02/13/23 02/13/23 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> we got out of the wreckage with our own means thankfully. asteria citizen helped us. we survived but our family still trapped inside. my mother and sister are still in the wreckage. amy: the death toll in turkiye and syria has topped 36,000 and counting a week after twin earthquakes devastated the

region and left millions homeless. we will go to syria for the latest, then speak to a u.n. special rapporteur who been calling for international sanctions to be lifted to help the people of syria. then we look at 25 years of v day, the global movement to end sexual violence. >> we have most importantly built a global network of solidarity in most every country of the world where activists give their lives to a world where women, trains, and non-binary people are safe, free, and empowered. and this has happened because of you. because of you. because of we. amy: we will speak to v day founder, the playwright v, formerly eve ensler. as well as monique wilson of one billion rising in the philippines and christine schuler deschryver in democratic republic of congo.

director of city of joy, a revolutionary community for women survivors of gender violence. all that and more, coming up. welcome to democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. the u.n.'s head of aid operations said the earthquake rescue phase is coming to a close and efforts would turn to providing shelter, food, and care to survivors as the combined death toll in turkiye and syria tops 36,000, with that number expected to rise. a little over one week after the first 7.8-magnitude quake rocked the two countries, the hope for miraculous rescues is fading and anger is mounting as the u.n. admits relief efforts failed the people in north-west syria. on friday, the syrian government approved aid deliveries to the rebel-held northwest after major delays to the war-torn region. over 5 million additional people

in syria may become homeless after the quakes as the region also faces winter blizzards and an ongoing cholera outbreak. meanwhile, in turkiye, authorities ordered 113 arrests linked to the construction of collapsed buildings. some 25,000 buildings collapsed or were badly damaged. opposition parties have accused the government of president recep tayyip erdogan of not enforcing regulations. some survivors say rescue operations never reached them as their loved ones were stuck under the rubble. >> the situation is beyond terrible. my mother and sister are under the rubble and i cannot reach them in anyway. my soul is gone. they are dying under the rubble. i am dying here. we don't expect anything from the government from this point on. everyone's blood is on their hands. amy: president erdogan has admitted to shortcomings in the country's response to the disaster.

we'll have the latest on the earthquake from syria after headlines. in israel, protesters are massing outside the knesset in jerusalem as the far-right ruling coalition advanced a plan to expand its power and weaken the judiciary. over the weekend, tens of thousands demonstrated against the government for the fifth straight week as president isaac herzog issued a rare warning. >> we are long past being in a political argument. we are on the breakup constitutional and social collapse. i feel, we all feel we are barely a moment away from a collision. amy: this comes as israel legalized nine illegal outposts in the occupied west bank, turning them into settlements in a move the palestinian authority likened to an open war. the biden administration said it opposed the plan though it's not clear if it will take any action against israel. meanwhile, on friday, a palestinian driver rammed a car into a crowd outside of jerusalem, killing two israeli

children and one man. the next day, a palestinian man was fatally shot by an israeli settler in the northern west bank, and israeli forces killed a 14-year-old teenager sunday in a raid in the west bank city of jenin. the pentagon says u.s. forces killed 12 al-shabaab fighters in an air strike on a remote area of somalia on friday, claiming no civilians were injured or killed. it was impossible to independently verify. last year, the biden administration redeployed hundreds of special operations troops to somalia after then-president trump withdrew them in 2020. the pentagon says u.s. fighter jets shot down three unidentified objects from the skies above alaska, the yukon, and michigan over the weekend. a white house spokesperson said the objects posed a danger to civil aviation and were much smaller than a chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon the air force shot down off the coast of south carolina

a few weeks ago. that incident prompted secretary of state antony blinken to cancel a planned trip to beijing. over the weekend, the commerce department announced it would sanction six chinese aerospace companies said to support china's spy balloon program. in beijing, china's foreign ministry said the u.s. illegally flew high-altitude balloons into chinese airspace more than 10 times the past year, as part of a much broader spy program. spokesperson wang wenbin said -- "for the longest time, the u.s. has abused its own technological advantages to carry out large-scale and indiscriminate wiretapping and theft of secrets from all over the world, including from its allies." meanwhile, when asked whether extraterrestrial aliens could be the source of the unidentified objects, the commander of the north american aerospace defense command said, "i don't rule out anything." brazilian president luiz inácio

