Play about Democratic Republic of Congo uncovers natural resource conflict
In January, I saw an excellent play called Ruined by Lynn Nottage at the Boston University Theater. The Pulitzer Prize winning play premiered in New York City in 1999. The play depicts the lives of a group of women who work at a bar/club in a small mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The women struggle with the ongoing social unrest in the country. Rape, violence, and government corruption are part of their daily lives. The acting in the play is brilliant and it makes the viewer think about themes such as gender roles, militarism, poverty, and natural resource exploitation. The DRC has plentiful water systems and forest reserves. Many different animals are protected within this diverse ecosystem. In addition to its wildlife, Congo has abundant natural resources. The country contains about 80% of the world’s coltan reserves, which is used in cell phones, digital cameras, laptop computers, and PlayStations. It is estimated that $1 million worth of coltan per day is e...