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Media Storm

MediaStorm's principal aim is to usher in the next generation of multimedia storytelling by publishing social documentary projects incorporating photojournalism, interactivity, animation, audio and video for distribution across multiple media.

In 2008, MediaStorm won an Emmy, two Webby Awards and Best Use of Multimedia in the Pictures of the Year Contest. In 2007, MediaStorm won an Emmy, took first place in both the Best of Photojournalism Contest and Pictures of the Year, and won the Webby Award for the Magazine category.

website: www.mediastorm.org

Media and information provided by MediaStorm published | february ‘09

Rape of a Nation

Click the image above to see Rape of a Nation, a powerful and important MediaStorm film about the DR Congo by Marcus Bleasdale.

Rape of a Nation credits:

Photography and Video: Marcus Bleasdale
Producer: Eric Maierson
Video Interview: Chad A. Stevens
Graphics: Tim Klimowicz
Executive Producer: Brian Storm

ABOUT the DRC

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is home to the deadliest war in the world today. An estimated 5.4 million people have died since 1998, the largest death toll since the Second World War, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC). IRC reports that as many as 45,000 people die each month in the Congo. Most deaths are due to easily preventable and curable conditions, such as malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, malnutrition, and neonatal problems and are byproducts of a collapsed healthcare system and a devastated economy.

The people living in the mining towns of eastern Congo are among the worst off. Militia groups and government forces battle on a daily basis for control of the mineral-rich areas where they can exploit gold, coltan, cassiterite and diamonds.

After successive waves of fighting and ten years of war, there are no hospitals, few roads and limited NGO and UN presence because it is too dangerous to work in many of these regions. The West's desire for minerals and gems has contributed to a fundamental breakdown in the social structure.

HOW TO HELP

The problems in Congo are vast and sometimes the whole problem feels overwhelming, but it is not unsolvable. It is not a problem that we can’t do anything about.

When buying gold or diamonds, ask the retailer if they know where they’re coming from. In this way, we as consumers can maintain pressure on an industry that is sometimes not as diligent as it can be.

Additionally the Congolese population needs help. These are some of the organizations working in DRC:

Human Rights Watch
is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. They work to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. They investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. They challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
is providing emergency healthcare in some of the worst conflict zones in DRC.

The International Rescue Committee
helps to revive basic services interrupted by the long civil war and aid communities to generate long-term solutions to the problems of poverty and violence.

Save the Children
helps to revive basic services interrupted by the long civil war and aid communities to generate long-term solutions to the problems of poverty and violence.

The Coalition to stop the use of Child Soldiers
works to prevent their recruitment and use, to secure their demobilization and to promote their rehabilitation and reintegration.

Global Witness
exposes the corrupt exploitation of natural resources and international trade systems. They drive campaigns to end impunity, resource-linked conflicts and human rights and environmental abuses.

All of these organizations need our constant support.

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