -- comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The commercial sale of cell phones and computers is a $1 billion dollar per year global industry. But 80 percent of Congolese women, men and children live on 30 cents or less per day. At the July 2011 "Voices from the Congo" Conference at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) , who has traveled to the Congo twice said, "It is a nation of breathtaking natural beauty, rich in natural resources. It is also a badly broken country dominated by relentless poverty, war lords, pillaging soldiers, and horrific, almost incomprehensible violence."

The national and global politics of Blood Coltan mining includes the minute-by-minute rape of women and the deaths of children every day. The six million deaths caused by Blood Coltan mining exceeds the number of people who have died around the world in any war in the history of humanity. Why is the world silent? Why is the Christian community silent? Why is the interfaith community silent about this indescribable human tragedy?

Like the Bible, each religion's source of truth emphasizes that love, righteousness and justice are guiding principles for human beings. Yet, silence is offered instead of an interfaith clarion call for justice on behalf of our beloved Congolese sisters and brothers. Are we not our brothers' and sisters' keepers?

We must break the silence about the daily child deaths, rape of women and economic and human exploitation that is occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo and around the world.

Trinity United Church of Christ and the rest of the global "Breaking the Silence" community will participate in the Blood Coltan "Cell Out" Awareness Campaign, October 16 -22. While the challenges seem overwhelming, we can stop the maiming, rape and exploitation of children, families and communities. It's critical that even after this campaign we continue to nonviolently protest the Blood Coltan mining tragedy. By not using your cell phone every Wednesday from noon until 1:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. you can show your solidarity with those being exploited. I also encourage you to email and call members of Congress with a clear moral message: stop the exploitation, and protect the people of the Congo.

Silence is not golden when 45,000 people die every month and innocent youth are forced to be child soldiers. How can we as a nation and a faith community ignore these horrific injustices? Silence to wrongful death is not golden. Silence to exploitation of the poor is not golden. It is time to "Break the Silence." The sins of racism and oppression in the Congo and around the world must stop.

Women in danger in the Congo - CNN

A new study finds startling numbers of women are victims of rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

But published after this story and the study that they reference, was an article by BBC News:

DR Congo rape study "questionable" 

A new study on rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo is based on out-of-date and questionable figures, a Swedish academic has told the BBC.

It concluded that 48 women and girls are raped every hour in DR Congo.

But Maria Eriksson Baaz says it is difficult to collect reliable data in DR Congo and women sometimes claim to be victims to get free health care.

She also questioned the links made between rising rape elsewhere in DR Congo and the conflict in the east.

Sexual violence has long been a dominant feature of the continuing unrest there.

The rape study was published last week in the American Journal of Public Health and found that 400,000 females aged 15-49 were raped over a 12-month period in 2006 and 2007.

[...]

The entire BBC News article can be found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13448513

So what is the truth?

Are there women who are being taken advantage of by men in their country? - Yes
Is rape a problem in the DR Congo? - Yes

Isn't that is why institutions such as Congo Initiative and UCBC exist... To raise awareness of what's happening in the country? Yes. But also to offer healing, hope, welcoming and safety in a community of people and a new future to women who have suffered through some of the worst things imaginable.

Change.
It's not just about raising awareness of something terrible that happens too often to too many women, young and old. It's about gaining the tools necessary to combat ignorance, intolerance, hatred and bitterness, and to attain reconciliation. It's about not getting to the point where one joins the endless cycle of abuse that Congo seems trapped into repeating. Learning how to handle situations differently in the future.

The question remains, what do we do now? That is something that our students wrestle with as well.

UCBC offers quality professors, teachers, leadership, vision and education to men and women in eastern DR Congo. Maybe together with students, teachers and community leaders, we can challenge and change the system that is destroying the future of Congo's people.

More calls for the UN to withdraw peacekeepers from Congo...

DR Congo calls on UN to withdraw peacekeepers

(AFP) – 1 day ago

UNITED NATIONS — Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday made a new call for UN peacekeepers to withdraw, despite warnings from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that armed groups remain a significant threat there.

DR Congo's international cooperation minister Raymond Tshibanda told the UN Security Council that his government want an "orderly, progressive withdrawal" of UN troops from the giant central African country, where millions are said to have died in conflict in the past two decades.

The resource-rich country is to hold a key presidential election in November, amid fears of unrest.
[...]

The rest of the article can be viewed here.

UN ‘Concerned’ - Voice of America

“Alexander Essome said MONUSCO has stepped up efforts to prevent future violence in North Kivu province.”
Really? I guess time will tell... Like it always does. 

UN ‘Concerned’ About Increasing Attacks in Eastern Congo 

Peter Clottey  May 10, 2011

Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (2010 file photo)

The spokesman for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) says his group is “profoundly concerned” about increasing attacks by armed groups in eastern Congo.

Alexander Essome said MONUSCO has stepped up efforts to prevent future violence in North Kivu province.

“In the last two months, we have had more than 25 attacks. In many instances, people’s [homes were] looted and monies stolen. So, we are obliged to increase many of our patrols in those areas so that we can then live up to the spirit of the mandate of the Security Council that requires us to protect the population in those areas,” said Essome.

His comments came after Leonard Mashako Mamba, Congo’s minister of university and higher education, reportedly escaped an attack by an armed group in the north Kivu town of Rutshuru.  His driver and his body guard were killed.

The increasing violence comes as Congo is compiling a voter list for the parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for November 28.

“We have to stamp out these sudden attacks from these armed groups in the area,” he said, “because eventually they will prevent the local population from coming out and registering to vote and by so doing, keep away people who can have a voice in [Congo’s] democratic process.”

Julien Paluku Kahongya, governor of North Kivu, has relocated his entire provincial government to Rutshuru from Goma, following the assaults from the armed groups, Essome said.

