Quick leaf through some pages of the dossier.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been one of many African states controlled and exploited in the colonial era (late 1800–late 1900) by Western countries. Shortly after the industrial revolution, many European countries felt the need to expand their territories, either because of the need of resources, or the need of keep it up with other countries as big or bigger politically speaking. African and Asian/Oriental nations were the main target because of their weakness as not yet industrialized territories and their rich land.
The Congo was colonized by king Leopold II in 1885. It wasn't at first an armed uprising, he instead bought lots of land to convince other western countries the territory was Belgium's colony. The Congo's Free State (which was neither free nor a state) era started, with king Leopold leading his own private colony (it wasn't officially run by Belgium's government until 1908). An era of agony an atrocities started.
This work of mine is nothing but a document. A terrible peek into a dark, sad and blood-red story. Nothing beautiful nor remarkable. Yet another mistake of us humans.
The work contains a brief introduction to Congo's atrocities. A history context. It's aimed to think, as long as we show we can't learn.
Alice Seeley.
She was a missionary, a photographer, maybe considered now as a human rights activist. Born in Great Britain, was sent to Leopoldo's private colony to teach English to local children. She did, with her camera in her hands. She spoke out, one of the few who at the time did. The first step in the right direction.
As a consequence to Western influence, Congo's political situation is everything but stable today. It has seen, in the past 50 years, two presidents assassinated, a dictatorship, two civil wars and, nowadays, a tense situation between rebels and military (CNDP and FARDC). The northern part of the country is now divided mostly by armed groups ready to strike, even though in 2008 the parts reached a treaty. The conflict is undeniably still on.
The ashes left behind by us humans, them humans.
And we still have enough courage to close borders.
The Congo was colonized by king Leopold II in 1885. It wasn't at first an armed uprising, he instead bought lots of land to convince other western countries the territory was Belgium's colony. The Congo's Free State (which was neither free nor a state) era started, with king Leopold leading his own private colony (it wasn't officially run by Belgium's government until 1908). An era of agony an atrocities started.
This work of mine is nothing but a document. A terrible peek into a dark, sad and blood-red story. Nothing beautiful nor remarkable. Yet another mistake of us humans.
The work contains a brief introduction to Congo's atrocities. A history context. It's aimed to think, as long as we show we can't learn.
Alice Seeley.
She was a missionary, a photographer, maybe considered now as a human rights activist. Born in Great Britain, was sent to Leopoldo's private colony to teach English to local children. She did, with her camera in her hands. She spoke out, one of the few who at the time did. The first step in the right direction.
As a consequence to Western influence, Congo's political situation is everything but stable today. It has seen, in the past 50 years, two presidents assassinated, a dictatorship, two civil wars and, nowadays, a tense situation between rebels and military (CNDP and FARDC). The northern part of the country is now divided mostly by armed groups ready to strike, even though in 2008 the parts reached a treaty. The conflict is undeniably still on.
The ashes left behind by us humans, them humans.
And we still have enough courage to close borders.
