FILIMBI MOVEMENT

The African continent has one of the youngest populations in the world, with more than 60% of Africans under the age of 30. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), one of Africa’s largest countries, is no exception. According to a 2013 UNFPA report on young people in sub-Saharan Africa, in 2010, 33% of the DRC’s 66 million people were aged between 10 and 24. The number of young people is projected to rise to 31.6 million by 2025 and 42.9 million by 2050. The DRC’s development is therefore closely linked to the wellbeing of its young people. Stable democratic governance, economic growth, access to education and healthcare, and security should ideally enable young people to play a greater role in the country’s political, economic and social life. Unfortunately, that is not the case today.

Young Congolese people are determined to overcome their challenges, but they have also expressed frustration at the many obstacles they face. As a result, civic engagement among young people is low. Disillusioned, they are among the first to suffer from the absence of the basic elements of stable democratic governance. Young people see little point in engaging with a system that does not reflect their values or take their needs into account.

Education: The education and training system in the DRC is currently inadequate. Young people receive a poor education, many are unemployed, and few are equipped for the world of work. More than 7.3 million children aged 5 to 17 are out of school, over half of them girls. Access to, and the quality of, primary, secondary and vocational education and technical training are poor.

Employment: There is a mismatch between young people’s abilities and employers’ requirements. Many young people either lack the skills sought by the private sector or do not recognise their value. Often poorly trained and lacking the skills needed to compete in the labour market, young people have few opportunities to earn a decent wage. The official unemployment rate is 32.2%, almost twice the national average of 17.8% in the formal economy. However, the true extent of youth unemployment and underemployment is unknown. Some estimates put it above 70%.

Health: Young people have little information about sexuality and reproductive health. Many appear to be disconnected from health services because some health professionals have poor interpersonal skills and there are few sexual and reproductive health facilities or family-planning services tailored to young people. As a result, young people lack reliable information about sexuality and reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS. Fewer than 20% of 15- to 19-year-olds have comprehensive knowledge of HIV. Adolescent fertility is also high. Young people are susceptible to rumours about contraceptives and reluctant to use modern methods, and almost one in five adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 gives birth each year.

Civic and political participation: Young people use both formal channels (government channels) and informal ones (civil society) to express themselves, participate and engage. Despite their pride in being Congolese, young people’s voices are severely marginalised. They feel disengaged, excluded and discouraged, and are often subject to political and/or ethnic manipulation.

Gender: Deep-rooted, outdated cultural norms and laws that discriminate against women pose a major challenge to gender equality. For example, although many sub-Saharan African countries have set the minimum age for marriage at 18, in the DRC it remains 15 for women. The widespread acceptance of domestic violence, early marriage and early motherhood, as well as the use of rape as a weapon of war, are particularly troubling for the DRC’s future. More than one in three adolescents aged 15 to 19 in the DRC has experienced sexual violence.

Conflict: Since independence, violence and conflict have cast a long shadow over the DRC. Many children have died, become combatants and/or been displaced as a result of this instability.

Ultimately, this growing youth population has enormous potential to strengthen or undermine national goals in governance and in economic and social development. Improvements in governance and in the security, economic and social situation depend heavily on the level of youth engagement.

FILIMBI (meaning “whistle” in Swahili) was created in response to this alarming situation. It is a non-partisan, nationwide civic movement bringing together youth organisations (including community groups and universities), as well as artists, entrepreneurs, professionals and others who share its vision. The movement is led by young Congolese people who work to inform young people about the democratic process and raise awareness of civic engagement. By encouraging less engaged young people to get involved, FILIMBI aims to provide an entry point for sustained civic engagement among young people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Objectives

FILIMBI’s main objectives are to increase civic participation among young Congolese people and encourage dialogue between young people and social and political stakeholders. It provides young Congolese people with tools to facilitate their civic engagement and enable them to exercise their civic rights and duties with understanding, so that they can bring about positive change in their communities.

FILIMBI uses these tools to help disengaged young people move from cynicism, anger and frustration towards constructive criticism and positive influence on the system through civic engagement and electoral power. It aims to turn young people’s knowledge, positive energy and dynamism into direct influence over the governance system.

FILIMBI’s vision

FILIMBI envisions a Democratic Republic of the Congo where actively engaged young people fully fulfil their role as agents of change and take part in decision-making at every level of the political process. It envisions a Democratic Republic of the Congo where young people no longer merely endure democracy.

FILIMBI’s approach

FILIMBI facilitates civic engagement among young people by making it more appealing and accessible. Through a creative approach that feels familiar to young people, FILIMBI uses knowledge, art and new technologies to encourage active citizenship. It provides young people with the information, tools and skills they need to participate actively in their communities and in the democratic process.

To achieve this, FILIMBI draws on a network of experts working in various fields, including democracy and governance, new technologies, personal development and the arts. They provide the technical support it needs to fulfil its mission.

FILIMBI in action

FILIMBI aims to achieve its objectives through, among other things:

• Workshops and training sessions on a range of topics (civic participation, leadership, community service, elections, etc.);
• Events that encourage young people to get involved (civic concerts, problem-solving fairs, competitions, civic debates, etc.);
• Expansion of the civic network;
• Street teams to raise awareness of civic engagement;
• Publication of articles and analysis;
• Designing and producing awareness-raising and training materials for young people;
• And more.

FILIMBI, art and community service

FILIMBI works with committed young artists who serve their communities, including:

Lyke Mike
Sholo
Ekopimolo
Morihno
DasolMalpol
Orakle
Costa Yekima
CizeNkosi
KojackKossakamvwe
Ice MAN rames
9A Amos
Mireille Elugba
TK Russel
XlarisMotho, and others.

On 1 March 2015, the movement organised a symbolic action in memory of the more than 8 million Congolese people who have died, and to express the aspirations of an entire nation for peace and development. The Congolese diaspora in South Africa also took part, holding a symbolic march on the same day. This action marked the launch of the awareness and action campaign: 8 Millions INENEYA – EKOKI – IFUENI – KUAJIKI.

The main aim of this action was to bring people together, mourn our dead and, above all, reflect and act together to put an end to this tragedy.

The aim was to make the voices of Congolese people heard by international community stakeholders and decision-makers, present proposals and share the actions that Congolese people consider essential to stop the massacre and move their country forward.

The event took place in the conference room of the National Blood Transfusion Centre. A screening of the documentary Conflict in Congo: The Truth Revealed, by the organisation 3 Friends of the Congo, was followed by several talks on the subject.

A five-minute video featuring movement members from Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Goma, Beni and Butembo was also produced. It carried a twofold message:

• Remind people of the little-known tragedy of 8 million deaths caused by war and indifference;
• Issue a call to action and pledge to rise up and get involved.

On 14 and 15 March 2015, FILIMBI held a workshop for discussion and reflection, which concluded with a popular concert at Don Bosco Parish and at “UDPS” Square, both in the Masina district. The event also marked the movement’s official launch.

During the workshop, participants discussed youth civic engagement in the context of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They drew, in particular, on contributions from committed artists and successful examples of youth mobilisation, and developed an action plan to reach young people.

“FILIMBIsophy” (FILIMBI’s philosophy)

FILIMBI believes that creating spaces conducive to dialogue and participation in decision-making encourages civic engagement among young people and greatly improves the quality of democracy.

FILIMBI believes it is important to bring democracy to young people rather than wait for them to come to it. Sometimes, the first step towards civic engagement is the most important.