lula da silva met with president biden at the white house friday, where biden condemned violent extremism following last mths' attack on government buildings in brasilia one week after lula's inauguration. the assault by supporters of far-right former president jair bolsonaro immediately drew comparisons with the january 6 u.s. capitol insurrection just two years earlier. >> brazil, the united states, stand together. we reject political violence and we put great value and our democratic institutions. amy: the pair also discussed the climate crisis. after the meeting, lula said he was confident the u.s. would join a fund to protect the amazon from deforestation. >> i am convinced we are in a different era. brazil is using his political power, the respectability that we have earned so people, together with other countries,

comply with the tasks. we have to fulfill for humidity. amy: brazilian government data showed deforestation in the amazon decreased in january, the first month of lula's presidency compared to the same period last year. while in d.c., lula also met with progressive lawmakers including senator bernie sanders and congressmember alexandria ocasio-cortez and with the heads of major u.s. unions. a warning to our viewers, this contains images and descriptions of police violence. in north carolina, newly released police camera footage shows darryl tyree williams, an unarmed 32-year-old black man, warning he had heart problems after a group of raleigh officers repeatedly tasered him until he lost consciousness. williams is heard telling officers, "i've got heart problems. please! please!" despite the appeal, officers tased williams a third time. he died about an hour after the arrest on january 17. six officers have been placed on administrative leave while the

raleigh police department carries out an investigation. the north carolina state bureau of investigation is also conducting its own probe. in spain, more than a quarter-million people marched through central madrid on sunday to oppose the dismantling of the public health system by the capital region's right-wing government. the massive protest was led by unions who complained of long patient waiting lists and staff shortages. >> well, our situation is getting worse and worse as we have fewer resources and less step. we believe everything that is being done is in favor of private health and it is a business. we think we have to fight against this and defend the public health system as it is what makes us all equal. amy: in portugal, more than 150,000 schoolteachers and their supporters marched through lisbon saturday to protest soaring inflation and low wages. portugal's lowest-paid teachers earn less than $1200 a month. they're demanding pay increases, less-punishing schedules, and faster career progression.

>> we have been badly treated for a long time by a society that forgets the importance and responsibilities of education. we are here today and we will be here for many more days to calm. amy: in france, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of cities nationwide on saturday in a fourth day of action against plans to slash the nation's pension system. unions estimated over a half million people joined protests in paris to oppose president emmanuel macron's bid to raise the age of retirement from 62 to 64. at least six refugees died after their inflatable boat was adrift at sea for several days as they tried to reach theanary islands in spain. 23 others onboard were rescued near the island of tenerife. the boat hadeparted from a coast near the city of dakhla in western sahara. a spanish humanitarian group estimates nearly 2000 refugees died in 2022 while trying to reach the canary islands by boat. new zealand has declared a state

of emergency in several regions including its largest city of auckland, as cyclone gabrielle roared ashore at high tide, bringing powerful winds, dangerous storm surge and torrential rains. emergency officials warned residents in low-lying areas to evacuate ahead of the storm's arrival, which follows record rainfall last month that caused extensive flooding and left four people dead. >> please have a plan to leave your home. if you see water levels rising around you, don't wait to be told to leave. amy: this comes as raging wildfires in chile have killed over two dozen people, displaced thousands, and scorched over 1400 sque miles forests. and in norway, greenpeace activists have disembarked a massive shell oil vessel after 13 days of occupation and a 2500-mile journey. before the vessel docked at the port of haugesund, the six activists climbed the platform's flare boom waving a banner that

said, "stop drilling. start paying." they first boarded the vessel north of the canary islands two weeks ago, calling on shell and other fossil fuel corporations to take responsibility for their role in climate change and to pay loss and damage funds to help poorer countries who bear the brunt of the global disaster. and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. the united nations is warning the death toll in turkiye and northwest syria from last week's devastating earthquakes will top at least 50,000. as of monday morning, over 36,000 deaths have been reported and the number keeps rising by . the u.n.'s head of aid operations said the earthquake rescue phase is coming to a close and efforts would turn to providing shelter, food, a care to survivors. millions have been left homeless, including many syrian refugees who were displaced by the war in syria that began 12 years ago. at a hospital in idlib, syria, dr. mostafa al-yamany described

