“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When the cause succeeds, the timid join, for them it costs nothing.”
MARK TWAIN
“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
LILLA WATSON (AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL ELDER)
I. REHABILITATION Congo is home to our world’s deadliest war. It is complicated and there are a wide variety of players pulling tangled strings. But times of great crisis often birth new generations of visionary leadership. This is currently taking place in Congo.
We have partnered with these Congolese leaders to rehabilitate the children of their community traumatized by war. The programs are Congolese-envisioned, Congolese-operated, and Congolese-led. These young visionaries are whistleblowing from inside the war !"#$%&'()$*+(#!",*(-$.$#"&/"(,&-(0,/!$1/"(*+"2(+,3"( pulled together their community and built programs that lift the shadows of trauma and provide hope.
WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE CONGOLESE COMMUNITY LEADERS TO REHABILITATE 267 CHILDREN.
They are our partners, brothers, and sisters. Together we are waging war on war.
4. EDUCATION A rehabilitated child must be given the tools to be a whistleblower and stand for peace within the warregion. Language & literacy teach them their inherent value and the power of their individual voice, as well as their basic rights as a human being. Also, we help pay the tuition for children who are ready and willing to take classes in local schools, so that they are able to attain a basic Congolese education. Additionally, the children are given a nutritious meal every day. Each step of rehabilitation focuses on reintegrating children into their communities, revitalizing their social skills, and allowing them to thrive again in Congolese culture. We are a young organization and have a great deal to learn. Toward that end we have brought on Houston Shearon as our Development Consultant. Houston has extensive experience in Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and DR Congo, and a Masters in International Development. He is currently working to expand and diversify both partnerships and programs, further enhancing the ability of Falling Whistles to provide support to Congolese communities.
1. EXPRESSION THERAPY Through sports, dance, art, music and photography, children are taught to express themselves and work through their trauma. This process can be deeply healing as a child’s personality and social skills return.
2. PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT The children are individually looked after by two social workers, who routinely check up on their lives outside of the programs, in order to better understand what particular challenges and traumas each child is facing and incorporate this information into that child’s program of rehabilitation.
3. JOB TRAINING The children are given a choice to learn mechanics, carpentry or tailoring. The process of working with their hands to create or repair something is additionally rehabilitative and gives them the skills to survive and create a living for themselves.
OUR WORK ON THE GROUND WILL BE GUIDED BY FOCUS. 267 FULLY REHABILITATED CHILDREN IS A FAR GREATER VICTORY TOWARD A LASTING PEACE THAN A THOUSAND CHILDREN WITH MERELY A MEAL. OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE LEADERS IN PEACE.
“They must know before they can act.”
IDA B. WELLS
! COMPLEX PROBLEMS CONFUSE This confusion keeps the masses 4!%5(1#+*$&#(4%!(/+,&#"($&(*+"(5%0*( important areas. Our retail campaign introduces the consumer to Falling Whistles through a provocative point of purchase and an easy action step.
BUY A WHISTLE, BE A WHISTLEBLOWER FOR PEACE ! THE INSTALLATION INITIATIVE The purpose of the FW installations is to educate our community about the victims of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo and show them how they can be a part of peace. They are income generating, selfsustaining museums. The whistle was originally a tool of war, but we have made it a tool of peace. Throughout our installations you will see the same transformation take place with ammo crates, rocket propelled grenade cases, bulletshells, and the bandoleer. The whitewashed wood is representative of crumbling walls found throughout eastern Congo, painted in an effort to create order amidst the chaos. In much
the same way, The West has historically whitewashed over its role in creating or perpetuating the problems of Africa. Our goal is to address root causes by rehabilitating war-affected children and working to change the policies that keep them in violence. The stark contrast of the lights and darks in the room is symbolic of the equally stark dualities of Congo - it is a place of astonishing natural beauty and environmental degradation. A place of despair and resilience, of death and of life, where a peaceful people are perpetually at war. Where oppression and hope live side by side. The branches growing from the installations are symbolic of the grassroots nature of both the coalition we are building and the kinds of leaders we support in Congo. Peace will not be brought by big men on big stages - a problem this size requires the “us’s.” A global coalition, like interconnected roots, branching into new territories together. The Falling Whistles journal is a small window into our world’s largest war. The windows in the cabinets create interactive storytelling and the lightboxes illustrate the importance of using our technology to look deeper into other parts of the world. Lastly, the war in Congo is a fought
over resources and as a result we use almost entirely refurbished or found objects. In May 2009 a private donor gave $5000 to build educational pieces. With his gift we handcrafted 7 installations earning $23,336 and -$!"/*.2("67%0$&#(*+"(/%&8$/*($&( Congo to over 10,000 people. With the press surrounding these installations they all became destinations - generating income for programs and empowering store owners to educate their community.
