mr. affleck and of course mr. prendergast is the agitator behind of this and the work that the catholic services does. we'd probably have a difficult time filling the room probably only have a third of it covered. so i think that people don't realize the importance of people in your categories that you can bring attention to issues and i think it's important once we get the attention, we know what to do you know? congressman smith, myself, and other members of congress. but you do help us highlight the problems. and i really, once again, thank you all for your interest in these issues. the -- it seems, and it's very clear that we definitely need have a special envoy. i recall maybe john, you remember, when we went with president clinton to africa. and during our time there, we just simply had a meeting of the great lakes region presidents because so much is interrelated. uganda was arguing a little bit. you had rwanda looking over what was happening in zimbabwe. it's so interremelated that a special envoy should n

mr. affleck and of course mr. prendergast is the agitator behind of this and the work that the catholic services does. we'd probably have a difficult time filling the room probably only have a third of it covered. so i think that people don't realize the importance of people in your categories that you can bring attention to issues and i think it's important once we get the attention, we know what to do you know? congressman smith, myself, and other members of congress. but you do help us highlight the problems. and i really, once again, thank you all for your interest in these issues. the -- it seems, and it's very clear that we definitely need have a special envoy. i recall maybe john, you remember, when we went with president clinton to africa. and during our time there, we just simply had a meeting of the great lakes region presidents because so much is interrelated. uganda was arguing a little bit. you had rwanda looking over what was happening in zimbabwe. it's so interremelated that a special envoy should n

mr. affleck and of course mr. prendergast is the agitator behind of this and the work that the catholic seices does. we'd probably have a difficult time filling the room probably only have a third of it covered. so i think that people don't realize the importance of people in your categories that you can bring attention to issues and i think it's important once we get the attention, we know what to do you know? congressman smith, myself, and other members of congress. but you do help us highlight the problems. and i really, once again, thank you all for your interest in these issues. the -- it seems, and it's very clear that we definitely need have a special envoy. i recall maybe john you remember, when we went with president clinton to africa. and during our time there, we just simply had a meeting of the grt lakes region presidents because so much is interrelated. uganda was arguing a little bit. you had rwanda looking over wh was happening in zimbabwe. it's so interremelated that a special envoy should not only

mr. ben affleck and ms. cindy mccain are testament to what the power of individuals can do in the great lakes area. i noticed that my friend john pendergrass and other ngo groups who are here wloz work has helped a great deal in moving this process along. let me tell you, mr. chairman, that the united states continues to play a significant role to make a difference in the lives of the people in the drc and wherever there is suffering and tragedy. in the tense years following 2003 we led an international effort through our tribe parte peace process to address the causes of violence and to end the tragedies that promote violence. i was honored to help lead the process for nearly four years making some two dozen trips to the region. secretary clinton traveled to the drc in 2009 as have many senior officials in the last two years. our overall arching goals and objectives in the drc to resolve it lies in governance and security. you need to have a government that is accountable to the people, and you need a secur

mr. ben affleck and ms. cindy mccain are testament to what the power of individuals can do in the great lakes area. i noticed that my friend john pendergrass and other ngo groups who are here wloz work has helped a great deal in moving this process along. let me tell you, mr. chairman, that the united states continues to play a significant role to make a difference in the lives of the people in the drc and wherever there is suffering and tragedy. in the tense years following 2003 we led an international effort through our tribe parte peace process to address the causes of violence and to end the tragedies that promote violence. i was honored to help lead the process for nearly four years making some two dozen trips to the region. secretary clinton traveled to the drc in 2009 as have many senior officials in the last two years. our overall arching goals and objectives in the drc to resolve it lies in governance and security. you need to have a government that is accountable to the people, and you need a secur

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 and has spent a considerable amount of time in the eastern congo helping c.r.s. designing effective responses to psycho, soci

mr. ranking member and members of the subcommittee, my name is ben affleck. i'm founder of the eastern congo initiative. it is the only u.s.-based grant-making and advocacy program entirely focused on working with and for the people of the eastern congo an area that carries the unwanted area of being the deadliest and most volatile region of the country and one of the deadliest in the world. . it has led to over 1,000 rapes being committed every month. international rescue committee estimates 5.4 million people have lost their lives in the conflict since 1998 with many under the age of five. not all were killed in combat but from the ravages, malaria and pneumonia, malnutrition and diarrhea. the efforts help protect the most vulnerable among the population, child soldiers, survivors of sexual violence. e.c.i. works with community-based groups focused on education, economic activity, legal reform. i thank you for your attention to congo and holding this important hearing. i request to submit a complete written statement for the record. today's hearing occurs o