A Culminating Moment - Face to Face with the U.S. Special Envoy to DRC

Today, two years after posting an online petition for his appointment, I finally met the U.S. Special Envoy we'd fought for. This meeting was a culminating event in that regard.

It was late November 2012 when, with World Pulse’s help, I submitted a Petition on Change.org for the appointment of a U.S. Special Peace Envoy to DRC. M-23 had just invaded Goma in North Kivu province and was threatening to march through South Kivu (my home) on their way to our nation's capital of Kinshasa. My petition, submitted on behalf of the Maman Shujaa of Congo, was requesting a newly appointed U.S. Special Envoy to join forces with United Nations and African Union Special Envoys to establish a process that would lead to a real peace, a Lasting peace; a process that ensured the inclusion of Congolese women. The last paragraph of the Petition states: “it is essential that any action ensures Congolese women—who are uniquely positioned to act on behalf of family and community—have a voice in the peace process and a seat at the table.”

Having gained over 100,000 signatures within six weeks, Maman Shujaa sister Adele Kibasumba presented our petition to President Obama’s National Security Council at the White House. On June 18, 2013 - less the five months later - former Senator Russ Feingold was appointed as U.S. Special Envoy to DRC and the Great Lakes Region. And though the Special Envoy has made many trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo since his assignment, this was the first meeting between himself and the grassroots women who petitioned for his appointment. Having had to come to Washington DC to meet with him, I reemphasized the importance of engaging Congolese women if the outcome the Special Envoy desires for Congo is Lasting peace, and before leaving his office, gave the Special Envoy a personal invitation to meet with the Maman Shujaa grassroots women of Congo on his next visit to DRC.