Only one year after Marcus gave Sean the original whistle, 5,363 whistleblowers in 40 states and 12 countries joined us to elevate common conversation and speak for peace in Congo.
This education is the beginning of our advocacy.
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With global consequences attached to our actions and purchases it is more apparent than ever that our collective liberties are intertwined. By providing consumers with the tools to understand and speak up for one another, we will work alongside our political leaders toward
PEACEÂ INÂ CONGO.
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“Too often we give our children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.”
ROGER LEWIN
Though helping to rehabilitate children is very important, it is only *+"(1!0*(0*"7(%&(*+"(.%&#(!%,-(*%( peace in Congo. It will take an organized coalition of people standing up and speaking out for peace – demanding it of their governments and with their purchases. Without these demands there is little incentive for our leaders to act, and for those 9"&"1*$&#(4!%5(*+"(:,!(*%(0*%7( perpetuating it.
Given the size of the problem, ending this war will take more than ;<0*(10*0(*%(*+"(0=2'((>*(:$..(*,="(*+"( widest, broadest, most diverse coalition in history. Our goal is to grow this coalition. ?+"(1!0*(0*"7(*%:,!-(*+,*(#%,.($0( to change the way we advocate in the West. Sold from pockets, living rooms, garages, concerts, warehouses and retail stores, the whistle provides an opportunity to spread the word about Congo and speak up for peace.
?+"(1#+*(4%!(,(4!""!(:%!.-(/,&&%*( remain within isolated circles of academia, media, development and the politically savvy.
The conversation must be made local. We have created 3 stages of community involvement and are currently building our coalition in 30 cities across the US.
Our goal is 100 cities in 2 years.
THE ACTIVISTS
THE WHISTLER SOCIETY
THE COUNCIL
they share.
they learn.
they fundraise.
OUR ADVOCACY OFFICE ENTERS WASHINGTON DC TO RUTHLESSLY PURSUE PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS AND TO AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF OUR GROWING COALITION OF WHISTLEBLOWERS.
WHAT WE LEARN IN D.C. WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO OUR RETAILERS, BRINGING POLICY INTO OUR COMMUNITIES. TOGETHER WE’LL BUILD A COLLABORATIVE ADVOCACY PUSH INCLUDING CORPORATIONS, NONPROFITS, AND INDIVIDUALS OF EVERY SIZE AND STRIPE.
WE ARE TRAINING A NEW GENERATION, BOTH IN THE US AND IN CONGO, TO ASSUME THE QUALITIES OF A WHISTLEBLOWER AND STAND FOR A MORE PEACEFUL AND MORE FREE WORLD.
“By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. The nonexistant is whatever we have not sufficiently desired.”
FRANZ KAFKA
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do not say burn baby burn. I say build baby build. Organize baby, organize.â&#x20AC;? - MLK Jr. Coalitions must be organized for effective action and our headquarters is the womb of the organization. To be effective in the Congo, we will have to be effective at home.
All of our talented employees joined our team with no monetary incentive whatsoever. Their dedication is felt in the long hours, quality of performance, and care going into every project.
Unfortunately, this strategy is unsustainable in the long-term. We must raise the capital to keep @<,.$1"-(7"%7."(%&(0*,44'
Over the next 6 months we plan to 7+,0"(,(1&,&/$,.(/%&0<.*,&*($&*%( full-time fundraising. He will work to create a national contact base of 1&,&/$,.(7,!*&"!0'( Ending this war is going to require money. A lot of it. Success will be measured by impact, not dollar signs, but to get there we must equip our headquarters to create a global campaign. Our goal is to raise $400,000 this year for that purpose.. Our headquarters will serve not only to coordinate effective action but also to follow it through with sustained solutions, operating as a training ground for new whistleblowers. A hub of education and activism, creating future leaders in the West.
The world is changed by those who speak up. WHISTLEBLOWERS. Rarely understoontd in their time, history looks back and calls them courageous. We have gone into the depths of our worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deadliest war and come back to fight for a dream most would call impossible. PEACE IN CONGO
You and Me, Me and We, WE THE FREE Face a historic choice; Across the Atlantic Boys and Girls Women and Men, Are attempting to find their road To a dream we all call common. Life, Liberty and Justice for all. Will we be by their side? This is not a job for the faint of heart. Not a job for them or those. This will require what Harvey Milk called The “US’S”