
UConn Law’s African Law Association (ALA), Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Energy & Environmental Law Society (EELS), and the UConn Law Library are sponsoring UConn Law's third annual Congo Week October 19-25.
The 18th anniversary of Congo Week features activities that commemorate the millions of lives lost in the Congo Conflict while celebrating the enormous human and natural potential that exists in the country. The goal is to raise global consciousness about the situation in the Congo and advocate for peace, justice and human dignity in partnership with the Congolese people.
A few semesters back, Kwaku Aurelien, Co-President of the African Law Association at UConn Law, moderated a symposium featuring Maurice Carney, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Friends of the Congo. This event highlighted the situation in the Congo, and sparked interest in bringing Congo Week to UConn Law.
The Congo holds the world’s largest deposits of coltan, an essential component for cellphones, play stations and other electronic devices. We urge UConn law students to recognize there are many things they can do to affect change in the lives of the Congolese. One action item is the “Cell Out” - a digital moment of silence starting at 12 noon on Wednesday, October 22nd. UConn Law encourages all students to turn off their phone for at least one hour, refrain from texting and encourage those in your circle to do the same. Activities abound throughout the UConn Law campus to raise awareness of this global issue. This week of recognition exemplifies the mantra by Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
For more information on Congo week check out the following:

If we are sitting on all this wealth, why are we so poor? Maurice Carney