New Documentary Inspires Collaborative Action for Peace in Congo

Apr 19, 2016 | Annie Callaway
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On Thursday, April 14, a crowd gathered in Washington DC for a private screening of the new documentary, Merci Congo, hosted by the Enough Project and Intel. From Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director Paul Freedman, Merci Congo explores the stories of individual activists – including a schoolteacher, a polio survivor, the CEO of a major tech company, a Congolese lawyer and an American college student – who are working to support peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Over 115 leaders and influencers from the Obama Administration, Congress, think tanks, academia, and the private sector were in attendence.

Following the screening, Paul Freedman led a panel discussion featuring subjects from the film: Congolese activist Neema Namadamu, former UW - Madison Conflict-Free Campus Initiative leader Katy Johnson, and Enough’s Associate Director of Policy Sasha Lezhnev, as well as Intel’s Director for Global Supply Management, Carolyn Duran. The discussion focused on moving the lessons of the film from inspiration to action.