as it has been mentioned, secretary clinton visited the eastern congo and she was moved and gave a very strong report about what was going on there. i was on that trip although i left before she visited the congo. but, in my assessment, the u.s. needs to refocus all parts of our government on a chiefing clear results in two critical issues. which were actually mentioned on her trip. the first priority should be to reduce civilian suffering and the second would be to ensure that next year's elections would be fair and free. i wonder if you could comment quickly on those two. i have a series of questions. >> you are absolutely correct mr. congressman. stability and -- is key and that is part of our security sector refor a proerefor reform approa. there are going to be areas that we need greater improvement on. as long as we continue to make the progress we have since 2006, we should be in a good shape as we head to the next elections as well. >> roger? >> in terms of the elections, after usaid's experience in sudan and the enormous lift to make the referendum happen, i think we are workin

as it has been mentioned, secretary clinton visited the eastern congo and she was moved and gave a very strong report about what was going on there. i was on that trip although i left before she visited the congo. but, in my assessment, the u.s. needs to refocus all parts of our government on a chiefing clear results in two critical issues. which were actually mentioned on her trip. the first priority should be to reduce civilian suffering and the second would be to ensure that next year's elections would be fair and free. i wonder if you could comment quickly on those two. i have a series of questions. >> you are absolutely correct mr. congressman. stability and -- is key and that is part of our security sector refor a proerefor reform approa. there are going to be areas that we need greater improvement on. as long as we continue to make the progress we have since 2006, we should be in a good shape as we head to the next elections as well. >> roger? >> in terms of the elections, after usaid's experience in sudan and the enormous lift to make the referendum happen, i think we are workin

as it has been mentioned, secretary clinton visited the eastern congo and she was moved and gave a very strong report about what was going on there. i was on that trip although i left before she visited the congo. but, in my assessment, the u.s. needs to refocus all parts of our government on a chiefing clear results in two critical issues. which were actually mentioned on her trip. the first priority should be to reduce civilian suffering and the second would be to ensure that next year's elections would be fair and free. i wonder if you could comment quickly on those two. i have a series of questions. >> you are absolutely correct mr. congressman. stability and -- is key and that is part of our security sector refor a proerefor reform approa. there are going to be areas that we need greater improvement on. as long as we continue to make the progress we have since 2006, we should be in a good shape as we head to the next elections as well. >> roger? >> in terms of the elections, after usaid's experience in sudan and the enormous lift to make the referendum happen, i think we are workin

years, secretary of state hillary clinton visited the region and we have escalated our efforts in eastern congo. it has provided humanitarian assistance to the congo. this commitment has paid dividends in congo. but with conflict persisting and elections coming up, we must develop a strategy and full youly engage in this issue. with national elections only eight months away on november 27, the u.s. is not focused on congress. even with events last week on the president's home. the united states government can and should play an active role to ensure that the november elections are free and fair. electoral outcome could perpetrate violence and division. last time the government collapsed, armies came across africa and five million people died. five million people have died since 1998 because of the conflict in eastern congo. we must learn from history and do our part to see this never happens again. in this time of heightend concern over federal spending some suggest that pros tert demands we turn a blind eye. i believe nothing can be more misguided. it would be penny wise and pound foolish to a

the united states must leverage the goodwill that the american people have for the people of the eastern congo by devastating and having a coherent and a focused policy towards the congo. that is what i hope that we can have as a conclusion of these hearings as we move forward. i must close by saying that it is fitting as mr. smith mentioned that this hearing is on the 100th anniversary of the international women's day, ending sexual violence as a weapon remains one of the greatest challenges to the protection of women's human rights while the survivors in as can be as young as a girl or her grandmother, we must do all we can to end this scourge. the whitehouse, and the state department, and capitol hill and the american people all understand the importance of reducing violence in the eastern congo, this means regulating the trade, and regulating the trade and conflict minerals that act as economic fuel to the the conflict to create the political will to reform the congolese national army from predators or making them from predator to protector and tackling impunity for war criminals and illeg