workinaroundhe-clock for the past week to help victims of the earthquake. >> there were a lot of very tough cases. one of which was a three-month-old baby who lost his entire family. he is the only survivor. he was in critical condition. the resources at our disposal are limited compared to the scale of the disaster. and in this area in the rubble held areas, we don't have the infrastructure or hospitals to receive such numbers of patients. amy: on sunday, u.n. aid chief martin griffiths traveled to aleppo, syria, to survey the damage. >> behind us is one small piece of the terrible tragedy that came here on february 6. i've been hearing stories here in aleppo this morning that would chill you with what happened in those early hours of that terrible day. what is the most frightening

here is even in aleppo, which has suffered so much these many years, this moment, that moment a week or more ago, was about the worst these people have experienced. people who lost their children, some of whom escaped, others stayed in the building. the trauma of the people we spoke to was visible. in this is a trauma which the world needs to heal. and the reason we're here is because we want to raise money for the brave organizations which are helping these people of aleppo, these people of syria. amy: we begin today show in damascus with emma forster of the norwegian refugee council. welcome to democracy now! this absolutely catastrophic

time the people of syria, particularly in the northwest. can you talk about what they're facing right now as they deal with not only the earthquakes but the ravages of war for over a decade? >> the situation in the northwest is absolutely heartbreaking. we are hearing up to finally people could be left -- finally people could be left homeless -- 5 million people could be left homeless. there i't the staff or equipment to treat people. schools are being used as shelters. many have lost loved ones and there is an urgent need for more international assistance which they are currently lacking. amy: can you talk about what the p all of syria face? 90 percent of the people live below the poverty line already, the lack

of electricity is extremely serious when it comes to the freezing cold. >> already parts of the earthquake -- prior to the eartuake, the situation was already serious. there was already a major lack -- [indiscernible] there was electricity for more than a couple of hours a day. people relying largely on generators to heat their homes. before the earthquake, people were burning anything to provide heat to cook basic meals. that has been aggravated by the earthquake. amy: the latest news that on friday the syrian government approved aid deliveries to the rebel held northwest after major delays in the war-torn region. if you could talk about the area that was hit, divided by the rebel held territory, and the territory that the government

controls -- but what this meant r the people who live there? >> the earthquake hit both government-controlled and non-government-controlled areas. the worst affected are the non-government-controlled areas in the country. prior to the earthquake, there is only one area that one cord was being used between turkiye and syria for aid to come through through the u.n. this was affected by the earthquake so there were several days of delay before any aid was able to come through that crossing. now it has started to come in slowly but nowhere near enough. at the same time, the aid that goes come through -- does come through the markets in turkiye are highly effective. it will hinder what could be procured and brought in for their response at the northwest of syria. at the same time and government-controlled areas, there has been a blanket

approval for aid to be delivered into areas not under government control but there have still been delays in approval that we are not seeing equity -- amy: i'm looking at the tweets of your organization the northern refugee council. "there's no time for hesitation. provide the funds syrians need and save lives now." also the whole issue of access both from syria and from turkiye to help the people who have been so devastated for so long, emma. >> what we need now is more funding. we need to scale up our operations. we are ready to respond but we lack the funding first stop currently we have funding to get us to the initial stage. we need an urgent scale up of funding in order for us to be able to scale of our responses. the same time this is a crisis

-- the humanitarian needs have not gone away. we need donors to scale up funding and provide new funding. the people of syria were in need before the earthquake. we still need to implement our existing programs. amy: emma forster, thank you for being with us from damascus, the capital of syria policy manager , for the norwegian refugee council based in damascus. next up, we will speak to a u.n. special rapporteur calling for international sanctions to be lifted to help the people of syria. stay with us. ♪♪ [music break]

amy: trugoy the dove's verse from de la soul's "breakadawn." the visionary rapper and producer died this weekend at the age of 54. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. as we continue to look at the devastating earthquakes in turkiye and syria have killed at least 36,000 people, but the estimates are expected to far

surpass 50,000. the earthquakes left millions homeless, including many syrian refugees who are ready fled their homes due to 12 years of war. we're joined now by alena douhan, united nations special rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. in november, she urged nations to lift unilateral sanctions against syria saying ey "severely harm human rights and prevent any efforts for early recovery to rebuilding and reconstruction." joining us now from belarus where she is a professor of international law at the belarusian state university. welcome to democracy now! if you can start off by what you're calling for? >> [indiscernible]