Both the government and MONUSCO blame rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) for the attacks in the North Kivu province.

The DRC’s government recently signed a memorandum of understanding with MONUSCO for it to provide support to the electoral commission organizing the vote.

Essome said MONUSCO is hopeful more Congolese will participate in the DRC’s fledgling democracy.

A new year and the violence still continues...

Please remember to keep the Congo in your prayers...

The purpose of UCBC and Congo Initiative is no less important in light of this news... The need is in fact even greater for people to believe they deserve and can attain a better future. 

with hope,

Bethany

More than 30 women raped and beaten in DR Congo attack

Médicins Sans Frontiéres [Doctors Without Borders] says women were restrained with ropes before attack in Fizi, South Kivu, in eastern Congo.  

David Batty

The Guardian, Friday 7 January, 2011

More than 30 women were raped in a coordinated attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo on New Year's Day, the aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières has reported.

MSF said 33 women were raped in Fizi, South Kivu, in the eastern part of the war-torn country.

"Women had been restrained with ropes or beaten unconscious with the butt of a gun before being attacked, some in front of their children," said Annemarie Loof, an official with the medical aid organisation. "Up to four armed men were involved at a time and homes and shops were looted," she said in a statement.

MSF teams treated 14 women at the hospital in Fizi on 3 January, and 19 the next day. Two severely wounded people were transferred to Baraka hospital, one with serious head injuries after being beaten with a rock, the other having been shot in the chest.

The United Nations says rape is a frequent weapon of war in Congo. Around 15,000 women were raped in eastern Congo in 2009. It is believed that many cases go unreported.

In September, a UN report condemned Congo's security forces for failing prevent a mass rape last summer.

It confirmed the rape of at least 240 people between 30 July and 4 August in the Walikale region of Congo's North Kivu province by Rwandan and Congolese rebels in a brazen attack near a UN peacekeepers' base.

The reported victims in previous attacks ranged from a month-old baby boy to a 110-year-old woman.

Survivors have accused the FDLR rebel group – which is led by perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide who fled to Congo – along with Congolese Mai-Mai militia.

Between 200 and 400 rebels systematically raped and looted in the town of Luvungi and five nearby villages, according to the International Medical Corps.

It said husbands were forced to watch their wives being raped, while others were dragged into a nearby forest.

The attacks occurred in parts of the country where armed rebel groups moved into areas considered to be pro-government but lacking in army or police protection.

Médecins Sans Frontières said there was no sign that the security situation was improving.

"MSF is extremely concerned about the current situation in and around Fizi," Loof said yesterday. "People are fleeing the area fearing further violent attacks."

The agency provided medical and psycho-social care for 5,600 rape victims in North and South Kivu in 2009.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/07/congo-women-raped-beaten

CNN Report: 33 women raped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The things we have

Sometimes I really think that ignorance is bliss. It's better to be unaware than to know, and be responsible for the knowledge that I (could) have. If I don't know, I won't worry, won't think about or talk about it. 

I think at one time that had been my attitude about some things... Some things just seemed far enough removed from me, my family, friends, life - that it didn't really matter. To me. 

But that is irresponsible. That is neglecting my neighbors, my brothers and sisters. It's not right. Although it's easier, it is not right. 

It seems to be common for people to think: If someone has a phone which has certain components in it that were taken at the expense of others, at the cost of people's lives - ok. If someone wears a sweater that was made in a sweatshop by poor starving children. Or enslaved women - ok. 

A boy pans for gold in a river in Iga Barriere, northeastern Congo.

Because we don't think past what it is that we have, we just see our new toy. Not the expense with which it came. 

I don't need to know about it right? I mean, it's their lot, their fate, their choices which put them in those places anyway... Isn't it? 

This is something that we need to talk about. We need to be aware of what is happening to those around us... What our desires, obsessions, WANTS are doing to others around the world. We need to take responsibility for our own actions. My want of a new camera - who does that impact, and how? Do I have to buy Cannon? Is there another brand that can make a good camera, without using minerals that were taken from conflict areas? What about my cellphone, computer and mp3 player? 

"Although Congo's conflict stems from long-standing grievances, the trade in conflict minerals provides the primary fuel for the conflict," according to the Enough Project - Taken from the article which I believe everyone should read, IS YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT FUELING WAR, by Tristan McConnell. http://www.npr.org/2010/12/16/132089765/is-your-christmas-gift-fueling-war

What does it really cost to get the latest computer you've been drooling over? The incredible cell phone that does exactly what you want? The mp3 player that I think I need?

What are the things that we have, our possessions, doing to contribute to the pain, suffering, torture and loss of live, of others? Who and what should we be focused on, instead of ourselves and the newest gadgets that we long to have? Not just at Christmas time (although it's a good time to start!), but throughout the year? 

As we quickly approach Christmas... What can I do to help someone else? The money that could be spent on gifts for me, what else could be done? Do I really need much more? And if I don't buy that mp3 player, could I be helping someone who is trapped in the conflict surrounding these sought-after minerals? 

International Day of Peace

"My experience of conflict is that those who are involved in it long for even a day of peace. To have a day of cessation of violence, that to me is an idea whose time has come." 

Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Today is the International Day of Peace.

(www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/2010/) 

How do we attain it? How can we get to the point where all have a chance to experience peace? And not just temporary, but long-lasting and real peace?

How can we get past just talking about peace and how much we want it (I keep thinking about Miss Congeniality, a movie which shows Miss USA contestants and their brainless answers to the thing that society most needs - see the video!), to finding ways of reaching it? What can we, what can I do, to help all of us experience peace? And what does peace really entail?

Without God our attempts and hopes for peace will be in vain... True peace with ourselves, with others, can't come by our own doing... But it should start with us. God help us. It only comes from Him.