. >> reporter: he took her to eastern congo where her skepticism vanished. there they visited the local organizations that get funding from the nonprofit affleck set up last year, the eastern congo initiative. one of the most moving stories they heard, that of christine whom they meet at heal africa, a hospital that receives grants from affleck's group. kidnapped by a militia at 14, christine was raped, part of congo's epidemic of sexual violence. she got pregnant. she had complications. heal africa took her in, and seven surgeries later she's back in school and helping other young girls. she wants to be a lawyer. >> she's a great, inspiring, you know, beautiful young woman, and she's an important example. >> you talk to her. she has this glow about her. i'm not so sure i would have a glow about me if i'd been -- had the kind of life that she had. >> reporter: with fragile gains made in the country in recent year, the two argue that policymakers cannot allow congo to explode into yet another crisis. >> people are dying, really dying and have been for a long

how did you choose the eastern congo as a focus of your passion and interest? the reason that i say that is those of us who sit on this committee and others where global human rights is a concern and deep interest and essential, the insults to humanity, the affrontry that comes across our desk daily in so many places throughout the world can almost just be exhausting. so i'm curious, how did you choose this particular area? >> yeah. i came to it -- i won't go into my own personal journey because that may be inappropriate for this -- but i think really for me it was -- it was -- in fact i was reading. looking at some other stuff trying to cast around, looking at advocacy and i came across this, well of course it pales into comparison with the millions of daepgts in eastern congo and i was on the one hand really shocked and on the other hand ashamed. how could i not know this? i read the newspaper and yet i had no idea and so i thought well maybe this is a place where i can at least you know show up. i don't know what. and i started studying and i started learnin

estimates that 15,000 women were raped in eastern congo last year. congo was the subject of a hearing held this week by a house foreign affairs subcommittee. you'll hear testimony from state department officials and later actor and activist ben affleck. [inaudible conversations] >> the subcommittee will come to order, and good afternoon, everyone. i want to thank you all for joining us at this very important hearing on the democratic republic of congo at this critical juncture in its history. as one might conclude from the significant media interest evident in the room, we do have a special guest witness joining us today to spotlight attention on the democratic republic oftee congo. i am grateful to ben affleck for agreeing tosp be here to share t perspectives and that of the eastern congo initiative that hl founded.ngo. he is to be highly commended for contributing his time, finances and fame to bring the world's attention to the needs of the people who have suffered far too long and in a great deal oft obscurity. i would also like to recognize ms. c

they worked on the eastern congo initiative. traveled there together to see firsthand the plight of people. aflac says more than 3 million have died in the congo over the past 15 years because of unrest, disease and poverty. he talked on "good morning america" today. >> not really here asking for a big piece of money. that's not the idea. the idea is we've got this giant tragedy. a lot of this can be addressed by simply focusing on the issue. >> he's calling on president obama to appoint a special representative to help the country coordinate its strategy for recovery. >> prince william and fiancÉe kate middleton made their official trip to ireland today before their wedding. hundreds gathered outside to get a glimpse of the royal couple. william and kate spent time greeting the crowds and check this out they were cheered as they took turns flipping pancakes as part of a cancer fund-raising event there. >> we'llllllllllllllllllllllllll >> today on oprah at 4:00, former president george w. bush on his most difficult decisions in

they worked on the eastern congo initiative. traveled there together to see firsthand the plight of people. aflac says more than 3 million have died in the congo over the past 15 years because of unrest, disease and poverty. he talked on "good morning america" today. >> not really here asking for a big piece of money. that's not the idea. the idea is we've got this giant tragedy. a lot of this can be addressed by simply focusing on the issue. >> he's calling on president obama to appoint a special representative to help the country coordinate its strategy for recovery. >> prince william and fiancÉe kate middleton made their official trip to ireland today before their wedding. hundreds gathered outside to get a glimpse of the royal couple. william and kate spent time greeting the crowds and check this out they were cheered as they took turns flipping pa >> today on oprah at 4:00, former president george w. bush on his most difficult decisions in the white house. at 5:00, the threat facing the recycli

. >> reporter: he took her to the eastern congo, where he skepticism vanished.he organization that gets funding from the organization that affleck set up last year. one of the most moving stories they heard, that of christine, whom they met at heal africa, a hospital that gets grants from affleck's group. kidnapped by a militia at 14, christine was raped, part of the congo's epidemic of sexual violence. she got pregnant. he'll africa took her in. and seven surgeries later, she's back in school and helping other young girls whp she wants to be a lawyer. with fragile gains made in the country in recent years, the two argue that policymakers cannot allow congo to explode into yet another crisis. >> people are dying. really dying. i don't know if i can make anymore argument about why you should pay attention to this. >> reporter: jake tapper, abc news, the white house. >> opposite sides of the aisle

that's a daily happening in eastern congo where live is extremeish like that because of the lack of value that we in the world have for people, you know? tavis: the question that i'm that do the kind of work that you do day in and day out is how it is that you remain hopeful. when you are exposed to this much evil in the world, what is -- what is that thing that makes the difference between -- the difference between getting depressed and want to just kill yourself because the world is just horrible and i don't want to be here anybody and these are so intractable that i don't want to do anything about them, what's the difference wanting to do what you're doing and having to get it done? >> this is an example of what keeps me going. we opened city of joy. it's an amazing place. it's like pushing up ice boulders up a mountain where there's no electricity. but we did it. as we started we hired a group of women workers. the contractors didn't know what we did. these women started. they were so down on themselves. they're all survivors. they had no self-esteem, they had no money. but they start

