FOLLOW THE MOVEMENT

Fiona Ruddyrss

    posted by Fiona Ruddy on 10/05/10 • categorized as featured

    It is a balmy 50 degrees and rainy in Ann Arbor today. It took all of my might to scrape myself out of bed to go on my morning jog due to the looming wind and mist of early October. However, this run was something a little more special to me. Earlier this week I found out about the Run For Congo Women, an organization that raises money through distance running events for women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

    Now a part of the organization Women for Women International, Run for Congo Women raises money for job skills training, rights awareness education, trauma counseling, and small business assistance for women in the DRC whose lives have been torn apart by more than a decade of conflict – one which has been characterized by “the apparent systematic use of rape and sexual assault.”

    Five years ago Lisa Shannon saw a clip about the conflict on the Oprah Winfrey Show (gotta love her!) and was inspired not just to take a stand for Congolese women, but also to run away with it. So, instead of running to “slim down or to tone up” Lisa personally raised $28,000 to sponsor Congolese women through Women for Women International. Now, after creating a series of runs, Lisa has helped raise over $800,000 to radically rebuild the lives of women in the DRC.

    Every year I toy with the idea of running a marathon. But it started today. Ms. Shannon is an inspiration to everyone pounding pavement, but also those looking to facilitate social change on a grassroots level. Why not use the synergy of both to make the world a better place!

    I hope that you all will enjoy the video, including footage shot by Ms. Shannon herself, and will join me in some runs around town.

    If I ran 3.5 miles this morning, that means I only have 22.7 to go.

    For more information about the conflict in the DRC the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released a 550 page report yesterday. Here is a link to their website, and below is a video with High Commissioner Navi Pllay about the report.


    Posted by Rudder