Globaleyes

Conflict and Natural Resources

By Bruce Guenther

This is the fifth in a series of articles on economic globalization sponsored by the Peace Ministries Program of MCC Canada. The writers are young adult Canadians who are studying and thinking about globalization and seeking to make a difference.

 

The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have recently participated in their first democratic election in over 40 years following years of dictatorial rule and conflict. International observers, including volunteers through MCC , partnered with local Congolese citizens to monitor the election in hopes that this effort would be another step toward peace and democracy.

Since 1990, the people of the DRC have been the victims of a brutal civil and international war. It is estimated that a total of 350,000 people have been killed as a direct consequence of violence; an estimated 4 million people have died as an indirect result of the conflict, mostly due to malnutrition and disease; and 3.4 million people have been displaced. The International Rescue Committee reveals that more than 1000 people die each day as a direct and indirect result of the conflict.

Natural resources – a curse?

Civil wars in places like the Congo seem very remote to us. Yet, one need look no further than the closest jewellery shop, gas pump, one’s cell phone, or the pipes under the sink to make the connection. The diamonds, oil, timber, drugs and hard minerals which make their way into everyday items in Canada, also fuel many of the world’s deadliest conflicts.

For many developing countries, their natural resources have become a curse. Whether it is gas in Colombia, timber in Burma and Cambodia, diamonds in Sierre Leone and Liberia, oil in Angola, Nigeria and the Middle East, or the minerals in the Congo, the wealth generated feeds insecurity, conflict and violence.

Governments, transnational companies and rebel groups fight for control of natural resources and their lucrative revenues. The vast wealth allows them to purchase weapons to maintain their control of the resources. But these weapons fuel violence and human rights abuses. As government, military, business and rebel leaders “cream off the top”, the poor rarely benefit from their land’s rich resources and instead become the victims of violence, exploitation and displacement. With few alternatives, the poor – particularly young men – are drawn into the cycle of violence in order to survive.

Who benefits?

The exploitation of natural resources from countries such as the DRC is not new – this pattern has existed since colonial times -- but globalization is making the competition more fierce. The thirst for these resources from large emerging economies like China and India has governments and transnational companies scrambling to get their hands on the oil, copper, and timber needed to fuel the global economy.

Coltan, a mineral found in large quantities in DRC’s volatile eastern region, is used in batteries for such things as cell phones and laptop computers. As our phones and computers are manufactured in Asia and shipped west to our local electronics store (or directly to our doorstep!), the Congolese appear to be caught in the middle of globalization.

Not only do we benefit from cheap manufactured goods, but the drastically rising prices of commodity stocks pad our pensions, mutual funds and other investments. Meanwhile, with booming profits, transnational corporations increase local grievances in the South and are often complicit in the abuse of human rights and the erosion of local environments. In numerous cases, these international firms make alliances with local elites and rebel leaders in order to ensure the steady flow of resources.

Globalization also allows easier access to the world’s weapons market, as oil, diamonds, timber, and coltan are traded for small arms and light weapons. Currently the world small arms trade totals around 639 million weapons with 80 million more produced every year. Unregulated and global markets not only allows for easier access to small arms but an increasingly integrated economy allows governments and rebel groups to more easily finance their conflict through natural resource exploitation.

What can we do?

As Christians concerned about violence and the exploitation of the poor by powerful elites, how should we respond in faith in ways that build peace? How can we partner with the 194,000 Mennonites in the DRC to support their desire for sustainable livelihoods and a peaceful transformation of their society?

Our Christian faith calls us to recognize that the world’s resources are a gift from God to be shared equitably. As stewards of the earth and advocates with the poor, we can take concrete steps in hope and discipleship.

First, we need to become conscious of how our daily consumption of these resources implicates us in a vicious cycle of violence, exploitation and degradation of God’s creation. We must ‘consciously object’ to participation in violence and as a church hold governments and companies responsible for their unjust actions.

We can choose to invest our savings in ethical funds which ensure that transnational companies have reputable corporate social responsibility requirements.

We can advocate for greater regulation and transparency in the global economy by supporting a global arms treaty, and the strengthening of initiatives which hold companies and government accountable for corruption and human rights abuses such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Corporations and the Kimberley Process for diamonds.

We can also support relief, development and peace-building projects through organizations such as MCC. Through MCC programs such as peace advocacy in Colombia, democratization efforts in the DRC, or relief projects in Sudan, we can respond with compassion to those who are caught in the crossfire of globalization. Above all we must support initiatives that directly benefit the livelihoods of the poorest and most vulnerable.

The DRC is entering a new phase, with democratic elections held this past July. An international gold mining firm operating in the eastern DRC claims on its website that this is a “new dawn for the Congo”. With a history of exploitation and violence, let’s pray that this “new dawn” will be one of peace and where the Congolese will benefit.

 

Bruce Guenther is currently a MPhil student in Development Studies at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex in Brighton, UK. He has served as a human rights advocate with MCC Jamaica, as a program analyst for MCC Canada, and as a MCC Manitoba board member. Bruce is a member of Hope Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, MB and is originally from Saskatoon.

 

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