Community Gardens in a War Zone: A Call for Solidarity
IPPE runs a community garden in the territory of Masisi, Democratic Republic of Congo.(All photos documenting the ongoing community work happening in North Kivu were graciously provided by Justin Lumoo Paluku of the IPPE.)
Para leer la versión en español, visite nuestra sección en español, El Tejido.
How do you take care of community gardens in a war zone? How do you educate communities about the importance of protecting non-human animal rights while you hear machine guns firing in the distance? For those who live in countries that have the privilege of peace, these conditions might be hard to imagine. However, the Initiative pour le Progrès et la Protection de l'Environnement (IPPE), or the Initiative for Environmental Progress and Protection, has become all too familiar with realities of running an environmental nonprofit amidst waves of mineral extraction-fueled wars.
The IPPE is a community-run organization that works throughout the Province of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), striving to help communities achieve food autonomy, while at the same time protecting the health of the entire ecosystem. Yet, most of these initiatives are currently on hold. On January 27, the March 23rd Movement (M23) and Rwandan armed forced took control of Goma, and the city that was the IPPE’s base of operation became a battleground.
Non-human animal emergency protection project run by IPPE.
The lakeside city of Goma is the capital and largest city of the province of North Kivu, and home to two million people. Over the last year, the city had become a refuge for an ever-growing number of families fleeing the M23 and Rwandan forces. The 700,000 to one million people living in refugee camps around the city, along with all the city’s inhabitants, face an uncertain future. Since the end of 2024, fighting between the M23 rebels, rival militias, and the Congolese government has displaced almost three million people, which is only a fraction of the more than six million who have been internally displaced since 2022. In this most recent clash, UN peacekeepers fought alongside the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) soldiers and wazalendo militiamen, in the failed attempt to retain control of Goma. As the violence escalates, the M23 rebels plan to move towards the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, and neighboring countries fear a regional war.
Sapling planted by IPPE in a reforestation project.
The focal point of these hostilities is the gold, cassiterite, coltan, cobalt and diamond mines that dot North Kivu. In their advance, M23 have moved quickly to secure mining towns, such as Rubaya, which hold large coltan deposits. While the political roots of this conflict are complex and go back to the legacies of European colonialism, the economics are simple: the elements that power laptops and smartphones are found under the communities that face bloodshed and displacement. The UN and DRC officials claim that the minerals from the M23 mines are transported to Rwanda, from where they are then shipped to the international market. Late last year, the DRC sued Apple subsidiaries in Belgium and French courts, accusing the smartphone giant of buying “blood minerals.” This bloodshed extends far beyond the human realm, and “critical” mineral mining in North Kivu has caused mass deforestation, obliterating the habitat of the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, who are on the verge of extinction.
How is IPPE going to continue fulfilling its mission, protecting the livelihoods of human and other-than-human communities in the current climate of insecurity? The employees of IPPE are currently asking themselves this question, considering how to operate in a region that is now controlled by M23. One of their first steps is to find a new base of operations, and possibly move, like millions of others, to a safer region. The IPPE is thus calling on environmental organizers from around the world for their solidarity and support. Here at Confluence we are sharing their call and inviting organizations, community groups and individuals from around the world to show their solidarity with the waters, ecosystems and communities of North Kivu, and the brave groups, such as IPPE, who are striving to protect them.
If you would like to contribute materially to the IPPE’s efforts, just follow this link to access their online donation page. These donations will help the IPPE to rent a new base of operations in a location that is safer and outside of a conflict zone.
In addition, we invite you all to submit a statement of solidarity. All you need to do is share a few words about why you, and/or your organizations, stand in solidarity with the IPPE during this complicated time. Pictures and videos are also welcome. To do this, all you need to do is use this submission form.
IPPE running community gardens, vegetarian education in schools, and community mobilization workshops.
