Archive for March, 2010
Alice Walker- goddess of American literature!- writes about A Thousand Sisters…
I can’t imagine a more perfect book for arousing the power of American women (or women and men everywhere) to rush to the defense of our Congolese sisters. Lisa Shannon, runner extraordinaire, has with this forthright and readable book, crossed the finish line into the way of life the remainder of our time on this planet demands: she has entered the land of courage, compassion, and a fierce determination to stand by those who need us, where everyone understands they must be – our lives depend on it – a citizen of the world.
-Alice Walker
Okay, this one made me cry. I studied her work in college, we met in Congo, and in a few simple exchanges, she taught me some of the most profound lessons I learned on my journey. What can I say? The woman is amazing. Can’t thank her enough!!!! -Lisa
Preaching to the Dead: An interview with escaped FLDR
I sat down this morning with two FDLR (Interahamwe) prisoners being held by the Congolese army. They were in a piss-poor Congolese army prison- all prisoners effectively starving (no food for 5 days). No toilets- they peed in their prison cells. One was Congolese, abducted many years ago, still able to smile and interact. The other, however, was something else entirely. Barefoot, in pilling red pants hanging on skin and bones frame. The boy is Hutu Rwandan, and 16 years old. And so in his short life, he has lived one face of this war. He was a baby when his parents fled post-genocide Rwanda. After a short while in refugee camps, his family retreated to the forest in Congo. Eventually his mother returned to Rwanda, and his father was killed in FDLR gun-battles.
While my war-correspondent friend quizzed the boys about the details of their life with the FDLR (nothing I hadn’t heard before- less in fact, because they were in prison and cannot admit to any crimes), I studied the Rwandan boy. I’ve never seen eyes like this, evasive, ill at ease. A stunned animal under threat? Beyond repair? Extinguished soul?
Perhaps so. His state of being is haunting. But then, I think, he ran away from the militia- and risked death in doing so. Where does that impulse arise for a last ditch attempt at life- to flee your family, your militia, the forest, the only life you’ve known?
I’m hopelessly predictable in these situations. At the end of the interview, I chimed in with a little pep talk about how brave he was to run away, and the whole new life that awaits him in Rwanda. Healing is possible.
In truth, I’m not sure if it is. I want to know the extreme corners of the human psyche, and where those hard lines are, the ones we like to label, “point of no return.” Can there be a soul-resurrection, really?
I want to find him again in Rwanda.
I want to track him through a lifetime. So I ask if I can maybe visit him sometime in Rwanda. He responds, “You are most welcome.”
I guess in the meantime, some positive re-inforcement can’t hurt.
Over lunch, my reporter friend laughs. ”It was sweet. They are so beyond any of your words. You are preaching to the dead.”
Lisa Ling, whose report on Oprah sparked this movement, writes about A Thousand Sisters…
While reporting for the Oprah Show, I called the Democratic Republic of the Congo the “worst place on earth.” When Lisa Shannon saw my report, rather than turn her back, she did something about it. Her commitment to the victims of one of the world’s greatest tragedies exemplifies the best in humanity. Her powerful story is an inspiration to all of those who think that their voice is too small to change lives. - Lisa Ling
I just can’t thank Lisa enough for EVERYTHING- her courage to be the first to tell these stories, for sparking the movement, for taking the time to read the book. Thank you Lisa!!!! -Lisa
Barefeet and pink pearls: Our Run in Congo! Part 1
On Saturday, we stopped by Generose’s house. She was busy with run prep: getting her hair relaxed and eyebrows done!
As we invited all of our sisters to the run, they were over the moon about joining, even though they knew they would not get a thing for it. The main question was what to wear? What kind of shoes? Most only had flip flops, so I decided I would forego running shoes and stick with my locally purchased sandals.
I woke up in the middle of the night to a raging thunderstorm, and couldn’t get back to sleep imagining our sisters running in the rain. Eventually it stopped, but not without leaving Bukavu seriously muddy.
We picked up two sisters who came into town the night before – my beloved “Wandolyn” in the book – I put her up in a hotel with a neighbor friend from home, a kind of girls’ weekend in the city! We drove to the run together.
Our sassy, wonderful Pygmy sisters, sponsored by Zero Footprint, were the first to arrive! As soon as their feet hit the ground, they began a non-stop marathon of song and dance that continued for hours!
As minivans pulled up, packed with our sisters, they emerged wearing their freshly ironed Run for Congo Women t-shirts — the hot item of the day! Forty-seven of our sisters came to pay it forward and became international leaders for Congo in the process. They all joined the song and dance, often in a circle.
The pygmy women continued to lead. (An amazing thing to watch since, when I met two of them a few years ago (as covered in the chapter “Sugar Cane” in my book), they talked about feeling “Zairians” – normal-sized Congolese women – could never accept mixing with them. So we were breaking down major social barriers!
Wandolyn is often wearing the trauma and overwhelm from her gang rape by the Congolese army and the recent death of her husband. Not today. Nobody brought up problems or trauma. This was a celebration. Wandolyn sang, danced and led the call-and-response. Later she commented, “We got great rest and good food! I have energy!” (What a girls’ weekend won’t do to recharge!)
In fact, many of the women who joined in talked about how much it meant to make time to spend with other women. To just get together with friends is a rare luxury here. As Michelle from Runner’s World pointed out – they don’t have book clubs or girls lunches or a daily workout. Today was special.
The policewomen arrived. Yes, policewomen! The mayor of Bukavu had arranged for a 100% female police force to protect us for the event! We announced how cool it was that in a country ruled by men with guns, women had come out to protect us today! All the same, they were reserved….initially.
Generose was among the last to arrive. She emerged wearing her Run for Congo Women t-shirt, a red suit jacket and suit skirt, with a long strand of pink pearls. Fabulous! I secretly found it hard to imagine better “up yours” to the militia who cut off her leg than showing up to run and help other women … in pink pearls!
At the start, it began to rain. With the women huddling together, I told them about all the runs I’ve done in the rain while thinking of them sleeping in the rain. I thought about adding the bit about them sleeping in the rain and kids dying, but with so many of them having actually lost children this way, I didn’t want to stir up that pain. I told all them about you, and how you would be running in the snow in New York and at midnight in Chicago … and they cheered like you would not believe. I read each and every message from solidarity gatherings around the world to our sisters. They were overwhelmed, so moved!
Generose gave a beautiful, articulate speech, shook the mayor’s hand, and got the women pumped up by re-framing the bad weather: Rain in Congo is considered a blessing from heaven, so our run was being blessed! (Way to play the positive, lady!)
I called the start, “Courage!” in French, to my surprise, women took off running fast — with a troop of police women running in time at their side. I ran (very slowly) behind Generose, while Michelle ran with the head of the pack, who logged 8:45 miles- in bad shoes!
As we hit stride, Generose’s shoe got so slippery and caked in the mud that she kicked it off. I kicked off my shoes too, so we could run together, barefoot.
A Thousand Sisters - In bookstores April 2010. Pre-order now! BUY the book
Some of my favorite, accessible reading on the Congo. LEARN more
Find your own Furaha. What you can do for Congo right now. Take ACTION
Watch the Video