Democratic Republic of Congo: world-famous producer of cell phone components
As we remember the Dominican Month for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo….
The DRC is among the most resource-rich countries on the planet, with an abundance of gold, tantalum, tungsten, and tin – all minerals used in electronics such as cell phones and laptops – yet it continues to have an extremely poor population.
In the DRC, only 1.8% of existing roads are tarred and less than 10% of the population has access to electricity today.
Tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold have been dubbed “conflict minerals.” Armed groups use the profits from sales for campaigns of widespread violence.
Source: https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-democratic-republic-congo
Prayer:
In the gospel today we hear the voice of John the Baptist, the messenger of Christ’s birth rebuke the corruption and extortion of the soldiers and tax collectors, we are called to remember the corruption and abuse of the mining of minerals for the benefit of our cell phone and laptop computer industry in our country. May we open our eyes to recognize the abusive practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo. May we be inspired by the prophetic voice of John the Baptist, to find our voice of solidarity to stand with the miners for safety and dignity.