The ‘overview effect’ describes a shift in awareness by astronauts seeing Earth from outer space for the first time. Instead of a mass of water and soil scarred by boundary lines, they see Earth from a different perspective: as a tiny, fragile ball of life hanging in the void.
I have never been to space, but I felt immensely humbled seeing the first images taken by the James Webb Telescope, which is floating 1 million miles away from where we sit today. Remarkably, fourteen countries cooperated to make this happen. The glimpse it provides into our complex universe is profound.
I am neither a scientist, nor an astronaut. I am simply a father, a brother, a son. Many of you know me as a politician. But, in my time both in the private sector and politics, I have come to appreciate the humbling power of perspective and unity. In fact, these very elements underpin the theme of the ECiDé party congress that we held the week before last.
Our country is staring down a host of significant challenges. The ongoing assaults fomented by some of our selfish neighbors has forced millions of our fellow citizens to flee their homes in terror. Twenty-six million Congolese face acute food insecurity. Our bountiful land risks being partitioned and sold to the highest bidders.
And yet, as the James Webb Telescope – and literally any major feat of humankind — reminds us: there is nothing we cannot achieve when we join hands in common purpose.
As outlandish as it may sound, a free, democratic and united Congo will not only change the fortunes of future generations, but it may also change the trajectory of humankind and of this planet we call home.
Beneath our country’s soil lies, for example, the world’s largest known deposit of cobalt. As the rest of the world races to adopt sustainable energy technologies in the fight against climate change, this green gold is in demand like never before.
Congo supplied around 70 percent of the world’s cobalt last year. I ask simply: how many of our fellow Congolese actually benefited? The answer is very few, except for a few political and connected business elites whose lives are vastly different from the rest of us.
Far too many of us have paid an unacceptable price for our national treasure. Ecosystems destroyed. Families torn apart. Mothers and fathers whose children left home to dig in the mines and never to return. The people who profit off our misery – both in the Congo and beyond our borders – should be deeply ashamed. It does not need to be like this.
Together, with a legitimate and ethical government, we can hold these predatory individuals and companies accountable, including for the human rights violations that too often plague our artisanal and small-scale mining sector. We can regulate mining methods, improve working conditions and pay, and establish a common standard for mine safety and eliminate child labor. We can source our country’s riches responsibly, and in a manner that produces common value, not just the benefits that are hoarded by a select few.
Together, we can ensure that the estimated $24 trillion in raw material deposits that our country has been endowed with contributes to a sustainable future for all of mankind, while fundamentally altering the trajectory of every Congolese man, woman, and child.
Make no mistake: this will not be easy. But together it is possible. Yes it is possible to build a dignified, strong and prosperous Congo.
I know that there are forces seeking to divide us. Yet the forces that bind us are much stronger. Our country faces tall obstacles – and many more yet to come – but our collective hope in the future is what allows us to roll up our sleeves and work hard in the present.
On July 14th, my political movement, ECiDé, ended our party convention by delivering a manifesto to the people, outlining the key areas in which we believe should be addressed so that every Congolese citizen can prosper. One may think that a future where our children are fed, schooled, and secure sounds like fiction and who could blame them? For too long, the words of our leaders have been just that.
But if humankind can work together to put a telescope a million miles into the void, so too can we achieve the prosperity that we aspire to.
There is room for everyone in our vision for the country, regardless of the party one belongs to today. Your voice matters. Your contribution matters. The challenges are great, but we are blessed with the resources, both human and material, to overcome them. In so doing, the DR Congo will remain one and indivisible. And it will offer enormous possibilities and promises to humankind.
Hon. Martin Fayulu is the President-elect of the Democratic Republic of Congo and leader of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development party. He also serves as chair of the Congo-based Commitment to Citizenship and Development. You can follow him on Twitter at @MartinFayulu.
DISCLAIMER: This material is distributed by Vanguard Africa on behalf of Hon. Martin Fayulu. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Vanguard Africa, the Vanguard Africa Foundation, or its staff.