i hope -- provide humanitarian assistance to syria. [indiscernible]

unfortunately, it is not sufficient. [indiscernible] we need not only money. blankets, clothing and other elements are needed. [indiscernible]

amy: this is martin griffiths speaking at the border crossing. >> we're going to be doing an appeal for three months humanitarian phase for the rthquake response. we're going to push i out in the next day or two. it is going to require the kin of generosity for mber states d individuals in the private sect that we have already seen in the international response to the earthquake in turkiye and elsewhere. amy: your response to what -- your final comments on what you feel people are not understanding about this catastrophe? >> people probably do not understand [indiscernible]

now they need is even more urgent. millions of people's lives -- amy: we want to thank you for being with us, united nations special rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. professor of international law at the belarusian state university. next up, it is the 25th anniversary of v-day, the 10th anniversary of one billion rising, and the release ofv's book, formally known as eve ensler. it is called "reckoning." stay with us. ♪♪ [music break]

amy: singing the anthem park one billion rising. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. as many mark valentine's day on tuesday, this year february 14th also marks the 25th anniversary of v-day, the global movement to end violence against women, gender expansive people, girls, and the planet. it is also the 10th anniversary of v-day's one billion rising campaign, which is a call to action based on the staggering reality that one in three women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. the movement brings together activism and art to transform systems and change culture. it was founded by the activist

v, formerly eve ensler, author of "the vagina monologues." this comes as v's new book, her second memoir, has just been released. it is called "reckoning." this is actress rosario dawson speaking -- reading an excerpt from the chapter titled "to all those who dare rob us of our bodily choice" during an event at the 92nd street ymca in new york city. >> this is not a law yet and we will never accept this ruling. perhaps because you have never known what it is like to have your body controlled by the vindictive anonymous state. to be raped and forced to keep your baby at 12 years old. to be so desperate that you destroy your uterus with the hanger or bleed to death in a back alley. you do not understand once you

have tasted the sweetness of freedom of choice, once you have come to know your body as your own, once you have freed yourself and felt the expanse of your body, the aliveness and every poor that rises from autonomy, there is no way you will ever give that up. ever. and because you do not know this , you do not know how dangerous we are. how organized we are. how willing we are to go to any lengths to preserve our freedom. amy: that is actress rosario dawson reading from "reckoning," the new memoir by v, formerly eve ensler, who joins us today to mark v25 -- the 25th anniversary of v-day. this year the call is for the world to "rise for freedom: freedom from patriarchy and from all its progeny."

we are joined now by two more forces behind v-day and the one billion rising campaign, which over the last 25 years has built a global network of solidarity, including opening safe houses and the city of joy in the democratic republic of congo. joining us from manila, monique wilson is global director of one billion rising, which has 1000 one billion rising events taking place in 88 countries this week. and christine schuler deschryver is director of v-day congo and co-founder and director of city of joy, a revolutionary community for women survivors of gender violence. she is speaking to us from bukavu in the democratic republic of congo, which has graduated over 1900 leaders. and of course we are joined by v, formerly called eve ensler, we welcome you all to democracy

now! v, i was there at this remarkable event. hundreds of people packed in to celebrate all of these moments. 25th anniversary of v-day 10th anniversary of one billion rising, and your second memoir "reckoning." talk about the significance of this year. tomorrow is the absolute day of our 20 fit anniversary but i want to say it is a very emotiona political, artistic milestone. before i begin, i want to honor the women who are suffering in congo for being such models to all of us have freedom and to say, these 25 years are connected to a chain of warriors who came before us but we still may not have dismantle

patriarchy or ended violence against all trans and non-binary people and women, but we certainly have made a mark. we have shifted the dialogue. we have disrupted the normal. we have brought the issue to the front and center. when we started, you cannot say the word "regina." -- "vagina." this movement has been instrumental in changing laws and traditions and even expanded the story, understand we can't end violence without looking at all the intersecting violence is of racism, capitalism, climate catastrophe, imperialism. and i think about christine and monique and we have opened safe houses in kenya at the amazing city of joy and the drc, the city of hope in kabul. women telling stories have coming back into their bodies. inspired thousands to become