ben affleck, who is the founder of the eastern congo initiative.in addition to a successful career as an actor, writer and director, mr. affleck is a passionate advocate, philanthropist. in march of 2010, he founded the eastern congo initiative, or a.c.i., an advocacy and grant making initiative with a mission of helping the people make good approaches that create a sustainable and successful society in the long troubled region. it is the first u.s.-based advocacy and grant-making initiative wholly focused on working with and for the people of the eastern congo. since 2007, mr. affleck has made multiple trips to africa with the focus on the eastern congo. he focuses on the conflict on the continent and learning about solutions to the problems affecting the d.r.c. we'll then hear from ms. francesca who was with the capitol police, spear heading the effort to incorporate sgbda in conflict and disasters. ms. walsh has nearly a decade of refugee camp management with the u.n. working with displaced communities in the balkans, latin america and africa an

we've created a massive campaign all through the congo-- through eastern congo-- and all over the world. if you go on the v-day website you'll see the v-wall for congo, where women and men across the planet have written letters and sent in pictures for the women that just got printed and put up on the walls of the hospital in bukavu, where all the rape survivors are. so we don't leave. there isn't one country, because v-day is the local women. it's not like we're somebody outside the country coming in-- v-day only exists if women in the country take the movement and make it theirs. >> hinojosa: and what happens to these women who are then in their countries, kind of opening this up? >> they get powerful, and more powerful, and right now, we've done... they've done breaking the silence events there, where they've told their stories publicly. we're just about to do another event in kinshasa. there's been mad, powerful street demonstrations. i predict to you, in three to five years, they'll be a major women's movement that will take over the congo, if we keep going. i do. i think it'll hap

the coast of course she prefecture the coast of meals likely prefecture the outer ocean coast of eastern congo she might prefecture the coast of the trying to go and islands the coast of the. islands but the waves can be up to two meters high in some of the areas mentioned everyone near the coast must evacuate to higher ground to. meet you. think things you type in yeah yeah yeah a show here. food. he. was saying that waves are up to two meters high in the coastal areas and he's requesting evacuation of residents around in the coastal areas affected by two metre high waves let's listen in again. yeah i'm. late for the you know english translation of what's happening he did mention a central and western parts of ohio and other areas prefectures in the coastal areas experiencing to meet her high waves he had requested for immediate evacuation of those air yes but we are waiting for him actually to tell us exactly what is has happened is happening at your focus she my daiichi power nuclear power plant where initial reports say that at least four people have been injured following a blast and you

shortage of words on to go to today where people are dying and fifteen hundred people a day in eastern congo journalists go in and out of there but it's not been reported in or same thing with sudan there's conflict going on in certain regions in sudan the conflict in afghanistan but what we're getting is a pro u.s. wrote anything on one sided picture of a situation which fills the media with the idea that there's freedom fighters involved in libya and that there is a government regime there and atrocious terrorist government for the last since one nine hundred seventy roughly this is nonsense libya was an established government whether we like them or not just north korea and he ran our established governments but we like him or not or the civilian government and what's happening against him is a war of aggression with the media serving one side to portray the idea that could happen is a terrorist all these people have been killed in freedom fighters involved freedom fighter language freedom fighter hasn't been you. jabs against the countries against you know if you need more remember a gra

now, affleck, through his eastern congo initiative, is helping to build hospitals.he region. >> when we were in the militias, we never thought that we would ever have such a life. >> reporter: he's been a big-time democrat. but is teaming up with republican, cindy mccain, a noted philanthropist in her own right, who has been coming to the region for 15 years. she was skeptical when affleck called her earlier this year. but that skepticism vanished when the two traveled to congo together. and saw how much affleck's charity was getting done in such a fragile region. >>> and ben affleck and cindy mccain join us now from just in front of the capitol. thanks for coming in. >> i still feel skeptical. >> i like the story of how you got together. it sounds like philanthropy's version of a blind date. you had some friends that said to get together with cindy. cindy, you had friends who said, you should take his call. >> i knew i had been getting involved and trying to gather a group of the smartest people who work on this. and everybody knew naturally about what cindy's been

