CONGO STORIES, battling five centuries of exploitation and greed

334pp., b/w & colour illus., maps, hardback, d.w., Grand Central Publishing, New York, 2018

ISBN: 9781455584642

Foreword by Soraya Aziz Souleymane. Postscript by Dave Eggers.

Illustrations by Sam Ilus. Photographs by Ryan Gosling.

John Prendergast, Ryan Gosling and Fidel Bafilemba demonstrate how, over centuries, European and American commercial interests have colluded with Congolese leaders to exploit the people and plunder the natural resources of the country, and how the Congolese are working to try and change the status quo.

Includes profiles of Congolese activists, professionals, and artists by Fidel Bafilemba.

"In this well-organized, vigorously informative, polyphonic, unnerving, and conscience-rousing presentation, [Prendergast] and researcher and activist Bafilemba trace 'the connection between natural resources exploitation and the violent conflicts' destroying the lives of millions in the Democratic Republic of Congo ... A thoughtfully assembled resource and a clarion call for readers to seek out ethically sourced goods and support efforts to bring justice and peace to this cruelly pillaged land." Booklist

"Eye-opening reportage from an African nation that has been robbed and despoiled for centuries-but that is now finding paths of resistance ... No thoughtful reader of this book will look at his or her computer or cellphone the same way again." Kirkus

American human rights and anti-corruption activist John Prendergast founded and runs the Enough Project and The Sentry. He is co-author of Not On Our Watch and The Enough Moment.

Ryan Gosling is a Canadian actor and filmmaker.

Fidel Bafilemba is a Congolese activist and researcher.