acvists. we have created this amazing pie ce called "voices." it will be released this year. we have lifted women inside and outside of prison. we have been in solidarity, which is so critical with communities struggling for liberation in the aftermath of black women being murdered by police in the u.s., with women grappling with war, femicide, forced migration, around the world. we have been in deep solidarity with indigenous community's from brazil to south dakota and those seeking asylum and safety at our borders. but most importantly, i think if i look back over these 25 years, we have built a global network of gorgeous solidarity know every country of the world were activists give their lives to a world where women, trans, and

non-binary people are safe and apart. i think monique and christine typify the leadehip and the brilliance and the solidarity of our movement. amy: let's go to monique wilson in the philippines. i want to talk about what is happening in our country. you're in manila. but you are the global director of one billion rising. you can talk about what is happening all over the world. we deliberately did this a day before valentine's day, v-day, so we could start this conversation this year around what you want to accomplish and what people are doing. >> yes, i think this year is a huge celebration because it is 10 years of one billion rising, 25 of v-day. but we know despite all our victories, despite all the transformations we have seen in legislation and art, culture, education, ways of consciousness

and thinking -- as v said, the tentacles of patriarchy are still so deeply embedded in everything. there progeny of patriarchy, which is capitalism and division and shame and stigma and exclusion and this tidal wave of hate and discrimination. so i think our call to rise for freedo is to get people to understand -- unless we understand that -- we cannot end violence toward women, girls, trans, non-binary people. and around the environment as well. tomorrow we're going -- as for speaking -- more than 1000 events. it is very diverse what they're

rising for freedom means in many region like farmworkers are rising for access to land, students are rising for accessible and good quality education, migrants are rising for the end of labor expectation, indigenous people are rising for the environment and the earth. there are so many forms of the rising. at the same time, we are all connected in this huge global event that is connected in terms of that vision that we are seeing of a violence-free world. i think what patriarchy also has done, somehow, is it is trying to remove the imaginative ability of people to see that future we are rising for. i think what one billion rising and v-day as jennifer 15 years, one billion has done for 10 years, is this on imagining that vision. we can't rise for it and we imagine it. that is why the art is the

biggest part of our activism is the most potent and catalytic way of getting people to really shift the consciousness around these concepts. whene began onbillion ring, it was to end violence and then we went to justice and then rise in solidarity against exploitation and then went to rising as a campaign to a way of life, and then we went to raising the vibration, how to use art to escalate. the pandemicctually d not op us. weave many morising inhe first year of the pandemic, which was rising gardens. lester was rising for the bodies of all women and girls and the earth. this year is rise for freedom. bringing all the intersectional issues and also escalating it on a huge level where governments all around the world and the media no longer be able to deny that this is really a pressing issue and a state of emergency.

if it is a state of emergency, why aren't we acting accordingly? amy: let me ask you about what is happening in the philippines right now. has been in the headlines because you have the biden administration reaching an agreement with the philippines to give the united states access to four more military bases in it a former u.s. colony, allowing the u.s. that are access to the south china sea in taiwan and to escalate tensions with china. there's been major protests in the philippines around this. the connection of militarism and violence against women, monique? >> this is a progeny of patriarchy. imperialism is still very much happening. we don't anymore see colonization as how it was in the imperial years, but there is a huge colonization of our economy and our minds that we think we have to be tied to

superpower. of course, the superpower, which is the u.s., capitalizes on that because there is much to gain from that. we, philippines, as a geostrategic place here in asia for them must up at the same time, it is our government here -- every government we have had here who has been like a puppet government of the u.s. happily attaches itself to the imperial power that is the u.s. and because we think we can't function on our own inerms of her own sovereignty. and we defend economically and that is what neoliberal capitalism has done, the dependency now of more developing countries like ourselves, we are continually in the cycle of just having to depend on more developed countries. yes, our one billion rising totally focuses on this. it totally focuses on

militarization as a weapon to continue to colonize a country. at the same time the way of colonizing a country is through harm of women. we will hear about that because that is still ongoing in the congo. at the same time, it escalates the violence happening all around the communities as well as the indigenous communities as well as to our environment and earth. and we wonder why we we have naturadisasters that we can't ever rise above it because we are continually in this cycle of need, of economic need. i think that is what patriarchy and imperialism and capitalism have done is keep that hierarchy in play. i think the rising for freedom includes that in a huge way because we cannot rise for freedom personally, we have to rise for freedom collectively, as a region, as a country, as nations all over the world but also as humidity, the one