and then i think it's equally important to maintain a focus on the fdlr in eastern congo. they really are the people that -- well, in their leadership now committed the genocide, then fled to zaire, injected this toxic poison. it wasn't like people weren't raping one another in zaire. that's where everyone in rwanda was going to party and dance when rwanda was the uptight couldn't friday in the easterrl '90s. these people who committed these barbaric crimes, it got contagious and further ruptured the social fabric, two wars and obliterated the infrastructure. these guys are still there and they're still killing civilians all the time. they're a big part in who's committing the rapes and they're the big ones that we need to support the effort to do that despite some pushback. i think it's important to remember there's the cndp. obviously they've committed a lot of crimes and they're part of the army -- congo has very openly said peace first, justice second. they're in a tough spot with that kind of thing. the fdlr there's no question about. that part of the country will not

and let me quote an extraordinary survivor, committed by several years in eastern congo. a woman who currently runs a shelter for rape survivors. at a hearing conducted by the office of the high commissioner for human rights last year, she told an audience of her fellow citizens and i will quote her. what reparation do i want? i do want money. the only reparation i want is that you all see rape not as my problem, but your problem. isn't it a great -- great quote. because it's really the essential issue of reparation and acknowledgment. in other words, a gender-responsive approach to reparations can demonstrate that women's security and their equal enjoyment of rights is central to an inclusive approach to national rebuilding. but like other examples that i have mentioned tonight, attention to women's rights cannot be an afterthought if these positive results are to be achieved. ladies and gentlemen, before i close, i cannot help asking me how eleanor roosevelt might have regarded the creation of u.n. women. my guess is that she would not have welcomed it -- at least not n

and let me quote an extraordinary survivor, committed by several years in eastern congo. a woman who currently runs a shelter for rape survivors. at a hearing conducted by the office of the high commissioner for human rights last year, she told an audience of her fellow citizens and i will quote her. what reparation do i want? i do want money. the only reparation i want is that you all see rape not as my problem, but your problem. isn't it a great -- great quote. because it's really the essential issue of reparation and acknowledgment. in other words, a gender-responsive approach to reparations can demonstrate that women's security and their equal enjoyment of rights is central to an inclusive approach to national rebuilding. but like other examples that i have mentioned tonight, attention to women's rights cannot be an afterthought if these positive results are to be achieved. ladies and gentlemen, before i close, i cannot help asking me how eleanor roosevelt might have regarded the creation of u.n. women. my guess is that she would not have welcomed it -- at least not n

and let me quote an extraordinary survivor, committed by several years in eastern congo. a woman who currently runs a shelter for rape survivors. at a hearing conducted by the office of the high commissioner for human rights last year, she told an audience of her fellow citizens and i will quote her. what reparation do i want? i do want money. the only reparation i want is that you all see rape not as my problem but your problem. isn't i a great -- great quote. because it's really the essential issue of reparation and acknowledgment. in other words a gender-responsive approach to reparations can demonstrate that women's security and their equal enjoyment of rights is central to an inclusive approach to national rebuilding. but like other examples that i have mentioned tonight attention to women's rights cannot be an afterthought if these positive results are to be achieved. ladies and gentlemen, before i close i cannot help asking me how eleanor roosevelt might have regarded the creation of u.n. women. my guess is that she would not have welcomed it -- at least not now. n

so these are important achievements in a jeep in eastern -- in eastern congo. provisions emphasize it williams wrote -- women's roles as agents of change and a very different picture emerges. when it comes to promoting women's engagement in peace and security, the international community has performed poorly, i would say. to many doors have remained closed. lately -- we still lack initiatives that would make changes on the impact of women's roles in peace and recovery. the hard fact, and i would use the words that eleanor roosevelt used, it is still overwhelmingly carried out by men. we research 24 ps, insistence the mid-1990s, and women average less than 8% of the delegations. a similar pattern holds if we look at what kinds of experts are supplied. very rarely have mediation support teams insured women's participation. let us not forget that to this day, no woman has been appointed a chief mediator of un manage peace process. let me say that it is hard to believe that the lack of women at the highest level of mediation does not account for the near invisibili

to have experienced development experts who provide the base for a safe place, whether it's in eastern congo or from a flood in pakistan or in haiti or anywhere else. so this is a particular concern that we be prepared to continue the humanitarian work that undergirds that many of us know around the world. to be sure, when we go into these post-conflict post-disaster situations, the united states brand is front and center. there was when i got there a feeling that maybe we shouldn't be so to speak trumpeting other own horn. my attitude is if the it is the american taxpayers that are putting the money out there. if people don't want american aid, if they don't want usaid and our programs to be there helping them, then we won't thereby. but if they're going to take it, then we're going to be advertising it. so i think it's a big part of what we're doing because what i found as i started traveling around the world is that a lot of people don't know what we did. you know, they said well, wait a minute, you know, the chinese are doing this. and the saudis are doing that and, you know, the so-and-