Past Event

Join us for a discussion with Dr. Evelyn Mayanja, Assistant Professor at Carleton University on why mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is important to Canadians and the human and environmental rights violations involved. This event will raise awareness about a poorly understood region of Africa that deserves our attention this Black History Month, 2024.

Date: Tuesday, 13 February 2024

Time: 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET

Place: Virtual

Virtual: Zoom Link

The event will be in English with simultaneous translation into French.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2015-2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent citing the need to strengthen national, regional and international cooperation in relation to the full enjoyment of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights by people of African descent, and their full and equal participation in all aspects of society. The theme for the International Decade is “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development.”

The DR Congo is rich in natural resources, such as minerals, timber, and wildlife. Why then does DR Congo not see development? The DR Congo is home to 90 million people plagued by civil wars, armed conflicts, resource looting and human rights violations. How and why has the violence been perpetuated for decades?

Learn more about the answers to these questions with Dr. Mayanja as she sits down with moderator Tristan Bankasingh to discuss her research and lived experience as an academic in Canada investigating and researching mining, human and environmental rights, and social justice in the DR Congo.

Guest Speaker:  Evelyn Namakula Mayanja, Assistant Professor, Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa ON.

Host: Tristan Bankasingh, Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor, Workforce Development and Inclusion, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Halifax, NS.