humidity that one had not ld it humanity, that one cannot lord it over the world. amy: we're going to go now to the democratic republic to speak with christine --christine schuler deschryver, director of v-day congo and co-founder and director of city of joy. tell us how you got involved, what city of joy is come that you helped establish so many years ago. >> good morning, amy. thank you for hosting us. troy is a leadership community for women survivors of violence. i cocreated -- founded with mama

v. i met v in 2007. the minute i met her, i totally fell in love with her bause i met a different person. the first te, a woman [indiscernible] i think fr the time she started to interview the women with respect, bring their stories outside the country -- women were totally destroyed were leaning on her. i was like, i need to do something with them. you know when you want to change buyou can't as a human being,

i just started with some kind of mental health. i really think meeting and working with v and it totally changed south because -- myself because -- [indiscernible] i don't regret my choices. i look at the impact of our work and help infmative it is but the girls. its a leadership program and emotional healing. at the same time, also we put in a program, also the protection of mher earth to remind you

that the congo -- we have this holistic approh for the country, for the women. it gives me hope because otherwise, as you know, the world doesn't care. they don't care about this. by the time they left, all the projects collapsed. we talk about sustainability. we have the city of y. amy: i want to turn to the nobel peace laureate, the congolese gynecologist, founder of one of the only hospitals that treat victims of rape and mutilation

in the drc. in 2009, he appeared on democracy now! and talked about his work in the hospitals, speaking through an interpreter. >> when we take care of women at the hospital, these women are wounded physically but also traumatized profoundly. it is not possible just like that to cure them. it takes time. sometimes a lot of time. we cannot kick them out of the hospital, so we needed a place where women can stay. to be taking care of. and to train them to reenter

socially and to give them the possibility and the ability to take care of themselves and to be able to fight in life because -- i've seen amazing transformation -- there is the norm is potential in women i did not imagine. they fight between life and death but afterwards, they have incredible strength. the city of joy will give them the possibility to say what happened to them, to tell that people have tried to destroy them but we can tell them they are strong and can fight.

amy: so that is dr. denis mukwege, founder of the hospital where they do operations, healing women who have been raped. you, christine, have been working so closely with him and with v. that was an interview from 2009. almost 15 years ago. yet you say the crisis and magnitude of rape in congo today is unbelievable. talk about who are the forces responsible for this. lookfirst of all, i wanto correct we're not the only hospital. we also have a hospital -- they train lots of doctors. they can make the same sgery.

unfortunately, the rate continues. whenever i go to the hospital, the beds are full. it feels lik never, never ever ending. we are frustrated. dr. denis mukwege is treating the third generation. treated the mother, the daughters, and now even the children. it does not end. as you probably heard, i'm not sure because i know the world doesn't talk about what isoing on here, but tre is a terrible -- especially in the north the first thing people do, they rape people. and we have so many militias and

the different armed gros totally out of control. i am very uplifted but sometimes i'm just wondering when i feel really, really down how we get out of this without a revolution. there are so many western countries who are involvein the democratic of congo but they absolutely don't want these wars to end. any people can come and just plunder atever theant because the country so big and totally out of control. somemes it ilike a nightmare living and having such a rich

country where people are literally starved. amy: the role of the surrounding african countries, who you hold responsible and what you think needs to be done, christine schuler deschryver? >> it is very, very difficult for me to say because even during the wst time of this war we had nine african countries involved. it was like a world war,frican world war. and n we also havso man countries whare invved in each one are accusing the other. i think it is such a mess. i don't know how we get out of this and also what they call the peacekeeper -- i'm soy, i hate the wo because i don't know what is it peacekeeping?

they have been in the drc for more than 20 years, billions and llions of dollars. we are at the se point. you can take back all the speeches made 15 years ago and it is still the same. nothing really changed. the perpetrators, just the name changed. but the situation, we begin with insurgents. i think the international community, if they wanted to end this war, look at the trend. of course it comes in the middle of europe. such a tragedy because every day when i watch the news, i cry. so tragic. the middle of europe, have --

people are more moved than when you see black people dying trying to cross the mediterranean sea and die there but no one cares. like the italians -- they don't let them go there. but we are just fleeing. what theestern created here -- who wants to leave such a beautiful country? let's lk about the gat lakes region. they created like in afghanistan , and etc., and then have to pay the consequences. i don't know -- i'm just fed up of all these hypocrisies.

