Overture 41

Regarding the People and Presbyterian Church of the Congo—From the Presbytery of Chicago.

The Presbytery of Chicago, at the request of Congolese Presbyterians, other Congolese people, and their friends around the world, overtures the 216th General Assembly (2006) to support the Congo Presbyterian Church and the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the following manner.

1. Educate the members of the PC(USA) about conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

2. Encourage PC(USA) churches and presbyteries to become involved in supporting the Congo’s election and the ministries of the Congolese Presbyterian Church that address the well-being of the people of Congo: education, health, and economic development.

3. Encourage members of the PC(USA) to urge their legislators to petition the U.S. Congress to do the following:

a. Send a bipartisan congressional delegation to the Congo to assess the current situation and promote a fair democratic election.

b. Utilize the resources of the U.S. government to increase support to the U.N. to stop armed conflicts that divide and kill people in the DRC.

c. Support current efforts to bring unity and peace to the Congo as provided by the global and inclusive accord.

d. Provide significant financial support and other needed resources for the Congo’s election.

e. Determine and utilize responsible channels for directing the use of this money for its intended purposes.

f. Utilize the influence of the U.S. government to encourage the Congo’s neighboring countries to cease their conflict and their interference in the internal affairs of the Congo.

g. Urge the Congolese government to place the education of its children and youth as a high priority by

(1) providing a free, appropriate education in primary and secondary schools;

(2) paying teachers living wages.

Rationale

The Presbyterian Church of the Congo, now numbering more than two million members, traces its roots to the 1890 work of the U.S. Presbyterians, the Reverend William Shepherd and the Reverend Samuel Lapsley, who planted the seeds for the current 819 Presbyterian churches, 349 schools, hospitals, universities, and women’s training programs that serve the Congolese people.

Our brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are crying out for our help because almost 4 million Congolese have died in the last six years due to civil war and its results, and because those who live there are in deplorable conditions, the levels of poverty and hunger are devastating; illiteracy and unemployment are rampant; diseases like HIV/AIDS are increasing; the infrastructure of the nation is crumbling; and the political instability constantly interferes with recovery efforts.

The people of the DRC have not experienced a democratic election since receiving independence in 1960 and are urgently calling for an election promised to them by the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, through the Global and Inclusive Accord and Transitional Constitution approved by Congolese negotiators in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 4, 2003.

There is great potential for civil war to break out in the Congo if an election does not occur in 2006.

There is a growing outcry for a Congolese election and financial support for the Congo by Americans of all faith communities, including Presbyterians, many of whom have lived in or visited the Congo in recent years and have seen the devastation there.

America is viewed by the Congolese and around the world as a nation that supports the development of democracy and President George W. Bush, in his Second Inaugural Address, articulated U.S. policies in support of elections in every country around the globe.

Education is viewed by the Congolese as the most critical building-block of their future democracy and economy; and support for the 108,000 children and youth in Congolese Presbyterian schools is a priority for the Congolese Presbyterian Church. “Universal primary education” was established as an essential human right by the Millennium Declaration of the United Nations in 2000.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s natural resources flow out of the country to highly developed countries, including the United States, without the benefits of those resources reaching the citizens of the DRC.