CongoForum and its mission

The non-profit association CongoForum was founded on the 25th June of 2005 as a pluralistic association. The founders, Belgians and Congolese, were deeply touched by the immense needs in the DRC and the miserable living conditions of most people in the Congo.

They wanted to develop an online blog, platform or intersection for everyone participating in activities related to the DRC, regardless of their level of involvement. CongoForum not only wanted to inform, to raise awareness and to stimulate, but also to encourage groups of people to take action or raise their level of activity.     



In general, CongoForum’s goals are:

• to inform both the Belgian and Congolese public and provide a level of insight that can lead to greater mutual understanding and better relations between them

• to support all initiatives and projects that are beneficial for the reconstruction and sustainable development of the DRC and Congolese-Belgian relations

• to promote awareness among Belgians and Congolese alike of the possibilities to forge cooperative working relationships and establish joint initiatives




For whom?


Generally speaking, CongoForum’s target audience is the Belgian and Congolese public. More specifically, the site can be useful to those who work for or with Belgian and Congolese non-profit organizations active in the DRC, including professors, students, researchers, academic experts and journalists. CongoForum has also received regular visit from members of parliament, other politicians, businessmen representing diverse industries, and tourists. But most of all, we are making CongoForum a platform that can be utilized by ordinary people of all ages and backgrounds. 

Topics of Importance

The focus of this site is to address those topics that have great importance for the future of the DRC and the Congolese people themselves. Some of the most important issues are education, health care, agriculture, environment, economy, microfinance, investments, diplomacy and infrastructure.


Other critical topics include the democratic process, human rights, peace building, civil society, women’s rights and the struggle against sexual violence.




Documentation



CongoForum has gradually become a popular and highly appreciated news and information source for a large and growing group of users. The site is a relevant addition to the news articles produced by the regular media. 



But you will also find on CongoForum a lot of information with historical value. The website doesn’t only feed news; it has become a very valuable archive. In fact, CongoForum has also become a type of online documentation centre containing and storing a huge amount of documents.  

What does CongoForum do?
 
In our existence and our work we believe we can encourage an interest in the Congo and its sustainable development.

Very often, we highlight the many non-profit organizations that try to make a difference for the Congolese people. Various types of campaigns, events, calls, books, etc. are being promoted on our website. With CongoForum we highlight everything that happens around the DRC. In this way we are reinforcing a positive dynamism and acting against the pessimism of some when we present information on the DRC.



Structure

The non-profit association CongoForum has a board of directors which meets almost every month in Brussels. The members of this board monitor the evolution of the association.

The majority of our efforts has resulted in a large and expanding website at www.congoforum.be, which has been online since October 2005.

A lot of the work has consisted of editing the site, which is done by volunteers. These volunteer editors also make sure the website is being updated on a daily basis.

We are all volunteers who rely on very limited funding to make CongoForum a success. If you like our project, please support us

 

Who is CongoForum?


Board of directors:
 

Daniel Adriaens

Denis Bouwen

Guy De Boeck

Hélène Madinda

Godet Mati Latita

Dieudonné Nzuzi Mayela

Klaas Vanhalst

 
Editors:

Julian Admiraal

Daniel Adriaens

Denis Bouwen

Andy Campe

Toon Cappuyns

Guy De Boeck

Eva Demaré

Kevin Dewilde

Hélène Madinda

Dieudonné Nzuzi Mayela

Negin Ranjbar

Katrien Van Calster

Dirk Van Croonenborch

Willem-Jan Vandenplas

Kathleen Van Gucht