User:Fredrick Wangabo Mwenengabo/sandbox

Fredrick Wangabo Mwenengabo is a decorated non violent charismatic Peace and Civil Rights Activist, born in 1975 in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) formerly known as Zaire. Fredrick is an activist who has at times been arrested, kidnapped and tortured because of his indomitable voice against injustice. He is a voice for equality and for the marginalized communities and people including indigenous, raped women, children and refugees ,. In 2008, Mr. Mwenengabo led a regional research and published a report about the decline of the pygmy communities in Africa putting governments with pygmy populations on the defensive

On March the 5th 2012 on the Canadian soil, Mr. Mwenengabo launched a 48 days hunger strike (only drinking water) to raising awareness about human rights issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo On his 38th day of his hunger strike, Fredrick lost conscience and despite collapsing he refused to stop his hunger strike and protest; forcing the Canadian government to agree to take a leading role to address human rights issues in DRC.

Mr.Mwenengabo has described the war in DRC since 1996 to date as “the wall of the Institutionalized Complicity and Conspiracy of Silence.” According to Mwenengabo between 6 and 8 million civilians have died in DRC as a result of this war but because of the guilt, the International Community and some NGOs try to play down the numbers of the slaughtered victims. His hunger strike has received public support and has inspired Congolese in and outside DRC towards a state of revolution geared on the rule of law, democracy and human rights. He is the first Congolese to advocate for and lead an official United Nations International Day in remembrance for the millions of innocent civilians slaughtered in the Congolese war since 1996. He is also the first person to propose civic education for Congolese people as a mean of building a just, empowered peaceful DRC nation.

Mr. Wangabo Mwenengabo is an inspirational human being who has not only striven for peace and justice in difficult times for the people he loves but who have also been subjected to torture and illegal arrests because of his voice against injustices. He is an agent of change driven by passion and vocation inherited through his rich life experience from his childhood after being adopted and educated by catholic missionaries. His forced exile is a vacuum to the rights of the poor marginalized people and communities in DRC. Between 1997 and 2007, Fredrick has been detained or kidnapped and tortured by either rebels or government militia groups. In 2005, he was detained by the South Kivu military court for alleged treason charges and for gathering thousands of people in what was called by the government ‘‘illegal meetings’’ and ‘‘insulting leaders” but all charges against him were fabricated, later dropped and freed later. According to the Governor of South Kivu in DRC, Fredrick is living in a self imposed exile in Canada and can return to the country any time he wants.

To friends Fredrick is also known as Freddy, "Lumumba" or "Mobutu". He is known as Lumumba because his passion and his struggle for justice. He is not called Mobutu because he is related in any way or manner to Mr. Mobutu-former president of Congo/ ex-Zaire. Born from a poor indigenous family, Mr. Mwenengabo is referred to as Mobutu by his fellow countrymen because of his very well articulated speech address in conference in Nairobi organized to promote peace in his native country followed by a mass prayer lead by the catholic Archbishop of Nairobi, his eminence Ndingi Mwana’A Nzeki. The conference and the mass prayer gathered around 5,000 people, among them were Congolese officials, senior governments representatives, United Nations Diplomats and Civil Rights Activists from different spheres of work in the Region. His powerful moving speech left many people in emotions, tears and others in love. The title of his speech was: “Our People, our Land-Breaking the International Silence.” His speech was referred to by the representatives of the Jesuit Refugee Services and the UNESCO representatives as that one of Martin Luther King Junior ‘‘I have a dream .’’

His determinations and intellectual is always an addition to his humanitarian spirit. Congolese compared his speech to that one of president Mobutu in 1973 at the United Nations and that is why Fredrick is also referred to as Mobutu. This conference was vital in the peace process of DRC and earned Fredrick respect home and abroad regardless of his age at that time. Even if Fredrick is not a fun of the United Nations double stands, Fredrick is always accused by his critics of being pro-United Nations. Many politicians in Congo see him as a threat to their political power and career.

Fredrick lives a very simple life of poverty and loves music. He described his affair with the poor people as that one of Pain and Love. I love quoting him: “When we talk about Peace, Justice and Human rights; no matter how diverse our voices and our languages are, the way we hear ourselves make us a sound with one voice. To be a Person is Godly, to be a Human Being is an Art; If you become my friend I am here standing in your shadow; The bad rivals of peace, democracy and the rule of law are those who pretend to be the protectors; when human rights work demands for an action, we will know where you stand.” He also loves quoting Mandela this way: “When we lose the right to be different we lose the privilege to be free” (Nelson Madiba Mandela)