Blog Posts by Matt Pennington

When was the last time you heard someone refer to the “voiceless,” either in the context of their work, (e.g., “I am an advocate for the “voiceless”) or in reference to the plight of a specific group of people, likely in a developing country?

I remember hearing the “voiceless” narrative as a kid and thinking (if I’m being honest here) of African refugees, sitting in camps, waiting around silently and helplessly for someone to rescue them, without capacity to speak up for themselves.

And in my time working in the policy and advocacy fields in Washington, I have heard this portrayal repeatedly. Certainly not from ill-intentioned people. Heck, I’m sure I myself have been guilty of this sort of talk before. But I think it’s time that we – particularly those of us working to influence humanitarian policy issues in Washington –disassociate ourselves from this type of language and way of thinking.

Why, you ask?

Hi folks, sorry for the delay in posts. We’ve been running all around the eastern Congo for the last several days and haven’t really had access to reliable internet. We’re now in Goma, where we’ll be staying for the next 6 days, so I’ll be posting with a bit more regularity.

Much has transpired since I last wrote you from Kinshasa. We finally made it out on the UN flight to Kisangani, and arrived there in the early afternoon on Wednesday. In Kisangani, we met with representatives from MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission, UN agencies (UNICEF, OCHA, and UNDP), and an NGO to discuss the latest changes to MONUSCO’s mandate and the future of the mission in DR Congo, and also to get a read on the current humanitarian and security conditions facing civilians in the area.

I'm writing to you from our hotel lobby, running on three hours of sleep, with my second Nescafé of the afternoon in hand. So forgive me if I sound tired. Why only three hours of sleep, you ask? Well, my colleague, Erin, and I had to get to the airport by 5:00am this morning in order to attempt to board a UN flight to eastern Congo. Unfortunately, due to the limited number of outbound flights and the overwhelming demand for an extremely limited number of seats, we were unable to make it on board. However, we were lucky enough to get tickets for the flight out tomorrow. Although getting "lucky" means we'll have to endure another 4:00 am wakeup call. C'est la vie.

We've taken advantage of the extra time here in Kinshasa (we've now been here for five full days) to primarily meet with UN officials to discuss the latest changes to the UN's peacekeeping mandate here in DRC, and the impact of those changes on Congolese civilians. While I have enjoyed my time in Kinshasa, I have to admit, I am looking forward to heading east to carry out our meetings and field interviews with humanitarian organizations, displaced Congolese people, local NGOs, UN field staff, and other members of the so-called international community.

On October 13th, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to extend the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) for another year. Noting improvements made toward the stabilization of the country over recent months, the Council recognized a fragile security situation that “continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region.” Yes, UN peacekeeping has helped to make real gains in security in Haiti, but stability there remains threatened by gang violence, drug trafficking, and civil unrest.

The Obama administration is facing a critical juncture in American foreign policy. As U.S. civilian programs have been chronically underfunded and understaffed over the last several decades, there is growing consensus that our approach to global engagement is in dire need of repair. This concern has only grown stronger in the wake of ongoing U.S. military-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and widespread concerns about the reliance on and inappropriate use of U.S. military in non-combat activities abroad. We can no longer afford to view American foreign policy simply through the lens of increased U.S. military might.  The problems around the globe – including humanitarian crises related to displacement -- are too complex and require a multi-faceted approach.