There is a Congolese saying that goes like this: “God put all the gifts in a basket and went around all the countries of the world. But by the time he got to Congo, he was so tired that he said, ‘Let me just give them everything that’s left in this basket’”. The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most resource-rich countries on the planet, with enormous deposits of diamonds, tantalum, tungsten, gold, oil, uranium. 80% of the world’s coltan, used in every single electronic device, is mined in the DRC.
And yet, the DRC remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
Bernard Kalume Buleri, a musician and fixer for international news outlets, was born in 1960, the year the DRC gained its bloody independence. His father worked for a colonial Belgian mining company and Bernard himself was put through school with money from Congo’s riches. His country’s history of turmoil is very personal; he has lived through war and seen his homeland torn apart over and over again by violent looting and greed. Bernard’s story is a damning testament, illustrating how systemic global inequality makes nature’s bounty a deadly curse instead of a blessing.
“Congo, My Precious” inspired Jim Bruce, a blues musician and online guitar teacher, to start a fundraiser for Bernard and his family. If you’d like to participate, please visit:
www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-the-congo-bernard-buleri
ROLE: Director, co-producer, director of photography
DURATION: 52 minutes
BROADCASTER: RT Documentary