i think all the lives matter. amy: i want to go back to v as we listen to christine talking about the drc, the democratic republic of the congo, the second largest country in africa, the largest country in sub-saharan africa, the lack of media attention on the absolute crisis that is happening today. v, your book, your second memoir is called "reckoning." talk about what you are reckoning with from the personal to the global. >> thank you, amy. i think this is deeply related to everything that christine is talking about in terms of the congo and the fact things keep repeating and repeating and repeating because nothing is ever reckoned with. there is never any justice. there is complete impunity of all that has gone on in the last 14 years during this war.

what i am try to address in this book i think over the period of covid, for those of us who are privileged enough not to have to be on the front lines in hospitals and serving people, we were kind of locked in with our thoughts and memories and in my case toxic nostalgia where i had to really go in and addressed my life and reflect and reckon with my own personal history. at the same time as the world was at our fingertips and it is country, we were going through several reckoning's. first, there was a horrible diabolical nine minutes of george floyd with the knee on his neck and all that excavated in terms of a history that has never been reckon with here, the history of white supremacy and people being enslaved, a history of jim crow and mass incarceration. and then we had the infrastructure, the fact we had no health care infrastructure infrastructure that cares about people.

so we saw so many people dying, particularly like and brown people at muchigher rates because there is no preparation or health care and we saw our health care workers being sent in without -- you know, wearing garbage bags and doubling up and wearing masks day after day. and there was climate catastrophe. birds were literally falling out of the sky. we are in this both collective and personal reckoning. i think they are one in the same and they are not separate for me. part of what we're seeing now in this country is that reckoning began, it was the beginning of this massive uprising around white supremacy and the history. on many issues. what has happened is this french minority -- fringe minority has pushed back against remembering. look at what is happening in the ap african american studies were schools are being taught they can't teach certain great

thinkers. where we are saying we can't learn our history because people will be too disturbed by it. i say in the book i think reckoning is the anecdote to fascism, that when we remember things, when we look at our past, when we walk through the portal to another way of living and being, we actually can begin to transform that path. but if we are not about reckoning, which this country is never been about, we keep repeating it and repeating it and repeating it. the work in congo that we have been doing for many years. i look at christine who is been doing this work long before me and dr. denis mukwege. how many times have they circled the globe to talk about the war, to talk about the exploitation and extracting of minerals in the congo on the bodies of women?

have any times have they told this story? and still the world remains completely unable to hear the cries of the congolese. i don't think this is accidental. i think this is programmed, as christine said, because there is money to be made and resources to be stolen. i think we're seeing that trend across the world. the same trend of fusil to reckon with our history, to look at where we come from, that we sitn a country that was stolen from the indigenous people who lived here and it was genocide and the destruction of their tradition and ways. and that is what this country is founded on. until we make peace without by reckoning and remembering and making reparations with that, we will continue to create that violence in the future. amy: why did you change your name to v? >> well, it is an interesting story. i wrote the apology in 2019

which was a letter that i wrote to my father because i had waited most of my life waiting for my mother to apologize to me for the sexual and physical violence he had and acted on my body and that never happened. i finally decided after watching a lot of the people who have been called out in me too, a lot of them in, i did not hear one public apology. i did not hear one man taking responsibility or doing deep reflection that we could see that what he had done. i realized i had to write my father's apology for him so i wrote the book "the apology" which was excruciating but also very liberatory because i finally began to understand, not justify, what -- whom my father was and i realized it had very little to do with me. at the end of that book, he was gone and i realized i did not want that name anymore. i had no more rancor tore my fath but i wt to my own name

that was clear of that history. amy: i want to thank you also much for being with this, v, formally eve ensler, 20 for the óçóç óçóçóçóç

♪♪♪ emma alberici: while italy's north is in the grips of a health emergency brought on by the coronavirus-- [dogs barking] emma: the south is confronting a crisis of its own, a ruthless new mafia. dr. giuseppe avitabile: this kind of nigerian mafia is peculiar in this place. emma: sex, drugs, and people smuggling. emma: are you still scared of them? joy ezekiel: no, why would i be scared of them? emma: the nigerians have arrived. has the italian mafia met its match?